Dubai University to Use Crytek Tech
Dubai University to Use Crytek Tech
March 10, 2010
Educators in the United Arab Emirates are attempting to push fledgling game developers towards making more socially conscious games and now one school will be able to create such applications using one of the most powerful game engines available.
The Khaleej Times reports that American University in Dubai has inked a deal with Crytek in order to use the developer’s CryEnginge as a basis for developing Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC “edutainment” titles. UAE teachers are trying to get students away from creating violent action games in order to “create content that imparts values, culture and critical thinking skills to digital natives.”
Dr Basel Dayyani, Associate Professor of IT at the American University in Dubai on the movement:
We are currently working on creating multiplayer games where people learn values like honesty, loyalty and helping others. Within two years we will also have developed games that will allow children to experience history, providing lessons in the Arab and Muslim culture.
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Posted 09/05/10 at 04:01pm
BearDogg-X: Adding to PHX Corp's link to the Salt Lake Tribune's opinion piece, it was written by Christopher Ferguson and it also urges Utah AG Mark Shurtleff to sign an amicus brief opposing California.
BearDogg-X: Adding to PHX Corp's link to the Salt Lake Tribune's opinion piece, it was written by Christopher Ferguson and it also urges Utah AG Mark Shurtleff to sign an amicus brief opposing California.
Posted 09/04/10 at 11:55pm
C. Aaron Browbowski Jr.: no way they euthanized a sick whale with c4, thats like the obama healthcare plan for the world, no i'm just kidding, let him bankrupt america :D
C. Aaron Browbowski Jr.: no way they euthanized a sick whale with c4, thats like the obama healthcare plan for the world, no i'm just kidding, let him bankrupt america :D
Posted 09/04/10 at 10:30pm
PHX Corp: PSA: The ECA forums(and GP website) are Not a Ad Toilet, plz do not Drop your Pants and poop out an ad on it(I'm going to end up Getting in trouble for a Toilet Joke)
PHX Corp: PSA: The ECA forums(and GP website) are Not a Ad Toilet, plz do not Drop your Pants and poop out an ad on it(I'm going to end up Getting in trouble for a Toilet Joke)
Posted 09/04/10 at 03:26pm
JDKJ: Does anyone recall exactly when Zippy came down out of the trees and mastered bi-pedalism?
JDKJ: Does anyone recall exactly when Zippy came down out of the trees and mastered bi-pedalism?
Posted 09/04/10 at 11:41am
PHX Corp: Attempt to revive video game law a waste of money opinion on salt lake tribune
PHX Corp: Attempt to revive video game law a waste of money opinion on salt lake tribune
Posted 09/03/10 at 04:31pm
Andrew Eisen: While a desire to conserve a particular marine ecosystem is a laudable goal, securing a 31-foot whale in the middle of it with a 10-ton anchor is probably not the best way to go about it.
Andrew Eisen: While a desire to conserve a particular marine ecosystem is a laudable goal, securing a 31-foot whale in the middle of it with a 10-ton anchor is probably not the best way to go about it.
Posted 09/03/10 at 04:01pm
ZippyDSMlee: Was thinking more of feedig dieing reefs ,ps life is suffering
ZippyDSMlee: Was thinking more of feedig dieing reefs ,ps life is suffering
Posted 09/03/10 at 03:35pm
Andrew Eisen: Number three, explosives are a hell of a lot cheaper, logistically feasible and humane then drowning a sick whale with a 10-ton anchor.
Andrew Eisen: Number three, explosives are a hell of a lot cheaper, logistically feasible and humane then drowning a sick whale with a 10-ton anchor.
Posted 09/03/10 at 03:25pm
Andrew Eisen: Unbelievable. Number one, reefs are in shallow water. Number two, they blew the damn thing up because they couldn't drag it into the water.
Andrew Eisen: Unbelievable. Number one, reefs are in shallow water. Number two, they blew the damn thing up because they couldn't drag it into the water.
