My journey as a gamer turned learner (part 2)

Gaming and Learning: My Journey Continues in the World (of Warcraft)

In my previous blog post, I talked about how I first got into gaming and the role it played in my early learning experiences. Now, I want to continue that story and share how my passion for gaming continued to shape my learning and problem-solving skills in the years that followed.

When World of Warcraft (WoW) was released, I was immediately hooked. At first, I played with friends but soon found myself drawn to PvP and, when arenas were introduced, I was all about it. However, I never considered myself to be very good at games, and I think that's because I was always looking for shortcuts and end goal oriented. That changed with WoW.

I would watch videos on Warcraftmovies (can't believe this site still exists!) and read articles on different matchups. It was the first time I practiced mechanics and did drills suggested in the guides - this taught me how I can break down a skill into smaller pieces to make it more manageable to practice, but also give me the WHY behind it. I even created a schedule to fit in WoW practice and PvP times around my work and study times to maximize my time. These skills would later prove to be very useful in my life.

My learning in WoW was still game-based, but I tried to apply some of those skills to my everyday life. I worked on my peripheral vision and keyboard mechanics while at work. Well, it was still game-based, but doing it irl! It was a flip of an idea my dad showed me once when I was following him around with his cleaning jobs. I must've looked quite unenthusiastic (obviously, I mean I was cleaning some shop during my school holidays) and he showed me how I could use mopping like a basketball drill, killing two birds with one stone. To be fair it wasn't the best drill - he was saying that when I push the bucket on wheels to get the water changed and push it back, I can pretend I'm dribbling past a busy defence, making sure I keep low and weave. I added a little jump shot at the end, imagining I was pushing the ball up, going coast to coast and pulling up for clutch J. And by just getting my head into it, I did end up enjoying it more - not sure if it translated well to basketball, but for some reason this memory is something that I will probably never forget.

As life went on, WoW became more of a second home for me and my wife, who had been playing with me for years. We got married, graduated, got jobs, etc... and couldn't keep up and became casual players, but I still used my internet search skills to find guides on how to complete quests, bosses, dungeons, and achievements.

During my post-graduate degree, this skill came in super handy. I was able to dig out references and information without leaving my home and make it look like I borrowed books from the library. Later on, in my work life, people thought I was very tech-savvy because I was able to troubleshoot a lot of computer and IT issues at school, when really, I was just good at googling compared to them.

Looking back, I realize that gaming taught me more than just how to beat a level or conquer a boss. It taught me how to learn and problem-solve in a way that was fun and engaging. It taught me how to create a schedule and maximize my time. It taught me how to research and find information effectively. And most importantly, it taught me that learning can be enjoyable and that it's never too late to learn something new.

We took a long hiatus from WoW. We dipped our toes in here and there but never really got to commit enough time for it. My wife took on a higher level position and she was working non-stop and our son was still a little nublet. But every time we do revisit Azeroth, we reminisce the 'good old days' - all the battles, banter, adventures we had, forging friendships that many still hold strong even today. Recently we came back once again, for the Dragonflight expansion, convinced by an old friend we made in WoW over a catchup dinner. With our son being much older now and able to figure out most of the mechanics by himself, we reentered Azeroth once again, this time as a family. 

So, to anyone who thinks gaming is just a waste of time, I say: you're missing out on a whole world of (warc... nevermind...) learning opportunities. 

To end, here's a really cool talk about games and learning by the awesome James Gee.

My journey as a gamer turned learner (part 1)

I grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, a time when gaming was not just about entertainment, but also about learning new skills and connecting with others. My dad found an old 286 Commodore that was being thrown away and brought it home - fortunately it was in working condition. (By this time 386 PCs were the norm and cost about $3000) I used this 286 for 4 years - playing games that could run on EGA graphics (like commander keen, arkanoid 2, ET's Rugby, Lakers vs Celtics NBA). We had a family friend who was a computer wiz and he taught me how to use DOS and troubleshooting when things didn't work. 

I remember in year 6 when CDs were starting to become the norm, I tried putting in a demo CD that came with a PC magazine into the 5.25" disk drive - just in case it works... That ended up with a stuck disk and the first time I opened up a PC as I frantically figured out how to get the disc out before my dad comes home and sees a broken computer.

I was always a generation behind with gaming consoles too. I got hand me down Atari when people were playing the NES, a Master system (and later a NES) when SNES and Mega drive were the norm. And I completely missed the PS1, Dreamcast, Xbox era as we could not afford to buy a current gen console.

My dad bought me a new PC as a high school present - and it was good for about 1 month but then the specs started becoming obsolete pretty soon. He expected me to use it until I graduated high school - which I somehow managed.

I had to figure out things like autoexec.bat to get our sound blaster working, and we often had to tap into the computer nerds at school or seek out family friends who were really good at computers to help us troubleshoot issues. And of course, the fear of breaking expensive equipment and getting in trouble from my dad was always looming.

Reading PC game magazines and finding tweaks to files, as well as learning about game hacks from editing files from friends, was a popular way to enhance our gaming experience. Games like Starcraft, Counter-Strike, and Diablo 2 were not just about having fun, but also about improving our skills and competing with others.

Dial-up internet was the only option for most of us, but we learned to make the most of it, using it to play games or check NBA scores. The only resources we had were people we knew or met at internet cafes. We watched them, asked for advice, and learned from their experiences.

When Dota came out, I finally had broadband, and I found out that people released guides on the internet. This was a game-changer. I started looking up how-tos for not just Dota, but for basically everything. The internet became my primary resource for learning, and I could access information from anywhere in the world.

However, one problem I faced was that I was always results-oriented. I didn't care about the why; I just wanted to know how, so I could win. This mindset led me to face some serious walls down the road, but it was also an essential part of my learning journey. Eventually, I learned that understanding the why was just as important as the how - I'll write more on this in later parts.

A thing to add here was also the WHERE we used play games. As a kid, I first learnt about a gaming community on a visit to South Korea to see my grandma. I took Tae-Kwon-Do lessons down the street and it was right next to this small, dinghy arcade. I would go there after my lessons and just watch all the kids (and adults) play a variety of games from Mario to Street Fighter. I would hear people giving each other some pointers, talking about strats or even just patting the players shoulders to congratulate or sympathise with them. Back in Australia, the local milk bars would often have an arcade cabinet - usually a fighting game like Street Fighter or Final Fight - and I would be familiar with the other kids who frequented there. We never knew each others' names, but it felt like a silent community who came to be just by being there.

In high school, internet cafes started opening up all over Sydney. It was the norm in Korea but we never knew of such things. It completely changed our gaming experience. Before this, we would play at home and then talk about it at school. But now it was like a brand new playground opened up. We could go as group of friends and slug it out for bragging rights, or join the local server and play against random people who were there. Nowadays with internet connections being so fast, these places aren't as popular as they used to be - we are back to playing at home, communicating virtually behind a monitor.

One thing that hasn't changed is the importance of the community. Today, I can connect with others from all over the world through online communities, forums, and social media. This provides opportunities to learn from others and share experiences, just like in the early days of gaming. It's just like being the schoolyard again, albeit a large, virtual one.