Experts Agree Red Dead Redemption 2 Has Real-Life Benefits
Depending on who you ask, "Red Dead Redemption 2" was either one of the greatest games of all time or a tedious real-life simulator that was too good to be true. Regardless of which side of the argument you land on, if you've completed the main story of Rockstar's most recent cowboy adventure, you may have gained some additional knowledge you never expected.
As reported by Gamingsym, a study done at the University of Exeter and Truro College in the UK found that people who had completed the main story of "Red Dead Redemption 2" or taken on the Naturalist role in "Red Dead Online" were able to identify different animals from photos better than other people.
The study found that people who had played the game were able to identify 10 out of 15 animals from photographs on average, which was more than those who hadn't. The study, which involved over 500 people, aimed to see if big budget games could be used to teach people without being solely focused on education.
While this study found that people were able to identify animals better, the researchers did point out that they couldn't recommend that anyone under the age of 18 play the game. Researchers also noted that the game presented all of the animals as more aggressive than their real-life counterparts, so not all of the knowledge that could be gleaned from "Red Dead Redemption 2" was accurate.
Educational video games
The goal of this new study was to find out if players immersed in a game world could learn new things and not feel as though that the game is trying to teach them. While educational games do exist, the study found that people can often feel reluctant to play them or resist learning from them, simply because they are aware that the game is actively trying to teach them something. That's why the researchers wanted to see if something like "Red Dead Redemption 2," which would not be considered "educational" by most players, could impart new information to players.
While "Red Dead Redemption 2" probably isn't going to be on any school's summer reading list anytime soon, the game continues to have a large impact on both the gaming industry and the world as a whole. Maybe "Grand Theft Auto 6" will include some educational facts when it releases four or five years from now, if the rumors are to be believed.