When virtual reality meets serious games

Virtual reality as a concept probably still lives in the realms of science fiction for a lot of people today. Vivid depictions across pop culture made it seem outlandish for so long, but early iterations of it, as is so often the case with newer technology, made it seem clunky, and the vision of what it could be so much further away.

However, largely through the gaming industry, virtual reality has come on leaps and bounds, and going forward, virtual reality technology will begin to have more and more of a role in the implementation of serious games.

Defining virtual reality and serious gaming

But what exactly do we mean when we refer to something as virtual reality? We all recognise it when we see it. Some kind of headset or a pair of special glasses, maybe some gloves, and a player walking around completely immersed in their game and oblivious to the real world. Technically, you could argue the point that the environment within a game constitutes a virtual reality of sorts, but that doesn’t quite qualify.

Virtual reality

Virtual reality can be defined as a simulated experience of a 3-dimensional environment that can be interacted with in a physical, or real-seeming way. This is either by a special headset with a screen, or a special pair of glasses, and possibly gloves fitted with special sensors.

The applications of virtual reality probably begin with entertainment, but they can offer exceptional utility when used for education and business purposes. The use of this incredibly powerful, highly visual technology offers new possibilities when it comes to practical elements of study, and the development of skills which are hard to effectively practise in reality.

Serious gaming

Serious gaming is the playing of games that are designed not primarily for entertainment, but rather games designed with a serious purpose in mind. Serious gaming is where users play games that have an aim to deliver a serious outcome. They could be for study, corporate training, skills practice, or as part of a communications campaign for organisations to raise awareness around specific causes.

The advantage of serious game playing over more traditional forms of training or education is that a serious game can be more interactive and engaging. Play is hardwired into humans, with many people playing video games, both as children and adults. Tapping into the motivations and psychological levers that make that form of entertainment so addictive is what makes serious games effective.

Embedding a particular learning outcome at the core of a game’s design means that the learning outcome benefits from the immersive experience of the game, and the game’s repeatability. Re-reading a book or rewatching a movie, while it does happen, isn’t as likely as someone replaying a game. The book or the movie is going to start the same and finish the same, with the only variable being the viewer or reader’s concentration. In a game, players can improve their skills, can use different strategies, and experiment in their approach.

The future of serious games

At present, serious games can easily be customised to create immersive simulations of engaging scenarios that can test applicants for jobs, allow students or trainees to experiment with learning concepts, and even foster population and audience engagement on important topics. By using carefully planned content, mixed with interactive elements, businesses can create highly effective learning and engagement tools. Serious game platforms, such as Drimify, mean serious game creation is easy and simple, with no coding knowledge required. The resulting games can be played on any modern device connected to the internet, making them incredibly versatile.

While adding virtual reality to such a versatile format won’t be something that can instantly be applied, virtual reality technology becoming more accessible will trickle down. Already, augmented reality, the addition of virtual objects overlaid against reality, is possible on some modern devices. Modern smartphones and tablets have the functionality to support augmented reality applications, and these have, and will continue to make their way into serious gaming, as they add an extra layer of immersiveness to participants.

Ultimately, technology will catch up to the point that virtual reality-enabled serious games will be easily available to businesses looking to innovate their approach to serious games.

Fully immersive training and learning experiences

But will it be worth it? Ultimately, in a lot of cases, yes. It probably will be. Serious games work because they allow game designers to create an immersive, engaging experience for players. Adding virtual reality is only going to give game designers, or businesses customising games, more game play through which to achieve the game’s serious purpose.

Adding virtual reality to a modern online serious game essentially closes the gap on distractions. While a loud, disruptive environment might take a player out of a game, and potentially lessen its effect, fully immersing them within a 3D world, which for all intents and purposes removes the real world from the player’s consciousness, and with it, any distractions, can only serve to make serious game play more effective.

It also allows a physical element to some training and educational serious games. Think about the skill component required of surgeons, or of the skills a soldier needs to develop in hostile territories. Virtual reality is an incredibly powerful technology being added to the serious game concept. When serious games were first used, they weren’t all in the format of online video games. That’s a development that made them far more accessible, versatile, and engaging. Virtual reality, by extension, is the next big step in the evolution of serious gaming.

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