Unpacking the Journey: Insights into the Nature of Gaming Simulation
In the past few years, I’ve mostly been concentrating on designing user experiences for digital products. But, as they say, you never forget your first love. I think that now, even with a little delay, it’s the right moment to bring together some older thoughts on gaming simulation in a small series. This is just the beginning, so stay tuned for more to come.
So, let’s get straight to the point, the first question is, do gaming simulations make great tools for learning in business? Well, the short answer is yes. But let’s see why.
The economic landscape and organisational strategies have been going through some major changes lately. With globalisation, new technologies, AI revolution and shifting consumer expectations, things can get pretty chaotic out there, making it tough for managers to control everything.
They’re facing the challenge of making crucial decisions in this unpredictable environment. The increasing complexity of the economic environment has led to shifts in our understanding of business. Traditional hierarchical approaches are no longer enough for today’s knowledge workers who want to take on leadership responsibilities without waiting in line. They seek meaning and purpose in their work, and that’s where authentic leadership comes into play.
Leaders must lead with purpose, values, and integrity, building enduring organisations and creating long-term value for shareholders. And there’s a new generation of managers on the rise — digital natives who grew up in the information revolution era. They bring a fresh perspective, leveraging modern technology for global access to resources and information. They’re not limited by boundaries, fostering innovation and problem-solving.
In this changing landscape, traditional learning methods no longer cut it. To engage the new generation, we definitely need modern learning methods that foster innovation and creativity. Enter gaming and simulations — they’ve been gaining popularity as powerful tools for learning and intervention in management.
These gaming simulations are based on qualitative and quantitative models of the future, allowing participants to make real managerial decisions and observe their effects. They provide a safe environment to explore various outcomes and learn from personal experiences. Gaming simulations immerse participants in complex and authentic contexts, offering a problem-oriented learning approach with multiple perspectives.
So, in this dynamic and ever-changing business world, gaming simulations have found their place. They offer a fresh and effective approach to learning and preparing managers for the challenges they’ll face. With their ability to simulate real-world scenarios, these tools help us navigate the complexities and make better decisions.
There should be no doubt in our minds that engaging in gaming simulations teaches us something valuable, just like the challenges we face every day. It’s not a question of whether we learn or not, but rather how we learn and how effective this method is.
Johan Huizinga, the author of the influential book “Homo Ludens,” described play as a pleasurable and voluntary activity that offers a break from the pressures of daily life. He introduced the concept of the “magic circle,” where play becomes a transformative experience, transporting individuals to a kingdom of fantasy and new meanings. Even a simple act, like hitting a ball against a wall, can take on the role of a scoring point, symbolising victory over an opposing team within this magical space.
In the domain of gaming simulations, we can experience the essence of this “magic circle.” These virtual environments provide enjoyable and voluntary activities that allow us to explore alternative realities and gain fresh perspectives. Within this space, we transcend the limitations of time and space, acquiring valuable insights and profound experiences.
Over time, this concept (game) has undergone transformations, shifting from well-defined physical spaces like tennis courts or game tables to a sacred world of ritualistic play, existing abstractly within the players’ minds. It is a space that players enter upon accepting the elements of the game: the game itself, the rules, the roles, and its purpose. Looking back, the oldest documented games carried significant religious connotations, but they are not the only evidence of playful experiences throughout history. The 17th and 18th centuries introduced military applications, with simulations of war campaigns used to strategise and predict battle outcomes.
The success of modern-day gaming simulations can be traced back to their intensive use in military environments. They serve as tools for training, tactical analysis, and battle preparation. Looking back to the time of the Roman Empire, military leaders successfully used tablets and abstract icons to represent soldiers and units in battle.
This allowed them to visualize and manipulate a small physical replica of the battlefield, providing geographic information and enabling officers to engage in fruitful debates and make effective decisions. Strategy games made of wood or paper first emerged in Asia, then spread to the Middle East and Europe. In ancient Japan, there are references to a game called WEI HAI, believed to be the precursor of the modern game of GO, dating back to around 2300 BCE. Both games employ highly abstract tokens, used by players to gain territorial advantage over their opponents.
Returning to the modern era, we can note the success of military simulations in the 1980s, such as “Simulator Networking” (SIMNET) and “Modular Semi-automated Forces” (ModSAF). SIMNET was a widespread network where vehicle simulators and display systems allowed real-time simulations of combat situations.
This simulated the command of multiple armoured vehicles (tanks, helicopters, and planes) in a virtual battlefield. SIMNET was developed and utilised by the United States military, with its development starting in the mid-1980s. The product was successfully implemented from 1987 and used for training until it was replaced by subsequent programs in the 1990s. ModSAF, on the other hand, is a set of modules and software applications used to build simulation programs in military applications, such as Advanced Distributed Simulation (ADS) and Computer Generated Forces (CGF).
These tools allowed a single operator to create and control a large number of military entities, providing realistic training, testing, and evaluation in a virtual battlefield. The entities in ModSAF exhibited a high degree of realism, often leaving the user unaware that the displayed vehicles were controlled by artificial systems rather than human crews. These tools were used for military personnel training, combat experiments, and personnel evaluation, but as information technology advanced, they were gradually replaced by new applications like Operation Flashpoint and DARWARS.
