Any good MMO gamer knows they are great for a whole lot of useful life lessons. From imparting wisdom about how communities operate to teaching money management and beyond, some of these titles have great life applications, as well. Of course, you can also learn not to take on a level 50 dragon when you're just starting out, but that's another story.Michigan State University’s Confucius Institute might take the cake when it comes to useful MMO lessons with its planned title that will teach Mandarin Chinese. The game, Zon – The New Chengo Chinese, will let players advance from small towns to larger cities and metro areas as they learn about China, its language and culture.
According to Joystiq, “A design framework for the game claims it will have ‘1000 learning activities’ comprising the equivalent of a ‘3000-hour Chinese language and culture learning contents.”
This sounds a little off the wall, but it could turn out to be a stroke of brilliance. The best way to learn about a culture and language is to be immersed in it. Since going to China isn’t likely a possibility for a lot of university students, the MMO could be the next best thing.
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