I was curious about what some of you thought of it. Are gamers a wealth of untapped human resources and skills? Could the skills learned in video games be applied to real life one day in order to improve the world?
I think at the very least, we should not underestimate how relevant video games are in our culture. I'm also willing to admit we are way behind in sociological research for gamers and video games. I think the woman in this presentation may be...a tad optimistic about what gamers can do for the world, however.
I agree that many gamers probably play games because they are more interesting and engaging than real life. But it's really hard to say what the overall impact of games on society may be as of now especially since the video gaming industry is changing so rapidly and the demographics of gamers is becoming more counter-intuitive. At any rate, this lady presents some really interesting ideas that I think are worth considering.
Also I gotta admit, there are plenty of times in real life where I cited something I've done in a game as a possible solution toward something I might have done in real life. Not always directly so, but I've at least drawn on experiences I've had from games to influence my decision making processes.
I find it a bit outstretched, but not necessarily wrong. I do find a flaw in her reasoning that she did not address. Game's are designed to be "doable", you know that with enough work you will be able to do anything (in a PvE environment.) The real world is not. There's no security that, even with 21 billion hours a week, we'd be able to "win" against the world problems. So the "urgent optimism" is "safe optimism" in a game, but could be "get-disappointed-over-and-over optimism" in the real world. And since you can't know if you'll win, you lose motivation easily. That why the "seeing the world as I game" approach may fail.
I think that's the main reason people escape to games. They know they will always "win" in the end.
On a side note: My mother works in medicine, I'm an aspiring game developer (who isn't?), and she constantly says I should make a game where you play as the human immune system and have to fight off diseases with the different and specific defenses the body has. What an awful sentence. I always reply: "You know? If I could somehow program the whole "immune system vs illnesses" battle into a game, I bet gamers would find the cure to cancer and every other disease faster than any doctor", which is kind of what the woman was saying in the video.
You make a good point about real life not necessarily having a solution or that there may be things that simply aren't doable. I think even if there are lots of limitations to gamers as a potential resource, there is also a lot of unrealized potential within them. And I think that's a lot of what she's trying to say.
But since we know that gamers won't really solve the world, I think the idea was to at least propose that maybe they could because in the form of a game that is mirroring real life situations like the ones she talked about toward the end, many of the gamers come up with really innovative solutions. So even if they weren't solving everything, they could become an integral part at least toward problem solving.
I feel she talked about World of Warcraft a little too long, its a great social game but there are many other games out there that are much more trvial and require you to think in order to come up with strategies. Even Legue of Legends/Dota/Hero's of Newerth make you really think about which direction you are gonna go and how to avoid dieing at every turn.
I do not believe gamers will save the world in less then a year, but it is very possible that we will come up with a solution on how to survive and contiune playing past 2012, like cockaroaches
I agree about the WoW thing lol; sounds like she got started in online gaming because of WoW... and that's the be all end all for her. Well to be fair, WoW was one of the best done games, and probably helped quite a bit in getting females to play video games (and thus undo their 'games are bad' bias).
There's really 2 schools of research on this from what I've seen. One is 'games are ruining society' that is usually funded by old people who don't understand games. The second is what this woman presents. While I agree we do have a culture of people that sit around playing games, you can't just demonize them. It's no different than any other form of relaxation imo. Whether or not it saves the world, I don't know. But between globalization and online gaming, we probably won't see any more real wars.
Nothing is impossible and everything is doable. There are no limitations in this universe, just obstacles.
That was a very inspiring video that I whole heartily agree with. Thanks for posting Siay!
If you analyze what optimism is, you get a mentality that positively effects outcomes. Our thoughts are physical thrusts in the universe. What you think dictates everything. And if you believe you can do something, you will then put forth the effort to achieve that something.
When looking at the philosophy of people that are successful in achieving their desires, you will normally find a person with an internal structure of optimism and hard work.
This video really hits home for me personally because I treat life like a game.
Drawing and painting is how I internally level up.
Doing odd jobs here and there are those miscellaneous quests. Going to school is the main questline for me right now.
