Solving World's Problems with Video Games

Jane McGonigal talk about gaming can make a better world was about solving worlds problem by playing games for 21 billion hrs a day. She presented of an immersed face of a gamer caught on camera right before an epic win and referred it as the real face. In order to solve the world's problems we need that kind of impression. The World of Warcraft provides this virtual world that everything is achievable if you try hard enough. According to her, WOW players have spent 5.93  million years of gameplay on this game. This is equal to the time of human's evolution; Is there something that gamers are learning in games? They seem to be pretty good at it. Based on her talk, interestingly playing MMOs or Social games have evolved us into more collaborative species. So she believes if we can figure out what players learn and how they solve problems while playing video games, we can propose solutions for real world's problems such as world hunger, global warming, oil, etc.


Later she continues saying that WOW has made its players to believe that they can solve the virtual world's problems; but what about the real world? how can we turn the real world into games so people as player can solve the problems? We're using games to get away with dissatisfying real world's problems so let's use the idea of games which encourages us to employing our current experiences, solve problems in order to make the future a better place .

In my opinion, Many problems are solved within video games' virtual scope but what if resemblances of real world's problems could be introduced and implemented in games in order to create an opportunity to have everyone involved in problem-solving and decision-making process which later, it could inspire people first and then alert the authorities. After all, a problem is never fixed until it is eliminated from the root and that is why creating a culture of problem solving among the people is more effective rather than assigning authorities to solve issues.  

here is the link: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html