Name: Gaming can make a better world
Uploaded: 2010-03-17T09:01:00Z
Duration: 19 min 46 s
Description: Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems? Jane McGonigal says we can, and explains how.

Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems? Jane McGonigal says we can, and explains how.

Gaming can make a better world

Massively multiplayer games like World of Warcraft turn millions into collaborative problem-solvers, tackling epic challenges for hours each week. Players worldwide have already spent over 5.9 million years solving virtual quests—more time than the span of human evolution. These games build skills such as urgent optimism, teamwork, and persistence, yet most energy stays locked in virtual worlds. By channeling these strengths into reality, society could address issues like climate change and poverty with the enthusiasm gamers bring to epic wins.