Video games, virtual reality are newest options for business, education

As printed in The Northern Light newspaper
Oct. 31, 2006

Even though the mainstream press and politicians act as if video games like “Grand Theft Auto” and “Bully” are indicative of the entire medium, some forward thinkers are starting to think of video games in fascinating new ways.

Technically, the massively multiplayer online Second Life is not a game, per se, as there are no goals, points or quests to complete. Similar to the popular game “The Sims,” Second Life is more about the everyday business of life. The difference is that the business in Second Life is real, with millions of real dollars traded every week. The news agency Reuters even recently opened up a virtual news bureau inside of the game world, with a staff member paid to log onto the game at set times and keep virtual office hours. From virtual business meetings in custom-built virtual meeting rooms (with real-life video conferencers interacting with virtual avatars) to a virtual clothing store that allows avatars (with real-life measurements) to try on and buy actual outfits, Second Life is poised to become the virtual reality that was imagined when the term was first coined.

Wal-Mart, American Express and Intel are looking into using Second Life for corporate training, according to a September 2006 “Popular Science” article. A basic Second Life account is free, and players don’t have to be businessmen – flying, teleportation and nearly anything one can imagine or create is possible in this virtual playground. The site’s creator even hopes that the social aspects of his online community will be like a living MySpace.

On the education front, a year-long study by the Federation of American Scientists concluded that the addictive nature of video games could be used to create new video game learning tools for schools, according to an Oct. 17 Associated Press article. The group called for federal research into the potential of video game learning.

While educational games don’t usually sell well, “Brain Age” for Nintendo DS has been a huge seller – and it’s basically just math and reading mini-games. And if role-playing gamers can memorize all the monster and item names, strengths, and stats, just think if a game used real chemistry and science. Gamers would learn without even realizing it.

Aircraft pilot trainers and even the Army have been using games for years to teach skills that directly apply to real-world applications. Perhaps very soon, playing hours of video games won’t be a sign of a slacker but of an overachiever. Of course, if it really is that easy to learn from games, those disturbed over “Grand Theft Auto” might have a legitimate concern. Then again, school-sanctioned sports have been teaching violent and competitive activities to students for years, so maybe a college “Halo 3” team isn’t beyond possibility. Thanks to Second Life, neither is a virtual classroom.