Can your company learn something from game design?
Avoiding too much existentialism, lets just say that life is pretty darn complicated. In fact, the system in which life takes place (the universe) is literally the most complicated thing we know about. Life, from our perspectives, is a very complicated experience. So complicated in fact that we have designed experiences within it.
A game is a distilled experience.
Great games are those which cut out most of the complexities of real life. Even the AAA titles with eye popping graphics are themselves extremely simplified experiences. You’re still just pushing pixels around on a screen by pressing some buttons, no matter what voice actor they were lucky enough to hire for the main character.
Now I don’t mean to downplay these experiences. They were crafted by thousands of people over the course of years. By all means, please go experience some of these AAA titles just like you would a good movie. They can be some of the most compelling story telling experiences.
Catan is a favorite example of mine when it comes to the idea of distilling experiences. The players of Catan are, in a simplified way, going through the same motions that a leader would be going through whilst settling a new land. Trading resources for the benefit of themselves and others. Planning out where to expand in order to generate more resources. Sometimes involving themselves with questionable individuals for short term gains(the thief piece).
Catan isn’t some made up fantasy concocted at random in the mind of its creator. Catan is based upon real world scenarios, history, and decisions that real people had to make. Catan has distilled what was once a very real experience for few, into a fun experience for many. Most all great games do this same thing.
Great companies do this same thing with their products, stores, and overall customer relationships. These companies know that from start to finish they are providing an experience for their customers. Great companies aren’t creating products that can just be piled onto the already complicated lives of a person. They are creating experiences that strip away the complexities of life.
