Serious Games — What, Why, How and Who?

If you’ve picked up this book then I’ve managed to pique your curiosity enough to ask yourself, “Serious Games… What, Why, How and Who?” Well, I wanted to kick-start this foray into the new world of Serious Games with a broad introduction to what they are and who is currently using them. However, first things first: let’s briefly touch on games in their broadest sense. The oldest video game is considered to be from the 1940s. Does that surprise you? The Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device was a missile simulator inspired by the radar systems of World War II, developed by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann in 1947, the same year the first (albeit very basic) chess program was created by Alan Turing. Games as we know them today are actually a lot older than most people think. Of course humans have been using games for training for centuries — the Ancient Greeks used games in readiness for war, the Russian Army used strategy games, and knights in the Middle Ages used games to train. Games are not even a uniquely human experience; many animals use gameplay to learn vital survival skills.