Being alone with their thoughts is evidently a frightening concept for some people and they go to great pains to avoid it, filling any empty time with cell phone conversations, twitter (see below) and games. I have mixed feelings about games. As I wrote in a couple of earlier posts, games are ways we model and learn about the world, but as their portability and connectedness expands, they are pushing out the whole concept of introspection. That is just my own point of view.
But we have to meet the customers where they want to go. If they want games, then games are us. IIP has developed its own game called X-Life. It is an educational game that helps people from other places understand the U.S. through simulated experience. You get an avatar with which to explore America as a student or visitor. The current version is fairly primitive, but it has the advantage of being accessible and available. You have to start somewhere. The media is interested in this venture, and there have been articles in WSJ, CNN, ABC and UAE News. It is unusual for the media to take much interest in what we do. We should be flattered, I guess.
Games can be good, but I am never impressed by someone who is just too good at them. I had a colleague who was the best “Mine Sweeper” player I had ever seen or even heard about … and how she prioritized her time showed in her work.