Why Serious Gaming is important

LUDUS promotes Serious Games, which –inter alia- offer an alternative to traditional learning methods that might be near to the limit of their potential, such as employee training, healthcare applications, education, etc. Serious Games are deviating from traditional learning processes and combine entertainment with learning making the process more creative and appealing, hence more effective.

Demographic factors are resulting in increased interest in using SG. 31% of EU citizens aged 16-49 are active gamers, with the average European gamer aged 30 years old. The statistics reveal that gaming is an indispensable part of the daily life of a significant part of the population, regardless of age, sex and social status, which can be seen as an index of familiarisation with this kind of technology and at the same time as a proof of the gaming and consequently Serious Gaming’s importance.

Moreover, a number of converging market factors are resulting in increased interest in using SG in areas such as education, health, ecology, public policy, science, government and corporate training:

1. The European market for SG is expected to rise over the next five years to approximately $125 million.
2. A significant number of corporations are exploring the use of commissioning Serious Games development.
3. There is now an emergent supply chain for Serious Games.
4. The majority of EU corporations active in the field, learning suppliers and established SG suppliers foresee ‘learning games’ not only being adopted but becoming mainstream by 2012.
5. A resounding 100% of corporations surveyed see the value of using game-based learning within their organizations (Apply Group, 2007).

Serious Games are not necessarily about high technology. The most pervasive games are related to technology trends that use relatively simple and established gaming technologies (such as the Nintendo console vs the Playstation or the X360 consoles, the web browser based games, mobile gaming, games with 2D graphics, etc).  This development crates opportunities to newly involved regions and clusters in the field to build a technological base and a competitive offering  in the field of Serious Games.