Reading recommendation – Reality at stake

Today, we are launching a series to provide reading recommendations for all our followers who are passionate about this art! Here, we will share interesting books, magazines, and texts that involve the universe of gamification, virtual reality, and digital simulations.

So, if you are a fanatic for a good read, keep an eye on our updates and don't miss the next recommendation! However, today, we have prepared this article with a fantastic recommendation. Follow along with us and check it out!

Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World

The first book in our series is Reality Is Broken, by Jane McGonigal. It is published here in Brazil by Best Seller publishing house, with a brilliant translation by Eduardo Rieche.

Right at the beginning, we have an epigraph from philosopher Bernard Suits, taken from his book "The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia," which sets the tone for today's reading recommendation. The philosopher already shows us a reflection on how games are still viewed from a perspective of "pastimes," pure entertainment. While, in reality, they already represent the "future," bringing innovation to various segments, including education.

Read more: Skill development through games

Then, we see the work divided into three parts. First, in "Why Games Make Us Happier," McGonigal explains the concept of a game. Here, she introduces some elements of gamification, such as the goal, the existence of rules, and the famous feedback systems. Additionally, this first part is where she shows us how the concept of carefully generating emotions in games emerged.

In part two, titled "Reinventing Reality," the author dedicates 4 chapters to discussing ARGs, or "Alternate Reality Games." Thus, in this space, she discusses how these activities are developed and what makes them beneficial for participants, or players.

For example, in the initial chapter of this second part, she mentions the game "Chore Wars," which has a "strategy" like World of Warcraft, but works only in the real world. She transfers some elements of this game into an activity to perform household chores, promoting socialization and cooperation within the family niche. In this way, it engages everyone in housework. See:

"Normally, we view chores as things we have to do. Either someone is nagging us to do them or we do them out of absolute necessity. That's why they're called chores: by definition, unpleasant services. Chore Wars' masterstroke is that the game convinces us that we want to do these things." (Reality Is Broken, p.161)

Finally, in the third part, "How Big Games Can Change the World," the author brings some motivations from the current reality that she believes are motivating factors for game creation. This is because serious factors, real needs, would be the goal to be achieved with serious gamification. Thus, she brings some examples of "crowd games," which have universal objectives, from the need to cure diseases to resolving conflicts through flexibility in adverse situations.

OGG Conclusion

With accessible language in a very fluid, creative, and easy-to-understand writing style, the author democratizes her ideas, making the reading possible even for "non-gamers," as she herself nicknames readers who don't play.

In this sense, it is possible to follow all the reasoning of her arguments, understanding concepts without needing to deeply know many of the games mentioned. This is because she provides descriptions whenever necessary, in addition to providing the bibliography for consultation in the appendix.

Therefore, if you want to have a basic overview of how gamification can be extremely useful for executing tasks, challenges, and introducing real knowledge, this reading recommendation is for you.
To learn more about OGG's gamification solutions, visit our website and check it out. And if you liked this article, don't miss the updates on our blog!