Game on

Intheblack, Oct 2008 by Hill, Jason

VIDEO GAMES GET AN IMAGE MAKEOVER TO BECOME A TRAINING TOOL FOR THE CORPORATE SECTOR

Many people see computer games as vacuous, violent time wasters. The fact is that the worldwide interactive entertainment industry will rake in more than $50 billion this year, but still suffers from negative stereotypes. The critics consider games as pointless escapism for children, while others label them dangerously addictive and anti-social, particularly "massively multiplayer" online games such as World of Warcraft and the anarchic Grand Theft Aulo series.

Despite the criticism, academics and business leaders are beginning to champion the use of interactive games as legitimate training tools. "Serious" games can be powerful educational tools, allowing users to experiment, learn from their mistakes and safely experience risky or dangerous situations.

Computer game technology is now being used for applications such as military simulations, workplace training, education and healthcare, including training emergency services, pilots, soldiers and surgeons. It is even helping ice-cream store workers get a feel for the correct portions of their tasty treats. Of course, experienced players need little convincing of the power of games. They know that games can be hugely immersive, and will readily say that their driving skills have been sharpened by Gran Turismo, or their knowledge of history enhanced by the Civilization games, or that they developed a new appreciation and understanding of the complexity of urban planning via SimCity.

Game researcher Dr Andrew Stapleton believes games are very effective educational tools because they enable players to learn through interaction, encourage active problem solving and strategic thinking, and emphasise exploration and selfdiscovery rather than rote memorisation. "Through play l game players] get to interact with the virtual world, its rules, objects and characters so they learn what actions and tools are available and when and where to use them," Stapleton says. "I'd also add other reasons such as the high level of engagement that people have when playing them, and the level of challenge presented to players, which typically increases as they progress through the game to match their increased knowledge and skill."

Stapleton says many discoveries and inventions throughout history were "the result of what some may consider mistakes", and that games encourage this through trial and error. "Wrong turns or dead-ends help us along a process of elimination, discounting them as viable solutions, and then force us to think of alternatives," he says. "So in the same way a designer or scientist learns through an interactive process of discovery, game players come to learn about the game environment, uses of objects and consequences of actions."

The reasons Why serious games are used around the world are "as wide and varied as all the applications themselves," according to Stapleton.

Examples of serious games includelndustryPlayer, a business simulation based on real-world data, and Simport, which lets players learn about the challenges involved in large infrastructure projects like sea ports.

Transport and Distribution Australia produced a game to help instruct transport and distribution workers in tasks such as lifting freight, operating fork-lifts, loading trucks and identifying security threats. In the Netherlands, VSTEP (Virtual Safety Training and Education Platform) has developed many realistic 3D simulations for applications like training oil rig workers, emergency services, port authorities, hospital staff and the military.

The Virtual Reality Centre at Australia's RMIT University has also produced a simulation for NSW State Rail to train staff to respond appropriately in emergencies. A virtual 3D model of a Sydney underground station was constructed so trainees could role-play during different scenarios, "experiencing the panic, reduced vision and stress of an evacuation procedure".

Similar applications include Incident Commander, a US homeland security tool tutoring municipal officials in managing accidents or disasters, and HazMat, preparing those who are typically first to respond after a catastrophe.

Code Orange trains hospital workers to deal with the rapid decision making required after mass-casualty events, while Shield of Freedom enables the US Coast Guard to test the communication and tactical performance of their recruits.

Serious games have also been created for political agendas, such as Australia's Escape From Woomera, which highlights the plight of asylum seekers in detention, and Darfur is Dying, which simulates life in a refugee camp. Even the United Nations is using games to help educate Westerners about famine and the difficulties of distributing food in developing nations.

The Serious Games Initiative was established in the US to foster the growth of computer games beyond the entertainment sector, and is a good resource for those interested in exploring the burgeoning sector. Co-director Ben Sawyer says the use of game-related technologies in fields such as healthcare, education, security and business has grown rapidly over the past few years.