E-games: come in spinner

For example, Qantas pilots routinely have to practice emergency procedures on simulators but rarely do they also have to battle monsters dressed in S&M leather to save a barely dressed young woman from being ravished by a beast who looks like Tony Abbott in Speedos.

The Apollo astronauts learnt the numerous computer codes to fly and land on the moon in a simulator. This had absolutely nothing to do with the type of programming or scenario setting with today’s electronic games.

The whole notion of ‘gamification’ is a ridiculous and meaningless gerund concocted by the electronic games lobby. They want more development subsidies for their products and they will say and do anything to get them.

Indeed, the sad fact is that a considerable amount of imagery and plotting for these games is pornographic and denigrates women to such a degree that if mothers knew what sort of fantasist role playing their boys were engaged in, they would have conniptions.

The article goes on to quote social media advocate Lauren Papworth who says that Generation Y “are video gamers, so they are very used to the concept of micro tasks within a collaborative whole.” Huh?

Why ask a social media expert about business management theory? And does she mean teamwork? There is absolutely no statistical or trialed evidence that electronic games make for better team players or happier workers.

One would think that the electronic gamer lobbyists would cite some major European or American studies about the unforeseen benefits of electronic games. The citation would start something like:

“A three year study by Stanford University or MIT has found that those who play electronic games have a greater chance of being a CEO, making a million dollars before they hit 25 or bedding more women than Warren Beatty.”

Here’s the truth. There is absolutely no benefit to any commercial organisation of using any form of gaming to enhance profitability. Not a hint. Nada.

And here’s why. The electronic gamers industry knows that for all of the spin and hoopla, they are hawking a product that is at war with the rising zeitgeist of authenticity. While I am not a great fan of the Greens and some of their allies, their pursuit of an unmediated and unscripted life, has merit in a world whose moral and ethical compass is spinning wildly.

The electronic games industry is pushing video technology and computer programming as a kind of panacea to the problems which corporate Australia faces.

Alas, many of the problems corporate Australia faces are due entirely to ignoring market realities such as a looming energy crisis and radical demographic workforce change. They need people hawking electronic games like a chocolate teapot needs hot water.