In December 2008, the American Alliance of Museum's Center for the Future of Museums (CFM) hosted a lecture by Dr. Jane McGonigal, researcher and games designer with the Institute for the Future, titled "Gaming the Future of Museums" at the Newseum's Knight Conference Center in Washington, D.C.
Games are popular and pervasive in American society, capturing market share and attention at an ever-accelerating rate. Ninety-one percent of youth under age 19 play computer games, and this participation does not drop off as they age. The average age of a gamer is 35, and one in four gamers is more than 50.
Dr. McGonigal challenges us to consider:
• What makes games so compelling, even addictive?
• How can museums become experiences as engaging as games?
• Given the vast number of hours millions of people invest in playing complex, online games, how can museums harness this creativity to give their audiences opportunities to contribute to advancing their missions?
Museums can learn and benefit from studying popular games because:
• Games are museums' competitors—vying for people's increasingly scarce leisure time.
• Games present an opportunity for museums to engage new audiences and interact in new ways with existing audiences.
• Successful games can teach museums how to create experiences that are deeply satisfying.
• Games may provide new ways for museums to have a profound impact on society if they are designed, as alternate reality games are, to change people's real world behavior.
• How can museums become experiences as engaging as games?
• Given the vast number of hours millions of people invest in playing complex, online games, how can museums harness this creativity to give their audiences opportunities to contribute to advancing their missions?
Museums can learn and benefit from studying popular games because:
• Games are museums' competitors—vying for people's increasingly scarce leisure time.
• Games present an opportunity for museums to engage new audiences and interact in new ways with existing audiences.
• Successful games can teach museums how to create experiences that are deeply satisfying.
• Games may provide new ways for museums to have a profound impact on society if they are designed, as alternate reality games are, to change people's real world behavior.
