* Fabio Viola is game designer, video games producer, gamification consultant. He wrote "The art of involvement" (ed.Hoepli)
In the months of the pandemic there was dizzying expansion in the use of video games (for Fastweb, +300% data traffic). Of course, you might say, since there was nothing else for lots of kids to do. But the forced lockdown and the possibility of escape from a problematic situation sped up a change that was already in progress: the transformation of the video game into a creative, educational platform, for sport and socializing
With over two billion players in the world, this expressive and cultural form of the contemporary world has been an integral part of life for entire generations over the years, often involving both parents and children. Over two billion people who now expect the real world to provide them with that same sense of active participation, immediate feedback and vivid presence they have experienced in sessions of Fortnite or Animal Crossing. While, on the other hand, the creators of games observe their creative behaviors. What can be learned from environments like SimCity or Minecraft about how to design the future of our cities? What is the value of a participatory logic in which decision makers establish a dialogue with the people who will have to live in these spaces?
It is thus no exaggeration to think of video games as a collective and connective force that is fundamental to rethink the 21st century. Creative and collaborative platforms in which to develop basic forms of expertise like lateral thinking, creativity, problem solving and resilience.
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