October 11, 2004

Gaming and the System

There is a new book out called Got Game: How the Gamer Generation Is Reshaping Business Forever. Frans talked about it while he was here, so I thought I would pick it up and have a look. The authors John Beck and Mitchell Wade talk about how the heavy video-gaming of today's youth is shaping their attitudes. The video games principles include:

  • If you get there first, you win.
  • There's a limited set of tools, and it is certain that some combination will work. If you choose the right combination, the game will reward you.
  • Trial and error is the best strategy and the fastest way to learn.
  • Elders and their received wisdom can't help; they don't understand even the basics of this new world.
  • You will confront surprises and difficulties that your are not prepared for. But the sum of those risks and dangers, by definition, cannot make the quest foolish.
  • Once you collect the right "objects" (business plan, prototype, customers, maybe even profits), you'll get an infusion of gold to tide you over.
  • While there may be momentary setbacks, overall the trend will be up.

I have included the Table of Contents below the fold if you are interested in the outline of the book.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Planet of the Rotting Minds?
  How Video Games Forged the Next Baby Boom

Chapter One: Space Invader
  How Games Became So Important
  Without the Rest of Us Noticing

Chapter Two: Sex, Violence, and Sterotypes
  What We Worry About in Games...
  And Why We Don't Need to

Chapter Three: Not the Real World
  How the Experience of Gaming Differs
  from Just About Everything Else...
  and Why That Makes gamers Different

Chapter Four: Want 'Tude With That?
  How Gamers' Values and Skills Shape
  Their Professional Performance

Chapter Five: Play Nice
  After All That Time Alone, Can Gamers
  Be Great Team Players?

Chapter Six: Win or Go Home
  How Video Games Built ROI
  Into This Generation's DNA

Chapter Seven: Gamers On Top
  What To Expect From Gamers as Executives

Chapter Eight: Press Start to Continue
  What's Next for Gamers- and Us?

Posted by Todd S. at October 11, 2004 03:53 PM | TrackBack
Comments

Guess I need to dust off the old Quake 1 CD again.

800CEORead Rocks! You guys are saving me a ton of time at Borders!

Posted by: Jonathan at October 11, 2004 04:02 PM

Confession Time...I am a gamer...Yup, this old f*rt goes home from a hard day selling books and plays, currently DOOM 3 and sometimes FAR CRY. I find it way cheaper than alcohol. Twenty minutes having the bejeezus scared out of me by the monsters of DOOM or chasing the bad guys in FAR CRY or god forbid, playing Battlefield online, I am ready to face the rest of the day. The book mentioned is currently on my bedside table and I am also finding fun and very interesting.

Thanks for the nice words, Jonathan.

Posted by: Jack Covert at October 11, 2004 04:55 PM
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