Gamers to save the World...

Jane McGonigal's article set with me wrong. I really did not believe a single one of her arguments. However, the notion that games and playing games are going to solve the world's most difficult problems and issues seemed the most ridiculous to me. I have a hard time believing that playing games can actually change the worst problems. Even if the games are designed to make people develop solutions that could possibly end these problems, the solutions would not be completely planned out or tested. A game can provide only so many scenarios or obstacles for people to overcome. Real life has numerous, shocking obstacles that people can not predict or plan for. These obstacles can not be included in the games which means the solutions found in the games are not entirely played out. Worse obstacles that are not included in the games are the stumbling blocks that stop the seemingly perfect solutions from playing out in the real world. Also, when people are working for solutions in the real world, you are also attempting to fix real, breathing humans. When something is real and your decision could mean life or death, it is a much more difficult decision to make. It is much harder to affect people's lives than pieces in games. In the games, you simply start the game over again and try a different solution. I just really can not see McGonigal's argument making real change in the world. I feel like her arguments are too ambiguous and have no real life consequences.