Serious Games Probed In Information Week Feature

An article at the website of tech B2B magazine Information Week, a sister site to Serious Games Source under the CMP Media umbrella, has dealt with the subject of serious games in some detail, interviewing notables such as Edward Castronova and Sandia's Elaine Raybourn on the matter. The piece, which is written from a generalist tech perspective, begins by noting: "Games are serious business, and business is a serious game. There's always been some crossover between frivolous entertainment and cutthroat commerce, but advances in user interfaces, graphics, interactivity, and visualization technologies, as well as the need to manage the complexities of modern game development, have brought the two worlds together." One particularly interesting passage deals with the increasing use of games as education tools: "The eroding distinction between work and play reflects the reality that, these days, work happens at the office--and everywhere else, too. It also reflects the expectations of a generation of workers that grew up with computer games. The changing demographics of the workplace are increasing the role of game technology in business, says David Milliken, founder of Blueline Simulations, a research firm focused on corporate gaming and a reseller of business-oriented simulations. Bland, menu-driven training simulations have long been a part of computerized workplaces. But such tools are too simple today, Milliken argues. "If you grew up playing The Sims, that's not going to be enough for you," he says." The full article, which also includes discussions on Sandia's Adaptive Thinking and Leadership simulation for the U.S. Army, and a mention of games for health such as Hopelab's new Re-Mission title, is available on Information Week's website.