On April 3rd, Jane McGonigal, an ”Alternate  Reality” Game designer, games researcher, and Future Forecaster, was interviewed for the TVO show called The Agenda with Steve Paikin.  TVO is a publicly-funded, educational media organization that is available to Ontario residents both on cable and the Internet. 

The episode entitled Have a Nice Day, consisted of two parts: an interview where Jane discusses why online gaming may be the future of work and a debate with other guests in which the topic is “The pursuit of happiness: Is the happiness movement making us miserable?”

Each part is available separately in video and podcast form on the episode page. During the interview she also discusses her recent Alternate Reality Games project entitled The Lost Ring.

The interviewer starts off quoting her SXSW keynotein which she stated that “Multiplayer games are the ultimate happiness engine”. The SXSW keynote as a podcast is available here and her slides are here.  In the interview she responds to this by explaining how games “optimise your brain, your body, your heart and your soul” and how “engagement is the key”

Definitely worth listening to learn about how games aren’t played by oneself in a room but rather that  games have always been about social and collaborative experiences with others in the real world.  The interview also discusses her last alternate reality game World Without Oil.

Relevance: Games are just about fun but can involve working together to solve real world causes.