We've been playing games since humanity had civilization - there is something primal about our desire and our ability to play games. It's so deep-seated that it can bypass latter-day cultural norms and biases.
Jane McGonigalI'm not a fan of simulations. Where, 'Oh, we'll go play a simulation of world peace and figure out how to make peace' and then somehow magically that will get translated into the real world. No, that's not the kind of games that I make.
Jane McGonigalEvery game we play activates our brain, and it's the same brain we have in real life as we have in the game.
Jane McGonigalWhat's really amazing about games is how they change our emotional response to challenges
Jane McGonigalThe real world just doesnโt offer up as easily the carefully designed pleasures, the thrilling challenges, and the powerful social bonding afforded by virtual environments. Reality doesnโt motivate us as effectively. Reality isnโt engineered to maximize our potential. Reality wasnโt designed from the bottom up to make us happy.
Jane McGonigal