Games and... Business?

For one of our recent reading quizzes, we needed to relate games to a discipline that hadn’t been discussed in class. At first, I thought this would be a tall task because of the many, many fields of study we’ve discussed throughout the year. However, I went on Google Scholar and realized that none of our guest speakers had ever related games to the business field.

Recently, game designers have produced several business games including specialized ones such as “Finanism” for the finance subset of business, “Joblot” for production, and “Marketing in Action” for marketing₁. The most important aspect in these games and simulations are to make them as real as possible to actual real-world business problems. This is difficult because there are so many variables in a business that needs to be accounted for which could make the game extremely complex to play. Of course, an entirely realistic game isn’t possible, but business games still hold tremendous value.

Games are extremely applicable to the classroom environment for business classes because financial theory can only take a student so far. He has to experience the complexities and irregularities of running a business that a mere lecture or discussion can’t possibly portray to the full extend. However, the combination of theory with application (via game simulations like “Finanism”) can give the student a much broader and more complete business education.

Furthermore, business game simulations are used by real-world businesses. Some businesses have developed specific programs where they can plug in certain variables to optimize their business strategy. Others have implemented certain simulations to train their employees and teach them certain skills in management or finance.

In either case, business games and simulations are an extremely valuable tool for both students and companies. They can be used for students to use the theory they’ve learned in the classroom to apply in a realistic setting without nearly as much risk in comparison to real-world companies. Additionally, businesses can implement certain simulations and plug in certain variables to find the optimal strategy for success.

Source 1: http://sbaweb.wayne.edu/~absel/bkl/vol03/03av.pdf

Were the Cowboys and Redskins Cheating?

A few weeks ago, the NFL handed out punishments to the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. The Cowboys will be docked $10 million in cap space and the Redskins by $36 million. In 2010, Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, announced that the year would have an uncapped salary space. However, he warned teams that they shouldn’t sign long-term contracts with the majority of the money being paid in 2010 so as to avoid spending cap space for future years. However, the Cowboys and Redskins did just that.

            The Cowboys and Redskins don’t think it’s fair that they are being punished. Although the NFL warned teams not to dump salaries into the uncapped year, it was not an actual rule. However, 29 of the other NFL teams voted in favor of the punishment. The Cowboys and Redskins have filed an appeal against the NFL’s ruling, and they will go into arbitration.

            Personally, I don’t think the Cowboys or Redskins should be punished. They didn’t technically cheat, but rather they strategically played the ‘game’. Even though the NFL warned teams beforehand, there wasn’t even a rule in place. The two teams are getting punished when they didn’t commit an actual violation. The NFL should have made an actual rule to prevent spending instead of arbitrarily deciding what to do after-the-fact. The teams are being punished for playing within the rules of the game and trying to gain a competitive advantage. I just don’t buy the argument that the two clubs shouldn’t have tried their salary dump strategy simply because the NFL warned them not to when it wasn’t a violation of any rule. Even in UC 256, we’ve talked in class about how strategizing to gain a competitive advantage, as long as it’s within the rules of the game itself, is a proper approach.

            Now you know where I stand on this issue, but what are your views? Do you agree with the penalties dished out to the Cowboys and Redskins? Or do you think they were playing fairly and shouldn’t be punished?

Collaboration & Efficiency in Filmmaking

I’ve recently been preparing a talk to deliver at the upcoming TEDx U of M conference here on campus. “Inform: Transform” is the theme of the conference, and I will be standing alongside my team of fellow students informing 1500 people about our perspective on the rapidly transforming function of independent cinema and media production in newly arising applications. Supporting these themes is our value of structured collaboration in a creative team setting.

In recent months we’ve been writing & producing a narrative short film. We’ve gone from developing a script out of nothing to currently being full swing in production. I’ve observed, though, that the collaborative nature which sets our team apart from the rest has, at times, hindered productivity and performance.

