Author jane mcgonigal explains why reality is broken q. Ive known jane s work for years now, starting with her app superbetter, which lets you gamify your life. But some games are better for us than others, and there is too much of a good thing. Written for gamers and nongamers alike, reality is broken shows that the future will belong to those who can understand, design, and play games. Analysis gaming is continue reading readalong for reality is broken. Summary mcgonigal makes the point that gamers want to play games and not game them and uses the 4 traits of a game to establish some ground rules for the rest of her book. Why games make us better and how they can change the world, mcgonigal strikes me as part cheerleader, part social scientist, part entrepreneur, and part that crazy lady in the downtown l. A commentary on jane mcgonigals new book, reality is broken. With her new book, the wellknown game designer delves into the question of why life makes people unhappy and how. Why games make us better and how they can change the world, hits bookstores on jan.
A visionary game designer reveals how we can harness the power of games to boost global happiness. Reality is broken is a compelling exploration of why playing games makes us feel so good, and why, far from being a distraction from reality, technologyled games are increasingly providing solutions to our daily dissatisfactions. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Armed with a phd in performance studies, she explores the science of game development and game perception as well as the actual creation of games. Reality is broken is the most eyeopening book i read this year. Reality is broken pdf summary jane mcgonigal 12min blog. Jane mcgonigal in 1988, when jane mcgonigal was 10, she started gaming for fun on a commodore 64 computer. We have important work to do, were surrounded by potential collaborators, and we learn quickly and in a lowrisk environment.
Reality is broken, jane mcgonigal 9781594202858 youtube. Why games make us better and how they can change the world hunters optimism is infectious. Jane is a beacon for gamers, using her voice to get the good word about games out loud and clear. She is an author, a director of games research and development at the institute of the future in palo alto, california and a creator of alternate reality games. Sep 15, 2016 ive known janes work for years now, starting with her app superbetter, which lets you gamify your life. With 174 million gamers in the united states alone, we now live in a world where every generation will be a gamer generation. Jane mcgonigal thinks reality is broken, and she wants to. In this groundbreaking book, she shows how we can leverage the. Using theories from positive psychology, cognitive science, sociology, and philosophy, mcgonigal connects. Reality is broken is a book written by visionary game designer and director of game research at the institute for the future, jane mcgonigal, based on the power of games in boosting global happiness and solving realworld problems. Reality is broken is her first book, published in 2011, which reached new york times bestseller status. Why games make us better and how they can change the world is destined to be one of the most influential works about videogames ever published. In this groundbreaking book, she shows how we can leverage the power.
Despite her expertise, mcgonigal s book is never overly technical, and as with a good computer game, anyone. At my suggestion, my book group has been reading jane mcgonigals reality is broken. Her work has been featured in the economist, wired, and the new york times. Sep 22, 2015 jane mcgonigal, concussion slayer halfway through writing reality is broken, mcgonigal slammed her head into a cabinet door and suffered a serious concussion that took away many of the things she loved most. In particular the second half of the book seems to be a discussion of every game project the author had ever been involved with. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. I have to admit that at first glance, the title struck me as frivolous. Dec 27, 2011 written for gamers and nongamers alike, reality is broken shows that the future will belong to those who can understand, design, and play games. On january 20, 2011, mcgonigal s first book, reality is broken.
In the bestdesigned games, our human experience is optimized. Dec 27, 2011 reality is broken is a compelling exploration of why playing games makes us feel so good, and why, far from being a distraction from reality, technologyled games are increasingly providing solutions to our daily dissatisfactions. Why games make us better and how they can change the world 400th ed. Mcgonigal is the leading practicioner in the use of games to motivate people to solve. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading reality is broken. Why games make us better and how they can change the world, doesnt.
Jane mcgonigal, phd is a worldrenowned designer of alternate reality games or, games that are designed to improve real lives and solve real problems. Reality is broken, by jane mcgonigal the independent. Getting superbetter with jane the concussion slayer argnet. Why games make us better and how they can change the world reprint edition. Its a twentyfirstcentury way of thinking and leading. Written for a general audience, so good for outsiders or even. Why games make us better and how they can change the world kindle edition by mcgonigal, jane. Mcgonigal has since refined her thesis through presentations delivered at venues ranging from south by southwest to ted. An american games guru makes a persuasive case for investing in the virtual world if we want to. In 2009, businessweek called her one of the ten most important innovators to watch. Jane mcgonigal thinks reality is broken, and she wants to fix. Why games make us better and how they can change the world 9780143120612.
Full of examples of different game styles and their effects on gamers dispositions, it not only offers a broad perspective on what games are but also shows how game designers can use them to solve some of the worlds most pressing problems. Jane mcgonigal is the director of game research and development at the institute for the future. It has been strange to read a book which claims that reality is listless, uninspiring and broken compared to computer games as the arab revolutions swarm across our screens. But reading just a little way into it was enough to convince me that this is an important book important enough that i want to quote or summarize some of its key points here. Reality is broken, says jane mcgonigal, and we need to make it work more like a game.
