There’s a burly line between video games and simulations but there are key differences. First off video games are made with entertainment in mind and simulations are made mostly for training. The military has been using simulations to train soldiers for a while and now they are using video games to train soldiers. They are quickly changing the way the Army trains and “On the upside, specialized games and simulators have become cheap and effective virtual training grounds that supplement the usual physical drills.”(Jeremy Hsu 2010). Another key difference is that simulations tend to be more realistic then videogames. The surgery video game Trauma Center for the Wii has graphics that are cartoons like and uses a controller, while the company ENT Simulation Technologies Ltd has an ultra-realistic simulator “The simulator uses a haptic arm, a 3d visor mounted on a stand, and a computer to closely mimic an actual surgical procedure”( ENT SimTech 2010). There are more differences but now I will discuss some video games that are a close to being simulators. Proflight Simulator is a video game that you can play online with others but learn how to fly at the same. It has realistic graphics, real time maps, many different planes to fly and many challenges to complete. I downloaded the demo and it was I was playing a video game instead training a simulator. Another video game that comes to mind is Nintedogs + Cats for the Nintendo DS. First you to choose between a puppy or kitten and then you have to take of it or it will die. You get interact with your pet with the DS’s touchscreen, you can pet, throw balls, feed it snacks and much more. This video game teaches kids how to take care of virtual pets which in turn help them take care of a real one someday. Next I will discuss using videogames to teach.
Most people tend to think to that using video games to teach is a bad idea when it actually can really help a student learn faster. “Students also benefit from games that become progressively more complex and difficult” (CITEd 2009). When using a video game to teach one must use the right balance of fun and learning or else it would just another game to a student. I think it’s a great idea to use them to teach, it would keep a student from getting bored. More school have started to use them and since technology is getting more advanced the learning will also.
In conclusion video games and simulations have their differences but they are both basically the same. They both can be used to teach and can be realistic. As technology advances the line will just get blurrier.

References
Hsu, J. (2010, August 19). For the U.S. Military, Video Games Get Serious, LiveScience . Current News on Space, Animals, Technology, Health, Environment, Culture and History LiveScience . Retrieved September 2, 2011, from http://www.livescience.com/10022-military-video-games.html

Learning with Computer Games and Simulations. (n.d.). Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd). Retrieved September 2, 2011, from http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=143

Simulation « ENT Simulation Technologies. (n.d.). ENT Simulation Technologies. Retrieved September 2, 2011, from http://entsim.com/technology/simulation/