World Map Game

The development of innovative games centered on different versions and themes of the world map could be a novel method of popularizing geographical knowledge and aptitude and in inculcating an interest in facts and information about places, peoples and cultures from around the world among people of all age groups and from all walks of life. Geography and the study of the world we live in could be a fascinating subject but present trends suggest a lack of geographical knowledge or general interest in the subject among a large section of school children and grown ups alike. This is where computer games and online versions of the same assume importance. Online games based on geographical facts and knowledge could be developed using the latest in computer technology and graphics including animated and flash versions. The attractiveness of such games would result from a careful combination of interesting information with visually appealing graphics, animations and pictures in an interesting game format. Many of these games could also combine a Quiz or Question answer format with diagrams or maps of individual countries.

Most of the existing online world map games on the Internet prove to be inadequate in their format to sustain the interest of the user. Some of them are either too simplistic or too repetitive. Most of the available online games simply challenge the user to label different countries on the world map. Some provide a map of the world with the individual countries separated by their political boundaries. The user has to drag the name of a particular country to the correct location on the map. Alternatively the user may be asked to click on the correct location according to the country names that flashes on the screen at regular intervals. Another method is to point out the correct answer among a number of options after a portion or country is highlighted on the world map. A better method is to provide a blank world map and outline maps of individual countries separately. The user has to drag the individual maps to their correct locations on the blank world map to finally complete the political map of the world. All of these online games while attempting to popularize world geography however fail to sustain the interest for a longer point of time. What is therefore required is to innovate new world map game that are not only stimulating knowledge-wise but also exciting in their format, technology and look and feel.