The Economist supporting gaming as a means to boost productivity? Take that, rationality!
In a recent article, the publication cites an upcoming book, called Changing The Game, that suggests that habits and skills picked up from gaming can (and should) be applied to the business world.
We've covered the idea of MMOs as a training ground for real world bureaucracies before. The angle in this particular article is a little different. By incorporating more of the social elements of video games, it says, workplaces can improve morale and performance. And happier peons means more gold in the corporate coffers.
Take the ancient art of grinding: Monotonous tasks can be made palatable, perhaps even enjoyable, if participants are measured against their peers, and a spirit of friendly competition is allowed to thrive. Phat lewt in the form of rewards for reaching goals doesn't hurt either.
Over at Microsoft, points and prizes were handed out to employees who participated in bug-testing Windows Vista -- a laborious process that, as a result of offering competitive goals, saw increased participation.
The ideas, while interesting, seem a bit short sighted. Monotonous activities in MMOs invariably lead to big payoffs: Mine enough ore, and I get to build fancy new weapons. The dangling carrot doesn't work as well in the real world -- no matter how many TPS reports I file, I won't level up all the way to CEO. I'll just get more work.
And how do you prevent friendly competition from nosediving into cutthroat rivalries? Competition naturally begets animosity, whether you're grinding towards a keychain or a raise.
Playing for Profit [Economist]
