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Name that tune…. Capturing the Value of the Gamer Generation for Government, Academia, Military, & Entertainment John Beck North Star Leadership Group www.gotgamebook.com or www.nslg.net. Our biggest challenge… still….
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Capturing the Value of the Gamer Generation for Government, Academia, Military, & Entertainment John Beck North Star Leadership Group www.gotgamebook.com or www.nslg.net
Our biggest challenge… still… “Imagine if we were 25 years into the development of the American cinema, and the only thing the mainstream media said about film was that it was sometimes overly violent. We would have said they missed out on some of the major stories of the 20th century. In a few years, we will look back at the media neglect of games with the same shock and wonderment.” Henry Jenkins, MIT Center of Media and Culture
Almost anyone born after 1970 in your organization is a Gamer; almost anyone born before 1970 doesn’t understand them. • By 2008 there will be 126 million Gamers in the US alone. • The Gamers are a bigger slice of the US population than the Boomers. • But it is not just a US phenomenon. • Boomers parents basically knew what their kids were doing; Gamers’ parents have a “gap” in their understanding. Source: North Star Leadership Group
In our survey of over 2000 American professionals, we found strong correlations between teen-age gaming experience and beliefs.
… but the Gamer Generation is not well understood. • They think different. • They believe different. • They learn different.
Big Caveat: Gamers are different, but not THAT different. • Gamers are still evolving so it’s hard to tell how their lives will take shape. • But there is no doubt Gamers: • continue to immerse themselves in ever more powerful learning technology. • hold new beliefs about what is important in life. • will have a major impact on society as they continue to mature.
Growing up “on games” creates a new way of thinking about the world. • Games are a valid way to experience and learn about the world. • Games change how they respond to incentives & risk and how they absorb new concepts. • Games provide an important outlet for creativity and drive down new problem solving methods. • Games command their ATTENTIONbetterthan most other types of interfaces.
Is this a generation of slackers or a generation of unreasonable-risk takers? • Prefer to learn by trial and error • Can always do the most outlandish things and make it okay … but … • To win have to get through the obstacles • Lots of hard work • Strategy guides • Have to remember (learn) everything from before to progress The “Reset Generation?”
Are Gamers more competitive? • Gamers are more inclined to view winning as “everything” and are more inclined to view competition as the law of nature.
To most of us, Gamer competitiveness should not be that surprising. • Gamers spend less time on entertainment and more time on competing. • Games have trained them to look for how to “win” at any situation. • But there are some boomers who feel otherwise: “I can’t believe that, my son doesn’t seem to want to win at anything” “Madden NFL 2004”
Gamers are naturally global. • Games are part of a burgeoning universal culture. • The same games are culturally accepted all over the world. • Gamers will enter the ranks of management with more in common with their global counterparts than ever before, thanks to technology. “Super Mario Brothers 3” (Japanese & American versions)
Are Gamers more sociable? • As measured by questions like: • It is important to me to be accepted and appreciated by coworkers. • It is important to me to have close friends at work. • I prefer working with others rather than alone. • I find people more simulating than anything else. I have a great need for human relationships.
Gamers are more sociable and work better in teams. • Gamers also believe connecting with the right people gets things done more quickly. • Gamers prefer decision making after getting input from employees. • Gamers don’t like making decisions on their own without discussing it first. “Everquest”
Gamers don’t mind risk, but exhibit an attitude of “immunity to failure.” • Gamers leap into problems they may not be familiar with. • Problems are to be engaged rather than studied—“failure” is just a chance to try again. “Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4”
Do Gamers come across as self-important? • Gamers prefer to be paid according to their actual performance, rather than a title or a set salary. • Gamers consider themselves to be experts and are more confident about their abilities than non-gamers.
Gamers are more confident of their abilities. • They consider themselves to be experts and are more confident about their abilities than non-gamers. • Playing games has convinced them they can succeed at anything with enough practice. “Lineage II”
Gamers are flexible and don’t mind change. • Gamers understand that life never goes according to plan. • Gamers have never been a part of old static models of business. • They don’t need to be convinced that change is constant. “Ninja Gaiden”
Gamers can easily “go meta.” • Taking a step back to analyze a situation can be a lifesaver. • Games teach you how to do this—most of game play (besides first-person shooters) is in “meta” games. • Games also feature “switches” in perspective, teaching gamers how to play other roles. “Sonic Adventure 2 Battle”
Gamers want to be heroes. • The entirety of most video game experiences is a “quest” or mission to be accomplished. • Games motivate through an instinct for heroism more than any material rewards (no one pays them to play video games!). “City of Heroes”
Gamers can be led (and led well) if you understand some simple rules. • Gamers have a natural instinct for heroism. Gamers believe their performance matters to others. Frame the tasks they undertake in those terms. Encourage them to be experts. • The world is a logical, human-friendly place. Games are basically fair. Events may be random but not inexplicable, and there is not much mystery. • It is natural to move quickly move between tasks. Crazy as multitasking looks, it may actually be difficult for the game generation to work hard any other way. • Life should be fun. If you want to get your Gamer (and even your Boomer) employees immersed in your business, make sure it is fun. • Strategy Guides are good; Level Bosses are not.
Great games combine all six types of attention. • Aversive: • Unattractive People • Death • Agony of Defeat —— Types of Attention —— • Front of Mind: • Business Discussion • Buying a Car • Lover The Goal: ToMaximize Effective Attention • Voluntary: • TV/Print Advertising • Hobbies • A Rainbow • Captive: • Cinema Advertising • Work Assignments • Bad Weather • Attractive: • Beautiful People • Birth • Thrill of Victory • Back of Mind: • Commuting to Work • Buying Milk • Spouse Flow Experiences (extreme fun)
To help the Game Generation learn with games, you have to appeal to what they KNOW about the world. The Experience Must Be: • Competitive • Risky • Difficult • Social • Global • Heroic • Attention-getting • Back of Mind • Front of Mind • Aversive • Attractive • Captive • Voluntary
The most important thing is to stay current. • Every single human born from now on will regard games as perfectly normal—that’s every 8 seconds in the U.S. • New technologies, new games and new interpretations of both signal that games are constantly providing new learning opportunities.
