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The Matrix For Businesses

An anonymous reader writes "The idea of using virtual reality and gaming technologies to create training exercises and business simulations has been around for years. But recent advances in computer graphics, interfaces, and massively multiplayer online (MMO) games have made it commercially viable to pursue simulations in the business world. Novel, a venture-backed startup company, is about to launch a new MMO role-playing game, called Empire & State, with an unusual goal: to use the technology and the lessons it learns from the game to create simulations for big companies that want to improve their human resources and hiring efficiencies. Imagine assessing employees' leadership and teamwork skills by jacking them into a virtual, multiplayer business scenario. That's the goal, but Novel will face challenges of all sorts — business, social, and technical — in its efforts to sell MMO technologies to the corporate world."

13 of 88 comments (clear)

  1. Obligatory by Yvan256 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Today's Dilbert, quite on-topic!

    1. Re:Obligatory by Hylandr · · Score: 3, Interesting

      My Wet dream is to become CEO of a large corporation and immediately give all of HR the pink slip.

      Seriously, I fantasize about this. For most companies this would be an immediate jump to the black.

      My biggest beef with HR? Refusing to consider anyone that doesn't posses a degree that basically proves they acquired a certain level of book knowledge while marinating their brain in the toxic waste of micro-organisms ( yeast ) . They have No real operative knowledge on what the position requires hiring by alphabet soup and degree instead. They are lazy lazy people contributing jack squat to the bottom line.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    2. Re:Obligatory by gknoy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Who would you then hire to ensure that employees are well-informed about the law and policies that cover them, who ensure that employee grievances are handled properly, and who manage the paperwork and such for benefits and so forth? Who would be responsible for making sure employees were fully informed (in a uniform and consistent way) at interviews about company benefits, and so on?

      HR does a lot more than managing hiring, doesn't it? Sure, we want to think of them as useless twits who either screen out the good applicants we want or screen US out when we want to apply via bogus job requirements, but not all of them are like that. Moreover, there are many important parts of any business/employee relationship which have to be fulfilled by SOMEONE.

  2. lol, let the firings commence! by Em+Emalb · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can see it now....someone says something dumb, Frank from Accounting comes over to their side of the conference table, jumps up on it and proceeds to tea bag them.

    Yeah, MMO-like corporate worlds could be fantastic.

    --
    Sent from your iPad.
  3. Game Description by milonssecretsn · · Score: 3, Funny

    ". . . but you'll need real world skills to be successful."

    *sigh*
    But I play video games because I DON'T have real world skills.

    --
    Hey, I was only kidding. You don't have to MOD me "Troll" . . . again . . . .
  4. Not Novell by Improv · · Score: 3, Informative

    It took me awhile of poking around the site to finally notice that this is "Novel", not "Novell". Reading carefully is important :)

    --
    For every problem, there is at least one solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
  5. Re:Kobayashi Maru by DragonIV · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That won't take long, either. Of course, depending on the interview, gaming the game might be just what they're looking for!

  6. Companies will WANT their employees to use this ? by ProdigyPuNk · · Score: 3, Insightful

    FTFA: Players start out as citizens of an empire, and can collaborate and compete with other players to become leaders of young companies or presidents of countries. Depending on their interests, they can also become criminal overlords, military strategists, bounty hunters, or business tycoons. The game itself will be free, but Novel will charge money for transactions within the game, like when players want to purchase clothing, weapons, or housing. “Our innovation is that players have never been given the ability to explore real business practices and politics before,” Olson says. “We’ve never had the ability to do anything but kill stuff before [in MMOs].” ...Doesn't sound like something I would want my employees doing instead of, you know, being productive...

  7. Re:Kobayashi Maru by bertoelcon · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you learn to game the game they offer to promote you to manager.

    --
    Anything can be found funny, from a certain point of view.
  8. This summary sucks by Wiarumas · · Score: 4, Funny

    The summary sucks. You guys have no idea - it doesn't do it justice. I've RTFA. And to be honest, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

    --
    I will bend like a reed in the wind.
  9. Re:Sooo.... by TheBeardIsRed · · Score: 3, Funny

    How about hitting on the bosses?

  10. Your mind makes it real by clem · · Score: 4, Funny

    Neo: If you're fired in the Matrix, are you unemployed here?
    Morpheus: The body cannot receive a paycheck without the mind. Well, except government jobs, but you get my point.

    --
    Your courageous and selfless spelling corrections have made me a better person.
  11. Oblig. quote by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Funny

    A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.