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According to a recent New York Times report, the average American logs over 10,000 hours playing computer games by the age of 21, and researchers are starting to explore -- and exploit -- that number. Employers are trying to tap into the vast reserves of focus and drive that gaming draws out. Academics are trying to use games to simulate everything from financial bubbles to hurricane fallout.
How can they do it? All anybody's got are theories at this point (e.g., reward pleasure centers, "create 'hard fun'," incorporate experience points). But, with video games already starting to resemble mundane tasks, and games that bring about social cooperation already starting to emerge, we're pretty sure that we could excuse games for being the former if they were also the latter. Especially if they're actually, y'know, fun.
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Comments
3
Subscribe to commentsStickboxDec 8th 2010 2:11PM
My boss must have read this article. I recently received an email outlining her interest in a gaming solution based on employee wellness achievements. Not that I found this, things are starting to make sense.
Max WillensDec 8th 2010 5:50PM
@Stickbox I sometimes wish that bosses weren't allowed to use the internet.
DomDec 9th 2010 8:33AM
No one is quite sure? WTF are you guys dumb. Because games are meant to entertain and people like that. duh. Obviously games can get dull and some people will find it no longer fun and stop playing. that title is just silly. Even a toddler could tell you why they play video games.