On 23 June 2008 The Entertainment Software Association
put out a press release dealing with a study on interactive software
and gaming in the workplace. A summary of the results is below.

1. 70% of major employers use interactive software or games to train employees
2. 75% of business’ currently using these technologies plan to increase their usage over the next 3 – 5 years
3. 78% of organisations not using these technologies plan to do so over the next 5 years
4. 77% of these programmes were used to test employee knowledge
5. 55% included interactive role playing
6. Employees found significant benefit in being able to learn at their own pace and convenience

Top uses of video game-based learning include:

• compliance training;
• training for specific job functions;
• IT training;
• management training;
• customer service training.

Benefits and advantages of video game-based training include:

• a reduction in costs;
• more efficient and faster training;
• the ability to apply consistent training across all parts of an organization;
• the ease of measuring employee participation; and,
• better information retention.

The full press release can be read below, or in its original context at Gaming in the workplace is increasing.

Use of Video Game Technology in the Workplace Increasing

Study Finds 70 Percent of Major Employers Use Interactive Computer Training That Includes Game-like Simulations

JUNE 23, 2008 – WASHINGTON, DC –

Seventy percent of major employers utilize interactive software and
games to train employees according to a new study released today by the
Entertainment Software Association (ESA). The study data also showed
that more than 75 percent of businesses and non-profits already
offering video game-based training plan to expand their usage in the
next three to five years. And more than three-quarters (78%) of
organizations not utilizing this technology today are likely to offer
it in the next five years.

“Businesses across the spectrum, from automobile manufacturers to
financial service providers, are utilizing entertainment software to
help educate their employees to better serve their customers and
improve their bottom lines,” said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA,
the U.S. association representing computer and video game publishers.
“Interactive technology is a valuable tool in workforce development and
this study underscores the fact that video games have become a mass
medium helping Americans live, work and of course play.”

The top uses of video game-based training by major American
employers include: compliance training; training for specific job
functions; IT training; management training and customer service
training. Seventy-seven percent of these training programs tested
employee knowledge and 55 percent included interactive role playing.

The survey found a vast majority of organizations offering video
game-based training were satisfied with the results and sophistication
of the training. Respondents said the biggest advantages of video
game-based training are:

• a reduction in costs;
• more efficient and faster training;
• the ability to apply consistent training across all parts of an organization;
• the ease of measuring employee participation; and,
• better information retention.

Managers of three in four companies also said their employees like
video game-based training more or the same as traditional training and
their employees found the convenience and ability to learn at their own
speed particularly attractive.

“The demand for training games is definitely rising as managers look
for new ways to train their employees that are both effective and more
compelling than the standard eLearning fare,” said Marc Prensky,
founder of Games2train, a company created in 1999 to serve the growing
demand for corporate game-based training. “In my experience, computer,
video and, increasingly, cell phone based training games are more
successful than traditional training methods, because employees find
them more engaging, thereby increasing the likelihood of completion of
the training and retention of the required information and concepts. In
addition, simulation-based games allow employees to learn and practice
needed physical and mental skills, and thus be more effective when they
get on the job.”

Games2train (www.games2train.com) created more than 50 software
games for companies such as American Express, Bank of America, Charles
Schwab & Co., Estée Lauder Companies, Inc., JP Morgan Chase &
Co., Nokia Corporation and Pfizer Inc., as well as training games for
the US military.

Canon U.S.A., for example, uses a video game to train new copier
technicians. To play, technicians must drag and drop parts into the
right spot on a virtual copier. IBM developed “Innov8,” a role playing
game that is said to teach graduate students a combination of business
and IT skills. The Hilton Garden Inn, meanwhile, introduced the first
training game for the hospitality industry, which places employees in a
virtual hotel, interfacing with customers and fielding typical guest
requests.

The national poll, conducted for the ESA by KRC Research, surveyed the management of 150 large U.S. companies and non-profits between March 17 and April 2, 2008.

The ESA is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business
and public affairs needs of companies publishing interactive games for
video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the
Internet. The ESA offers services to interactive entertainment software
publishers including a global anti-piracy program, owning the E3 Media
& Business Summit, business and consumer research, federal and
state government relations, First Amendment and intellectual property
protection efforts. For more information, please visit www.theESA.com.

Tags: gaming, training, serious games, interactive software, wisdom games