Reality is Broken: GDC08 Rant by Jane McGonigal

Slide 1: Jane McGonigal RANT GDC 2008

Slide 2: Reality is broken. Why aren’t game designers trying to fix it?

Slide 8: 1. Satisfying work to do 2. The experience of being good at something 3. Time spent with people we like 4. The chance to be a part of something bigger

Slide 9: Games are the ultimate happiness engine.

Slide 10: If you are a game designer, then YOU are in the happiness business.

Slide 13: “Why should we care about games? Because life is crap. Life is crap, and the ONLY thing that makes it worth living is art – and play.” - Brian Sutton Smith

Slide 14: “Why should we care about games? Because life is crap. Life is crap, and the ONLY thing that makes it worth living is art – and play.” - Brian Sutton Smith -and that’s why I’m a game designer.

Slide 15: GAMES KILL BOREDOM Found to be Fatal to Dangerous Lack of Engagement Games have a value as an aid to quality of life even greater and more direct than has hitherto been suspected. The ordinary routine of playing a game is fatal to conditions of boredom, inertia, disinterest, and other serious afflictions of dealing with everyday life.

Slide 16: GAMES KILL ALIENATION Found to be Fatal to Dangerous Lack of Friends, Allies Games have a value as an aid to quality of life even greater and more direct than has hitherto been suspected. The ordinary routine of playing a game is fatal to conditions of social alienation, loneliness, lack of community, friendlessness, and other serious afflictions of co-existing with real people.

Slide 17: GAMES KILL ANXIETY Found to be Fatal to Dangerous Lack of Confidence Games have a value as an aid to quality of life even greater and more direct than has hitherto been suspected. The ordinary routine of playing a game is fatal to conditions of anxiety, fear, social awkwardness and other serious afflictions of being human and alive.

Slide 18: GAMES KILL DEPRESSION Found to be Fatal to Dangerous Lack of Purpose & Meaning Games have a value as an aid to quality of life even greater and more direct than has hitherto been suspected. The ordinary routine of playing a game is fatal to conditions of depression, existential angst, human suffering and other serious afflictions of real life.

Slide 19: Games are the ultimate happiness engine.

Slide 20: It’s like we invented the written word… and we decided only to write books.

Slide 21: 5 Things Game Designers Could Fix TODAY. 1. Running 2. Being on a plane 3. Playing fetch 4. Commuting 5. Annoying people

Slide 28: Reality is broken. • Can we fix it? YES. • Should we fix it? HELL YES. • Will we fix it? I HAVE NO F’ING IDEA.

Slide 29: MY HEROES • Katie Salen • Justin Hall • Frank Lantz, Nick Fortugno, Kati London • Alice Taylor & Matt Locke • Elan Lee, Sean Stewart & Jim Stewartson • Jesse Alexander • Brian Clark • Ian Kizu-Blair, Sam Levine, Sean Mahan • Ken Eklund • Joe Edelman • Adrian Hon & Dan Hon • Ian Fraser and Finnegan Kelly • Alex Fleetwood and Mink ette …and a lot more. maybe we WILL do this after all…

Slide 30: jane @avantgame .c om alte r yo ur re ality 03.03.08