Posted 09/03/10 at 03:13pm
ZippyDSMlee: Thats a waste of explosives drag it out to deep off to a reef and put a 10 ton anchor on it, here fishies feeding time!.
ZippyDSMlee: Thats a waste of explosives drag it out to deep off to a reef and put a 10 ton anchor on it, here fishies feeding time!.
Posted 09/03/10 at 11:07am
Andrew Eisen: ...and dozens of stray cats come running from all directions.
Andrew Eisen: ...and dozens of stray cats come running from all directions.
Posted 09/03/10 at 11:04am
Andrew Eisen: Hey, if it's too big to shoot, what recourse do we have but to blow it up?
Andrew Eisen: Hey, if it's too big to shoot, what recourse do we have but to blow it up?
Posted 09/03/10 at 11:01am
E. Zachary Knight: Did they get the idea from the SImpsons?
E. Zachary Knight: Did they get the idea from the SImpsons?
Posted 09/03/10 at 10:55am
Andrew Eisen: Australia: Sick whale euthanized with explosives. No kidding. Video included.
Andrew Eisen: Australia: Sick whale euthanized with explosives. No kidding. Video included.
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:19pm
Andrew Eisen: Seems so. Hence my lack of surprise.
Andrew Eisen: Seems so. Hence my lack of surprise.
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:14pm
E. Zachary Knight: AE: But isn't that what it normally takes for people in power to make stupid decisions?
E. Zachary Knight: AE: But isn't that what it normally takes for people in power to make stupid decisions?
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:12pm
Andrew Eisen: Sadly, but not surprisingly, it sounds like the decision was based on nothing more than “I heard on the internet you can play as the Taliban.”
Andrew Eisen: Sadly, but not surprisingly, it sounds like the decision was based on nothing more than “I heard on the internet you can play as the Taliban.”
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:09pm
Andrew Eisen: I take it the service folk are unable to decide for themselves whether MOH is something they want to purchase and play. Good thing there's someone to make such tough decisions for them.
Andrew Eisen: I take it the service folk are unable to decide for themselves whether MOH is something they want to purchase and play. Good thing there's someone to make such tough decisions for them.
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Comments
Now the people od Dubai can finally have the plesures of flooding the fourms with the question "but can it play Crysis?" just like the rest of the world.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Seriously, I'm wondering why they seem so concerned about violent games, as if they ... just don't understand them, or see them as some sort of immoral vice. Is it really as simple as (in relative terms of the Middle East) conservative thinking, of resisting change and something new? Or disdain for all questionable 'Western' culture? Or honest, wishful thinking for there to be non-violent games like many parents do?
"Academics in the UAE are now honing a breed of socially responsible virtual application developers, who are moving away from traditional content of action and violence, to create content that imparts values, culture and critical thinking skills to digital natives."
For some reason I'm reminded of Mass Effect. You mix with different alien cultures who have different values and cultures, encounter the conflicts of them coming together, then get a chance to apply critical thinking in the games many moral conundrums*.
*Here's one that caused my to stop and think for literally one minute (Minor spoilers): terrorists have launched two huge missiles on a human world. You get to one of the control bays but only have the ability to stop one of the two missiles. One target is the space port (with lots of Alliance workers), where all of the infrastructure is based, while the other is a residential hub (full of civilians). If the world loses the space port, development will be enormously slowed for years. If they lose the residential area, colonisation can resume but obviously thousands of people will die. Which do you save?! (I went with the spaceport, believing that those military workers knew what they were getting into while the civilians are truly innocent)
Meanwhile, it would probably result in disdain from the Dubai professors to find that the game has a lot of shooting and killing. However, that doesn't stop my Cmdr Shepherd justifying himself, my paragon (Good) version usually remarks that he only kills when he has to and he usually doesn't shoot first.
I'm happy for them to try. There are plenty of great non-violent games, but I disagree that this means discouraging people from making or playing violent ones. I think they under-estimate the appeal of those relatively violent games - people just aren't interested in them as much (based on sales figures). And that's why all good, entertaining drama is based on conflict.