Reality is broken summary games have always been around. Mar 04, 2011 after reading her book, reality is broken. With aweinspiring expertise, clarity of thought, and engrossing writing style, jane mcgonigal cleanly exploded every misconception ive ever had about games and gaming. Jane mcgonigal is a researcher on game perception and game development. Apr 22, 2018 jane mcgonigal is a researcher on game perception and game development. Despite her expertise, mcgonigal s book is never overly technical, and as with a good computer game. But why, jane mcgonigal asks, should games be used for escapist entertainment alone. In 2008, jane mcgonigal delivered a rant at the game developers conference entitled reality is broken that galvanized developers into tackling reallife problems. She has also put her theories to practical use with alternate reality games and interactive experiences.
Jane mcgonigal s reality is broken explains the science behind why games are good for uswhy they make us happier, more creative, more resilient, and better able to lead others in world. Jane mcgonigal is one of my favorite thinkers, and its a delight to have her philosophy neatly distilled to a single book, her justpublished debut reality is broken. Reality is broken is excellent, but the amount of detail provided is excessive for making and demonstrating the authors points. At my suggestion, my book group has been reading jane mcgonigal s reality is broken. With her new book, the wellknown game designer delves into the question of. The scanuling, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via. Jane mcgonigal thinks reality is broken, and she wants to fix it. A game is an opportunity to focus our energy, with relentless optimism, at something were good at or getting better at and enjoy. To help recover mcgonigal assumed a secret identity as jane the concussion slayer. Jane mcgonigal s reality is broken makes it clear that humanity is starting to face a related question. You get to the real meat of the book, though, the second and third parts of reality is broken reinventing reality and how very big games can change the world in which mcgonigal looks at the. Jan 20, 2011 written for gamers and nongamers alike, reality is broken shows that the future will belong to those who can understand, design, and play games. Why games make us better and how they change the world by. Reality is broken shows that games can teach us essential lessons about mass collaboration, creating emotional incentives, and increasing engagement that will be relevant to everyone.
Jun 28, 2011 jane mcgonigal s reality is broken explains the science behind why games are good for uswhy they make us happier, more creative, more resilient, and better able to lead others in world. Reality is broken explains how games work, how they influence our everyday lives and what potential they have to improve our lived reality. Why games make us better and how they can change the world. She has given keynote addresses at ted, south by southwest interactive, and the game developers. Why games make us better and how they can change the world, was published. A revolutionary approach to getting stronger, happier, braver and more resilient. In this book, mcgonigal looks not only at massively multiplayer online gaming and alternate reality games but also at games more widely. According to worldrenowned game designer jane mcgonigal the answer is simple. The book is filled with bold new ideas and refinements of old ones. For most readers it would be a better book if it were abridged. And given that virtually all young people today are growing up gamers, this book is a mustread for twentyfirst century educators and leaders. Jane mcgonigals groundbreaking work reality is broken challenged the negativeeffectsoriented rhetoric of game criticism by reconciling the contradictory relationship among games.
Here are a few secrets that arent in the book to help you or the gamer in. In 2009, businessweek called her one of the 10 most important innovators to watch. Why games make us better and how they can change the world by mcgonigal, jane isbn. Id also bet that few of them have put as much thought into the hows and whys of gaming over the past decade as game designer jane mcgonigal, author of the recentlyreleased book reality is broken. Its targeted at a general readership, but game designers, critics, and scholars will learn plenty from the book too, thanks to the new. Jane mcgonigal visionary game designer jane mcgonigal shows how we can harness the power of computer games to solve realworld problems and boost global happiness, since her research suggests that gamers are expert. How games makes us better and why they can change the world overall i give this book a 4. Reality is broken is the worst kind of populist nonfiction because it is trying so hard to be universally relevant. Practical advice for gamers by jane mcgonigal reality is broken explains the science behind why games are good for uswhy they make us happier, more creative, more resilient, and better able to lead others in worldchanging efforts. Worldrenowned game designer and futurist jane mcgonigal, phd. Jane is the director of game research and development at the institute for the future in palo alto, ca. That being said, the its almost painfully clear that jane mcgonigal has never written anything for a wide audience before.
Jan, 2020 jane mcgonigal is represented by the leigh bureau speaking agency. In other words, gameplay is the direct emotional opposite of depression. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Game designer and director of game research at the institute for the future, jane mcgonigal, argues that games can change the world for the better. Why games make us better and how they can change the world author. Why doesnt the real world work more like an online game. Mcgonigal is the leading practicioner in the use of games to motivate people to solve real problems with their lives and with the world.
182 54 1259 943 548 870 940 32 943 850 1109 605 932 599 96 60 137 1038 963 325 1498 122 1136 1238 1 26 763 676 1334 944 1259 377