Seriously, George, do you think I have time for a history lesson right now? I’m surprised we’ve even made it this far. Just tell me what gaming simulation is, at least.
Unfortunately, the answer is not that simple, but let’s give it a try. Sometimes, a good way to define something is by stating what it is not. For sure, is not gamification or serious games but let’s go step by step.
One concept that has garnered interest in both academic and business circles is “gamification.” So, what is gamification? Gamification refers to the application of game elements and game design techniques in solving problems outside the domain of gaming simulations, such as business challenges and social aspects. It aims to enhance user experience (UX) and engagement.
At the same time, the term is used more broadly as an umbrella concept for the use of video game elements in non-gaming systems to improve user experience and engagement. We definitely can say that we define gamification as a process of enriching a service with game-like experiences to support the creation of total user value. The concept itself sparks extensive discussion, and it is fair to say that transforming “Homo economicus” into “Homo Ludens” through gamification is not an easy task.
An interesting question arises when it comes to gamification: why has its usage practically exploded in the last decade and now is fading away? One answer to this question is that gamification has emerged as a prevalent practice in the business environment. More and more companies in the past years turned to the use of games in the workplace, and there was a parallel rise in the utilisation of serious games in everyday life.
This conceptual framework of gamification has gained adoption not only in academia but also in the business world. It has witnessed widespread adoption, even without strong empirical research, overshadowing the “simulations/gaming” approach, which has gradually eroded due to disputes regarding terminology and its status as a methodology. A relevant example in this case is the use of gamification as an innovative approach to enhance employee motivation or as a learning tool.
Gamification was described as the utilisation and/or construction of game elements and characteristics for non-game contexts with playful activities. These elements can encompass game interface patterns (e.g., badges for level completion), structures and processes from game design (such as limited resources, time constraints, and moves), as well as principles, models, and methods derived from the gaming industry.
One successful approach is the Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics (MDA) framework, which breaks down games into three fundamental components: mechanics (the core rules and actions available to players), dynamics (how the game mechanics interact with the player), and aesthetics (the emotional responses evoked in the player).
When applying gamification, the focus often lies on the aesthetic aspects of a game, which are typically transferred in the gamification process. These include viewing the game as a form of reward (where the player’s experience is entirely novel), a dramatic experience (with a compelling narrative that compels the player to return), a social framework (participation in an active community, particularly in multiplayer interactive games), an unexplored territory (prompting the player to explore and discover within the game world), and a means of creative expression (facilitating self-discovery and creativity).
These elements, part of this taxonomy, can be found in both games and certain gamification processes.
However, it’s important to note that not everything can be effectively gamified by simply incorporating game elements. Taking a reductionist perspective risks overlooking the fact that games are engaging due to the intricate combination of their elements, which may not function well in isolation. Randomly selecting a few game elements, such as points and badges, without considering their holistic integration can result in “pointsification” rather than true gamification. The success of gamification lies in its ability to produce behavioural changes by leveraging the inherent human inclination towards play.
In other words, the success of gamification lies in convincing people to engage in behaviours that they would normally find boring and unappealing.
Alongside gamification, the concept of serious games emerges. Serious games have successfully bridged the gap between academia and the entertainment industry, where the simulation and gaming perspective failed to do so. However, the definition of serious games remains still ambiguous, leading to different perspectives from both academia and the learning industry.
Some voices not only challenge the oxymoronic nature of the term but also argue that all games inherently serve a serious purpose, considering the use of this phrase as more a marketing strategy.
So, what exactly are serious games? The distinguishing factor between serious games and entertainment games lies in their purpose of application. In other words, if a game is applied for a purpose other than amusement, recreation, or entertainment as its primary focus, it is considered a serious game.
The primary goal of a serious game could be education or training, providing players with knowledge or skills related to a specific topic. The term was first introduced in 1974 and has since found applications in fields such as military training, healthcare, emergency management, urban planning, engineering, and politics.
There are voices that say that serious games are pretty similar to learning games, while others think they include them. So, to sum it up, serious games involve learning and behavior change, going beyond just having fun.
Now, let’s talk about the confusing terminology in this field. There are so many terms flying around like “gamification,” “gamifying,” “gaming,” “simulation & gaming,” “gamefull design,” and “serious games play.” It’s like a word salad that adds to the chaos of research and makes things even more complicated. Each term has its own unique perspective, but they don’t quite fit into a neat scientific framework where we can analyze their clear impact on learning.
Let’s take the term “gamefull design” as an example. It’s a fancy way of saying that we want to bring the spirit of gamers into everyday life. We want people to be optimistic, curious, motivated, and always ready for a challenge.
Games designed from this perspective aim to have a global and individual impact, building relationships, giving a sense of purpose, positive emotions, and a feeling of fulfilment. This design approach is inspired by the PERMA model from positive psychology, trying to give players positive powers in the real world.
So, there you have it! Serious games, gamification, and the colourful mix of terms make this field both fascinating and a bit confusing and hard to discriminate between all this shades of gray, but all are in the search of innovative ways to make learning enjoyable.
end of part 1
To be continue