We have 7 individuals from various disciplines at the core of our team, and we are all involved in one way or another in the decision making along the process of making a film. The writer isn’t the sole person writing the script; the editor isn’t the only one working to assemble the film. Instead, we run most ideas through a system in which everyone can voice their ideas about what works, what doesn’t work, what they absolutely hate, what they love. What this builds is a strong dedication from each individual in the team, as well as a feeling of personal investment since everyone is able to contribute to shaping these ideas which eventually become realities.

This has recently presented us with troubles, though, when a finite timeframe is set in which a project must be completed – in this case over the course of a semester. We have spent time in pre-production nit-picking over very minor issues in our script shortly before shooting, which should just be deferred to the director. While we want everyone’s voice to be heard, we must simultaneously trust that the people next to us (the department heads) are doing what is best for the entire team.

While structured collaboration has its benefits, can you think of an instance in which  too many conflicting opinions made a process you were involved with less efficient?

**Shameless plug for the film below

My Trip to the Law School

Courtesy of Inside The Games

A little while ago, I went to the Law School to check out the Olympic Law Symposium that we had talked about in class.  I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw and heard while I was there.  There were about 10 different speakers that I heard from before I had to leave because I only could go to the morning session, but I came away from the experience having learned a lot.  I didn't just learn things about the Olympics or athletes, I learned about marketing strategies, copyrights, substance abuse scandals, as well as many others interesting things.  I'm not even going to put the Olympic Rings in this post because of what I heard at this event.  That being said, it was probably one of the best events I have been to on campus thus far.

There were several different guest speakers that took time to discuss different ways that they were affected and worked with the Olympics and also what that had to do with laws and the legal issues of our current time period.  Some were people that worked directly for the United States Olympic Committee, while others worked as an outside consultant, and some even worked for the sponsors of the event, like Visa and Coca Cola.

During the lunch break right before I left, they even had one current Olympian speak about her time competing, how she handles the pressure, and what the whole experience was like.  She even brought her silver medal to show to everyone.  She is actually from around where I grew up in Michigan and it was very fun and interesting to hear about her experiences leading up to and during the Olympics.  She spoke about all the practices that she had done and how it felt different to be performing at the Olympics as opposed to any other event she had competed at.  She also talked about how being there once had given her the drive and desire to be there again and go for the gold medal.

I'm not as familiar with the Olympics as I am with other sporting events, but a lot of that is because there are so many different sports that are included in the Olympics and not all of them are commonly played, or seen, in the US.  However, I think that the Olympics can be a great way to see how games and sports impact other cultures and can be a useful learning tool for not only the athletes that compete in the games, but also for the fans who watch the games as well.

Courtesy of Sports Biz Asia

Serious Video Games

Recently, guest speaker Sheila Murphy talked to our class about video games. As Sheila mentioned, video games are both a media format and a part of our culture. They provide entertainment value, and we have recently seen media convergence between games and other media. The growing importance of video games in our society got me thinking about “serious games”, which are created to teach a skill and aren’t necessarily designed for any entertainment value other than to hold a player’s attention. I wanted to explore serious games in depth so I did a little research on the practical applications of video games to the real world. Interestingly, I found that video games are often used in job training and in the military.

Video games have shown great promise when used in job training. In a recent study at the University of Colorado, individuals trained with video games had a much higher job performance in comparison to employees trained in the conventional manner. In a study with over 6,000 trainees, people that were trained using video games also had a significant “11% increase in factual knowledge, a 14% higher skill-based knowledge level, and a 9% higher retention rate than trainees in comparison groups.” One particular example of video games being used for job training occurred at Cold Stone Creamery. The company discovered that employees were scooping too much ice cream per serving which led to losses in profit. In response, Cold Stone developed a video game to show exactly how much ice cream should go in each scoop. My theory is that video games are successful in job training because they can hold a player’s attention far better than conventional training methods, leading to more interaction and response by the employee. Video game training methods are far more engaging, and they allow trainees unlimited amounts of practice₁.

