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Niall Ferguson: Famed Historian to Create "Smart Games" with Muzzy Lane

Time magazine called historian and political commentator Niall Ferguson one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2004, and now he's teaming up with Muzzy Lane to create a new series of video games addressing global conflicts and issues. The games will allow players to tackle challenges ranging from terrorism (psssh, Tom Clancy already taught us how to deal with that) and borderless economies.

One might find it a bit curious that a Harvard grad and all-around Big Thinker like Ferguson is getting involved with gaming, but he sees it as the next logical step in spreading his message:

"I'm getting involved with Muzzy Lane because it's a chance for me to bring my life's work - not just the study of history but also the questioning of it - to a much broader audience. Video games are a cultural phenomenon, fundamentally transforming the way people think about how big things happen."

Muzzy Lane's first game, Making History: The Calm & The Storm, has been a big hit with teachers, who found it to be a particularly well-received and useful way to teach students about the ins and outs of World War II. It sounds like Ferguson's work could have similar benefits, but terrorism and global economies? Makes me awfully wistful for the perils of the Oregon Trail.
Read entire article at Susan Arendt at Wired.com