GDC08: Six things to take from Game Developers Rant: Happiness
by Ross Miller 
{ Feb 23rd 2008 at 1:59AM }
Jane McGonigal was up next. She's not mad at game designers; her rant is about reality. And it's broken. "We are the people who are supposed to fix it," she said.
"When I'm in games I have all the info and feedback I need, I have superhero skills ... it's just better than real life." McGonigal explains she has been spending the last year doing research on happiness, deeming it not a warm puppy. Instead, McGonigal lays out a four-point happiness list:
- Satisfying work to do
- The experience of being good at something
- Time spent with people we like
- The chance to be a part of something bigger
McGonigal lists five things that game designers could fix today:
- Running
- Being on a plane
- Playing fetch
- Commuting
- Annoying people
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
t_m @ Feb 23rd 2008 7:44AM
I always thought we should get MMO developers to create the legal systems and eductation systems in the real world.
WHo else has more experience balancing risk and reward, plugging loopholes and getting kids to engage in seemingly tedious tasks with great relish?
Arsnof @ Feb 24th 2008 1:52AM
Mmmmm... relish.
Moe_theSleaze @ Feb 26th 2008 4:25PM
Can you think of how great it would be if going to the gym helped you level up your WoW character. Or doing community service earned you Limited Edition weapon? How about every dollar you donate to chariety gives you gold?