Gamers part I

Know Your Gamer – an untapped resource.

You may not be a gamer, in fact if you are the typical technology user, gaming is probably not your focus. However, understanding a little bit about the gaming community and their frame of reference can positively influence our own interactions with technology. Especially in the age of Covid we have had to learn a slew of new skills that gamers use every day. I recently had an online conversation with a buddy Chris Baldwin in ITS who is into gaming. This is what he had to say:

“Got an issue with your work-at-home technology? Seek out a gamer. Gen Z and the latter half of Millennials approach technology intuitively because of their technical native origins. So many kids are on YouTube, Twitch, Mixr, TikTok that we’re also creating a generation of video editors. I’d bet that many people at home are seeing just how technically savvy some of their kids are.

Having been part of the team that had to facilitate the move to work at home, I’ve experienced how difficult and stressful it can be to get people setup. But I’ve asked a series of gamers how this lock-down has gone for them , they shrug “not much has changed really”. It was as if everyone had to integrate into a lifestyle that we were already living in. Live streamers spent their lives in front of the camera engaging with audiences long before we had to do it in the workplace. Gamers adhere to a strict work-flow.

Gamers know the importance of software updates.

Gamers keep their computers fine tuned so they can be competitive.

Gamers keep their systems lean, clean, mean, and free from any malware or unwanted software.

I am drawn to Resource Management Games. These are games like “SimCity” or “Civilization” where you have a finite number of resources and you make something out of them. One of the games I play is “Factorio” a game which is about creating the most efficient system on an alien planet. Another is “DevTycoon” where you create a startup company in your garage and become a big tech giant. The bottom line is that when a game can procedurally generate an experience for a gamer, we keep coming back.”

There is a Benjamin Franklin quote: Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn. Gamers have been at their consoles learning for decades. Solving problems, overcoming obstacles and looking for possibilities. So, the next time you have a tech question, or even a life question, that kid who locks himself in his room for hours playing Fortnite, may surprise you with what they have learned.