Having Fun Can Stimulate Change

Our generation is full of individuals who spend a significant amount of time playing games online. From World of Warcraft to Farmville via Facebook, the hours logged on these forms of entertainment are growing exponentially and users come from a variety of backgrounds. Many of these games require players to think strategically to solve virtual, imaginary problems and reward them for overcoming difficult obstacles. Ben Sawyer, a game developer who cofounded the Serious Games Initiative, declares that letting games exist only in the realm of entertainment would be a waste.

Several online games have sprung up recently that combine social activism with the entertainment platform. Some are geared at children to get them thinking about the environment and other issues of our time and have even led student led projects. Other games provide opportunities to financially support innovative projects that have been created. The benefit of using games as a vehicle for education and action is the ability to make usually dull and repetitive activities fun and exciting. It also utilizes a large of base of intelligent, creative individuals who have already been cultivated by years of gaming experiences.

I think these new online enterprises represent social innovations. They exploit an opportunity to engage the online gamer community to stimulate social changes. Online games have already been invented and become mainstream, but applying a social aspect to them is the innovative element. It’s a creative way to tap into an already established base of intelligent people and refocus their attention. Organizations like Armchair Revolutionaries are just starting and it will be interesting to follow their progress and see if their innovations take root and become mainstream. Some critics question whether games can really influence enough people to take action and actually make a difference. What are other ways that arts and entertainment have been utilized in social innovations and what is their unique ability to reach audiences?

http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/04/farmville-minimonos-mangahigh-technology-videogames.html