Video games are also used in the military. They teach recruits how to use certain weapons and how to respond to certain combat situations. Additionally, they even help soldiers cope with the mental and emotional strain that serving in the military takes. This type of training is called “stress-resilience or emotional coping” and it takes players step-by-step through what they should expect to see in combat and how to deal with the situation (in a virtual manner) before experiencing the real thing. The military has also used video games to recruit urban youth through war-themed games and helicopter simulations. This military recruitment of young gamers through video games reminded me of Sheila’s thoughts about the convergence of video games and other media, except taken to a whole new level. In recent years, video games have converged with the military’s training and recruitment systems₂.

 

Video games have become ingrained in our culture as a media format, but they are also used for extremely important applications to the real world, including employee training and the military. In both cases, video games have proven to be very successful when implemented correctly as they thoroughly engage the player’s attention and allow an individual to practice in a virtual world before attempting the real thing.

Source 1:

http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/newsroom/newsreleases/Pages/Videogamesmakebetteremployees.aspx

Source 2:

http://www.livescience.com/10022-military-video-games.html

In athletic games, there is ultimately a goal of scoring. Our culture has turned the goal of the game from scoring to injuring. As we did the readings for March 12th, we saw where a line might be drawn between varying athletic games. While hockey may use fighting in order to save the players from more serious injury, football players have added a twist to the game. The Saints' defensive coordinator has orchestrated a program in which many of the players earned bonuses for inflicting excessive pain on the crucial players for their opponents. 

This is certainly against moral ethics. Sports were created to promote fun and an organized way of competition. Many have put morals to shame by behaving the way they have in organized pro sports. Prosecution may be the way to teach a valuable lesson and bring players back to reality and the original objective of the sport in which they play. 

Source: NY Times Article

The Tuskegee Airmen and Social Identity

“Find a case where some kind of ‘Outsider’ has emerged… that has challenged or changed ideas about social identities or that social practice”

In our class discussion, there were plenty of great ideas about individuals or groups that fit the prompt, from Barack Obama to Jeremy Lin, but one stood out to me in particular – the Tuskegee Airmen. Nicknamed the “Red Tailed Angels”, they were the first African-American military pilots.

Before the Second World War, many individuals believed that African-Americans were incapable of becoming military pilots, and that they wouldn’t fare well in combat. In fact, a study performed by the Army War College that concluded African-Americans were physically and mentally unsuitable for combat, which only compounded the stereotypes and added to their inaccurate social identity₁. At the time, many people believed black fighter pilots lacked the courage and intelligence to serve in the military. However, government leaders felt increasing political pressure from civil rights organizations to allow black men to serve, and soon after, a flight school was founded at Tuskegee University. 

Imagine the pressure felt by the Tuskegee Airmen. Not only were they risking their own lives to help the war effort, but also the fates of future African American military pilots were in their hands. If the “Red Tailed Angels” failed to perform, their ill-fitting and unfair identity of military ineptness would have further increased. At a time when the military was segregated, the discrimination would have grown even more₁. In addition, many people actually expected them to fail and even hoped that they would. Despite all of this, the Tuskegee Airmen distinguished themselves as some of the most successful military pilots in U.S. history.

These aviators set record after record and won award after award for their outstanding military performance. The 332^nd fighter group of the Tuskegee Airmen proved vital in the war effort by flying 179 bomber escort missions₂. Despite being greatly outnumbered in many of the group’s missions, they were extremely successful. By the end of the war, they shot down 112 enemy aircrafts and destroyed 150 on the ground, while losing far less of their own₂.

The Tuskegee Airmen are a prime example of a group that changed ideas about social identities. Nearly everyone expected them to fail, and despite astounding amounts of pressure on their shoulders, they exceeded everyone’s expectations and made a great impact for future African Americans to come by changing their social identity. At the time, people thought African Americans weren’t fit to serve in the military, but the Tuskegee Airmen changed this mindset. Indeed, they helped integrate the military from its segregated roots₁. In a way, their achievements even helped pave the way for future African American men, including Martin Luther King Jr., to continue changing their social identity for the better. The Tuskegee Airmen certainly proved that African Americans were capable of serving in the military and possessed the courage and intelligence to achieve success.

