The Addon Junkie

I have to admit, the entire concept of the TED (Technology Entertainment & Design) conference makes my inner geek squeal with delight and I’ve spent time that I should probably have been spending on videos and reviews watching some insightful and profound talks. The good news is that it still paid off. Jane McGonigal directs game R&D at the Institute for the Future, a nonprofit prediction firm. She’s put a lot of time and effort into studying games and the gamers who play them, specifically MMOs like our beloved World of Warcraft. Turns out we haven’t just been playing games this whole time – we’ve been developing skills. No, not the hand-eye coordination we always told our parents we were developing, and the ability to swing a gargantuan virtual axe through our foes doesn’t translate well into reality. What does carry over is the attitude that we develop through hours of gameplay, the ability to weave a tight social network, the ability to solve problems, and (McGonigal hopes) the belief that we can fix everything.

I can identify with much of what she says in these talks. I’ve always been a bit idealistic, I’ve spent every waking moment at my day-to-day drudgery job hoping for a chance to be “epic.” I know that there is a far greater capacity for greatness in myself and my fellow gamers than the world currently sees or allows and I would give anything to change that. The games that McGonigal’s firm have developed are a bit too “green” for my tastes (I’m not the organic tofu type) but they show an important point: There is a world out there FULL of gamers who have skills, knowledge and the desire to make a difference – give us a chance to be epic and I guarantee you WE WILL.

Full video of Jane McGonigal’s TED talk after the break.