Recap of David Wortley at Metanomics

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Today, January 28, 2008, Robert Bloomfield and Metanomics interviewed David Wortley, Director of the Serious Games Institute, which is associated with Coventry University in the UK.

We welcome input from the Metanomics community in exploring these post-event discussion questions:

1. What is the importance of "fun" in serious games? Under what conditions must a game be "fun" for a serious game to reach its educational or functional objectives?

2. What are the implications of serious games for the future of education? What barriers must be overcome to finance and develop education-oriented games?

3. To what degree is SL's engine sufficient for the needs of serious games? What must Linden Labs do to better provide "serious" applications, and what will happen if they do not provide this need?

4. There was some considerable discussion in backchat as the event unfolded about security and privacy issues that may exist for some serious games clients. What are significant considerations must be made by developers of serious games, and what are the solutions that have been found successfully in the past?

5. What are the considerations in applying simulations and experiments from Second Life or other virtual worlds to "real world" business and economic questions?

Additionally, here are some pictures taken during the event:

(Above and below photos taken by Aldon Hynes, writer of the blog, Orient Lodge, reprinted with permission.)

(Above Photos taken by Aldon Hynes, writer of the blog, Orient Lodge, reprinted with permission.)

(Above Photo Credit: Lovely Encore, host of Rockcliffe University's simulcast of the event. Used with permission.)

(Above Photo Credit: Metanomics producer Yxes Delacroix.)