The shock starts at the start. There are nearly half a billion regular
gamers in the world - almost 200 million in the US alone. The author
digs into this amazing phenomenon, and the cultural and psychological
elements driving these trends, as well as the elements that can be
gleaned from it to improve the world we live in today.
While
acknowledging that "Reality is Better", the author identifies 14
elements, or "fixes" to reality that will allow us to take advantage of
and integrate the game phenomenon into our daily lives. These 14 fixes
are the results of the psychology lessons that she observed in the
gaming world, and are applicable to almost any aspect of reality.
Interestingly,
the book's premise dispels the notion that gamers are a lazy bunch,
munching snacks and avoiding the reality of work. In fact, the author
shows quite convincingly that the gamer actually enjoys the challenge of
the work, and it is the feedback loop, the engagement mechanisms and
the social and challenge aspects of the gaming environment that drive
the behavior. If harnessed for positive impact to the world or work, it
could help us find solutions to cancer, environmental crisis, or
business problems through a game oriented "multiplayer" crowdsource.
The
book is easy to read, extremely engaging and thought provoking. As a
40 something executive who grew up on Ultima II and Dungeons &
Dragons, the premises resonate, and are probably much stronger with my
younger colleagues. It's time to stop fighting the premises in the book
and instead harness them to improve the world we live in.
You can find the book here: http://amzn.to/11ELcnP
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