<
https://www.audubon.org/news/birding-its-1899-inside-blockbuster-american-west-video-game>
"Available since October, “Red Dead Redemption 2” (RDR2) is a video game
set in an imagined version of the American West in the year 1899. It’s a
massive release, both one of the highest-selling video games of 2018 and
one that sits at or near the top of many of the internet’s Best Of 2018
video game lists. It’s also unique in that the natural world—or, at
least, a romanticized and heightened version of it—is one of the main
characters."
[...]
"The gigantic RDR2 playable map is brimming with life. Hawks perch on
exposed branches and ducks flush from riverbanks. Wolves chase deer
through the woods, and vultures descend to feed on the carcasses. There
are alligators, turtles, snakes, frogs, toads, bats, and dozens of
species of fish. In all there are about 200 distinct, interactive
species of animals in RDR2, and more than 40 different plant species."
[...]
"I know full well about the continued decline of bird populations,
habitat loss, and environmental degradation. That the game could elicit
such deep feelings of sadness and regret is to its credit, but I was
often left feeling hopeless and wanting to get outside to enjoy real
nature while I still could. My mom always used to tell me to stop
playing video games and go outside, but this is the first game that made
me want to."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://www.xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
http://www.glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
http://www.sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
