 Video games are gradually becoming simulations of reality with fast feedback loops. We have combat and flight simulators being used to train the folks in the army, we have games like Factorio that can teach you more about how the economy works, production flow and capitalism as a whole, compared to what they teach you in school, and hell we even have simulators that can transform you into the new Neil Armstrong and give you a step-by-step guide on how to land on the moon, also putting you on a path to becoming a specialist in orbital mechanics. As technology is evolving with more realistic game mechanics and possibilities, improved graphics and storylines, we might get to a point where we would be able to simulate more and more aspects of daily life within a game. You have sim simulators, truck simulators, farming simulators, architectural simulators, sports simulators, hospital management simulators, cooking simulators, roller coaster simulators and again even space program simulators as well. But one of the most important concepts we need to focus on is learning. Learning performs best when we interact and engage with an external thing, an external piece of information or process, and we actively apply critical thinking to build solid feedback loops, make mistakes, fail and try again. This is how we construct our knowledge skeleton, and this already started in the world of science to provide additional learning support. In education progression is not instantaneous, you have to grind for a few hours every single day sitting in a classroom, and at the end of the day most students agree that classes they are following are either boring or they are not learning anything new. And although learning in a class filled with students and having that peer-to-peer interaction can be a good thing, we are gradually finding more efficient ways to study, learn and execute. If we go back decades ago, flight pilots had no way to simulate the sky environment or battle without being in an actual plane with someone else. But nowadays one can simply jump in a flight simulator so that he can get slowly accustomed to the environment. And again, this is not 100% the same. You will surely gain more time and advantages you are able to absorb small bits and pieces of reality without being in danger, like the UI, the buttons, the view, the speed, and then when you go back into the real world, you already have explored more and more accurate experiences so that when you are going up in the sky, the information burst won't be that overwhelming. And I'm not saying that all the games of the future should still be the same, meaning that not all the games should train you in some particular skill. Although there is quite some research out there that computer gamers tend to have higher IQs than non-gamers, especially those who play MMORPGs, and their skills are mostly focused on logical, mathematical, and spatial reasoning improved reflexes and inclination towards finding shortcuts and efficient ways to do things, and also improved overall cognition. And games can teach you a lot more than just the technical aspects of real life. Video games can teach you moral principles, heroism, decision making, leadership, and ownership as well. If you want a quick comparison, you can think about reading a technical book and a fantasy book. One can read crime and punishment or something like war and peace, and through the use of good literature can explore the true feeling of hopelessness and despair after committing a crime, and nowadays we have new ways of exploring additional feelings through video games. I remember playing fable back when I was a youngster, and this is a game composed of various autonomous city-states with vast areas of countryside and wilderness in between, and the setting originally resembles medieval Europe, and in the first fable, players assume the role of an orphan boy who is forced into a life of heroism when bandits attack his village. They kill his parents and also kidnap his sister. The choices players make in the game affect the perception and reaction to their hero. The hero's appearance will then mirror what good or evil deeds he has performed, and he can engage in optional quests and pursuits such as trading, romance, married life, pub, gaming, boxing, exploring, and theft. And one thing we also need to keep in mind is that progression, in any form, is actually addictive. That's why games like World of Warcraft are addictive as well. When you do level up, you get a new sword, a new shield, a new staff, a new piece of gear in general, you get that feeling of accomplishment, and the reward function is also in place. Sure, you're grinding for days in a game as well, but the progression is on you. You get to choose the way you play the game, the way you interact with people, the way you manifest yourself into that virtual world, and if you feel the need for that virtual teacher, you can simply pick up one of the top players and follow their lead. And at the end of the day, it's also on you. So I'm thinking that progression in education can sort of be converted into an addictive state, and maybe we can transform the education process we have in schools into something more relatable, more entertaining, and also more up-to-date. But let's face it, we are still facing some obstacles along the way. Video games are not easy to create, especially mass-market video games with complex networks, storylines, and possibilities. It's not like you can pop up your laptop, start coding, and in a few weeks have a cool video game that other people can learn a lot from. Creating a huge video game is not an individual pursuit yet. Although the internet has set a lot of creators free in that matter, there are quite a lot of things you can do online on your own. You have YouTube for video creation, Twitch for streaming, podcast environments for long form conversations, and all sorts of logging platforms that make it easy for you to simply jump in and start writing. But video games are not there yet. And I believe that one should not focus the energy of building educational video games only. One should prioritize making the game good first. This is why it's called a video game. The focus on reality should not be maximized. But trying to bring in different combinations of elements that are both entertaining, challenging, and educational seemed like a better thing to do. Video games are also more versatile, dynamic, mind-to-mind interaction friendly, and oftentimes more balanced than real life. And I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but you all know that the things we learn and explore by ourselves often end up sticking in our brains for much longer. A video game gives you full control over the things you want to do. You can choose whatever tactic you want to use to progress, if you want to take things slow or if you want to challenge yourself and increase the pace. And I've been part of some video game communities where the guild leaders are strategically planning how to complete a specific in-game achievement in record time, with hours and hours of meetings on Discord, spreadsheets filled with important data, ownership, and teamplay. Game resembles being a team manager in charge of a project. And this is also about the physicality of learning, even though most of the time you are sitting in a chair immersed in your storyline that you often forget about time and space. And we started getting these concepts out of a game and placing them in a real-life true gamification. And gamification is a concept where game design elements are being used in non-game environments. You can take a dull task and use gamification so that you can make it less boring. The non-game environments can be all sorts of marketplaces such as self-improvement, productivity apps, fitness apps, educational courses, and much more. So you are using aspects of a game experience to solve real-world problems, such as making you more eager to finish up that course, or developing habits by tracking progress in a gamified way, and maybe at some point the future social credits course system that will push us more into the realm of black mirror. But why is gamification broadly used? The whole process starts when you have a problem. And then you ask yourself, how can I get from point A to point B without friction, having enjoyment along the way, not getting bored, and still learning or creating something useful out of that process? And there are some predictions on the evolution of gamification as well, such as game mechanics that are productive and effective will be copied and replicated by big tech giants inside their organization. But letting that aside, I think that gamification is simply a small part of the equation. Again, creating games that are focused on being educational should not be the goal. The goal should be creating games that are good for their own sake, while subtly adding combinations of educational elements along the way. So even though shooting a bow and arrow in a huge battlefield filled with all sorts of creatures and obstacles might not seem realistic, the fact that you need to think about a strategy to engage and plan your moves and resources so you won't die is indeed an educational endeavor that can be transferred to real life.