And the movements of everyone and everything around me are complicated versions of movements on a chess board that I try to anticipate and react to accordingly.
I do this for two reasons.
1. It makes it fun!
2. Approaching life like a game changes the perspective of the universe.
If this was just an online game I ask myself "What do I want to do? Get a stable desk job that will pay the bills until I die? No, I want to draw badass demons and heroes fighting over the world and have my own adventure that takes me into the scary dark unknown!" So that's what I do!
When she started talking about creating that epic win optimism in the real world, it really made me think "Wow, that REALLY would be something amazing." I think that's an incredibly powerful statement.
Could you imagine? If 6 billion people could approach life the same way people approach games like WOW, we would surely become the masters of the universe(PUN INTENDED).
No matter what the outcome, if there is a goal you want to achieve it is logically more effective to approach the problem with an optimistic attitude. If you're pessimistic, you won't even give yourself a chance to really accomplish the goal. The result is irrelevant, as are the statistics of a situation that someone views as a realistic outcome. The only thing that matters is that there is a goal you want to achieve. You have to believe you can rise to the occasion. If we all rose to the occasion, it would be a truly inspiring thing.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"I want to say something but I'll keep it to myself I guess and leave this useless post behind to make you aware that there WAS something... "
-Equinox
"We're like the downtown of the Diablo related internet lol"
-Winged
I was curious about what some of you thought of it. Are gamers a wealth of untapped human resources and skills? Could the skills learned in video games be applied to real life one day in order to improve the world?
I think at the very least, we should not underestimate how relevant video games are in our culture. I'm also willing to admit we are way behind in sociological research for gamers and video games. I think the woman in this presentation may be...a tad optimistic about what gamers can do for the world, however.
I agree that many gamers probably play games because they are more interesting and engaging than real life. But it's really hard to say what the overall impact of games on society may be as of now especially since the video gaming industry is changing so rapidly and the demographics of gamers is becoming more counter-intuitive. At any rate, this lady presents some really interesting ideas that I think are worth considering.
Also I gotta admit, there are plenty of times in real life where I cited something I've done in a game as a possible solution toward something I might have done in real life. Not always directly so, but I've at least drawn on experiences I've had from games to influence my decision making processes.
Ah! I watched that very same video a while ago on dump.com or wimp.com, can't remember which of the two it was!
It's not just situations such as problem solving where games may help us. Some people have games that help them relax, if they we in such situations as getting ready for a speech, entering an exam (terrible example!), or basically any situation where you are stressed or nervous you could think back on an experience that you were or are quite fond of and it can actually be pretty helpful in making you mellow out.
Some may argue this but games keep us form going insane!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Bashiok - Blizzard Representative - 08/01/2011 -"So how many skill combinations are there now? Well taking into account 6 active skills, all the rune combinations, and 3 passives we currently expect each class to have roughly 2,285,814,795,264 different build combinations."
"Hey, I thought you'd like the witty irony of grub-on-glowie violence!"
It's not just situations such as problem solving where games may help us. Some people have games that help them relax, if they we in such situations as getting ready for a speech, entering an exam (terrible example!), or basically any situation where you are stressed or nervous you could think back on an experience that you were or are quite fond of and it can actually be pretty helpful in making you mellow out.
Some may argue this but games keep us form going insane!
Yes, well I think it's easier to argue what games can do for people individually. But I think the new focus of examining games from a sociological point of view will be what individual gamers can do for other people. I still think it's all a tad optimistic. But obviously the video game industry shows no sign of slowing down and in many ways has become way more relevant than movies so I think these kinds of theories need to be explored further.
One thing I think is pretty impressive (which this isn't along the main topic but the title is sort of relevant to it) is that gamers are helping raise tons of charity money. This Christmas the Yogscast did live streams for charity and they ended up raising 60,000 pounds. I know a few other people did charity events as well and then of course there are things like Child's Play where they raise money all year round. I like to see a community that I'm a part of giving back. (Yes I did donate some this Christmas.)
