Since the start of the pandemic, companies have been looking at ways to pivot on many fronts including the use of office space for productivity. And as we have seen locally, companies are either downsizing or creating a hybrid office space. This has not only convinced technologists that a truly Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) integrated life will be a reality sooner than initially expected, but it has also fuelled the phenomenal growth of the Gaming industry.
We see it internationally, companies are incorporating gaming into their marketing efforts and their service and product offering. As it is, people game either to release stress, for social interaction, and for education purposes which means they are more likely to engage with a brand provided the content is appealing.
There are about 14.02 billion smartphone users globally and 2.3 billion of these users are mobile gamers. In SA, Gaming is not just about entertainment. For example, the Serious About Games (SAG) movement promotes online gaming for educational purposes and social change. Serious games look like video games, but their purpose goes beyond that.
For those who think gaming is for a specific group, well mobile gaming is just as popular among women as it is among men. Reports say, 47% of mobile gamers today are women. Moreover Gaming is not only done by youngsters. It is indeed the 25 to 34 year olds who contribute to the largest segment of mobile gamers – a large portion of Professionals. On an average 72% of the total mobile gamers are daily gamers. Also, interesting is that 62% of smartphone owners install a game within a week of getting their phones.
According to ManpowerGroup, filling roles is no longer just about experience, hard skills or proximity to a workplace, it’s about soft skills and the ability to learn and develop into a role, qualities which gamers are more likely to have.
Gaming in the workplace can make employees more adaptable. According to researchers in Scotland, playing video games can help individuals adapt better to situations or changes. Employers want their employees to be able to handle any changes well, and those who encourage gaming in the workplace could see these benefits. Despite the traditional opposition between play and work, games and their structure are increasingly used in workplaces. Gamification is supposed to dismantle the separation between work and leisure or between constraint and pleasure.
It seems gamification is the new norm and it is most likely going to be a much bigger factor in how humans interact, create systems and grow economies.