Imagine school as fun as Halo

Millions await the third coming of John-117.

At midnight their thirst will be slaked and their hunger soothed by the release of Halo 3, the final installment of Microsoft's blockbuster video game. Halo is compelling because its makers understand what makes people tick.

If educators understood psychology as well as Halo designers, we could throw out the WASL and No Child Left Behind.

There's no doubt video games can get in the way of education. We limit our son's play. Homework and other activities come first, but he and his friends never have to be coaxed to pick up a controller.

We could learn something from the strategies game creators use to keep eyes glued to a screen.

My son, who is 15, immersed himself in the first two Halo games.

Every Friday, he rushes to the computer to check the latest news from Bungie.net.

"Dad, you have to see this video."

Every day for more than a month he's announced the time left before Sept. 25.

Halo's main character, John-117, is better known as Master Chief, the biologically and cybernetically enhanced Marine who leads humanity's fight against the alien Covenant.

The technology is new, but the story is old. It's a tale that has captivated people for centuries, whether they sat around a fire, turned pages at a desk or gaped at a movie screen.

It is about a hero facing incredible odds and saving us from the bad guys.

Players get to be the hero.

There are guns and fast vehicles, which might be expected to attract young males, but there is more than that.

As in most successful games, players grow as they go. There are multiple challenges, which get more difficult as the game progresses.

And along the way there are opportunities for many smaller achievements.

Do something right and you are instantly rewarded.

Find guns and grenades. Learn to drive a Warthog. Find your way to a target destination. Kill more bad guys. Save humanity.

You feel good about what you've accomplished and you get rewards that help you along. The brain is happy.

And, the game allows you to play your way. It gives you the freedom to make your own decisions on the way to a goal.

You can play with friends online or in person and be respected for all you've learned.

Playing these games is actually hard work, yet they are enticing because they meet basic needs.

One study found that games satisfied the universal need for competence, autonomy and relatedness.

Gamers want real challenges, freedom to act and solve problems in their own way, and a chance to connect with other people in the process.

Wouldn't you like to have that in your workplace? (Without the gratuitous violence, of course.)

Why should a person need to escape the real world to find fulfillment?

Schools and a bunch of other institutions could take a hint from Halo.

Jerry Large's column appears Monday and Thursday.

Reach him at 206-464-3346

or jlarge@seattletimes.com.