Corporate gaming and virtual worlds

Throughout 2009, the corporate world was exposed to the reality of virtual worlds which has seen a growing influence on how companies train, market, advertise and communicate. This trend was largely driven by the rising influence and profile of virtual online worlds, which allow users to create ultimate realities such as that offered by Second Life, and in a similar vein the computer game SIMS.

This is a trend that is expected to continue as organisations begin to recognise the merits of incorporating gaming into their basket of communication tools.

As a social dynamic, computer gaming is an influential reality. People under 35 grew up in a world influenced and informed by computer gaming rather than traditional board games. If we consider that society has always used games to teach children the skills they need to be successful adults, the role and influence of computer games is going to increase within the corporate world - driven by the fact that an increasing segment of our marketable demographic have had their values and worldview affected by computer gaming. This growing social effect is one of the drivers behind the probable increase in virtual world activity by the corporate world.

For those who grew up in a world where they played virtually, their expectation of being able to apply the consequent life lessons learnt by computer games will be expressed in their expectations of their adult environments. Computer gaming and the associated virtual worlds, will as a result, be seen as an increasingly important infrastructural consideration.

It is safe to say, therefore, that in 2010 we can expect further uptake of the opportunities offered by these environments. There are several reasons for anticipating this, one being businesses that are driven by the desire for innovation and competitive advantage. Appealingly virtual worlds and business simulations, built using computer gaming technology, can offer significant cost savings.

While discussions have revolved around the benefits these environments offer business, there have been as many articles rooted in the experiences of early adopters who critiqued the value they managed to extract from these tools. This largely because from a South African perspective, high data costs and bandwidth constraints led to early adopters experiencing issues unique to the local environment. But this limitation has become less of an issue and today, little stands in the way of organisations joining the virtual revolution. 

The lessons of the early adopters that have been publicised will serve as "school fees" for 2010. Companies that engage in the virtual and game-based business simulation areas will have adjusted their expectations accordingly. Virtual environments may be used less for marketing and product placement, and more for internal company communication, global project teams and collaboration, along with training activity.

In this space, South Africa will still largely be a trend-follower rather than a trendsetter. But, with the rise of local companies building applications specifically for the local market, with its own unique constraints and dynamics, significant local innovation can be expected.

For further information on the corporate gaming environment visit: www.wisdomgames.co.za

Raymond de Villiers is CEO of Wisdom Games, a unique company that develops gaming-based business simulations within the corporate world. By cleverly adapting computer gaming to suit the new business environment Wisdom Games is able to offer organisations game-based simulations of reality that are designed to be engaging, informative and instructive. There is as much focus on the game-play experience as there is on the knowledge being transferred.