The term “Serious Gaming”, refers to games that are used not only for entertainment purposes but are also used for “training, advertising, simulation, or education”, and allow the user to learn new skills as well as developing and honing ones they already have. They “can be of any genre, use any game technology, and be developed for any platform” The Game Impact theory states that there are 5 main reasons that are driving the adoption of game technologies in recent times, they are;
- Cost advantage of hardware platforms,
- Sophistication of software applications,
- Social acceptance of game tools,
- Successes in other industries, and Innovative experiments in the adopting industry.
This concept is not only aimed at primary and secondary education level, but also can be an incredible tool for businesses that are willing to try new and “adventurous” routes to improve their staff’s skills. It is intended to provide an engaging, self-reinforcing context in which to motivate and educate the players”. By playing around in the simulation, people can learn how to make better decisions in the real world. This allows people to start talking about different issues whilst allowing them to increases their capabilities in a very short space of time.
Serious Gaming also allows for mental stimulation through “Novelty, Variety, Challenge, Practice” and “Brain Fitness” and if used regularly, they can and will improve attention, memory, and stress management.
In the past games were not seen as “serious” tools, and for this reason businesses shied away from using them, as well as the fact that until recently the technology was simply not as advanced or developed, and could only be used on a very basic level, and therefore it was not able to lead to much change or growth. Games however have become part of the modern lifestyle and are much more widely accepted than ever before, this is also due to the invention of multi-player games as it has allowed “games” to become much more interactive. Due to this we shall soon be seeing a new and flourishing market of games aimed specifically at education or “edutainment”
[This was originally written for, and posted on Huddlemind]
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Gaming is a very interesting industry. It spans such a wide variety of areas, from simple Pac-man to advanced Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS games.
Two examples to add to your “serious gaming” list are two games made for the Nintendo DS. The first being “My Health Coach” which allows you to monitor your health and advises you on your heart rate, etc. The second is Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training, a game that tests your brain and also forces you to make use of the DS’s touch screen facility by writing your answers on the screen.
Both of the above take gaming to a new level beyond “conventional button smashing”.
Great post.
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