Serious games

Humans, like all animals, have played games since before recorded history began. Generally these games, be they interpersonal or computer generated, require the player to take on some kind of role that is different from their everyday. The player learns about the differences between this role and their own by exploring the context and rules of the game. In a general sense, the games we play can be divided into two types, based on their ultimate purpose. The first are recreational games, whose purpose is to entertain the audience. Most of video games in the modern public market would fall into this category. Second are serious games, which are produced with the intention of education, either to change or encourage a particular behavior, or to measure a behavior. The serious gaming industry is ironically one that is not taken very seriously by the general public, because of how it has been represented by its products. However, by learning from both the mistakes and successes of the recreational gaming industry, serious gaming is capable of growth and progression.