7. Mass Effect - Cultural Awareness
You need only go as far as Call of Duty online to listen to the countless racist idiots shouting down the voice comms to discern that a lot of gamers aren't that tolerant, but you need only look at the array of science fiction and fantasy films on store shelves to see the diversity that video games promote. Take Mass Effect, for one, whereby we meet a countless number of different alien races, and are compelled to make friends with the vast majority of them if possible. Though most sensible people would already be tolerant towards other races and cultures, games foster this notion in subtle ways, making us more interested in alternate faith practises and making it clear that "different doesn't mean bad". That we're able to connect with a lot of these characters emotionally furthers this idea, especially for younger kids who might be playing, all the more if they live in an area lacking racial diversity. Are we saying video games can put racism at bay? No, but they can certainly help promote understanding in a rudimentary way.