But seriously, I owe much of my competence and motion ability to gaming. Let me explain
I am a poker dealer. Because of years playing Counter-strike and Diablo 2 (and typing at > 120 wpm) my hands are so honed I can flick cards, pick up chips, throw them around the table, stack them, cut them, etc. extremely quickly.
Let's not forget that this is a digital world, and all of the skills I've learned just being in an operating system come in handy daily. My boss needed a flier for a poker tournament edited in Publisher and he had no idea how to do it. I've never used Publisher before and it took me all of 5 minutes to print up 3 different versions for him to choose from.
But competence? I also played WoW for way, way too long. I learned how to do everything as efficiently as possible. Grinding, leveling, any achievement, really any task or goal I had in the game came down to "what is the fastest way to do this?" so that "how can I accomplish as many tasks as possible in the limited gaming time I have?" When I go to work (I'm actually a dual rate so I also supervise 2 days a week) I end up doing everything so radically efficiently it actually amazes some of my coworkers. I come up with systems and algorithms for accomplishing my work tasks, doing paperwork, etc.
But here's the crux of the problem:
I'm efficient so I can be lazy. I get my work done quickly so I don't have to work as much, although at this point I'm not even sure what I classify as work. I sat there and grinded Insane in the Membrane in WoW and didn't think anything of it, but the idea of having to get up and fold some laundry for 5 minutes abhors me.
IMO they need a UI for real life that pops up achievements when you do mundane garbage.
Edited for readability.
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http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html
I was curious about what some of you thought of it. Are gamers a wealth of untapped human resources and skills? Could the skills learned in video games be applied to real life one day in order to improve the world?
I think at the very least, we should not underestimate how relevant video games are in our culture. I'm also willing to admit we are way behind in sociological research for gamers and video games. I think the woman in this presentation may be...a tad optimistic about what gamers can do for the world, however.
I agree that many gamers probably play games because they are more interesting and engaging than real life. But it's really hard to say what the overall impact of games on society may be as of now especially since the video gaming industry is changing so rapidly and the demographics of gamers is becoming more counter-intuitive. At any rate, this lady presents some really interesting ideas that I think are worth considering.
Also I gotta admit, there are plenty of times in real life where I cited something I've done in a game as a possible solution toward something I might have done in real life. Not always directly so, but I've at least drawn on experiences I've had from games to influence my decision making processes.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
I think that's the main reason people escape to games. They know they will always "win" in the end.
On a side note: My mother works in medicine, I'm an aspiring game developer (who isn't?), and she constantly says I should make a game where you play as the human immune system and have to fight off diseases with the different and specific defenses the body has. What an awful sentence. I always reply: "You know? If I could somehow program the whole "immune system vs illnesses" battle into a game, I bet gamers would find the cure to cancer and every other disease faster than any doctor", which is kind of what the woman was saying in the video.
But since we know that gamers won't really solve the world, I think the idea was to at least propose that maybe they could because in the form of a game that is mirroring real life situations like the ones she talked about toward the end, many of the gamers come up with really innovative solutions. So even if they weren't solving everything, they could become an integral part at least toward problem solving.
Also, haven't you played the game Microcosm? LOL
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
I do not believe gamers will save the world in less then a year, but it is very possible that we will come up with a solution on how to survive and contiune playing past 2012, like cockaroaches
https://www.deviantart.com/aerisot
I agree about the WoW thing lol; sounds like she got started in online gaming because of WoW... and that's the be all end all for her. Well to be fair, WoW was one of the best done games, and probably helped quite a bit in getting females to play video games (and thus undo their 'games are bad' bias).
There's really 2 schools of research on this from what I've seen. One is 'games are ruining society' that is usually funded by old people who don't understand games. The second is what this woman presents. While I agree we do have a culture of people that sit around playing games, you can't just demonize them. It's no different than any other form of relaxation imo. Whether or not it saves the world, I don't know. But between globalization and online gaming, we probably won't see any more real wars.
D3 Channel: OnetwoD3
That was a very inspiring video that I whole heartily agree with. Thanks for posting Siay!
