Gamasutra Feature Review

"Fun is learning in a safe-environment."

I'd say learning in a safe environment can be fun. Not the other way around. But learning in a place fraught with injury and aggression can be fun too. I can think of a number of times eluding aggressive panhandlers in my youth and applying that skill later in life to poor salesmen walking in off the street to hawk 'office art'. Even though the world might be a better place if games were educational in a positive way, games don't have to be positive. The market proves that there is little interest in positive games anyways.

It would be great if [games] taught a wider range of lessons, but as Raph says, that's up to us game designers to make it happen.

Again, games being a positive educational experience is not up to game designers, the market determines which games are created.

Don't be fooled by the gangster facade.

But why is the gangster facade so attractive to millions of dollars?

Nothing a teacher or parent could ever say measures up to that life experience about race-relations.

In a culture that does not respect teachers or parents, yes.

Although I disagree with these introductory notions on games in general, Sirlin's feature article goes on to brilliantly argue why World of Warcraft is flawed.