Serious Games Help Business Decisions

Thanks to the Portland Press-Herald for their article discussing the Serious Games Initiative's attempts to get games used as big business tools. According to the piece, Serious Games have created Virtual U, a freely downloadable collaboration with developers Enlight that "...illustrates the complexities of running a university", 'Sim College'-style. Now, with a new grant, they're "...hoping to expand the idea to hospitals, high schools and even national parks." And, according to the project director for the Serious Games Initiative, it's all about getting tactics as a talking-point: "Video game players love to talk about their games. They love to share strategy, talk about whether it's fair or not. That's all pretty high level talk and it flows out of the activity naturally."

When this gets advanced to...

[Creepy Crawler]

Hospitals, player killing will take on a new meaning.

And also that guy with the syringe as seen on HalfLife ;-\)

Re:When this gets advanced to...

[The Clockwork Troll]

Been done - remember that PC game from the late 80's, Life and Death [tripod.com]?

hmm...

[schnits0r]

I wonder what would happen if they find GTA

'Sim-College'?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not until they successfully design Sim-Drinking and Sim-Fraternity. Oh and Sim-Cramming.

At last....

[SilentSheep]

At last a good excuse to play games at work ;)

SimCollege?

[Mirkon]

Can you invoke disasters on the unsuspecting students, like RIAA subpoena-frenzy, and John Belushi?

Finally, a use for the kids...

[quinkin]

I've been saying we need to harness the cunning energy of the young for ages.

Now I just need to build an RPG frontend for stockmarket investment... I think I'm joking... :)

Q.

The Practical Use

[Anonymous Coward]

Hi
I work at a University up here in Canada that is just starting to pioneer 'games' in the classrooms. Early testing has been a huge success as the educational factor of the games combined with how the students talk about their particular 'strategies' really drives home the theory taught the class before they played the games.

Games like Virtual U. will see great success in the near future when targeted at Academic Institutions looking to innovate the way they teach. Or course, there are some subjects whe

Re: Serious Games Help Business Decisions

[justforaday]

does this mean i can mention that i'm a drug wars master on my resume?

Dope Wars

[JusTyler]

How many drug dealers first got their kicks with Dope Wars? :-)

Bad title

[luekj]

This article should have been called "Fr33 Gam3!!! OMG!!"

Maybe it would spark more discussion.

Games serious??

[evilhayama]

That's it, I'm never playing them again. I only use them as a frivolous waste of time! The instant I start learning something it becomes a chore...