Ted Talk Summary: Gaming Can Make a Better World

The presentation "gaming can make a better world" by Jane McGonigal is directed towards tapping the potential of gamers to transform and solve the challenges we face in the world. The author responses the fact that video games have become popular in the recent past with more people spending much time on the daily basis to play games. As a video game developer, McGonigal urges the world to play games even more since it can improve problem-solving skills (McGonigal, 2010). The focus of the author in this presentation is to use video games to breed desirable traits in the world that can help to address the various challenges we face.

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The main idea of the presentation is the ability of video games to develop whole round people who are better placed to solve problems. The author notes that the world requires more people who can solve problems and as such, games should be played more to equip people with better problem-solving skills. Even if the author might have some bias concerning the concept she raised, the fact that she has been in the gaming industry provides credibility to support her assertions of increasing video playing times. In her argument, McGonigal notes that video games are evolving so is the society (McGonigal, 2010). Since the changes occur in almost a similar pattern, video games provide a chance of understanding current problems with the goal of finding lasting solutions. The motivation for playing video games is all about winning and advancing to further levels that can make people gain some satisfaction. Video games provide the desire to stretch limits, and if the same desire can be redirected to our normal lives, the world can receive the change it deserves.

In the presentation, McGonigal introduced four concepts that make video games unique and worth playing. The concept of urgent optimism is discussed concerning video games. Video players usually have the optimism to get things done (McGonigal, 2010). The optimism provides that self-motivation of trying harder and thinking of better ways to solve challenging levels in games. The social fabric is focused on strengthening personal relationships through video games. The different games available to players leads to collaboration where people compete or share ideas on better ways of overcoming challenges to win. Blissful productivity is the joy and happiness we receive with the awareness that we can achieve something (McGonigal, 2010). The feeling of optimizing our potential through hard work is best achieved in video games. The last concept of epic meaning is concerned with achieving the ultimate goal in a game which is doing something extraordinary. It is the epic meaning that creates that enthusiasm of finding a video game worth playing.

Conclusion

In the presentation, McGonigal provides statistics of how gaming hours among teenagers is almost equal to the hours spent in school. It is through the statistic that McGonigal calls for an increase in the gaming hours per day from 3 billion to 21 billion (McGonigal, 2010). In essence, McGonigal calls for a significant number of the population. In the end, McGonigal provides examples of how games are now being improved to change the habits of gamers. These games consider the social issues which can help gamers to solve social issues present in the society. The game that has been developed that features a scenario where there is no oil in the world will help gamers to utilize resources in the world.

References

McGonigal, J. (2010, Feb). "Gaming Can Make a Better World." [File Video] Ted Talk. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world#t-107821