Games for Non-Gamers 101


So you haven’t played many games, but want to get your feet wet?

If you have 1 minute per game:

  • Experience the compelling nature of even pared-down games by playing Boomshine.
  • Help label the images of the web with a round of Google Image Labeler.
  • Music Catch is so simple, you don’t even need to click your mouse; just move it around.
  • See how a game can make a simple persuasive (if controversial) argument by checking out September 12.

If you have 5 minutes per game:

If you have over 30 minutes per game:

  • Download FreeCiv, a free clone of Civilization, one of the best strategy games of all time.
  • Try one of the first (popular) “casual” massively multiplayer online games launched in the US: Puzzle Pirates
  • Experience America’s Army, the US Army’s recruiting game.
  • Take the wheel in Trackmania Nations, a stunt driving game.

Changing the Game (order via Amazon or B&N) is a fast-paced tour of the many ways in which games, already an influential part of millions of people’s lives, have become a profoundly important part of the business world. From connecting with customers, to attracting and training employees, to developing new products and spurring innovation, games have introduced a new level of fun and engagement to the workplace.

Changing the Game introduces you to the ways in which games are being used to enhance productivity at Microsoft, increase profits at Burger King, and raise employee loyalty at Sun Microsystems, among other remarkable examples. It is proof that work not only can be fun--it should be.