If you analyze what optimism is, you get a mentality that positively effects outcomes. Our thoughts are physical thrusts in the universe. What you think dictates everything. And if you believe you can do something, you will then put forth the effort to achieve that something.
When looking at the philosophy of people that are successful in achieving their desires, you will normally find a person with an internal structure of optimism and hard work.
This video really hits home for me personally because I treat life like a game.
Drawing and painting is how I internally level up.
Doing odd jobs here and there are those miscellaneous quests. Going to school is the main questline for me right now.
And the movements of everyone and everything around me are complicated versions of movements on a chess board that I try to anticipate and react to accordingly.
I do this for two reasons.
1. It makes it fun!
2. Approaching life like a game changes the perspective of the universe.
If this was just an online game I ask myself "What do I want to do? Get a stable desk job that will pay the bills until I die? No, I want to draw badass demons and heroes fighting over the world and have my own adventure that takes me into the scary dark unknown!" So that's what I do!
When she started talking about creating that epic win optimism in the real world, it really made me think "Wow, that REALLY would be something amazing." I think that's an incredibly powerful statement.
Could you imagine? If 6 billion people could approach life the same way people approach games like WOW, we would surely become the masters of the universe(PUN INTENDED).
No matter what the outcome, if there is a goal you want to achieve it is logically more effective to approach the problem with an optimistic attitude. If you're pessimistic, you won't even give yourself a chance to really accomplish the goal. The result is irrelevant, as are the statistics of a situation that someone views as a realistic outcome. The only thing that matters is that there is a goal you want to achieve. You have to believe you can rise to the occasion. If we all rose to the occasion, it would be a truly inspiring thing.
-Equinox
"We're like the downtown of the Diablo related internet lol"
-Winged
:: Enkeria [Twitter / Twitch / Website / Tattoos]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdBcpdH_ptA
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
Did he say...we (the gamers) possible cured aids?
https://www.deviantart.com/aerisot
It's not just situations such as problem solving where games may help us. Some people have games that help them relax, if they we in such situations as getting ready for a speech, entering an exam (terrible example!), or basically any situation where you are stressed or nervous you could think back on an experience that you were or are quite fond of and it can actually be pretty helpful in making you mellow out.
Some may argue this but games keep us form going insane!
Bashiok - Blizzard Representative - 08/01/2011 -"So how many skill combinations are there now? Well taking into account 6 active skills, all the rune combinations, and 3 passives we currently expect each class to have roughly 2,285,814,795,264 different build combinations."
"Hey, I thought you'd like the witty irony of grub-on-glowie violence!"
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
We must save the universe!
But seriously, I owe much of my competence and motion ability to gaming. Let me explain
I am a poker dealer. Because of years playing Counter-strike and Diablo 2 (and typing at > 120 wpm) my hands are so honed I can flick cards, pick up chips, throw them around the table, stack them, cut them, etc. extremely quickly.
Let's not forget that this is a digital world, and all of the skills I've learned just being in an operating system come in handy daily. My boss needed a flier for a poker tournament edited in Publisher and he had no idea how to do it. I've never used Publisher before and it took me all of 5 minutes to print up 3 different versions for him to choose from.
But competence? I also played WoW for way, way too long. I learned how to do everything as efficiently as possible. Grinding, leveling, any achievement, really any task or goal I had in the game came down to "what is the fastest way to do this?" so that "how can I accomplish as many tasks as possible in the limited gaming time I have?" When I go to work (I'm actually a dual rate so I also supervise 2 days a week) I end up doing everything so radically efficiently it actually amazes some of my coworkers. I come up with systems and algorithms for accomplishing my work tasks, doing paperwork, etc.
But here's the crux of the problem:
I'm efficient so I can be lazy. I get my work done quickly so I don't have to work as much, although at this point I'm not even sure what I classify as work. I sat there and grinded Insane in the Membrane in WoW and didn't think anything of it, but the idea of having to get up and fold some laundry for 5 minutes abhors me.
IMO they need a UI for real life that pops up achievements when you do mundane garbage.
Edited for readability.