ABSTRACT
The idea of using game technology for nonentertainment purposes is anything but new. Rapid technological progress in past years has extended the scope of possible applications far beyond plain edutainment software, and we currently observe an almost euphoric optimism concerning the tremendous possibilities of serious games. A major challenge for serious games research is to thoroughly investigate if and under what conditions they meet these overwrought expectations. Concerning this matter, there are several requirements that can be derived from prior (and partially still persistent) shortcomings in related fi elds of research, especially research on media effects and educational interventions. Thus, a closer look at several decades of corresponding research should be useful to spare serious games researchers from blundering into the same conceptual, methodological, and practical defi ciencies.
