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Hajj game coming soon for PlayStation: report
A new style of PlayStation game is about to hit the market – one that will help children learn about the annual Muslim pilgrimage or Hajj, according to press reports.
In the new game - which was conceived in Saudi and is to be developed in Europe – players will be able to lead pilgrims through the different stages of pilgrimage by acting as security guards, first aid workers or other service providers.
A Kuwaiti expert has been selected to work on the steps of the game, the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Sunday. The total cost of bringing the game to market is expected to be around 3 million dollars.
Amer bin Mohamed Al-Mutawa, a Saudi expert on the side-effects of video games, said educational bodies and psychologists from the Kingdom will oversee the development of the game.
Mutawa said the Hajj game aims to provide a positive learning experience for children, unlike popular video games in the market which neither develop kids' mental abilities nor teach them new skills.
"These games strip children of their innocence. They are based on the 'survival of the fittest' concept -- the more you kill or steal or kidnap, the better score you get."
According to Mutawa, excessive exposure to on-screen violence could translate in real life to assaulting police officers or vandalizing public property as well as lack of respect for privacy.
"It doesn't only stop at destruction, swindling, or stealing; debauchery and fornication could also be a result of long hours playing these games," he added.
Mutawa referred to a recent study conducted in Riyadh which showed that 90 percent of children are influenced in one way or another by video games.
Access is widespread, with pirated versions of the games costing less than five riyals (1.33 dollars), compared to the actual price of up to 200 riyals (53.50 dollars), he added.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/01/08/43963.html
A new style of PlayStation game is about to hit the market – one that will help children learn about the annual Muslim pilgrimage or Hajj, according to press reports.
In the new game - which was conceived in Saudi and is to be developed in Europe – players will be able to lead pilgrims through the different stages of pilgrimage by acting as security guards, first aid workers or other service providers.
A Kuwaiti expert has been selected to work on the steps of the game, the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Sunday. The total cost of bringing the game to market is expected to be around 3 million dollars.
Amer bin Mohamed Al-Mutawa, a Saudi expert on the side-effects of video games, said educational bodies and psychologists from the Kingdom will oversee the development of the game.
Mutawa said the Hajj game aims to provide a positive learning experience for children, unlike popular video games in the market which neither develop kids' mental abilities nor teach them new skills.
"These games strip children of their innocence. They are based on the 'survival of the fittest' concept -- the more you kill or steal or kidnap, the better score you get."
According to Mutawa, excessive exposure to on-screen violence could translate in real life to assaulting police officers or vandalizing public property as well as lack of respect for privacy.
"It doesn't only stop at destruction, swindling, or stealing; debauchery and fornication could also be a result of long hours playing these games," he added.
Mutawa referred to a recent study conducted in Riyadh which showed that 90 percent of children are influenced in one way or another by video games.
Access is widespread, with pirated versions of the games costing less than five riyals (1.33 dollars), compared to the actual price of up to 200 riyals (53.50 dollars), he added.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/01/08/43963.html
