If Big companies push their games saying this will help kids learn to self manage and manage others, how come MBA colleges have games which are made specifically for the graduate students ? Why cant they play an RTS game and say “Build your management skills by playing Age Of Empires!” ?
Even games which are used by the military are tweaked for their specific purposes.
My point being that the games nowadays are not based on any specific goal besides providing entertainment.
Like they say “Windows is a metaphor for life”- it matches the way in which unexpected errors occur in life and prepares us for it. Do you really think Microsoft management consciously make such software?
Well, I am a cynic of big companies pushing games, saying kids can learn from them. Can one improve complex skills like management by playing Age of Empires?? If that were true, all RTS (Real Time Strategy) freaks would be COOs of big companies right now.. anyway.
I know of games (which are actually simuations) used by management schools to teach actual management skills. The point is- its not ‘disguised’ as a game. Most games on the pc and consoles now can teach some basic motor and cognitive skills but they should not aim higher- for now.
Filed under: Theories
