Being a gamer is quite an achievement regardless of any stigma that society might put on games. We have a way to fill our unused time. We have a means to relax that some people either neglect or hold with some level of contempt. But does gaming fill any actual need that isn’t filled by society? Can gaming be used to make not only our own quality of life, at least in terms of happiness, but the world itself better? That, simply put, is the premise of Jane McGonigal’s book Reality Is Broken.

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.