Video Game Awesomeness Post 10

So inappropriate is how I would describe Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. Funny thing is, its the game I've decided to do my final project on. GTA is a game that teaches you how to play through a story line, which I have figured out is the kind of game I like playing. Really looking at the game in depth for my project has shown me how video games teach the player how to play. The game starts off with a background story of the character the player is about to virtually become, Carl Johnson. The game teaches you a different skill through a story line, and then you are set free to practice that skill and complete the mission. The game puts the player in a specific situation to practice this skill so it becomes generalized. Then the skill will be more beneficial to the player later in the game. This is referred to as Gee's Incremental Principle. The next principle that teaches the player how to play the game is the Bottom Up Basic Skills Principle. Basic skills needed to p;ay the game are taught before more complex skills because the basic skills are needed throughout the entire game, and are mastered while continuing to play through out the domain. The basic skills like stealing a car, getting on a bike,  or punching someone are the first skills needed to get anywhere in the game. Some of these skills were learned through discover learning. When I entered the domain I pushed every button to find out which button made Carl perform which action. Probing was huge when I played the game because I was constantly driving, or running around trying to follow the map, getting lost, stealing cars and getting shot at, or running into the police. I had to figure out how to resolve all of these problems, but one problem in particular was that I tried to steal the car of a gang member and I didn't know how ti tell when the car was filled with gang members or civilians. I stole a few cars and figured out that the cars with people covered in a color different than green (my gang color) was a gang car. I stole enough gang cars that I started getting hunted down like crazy!

The last principle I think teaches you how to play the game is the Identity Principle. The Identity Principle involves taking on and playing with identities is such a way that the learner has real choices and new opportunities to meditate on the relationships between new identities and old ones. In GTA the player is free to choose what Carl does, doesn't do, when he does it, and who he does it too. Also the more the player takes on the role of Carl, the better they will understand the domain, and fulfill the missions. If the player plays into the culture of the video game, and identify with Carl, the quicker they learn to play the game. I feel like people might think it was weird or inappropriate that I am choosing GTA for my final project, but I just felt like was a great game for the topic of how the video game teaches you to play. I think thats why it is so popular. It does a great job teaching you skills and preparing you for what is coming next.