We could change the world if we played more games

As video games become more widespread and enter our everyday lives, online gaming is quickly becoming the main form of entertainment for many people. Games like World of Warcraft or Second Life attract thousands everyday who spend hours in virtual worlds. Many people think this is just an escape from everyday life but for one games designer, this is just education for changing the world.

Jane McGonigal is a games designer and researcher who has been working on a theory about how virtual communities work and how they differ from the real world. Recently she had a very interesting talk at the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference regarding how we could learn from online games.