Not many people know that UNESCO is one of the most enthusiastic advocates of gamification and serious gaming.
MGIEP the International Gaming Challenge ended in 2013. Through this event, UNESCO encouraged hundreds of game developers across many genres to consider what could happen if they reenvisioned their products not just as games, but also as tools for peace.
The Challenge’s main goal was to engage game developers into making new brand of the games promoting sustainability and peace.
It encouraged them to take on various problem of modern day such as climate change, social issues etc.
UNESCO recognized the potential of games as a medium for spreading knowledge and positivity throughout the world. According to the Blue Dot‘s article:
(..) players have already acquired a set of useful life skills just by engaging in an activity they love.
What is more, even games with imaginary realities, way different than real life, have a lot of advantages:
(..) though video games may be set in a mythical or fantastical reality, the rules of the games and the contexts in which they are set are often based on real life scenarios that require the making of critical decisions that will determine the outcome of the game. A second benefit is that games encourage perseverance. (..) The frustration associated with attempting challenging but attainable goals is motivating and, according to internationally-renowned game designer Jane McGonigal, reduces the fear of failure and promotes overall resilience.
So, even games that were not made with the educational purpose might be used in such way. This raises the question: exactly how useful could be a game with this objective?
