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    Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
    Unavailable
    Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
    Unavailable
    Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
    Audiobook13 hours

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

    Written by Jane McGonigal

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    More than 174 million Americans are gamers, and the average young person in the U.S. will spend 10,000 hours gaming by the age of 21. According to world-renowned game designer Jane McGonigal, the reason for this mass exodus to virtual worlds is that videogames are increasingly fulfilling genuine human needs. In this groundbreaking exploration of the power and future of gaming, McGonigal reveals how we can use the lessons of game design to fix what is wrong with the real world. Drawing on positive psychology, cognitive science, and sociology, Reality is Broken uncovers how game designers have hit on core truths about what makes us happy and utilized these discoveries to astonishing effect in virtual environments. Videogames consistently provide the exhilarating rewards, stimulating challenges, and epic victories that are so often lacking in the real world. But why, McGonigal asks, should we use the power of games for escapist entertainment alone? Her research suggests that gamers are expert problem-solvers and collaborators because they regularly cooperate with other players to overcome daunting virtual challenges, and she helped pioneer a fast-growing genre of games that aims to turn game-play to socially positive ends.

    In Reality is Broken, she reveals how these new alternate reality games are already improving the quality of our daily lives, fighting social problems such as depression and obesity, and addressing vital 21st-century challenges-and she forecasts the thrilling possibilities that lie ahead.

    "As addictive as Tetris, McGonigal's penetrating, entertaining look into gaming culture is a vibrant mix of technology, psychology, and sociology, told with the vision of a futurist and the deft touch of a storyteller." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJan 20, 2011
    ISBN9781611064292
    Unavailable
    Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World

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    Reviews for Reality is Broken

    4/5

    230 ratings17 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Reality is Broken is a breath of fresh air. These days gaming as a culture is so often vilified and derided as something which is of no value to society at large. Jane McGonigal manages to show us the other side of the argument, that games are of great benefit and in some cases even necessary for us to improve ourselves and even the world around us.

      Her book is easily accessible for anyone to read no matter what your background is in terms of gaming. so even if you've never played anything in your life other than a game of monopoly bcd in your childhood you'll still be able to read Reality is Broken and see how her theories will pan out.

      Better yet is that she gives plenty of real world examples of how games have indeed been used to improve peoples' lives and the quality of life for many others. Rather than writing a book that merely focuses on thew potential of games without showing any real world examples she uses her long career of developing socially rewarding games to teach us how games have improved our world.

      If you're a parent who is worried about the negative impact games might have on your child then read this to see that when approached in the correct light games can be something that will give your child a huge boost in their later life. If you're a gamer then read this and discover how you can tap into a wealth of experience and potential that you may have not even known you had before!
    • 3/5
      An interesting take on gaming and how to harness the energy that gamers spend everyday. The book can change a reader's negative attitude towards gaming. Definitely worth a read.
    • 4/5
      Some very interesting ideas about how games may provide frameworks to improve our world. Generally McGonigal's excitement is contagious though I struggle to see how some of these ideas would apply.
    • 5/5
      Loved this book!
    • 3/5
      What seemed like it would have been a really interesting topic turned out to be a fairly boring book.
    • 4/5
      Some very interesting ideas about how games may provide frameworks to improve our world. Generally McGonigal's excitement is contagious though I struggle to see how some of these ideas would apply.
    • 5/5
      Jane gives us a glimpse into the future of evolution and the human species. Gives us understanding of the present state of games, their current impact and potential. Finally, Jane gives us hope, for most of us are indeed equipped with the weapons to survive the future.
    • 2/5
      My main problem with this treatise is that McGonigal confuses pleasure for happiness.
    • 3/5
      By their 21st birthday, a young person will have spent around 10,000 hours playing video games on a console, phone or other device. According to some, mostly parents, video games are a waste of time and effort, that could be better spent elsewhere. McGonigal has a very different view of this and with evidence from numerous disciplines, like cognitive science and psychology, she puts forward the case that video games are actually good for us.

      Using various case studies and examples, she shows just how useful games can be in learning how to, solve problems, develop brand new ideas and collaborate. There are example of games that make people think about energy usage, and survival, she writes when a new game is launched just how fast it is written about and documented on Wiki’s to help those new to the game. There is a chapter on the game, Halo 3, and how gamers across the globe have managed to achieve the unbelievable target of 10 billion kills in the game with teamwork and concerted effort. Even a few minutes on a day on a simple game can do much to relieve stress.

      McGonigal is a renowned game designer who has worked with organisations like the World Bank and the UN to develop online problem solving websites aimed at tackling potential problems that humanity will face in the future. She offers a compelling argument that a sensible amount of time spent playing computer games actually has many benefits and positive outcomes. I must say that I tend to agree with a number of the points that she makes, but gaming should be a part of someone’s activities not the whole focus. Worth reading if you are into technology and modern day culture.
    • 3/5
      The thesis here is: Reality is broken but games can make it better.  Reality should be more game-like. Games are not only escapist. They not only make us happy, but can make a better world. McGonigal is nothing if not enthusiastic. She gives examples that range from the bizarre - playing poker in cemetaries by using the shapes of and years on tombstones to simulate cards - to real world issues - devising conservation strategies in World Without Oil. Much of the book is repetitive and a bit of a stretch. But some of the strategies could be used for targeted purposes.
    • 3/5
      I'm not 100% convinced (and I think she's a little too attached to the idea of games being the thing that will save the world, to the point of ignoring anything else), but it was an interesting and enlightening book. And it has reawakened my desire to play ARGs.
    • 5/5
      Love this book. Jane McGonigal looks at the psychological and social benefits of video games and then explores games that are being created to harness the powers of gamers to create positive social change.
    • 4/5
      The first half of the book is a must read for everyone concerned with game design or development. It explains very well how games function and why we do like to play them. It also gives you an insight into why people play certain games that do not seem to fit with their live styles (like violent games) and why that isn't really a problem. The second half takes you on a journey through some existing augmented (alternate) reality games. Some of these descriptions show the possibilities of these kind of games and how games really could help transform humanity. On other occasions however you can't help but feel that this clearly has a limited impact and that the fact that the author is so entrenched in these game worlds, makes her stories tainted. It was a good read overall, recommended for people in the gaming business.
    • 4/5
      The psychology, neurology, and science behind games and gaming and how games can be used to make the world a better place. Insightful good book.
    • 4/5
      The psychology, neurology, and science behind games and gaming and how games can be used to make the world a better place.
    • 5/5
      McGonigal postulates that games are better than reality than many ways - they enrich us with intrinsic rewards. In comparison, everyday reality seems broken. It just has not been as well engineered to keep us motivated.Games actively engage us unsatisfying work that we have the chance to be successful at and they give us a way to spend time and build bonds with people we like. After looking at why people like to play games in the first part of the book, the next two sections look at the ways game principles can be put to work in the real world. She gives a wide range of examples in these chapters, from ideas on in-flight location-based games to allay the fear of flying to Tombstone Hold ‘Em which is based on the theories of Positive Psychology.
    • 4/5
      A good decent read about games and how the use of games can help change reality. Her basic premise that through games, people across the world can defeat many of the world's problems was a little bit of a stretch for me. I did like that the book gave me the ability to think about my daily life and see how I was already using games in my daily life to make life more enjoyable (anyone remember Mary Poppins?).