Companies using video games to make work more fun
Video games aren’t just for kids anymore. Major companies like IBM, Google, Microsoft and Deloitte are developing video games to train or motivate employees by making work more fun.
With a younger game-savvy workforce plus the need to energize and motivate employees in a tough economy, the “gamification” of business is a fast-growing business, according to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) story.
Canada’s video game industry is already the third largest in the world, creating 16,000 jobs and an expected growth rate of 17% over the next two years, according to the Entertainment Software Association of Canada. And the increase of video gaming in the corporate world is likely to create even more career opportunities as companies find new ways to apply the technology.
For example, IBM has video games where employees can help make a virtual city more efficient or gather in a virtual online environment with their own personal avatars to interact with each other at meetings and conventions. Deloitte uses digital games for its Leadership Academy to train executives.
Fast Company reports that Microsoft developed the Code Review Game where teams of software developers attacked sections of code and received points for how many bugs they uncovered.
To learn more about how to get started on a career in the gaming industry see CareerMash’s Game Developer and Game Designer or 3D Artist profiles.
Watch the video below of Jade Redmond, Managing Director of Ubisoft Toronto, give an inside tour of what it’s like to work at the game developer's Toronto office.
