The educational merits of video games as curiosity-arousing tools for children are being bought into by child-rearing parents taking for granted the world of computing machines they have immersed themselves in from childhood. More and more child-rearing parents are putting educational value on illustrated reference books linked to the content of video games children are playing as the virtual world projected on children’s minds through playing video games is designed to whet children’s intellectual appetite. Various kinds of reference books linked to the products of video game makers are being put on the market for child-rearing parents willing to give their children learning opportunities without first-hand experience of being exposed to what nature or reality offers.
 
Illustrated reference book publishers have taken a marketing tactic to appeal to education-minded parents observing video game loving children with sympathetic eyes. The latest one, recording double the regular sales, released in the end of July as a series of reference books called Move by Kodansha was designed to target video game players hooked in a Nintendo’s adventure game called Animal Crossing; New Horizons. The detailed scientific information about the Kingdom Animalia based on the game story was compiled in the book to meet parents’ expectations of making their children inquisitive through reading books.
 
Takarajimasha has turned the popularity of Konami Corporation’s video games to their advantage by giving video gamers the opportunities to deepen the understanding of the unknown world through the virtual experience. The illustrated reference books released since last year were designed to include supplementary information to encourage imagination based on the content of popular video games such as Momotaro Dentetsu and Minecraft. The reference book linked to Momotaro Dentetu was edited as a geographical guide with the information about local historical sites and tourist attractions across the country. The reference book linked to Minecraft was composed as a guide to Earth’s internal structure and geology to inspire readers to discover the wonders of nature.
 
“Learning through virtual experiences is worthwhile as a substitute for learning through a challenge the real life offers,” says a former professor at Housei University and a supervising editor of the reference book linked to Minecraft. “What matters most is how deeply knowledge goes into the mind in the process of character building. Regardless of whether the knowledge is acquired through a virtual experience or through a real-life experience, the opportunities should be given to question the ready-made answers children are taught and to think on their own without relying on borrowed plumes.”