WHAT I LEARNED WATCHING THE FORTNITE WORLD CUP WITH MY KIDS
If you heard the term world cup this weekend and got excited about watching soccer you would have been disappointed. The only world cup that people were talking about was the Fortnite world cup which crowned a 16 year old Kyle “Bugha” Giersdor as the champ.
For those of you who still hold onto a ‘video games are for bums’ perspective, it might be time to do some rethinking. “Bugh” took home 3 million dollars for his big win and I can only imagine the sponsors that might follow. For years, we’ve known that gaming is big business, but now the next shift might be pointing to new growing spaces of entertainment learning where creativity, dexterity, community and fun all collide.
I have always loved playing video games, but I haven’t been able to really get into Fortnite. My boys, from the beginning, were hooked. So I thought I’d watch, learn, listen and let them teach me about the way the game works. From vbucks, to skins, to cool dances, this game incorporates so many things and wait for it.. .it’s free. Ok, somewhat free. You could play for free, if you want to enjoy a few hours of leisure, but costs can add up if you want some upgrades.
This past weekend, as I took some time to watch the world cup challenge, 4 important lessons came to mind.
I. THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE LEARNERS
I think that we are going to see more people continue to maximize platforms of learning, gaming and online connection that will unlock unforeseen possibilities. As gaming, machine learning, graphic design, story telling, VR continue to improve we will have to embrace new ways of learning and playing. According to some, we might soon be asking our doctor if he or she was good at video games before going under the knife.
Sure, the dangers of too much technology will also become more precise, yet we are wise to not throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet. Digital toys will become tools helping us raise a new generation of gamer’s shaped by the hard work of creative designers and game creators.
II. KIDS HAVE A GREAT MEMORY FOR THINGS THEY LOVE
Fortnite is a teenage shooter game, that minimizing the violence vibe as in older traditional games. The goal is for players, who are all thrown into a map, to build , collect and survive the fight and be the last one standing. At one point during the World Cup match, 20 players were fighting it out on the screen and as my boys noticed their names they quickly began helping dad contextualize the skills of each player. It was shocking to hear.
It hit me in that moment that young people need to be encouraged for being able to learn and remember more than we often give them credit for. It will be a lesson for me to keep tapping into what they might be passionate about. My boys not only knew the ages of the players, but they could recall playing tactics, YouTube channels stats and other info. As they spoke, Iwondered how I could help them be passionate about other things and hence activate their learning, memory and interest the way Fortnite has.
III.BOTH WINNING AND LOSING HAVE LESSONS TO TEACH US
As the world cup challenge was coming to a close I asked my boys how many hours of practice they think it took to really get good at playing this fast, multifaceted game. It was a cool moment to discuss the importance of hard work, time, and practice. The last few players were amazing.
The world cup did a great job at having camera shots on the faces of players, almost how golf turns to the next golfer as they get close to the hole. As players got eliminated you could see the disappointment and frustration in their faces. I felt sadness for the players who had worked so hard, but I could also feel the disappointment in my boy’s voices. A great moment to talk about the lessons of losing and working hard even when things don’t turn out the way you wanted.
IV. BEING CONSISTENT AND PATIENT MATTER
You might be surprised to know that the world cup winner lost the last big battle match. I thought that was strange until my kids informed me that the rules for winning was not just to eliminate a player on a screen, but to accumulate points over a period of many matches.
When a player lost a game, they were wise to stay focused, take a deep breath and keep their thoughts on the bigger picture. Fits of anger or frustration were not going to be helpful but staying calm, remembering their game strategy that would help them accumulate more points was the key. This might be a huge shift to those who think gaming is just a mindless activity.
While my lessons might never encourage you to pick up a joy-con and play a round of solos or team rumble it might at least stretch your thinking on this growing phenomenon that grossed over 2 billion dollars last year. I think its fair to suggest this gaming invasion isn’t going away so you might as well learn to do the orange justice.
