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Big Business Loves the Computer Gaming Industry

Posted by Zonk on from the gnomes-are-always-surprising dept.

David Greenspan writes "Video games are no longer exclusive to a consumer market. Business Week has an article on the new trend of big business willing to pay millions for custom-made games. The casual market has inspired folks in business to realize the broad appeal of games, and some of the possibilities inherent to the medium. As a result, business games are now big business. From the article: 'To reach the billion-dollar mark, the market will have to overcome the common wisdom that games are inherently not serious. A serious games market will also require game developers to shift from the traditional business-to-consumer model to a business-to-business one. Today when major studios and publishers are approached by companies interested in commissioning, say, an employee-training game based on a successful commercial title, more often than not those studios and publishers decline. Even if the interested company is offering $5 million, it's not worth the gamemakers' time to divert engineers from a commercial title likely to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in sales.'"

4 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. Salesman: Blood Money by PJ1216 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can't wait for the business training game, Salesman: Blood Money, where you play as Mr. 47, a genetically engineered salesman, created from the DNA of the five more dangerous salesmen.

  2. Well why not??? by LordPhantom · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why not produce those games? For example, a lawyer training game based upon something like Resident Evil or BloodRayne - they're already disease-infested vampires, it should require virtually -no- changes!

  3. Make training fun! by HitekHobo · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can already see the Doom clone for customer service reps.

    1) Customer lures you in with the promise of an easy frag. - "I can't get my email."
    2) Customer side steps your opening salvo - "Yes, my computer is plugged in."
    3) You run out of ammo while the customer bunny hops towards you. - "I have just tried telnetting to port 110 on pop.yourcompany.com and recieved a timeout. I then tried a traceroute and can't reach your facility."
    4) Customer drops a grenade on your head - "No, I think it could be the power outage in your data center that is being reported on CNN right now."
    5) You respawn in the middle of 10 customers holding grenades. - "Somebody turn on the ambush for God's sake!"

    --
    A couple of 30-somethings embark on the ultimate roadtrip
  4. Re:Too dry, but i agree. by vigmeister · · Score: 3, Funny

    Rainbow Six Sigma

    'nuff said

    Cheers!

    --
    Atheist: Buddhist in a Prius