Serious games continue to expand into new areas of play.
This includes games that study the psychological components of play in order to better understand games’ potential to create serious impact. For example, researchers developed Movers & Shakers to study how social influences affect players’ communication in collaborative game play, yielding insight into the dynamics of leadership. Players begin with a set of goals and encounter in-game conflicts that they must overcome through teamwork to win the game. Researchers also launched Fugue, which examines how individuals wish to be represented through their game play. At the start of the game, players are given a persona and advance by choosing a series of tarot cards that can change their assigned personality. By studying players’ choices, researchers are able to understand whether players act as their designated character, or act in accordance with their own personal desires.
With a host of research initiatives and serious game platforms, the MIT Game Lab is advancing innovative problem-solving through play. As researchers continue to harness entertainment software, applied game design will become a vital tool to explore strategic thinking and drive positive changes in daily life.
