[quoting Doherty, 8 Dec 98] So I stand by my earlier statement that "computer game playing is still a minority occupation", but with the extension "adventure (i.e., non-twitch) game playing is still a minority occupation". Perhaps adventure or exploratory games can be used to embed cognitive skills, but the people who play and perhaps are interested in learning like this are a minority, as reflected by the amount of players who actually play these games.
Hmm...there are those who think that adventure games like Myst have had their day, and that the latest fad is multiplayer gaming over the Internet. These games, as I understand it (I've never played) are, in effect wars, along with the attendant political and social institutions. Players get together off-line to form alliances, discuss strategy, etc. Interesting ramifications for CBLE.
But...about the "minority" issue. Sitting at a desk working on a workbook or listening to a teacher is, I would guess, a majority occupation among school-age children. Suppose they were given the choice between this occupation and playing adventure games. Would the minority/majority status of these two occupations change?