From: https://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/2009/08/07/these-are-not-serious-games/

What is all this buzz about Serious Games?

Gaming is also serious business! We know it is great to spend time on a rainy day playing exciting video games. But did you know there is a category of games whose primary purpose is other than pure entertainment? Serious games are increasingly used to support activities in many sectors of the economy, working as efficient tools to enhance areas such as education, healthcare and marketing.

Ok, you've got my attention! How do they work?

Many studies demonstrate the benefits of incorporating serious games in many sectors. The use of video game mechanics (achievements, rankings, rewards, competition, levels, etc.) can increase the user's engagement with a specific content, improving their learning experience, thus, helping to grasp complex concepts and to develop new skills.

Despite the name, serious games have to be fun to play, in order to keep players motivated and improve its results. The playful elements of serious games contribute towards learning in a fun way, favoring communication and coordination among participants for problem solving purposes. Moreover, the interactive nature of the game environment can offer constant feedback of making progress towards a goal and foster creativity and innovation.

They are increasingly being used at schools as efficient tools to teach children a variety of subjects like history, biology, sciences and mathematics. In healthcare, serious games are used to improve the treatment and recovery of patients. Finally, game mechanics are used by companies to train their employees, positively affecting performances at work.

Seem like a great market opportunity. How is the Brazil doing in this field?

Many Brazilian studios concentrate on developing serious games, especially for education purposes or for marketing, used by companies to promote their products and services. It is considered a promising sectors of the game industry, as more people become aware of the benefits of using serious games as learning and training tools, particularly in view of the challenge imposed by the pandemic. The short clip bellow can offer a glimpse of serious games created in Brazil.

BGW_Itamaraty_08_SeriousGames_08_21.mp4

We would like take this opportunity to individually present some Brazilian companies developing serious games for areas such as education, healthcare, marketing and more.