Why did Rome fall?
What do women want?
What really happened to Amelia Earhart?
How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
Are games art?

These are questions that will be asked and answered til the end of time. Every answer will have some merit. I have been asked to provide my own thoughts on the last question. Here goes…

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One of the most interesting things about serious games right now is watching it take hold and expand in multiple industries and genres- like an exploding universe of possibilities. Companies are daring to try to use videogame technologies and lessons learned in new business models from corporate training to marketing. As the Serious Games Product manager at IBM, I have the opportunity to be able to study ways in which corporations can and are using videogames in exciting new ways. The primary focus is on games that face outwards to the external world of general public, clients and business partners.

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At the recent Krazytalk Industry Giants presentation I had an amazing opportunity to hear one of my idols speak–Will Wright. Will, the creator of The Sims and numerous other hugely successful titles, is a legend and arguably the most successful and influential designers of our day. In front of an audience of students, industry, fans and admirers; Will discussed gaming in the context of human development and as an up in coming art form.

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Today at the Masters of Digital Media program at Great Northern Way Campus, Will Wright (does he even need an introduction? okay, the guy behind SimCity, The Sims, and Spore) visited the students for lunch and a preliminary discussion before his evening talk as part of the Krazy! Exhibition through the Vancouver Art Gallery. In his ever-friendly manner, he invited the group to ask questions from the get go, and had helpful advice and insights for people interested in game design.

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To provide a little context, Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) are fiction that happens in the real world, generally without rules or guidelines on how to participate. Because it’s in the real world, people can interact with it in the same way they interact with anything else. Phones, websites, emails, regular mail, and anything else the designers want to use. The defining aspect is that you don’t need special hardware or software to join in the fun.

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