Thoughts on Reframing "Video Games" and How Planning Can Lead
I was at E3 here in Los Angeles 2 months ago. It provided the usual assault on one's senses. Felt like I needed a martini after about 2 hours in there! It had the usual cornucopia of new games for people to enjoy, in the usual categories; improved sounds and graphics on shooters, racers, adventure quests, etc.
And as I'm sure you've read and seen elsewhere many times already, the big news was motion. Headlined by Playstation Move and XBOX Kinect, we are increasingly able to use our bodies to control our actions and reactions. Playstation still has a controller and Kinect doesn't, but it still came down to using your body to have some fun doing a game. In other words, E3 and the entire industry is very much about advancing the "Game" category. This is, of course, a pretty smart thing. It's an absolutely huge business; "play" and "games" are among the root experiences that all human beings crave and love.
But what really struck me was a small simple detail that I think points to a larger opportunity. XBOX Kinect's presentation included a Personal Trainer...They are supplying serious exercise training with a "game."
So, what if we were to forget for a moment that XBOX is a platform for "games". What would we say it was a platform for? And what if we stopped looked at their dancing, car racing, shooting, boxing, footballing applications as games as well. what business would we say they are really in?
Simulation.
I think it's really the simulation business.
Simulators go way back. Flight simulation is a wonderful example, be it for the Space Shuttle or a 747. These are serious training programs, not games (even though they are probably insanely fun. Oh, and stressful). And you keep hearing about how the US Armed Forces value war games to help train their warriors. These things are built to make someone masterful in whatever they need to be masterful in.
I'm not arguing to take the fun and the game out of games. But it does seem to open up a whole new idea of applying "game" technology to simulation in the business world or really any category where people want to improve and master something. How could simulation improve a company's retail or sales or customer service experience? how could simulation train athletes? How could simulation help musicians or public speakers or dog walkers?
Planners can lead this simply be thinking about their companies and their client's brands, and how simulation can help. Hell, maybe they just take this idea and start a new business entirely. But please keep me in the loop, I'd love a piece of the action:)
Colin