Earlier this year, "Red Tails", a movie about the Tuskegee Airmen directed by George Lucas was released. Check it out to learn more!

Source 1: http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent1/?file=BH_Tuskegee

Source 2: http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=15471

Capoeira: A Game of Ambiguity

When the slave trade began in the 16th century, Africans were displaced throughout the world, entering foreign lands and cultures in captivity. Throughout these areas, native and African cultures morphed and reemerged in what is referred to as transculturation.

You've heard of Kwanzaa, the holiday based in African American culture, but similar traditions have appeared in nearly every slave territory. Perhaps you know the Rumba, which is an Afro-Cuban form of dance and associated music (learn more at Wikipedia). Another example of this transculturation, which I would like to focus on, is Capoeira.

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian form of art, dance, music, and game that came about during Colonial Brazil, before slavery ended in the late 1800s. Capoeira encompassed martial arts disguised as dance with distinct instruments and sounds, creating a game that slaves played in their living quarters or on the quilombos (runaway slave communities).

Beneath the surface, what seemed like a game was actually a form of resistance. By learning the ways of Capoeira, slaves learned fighting techniques and frequently mocked their owners. Blinded by the circle of fun and energetic participants playing the musical instruments and singing, owners seldom noticed the deep-rooted aggression that the game expressed. Capoeira was and still remains a sign of the rise against oppression. As a common theme in the class, games are not always for the sole purpose of fun and enjoyment, and often have a more powerful, although less apparent, meaning.

Here is a video of Capoeira today:

(You'll notice in the first seconds of the video a blast from the video games past: a shout out to the best Tekken character, Eddy. He's actually of Afro-Brazilian decent and uses a Capoeira form of fighting…who knew?)

March Madness: The Playoff to End All Playoffs

Are you ready for some March Madness? We're finally into the month of March and with Selection Sunday only a few short weeks away, the tension is mounting.  Brackets are going to be filled out everyone and their mother and more money will be bet on schools you've never heard of and probably never will again than all the commercials cost for the Super Bowl.  But in all seriousness, March Madness is a great time to be a college basketball fan.  With Michigan as a sure lock to be in the tournament this year and a good chance to be somewhere between a 3 and 5 seed, I can confidently say that I actually care a lot more about this year's than most other years.  Especially with the constant looming of the flawed BCS college football system, there has been relatively no change in the NCAA bracket in many years.

Many college football fans are upset with the current state of affairs when it comes to how teams are picked for bowl games, and especially the National Championship game.  Many want a +1 format (4 team playoff, 3 games) so that more teams have a real chance of proving they're the best team in the country.  The problem with this is that football games are so much different than basketball games.  I've played in AAU tournaments where we played 3 or 4 games a day for a whole weekend.  You would be lucky to find a football player that wants to play 2 or 3 games in a week.  The amount of wear and tear on your body from a football game compared to a basketball game is comparing an apple to a watermelon.  Yes they're both fruit, but I don't know of anybody who is going to eat a few watermelons a day.

That being said, basketball is one of the few sports I know of that you can schedule them very closely and still be able to play and compete at a high level.  Will the run to the championship game be tough on the players? Of course. But that's the point.  Its not supposed to be easy.  If it was, you'd have the finals full every year with Kentucky's, UNC's, Duke's, and Syracuse's with no mid majors or Cinderella stories(Butler).  The sheer unpredictability of the tournament is why people watch it.  There are very few times in which the final four are just the top seeded teams and only once where they are all the #1 seeds(I'm looking at you 2008).  It's also one of the few things in sports (and Vegas) where there are no surefire bets.  Teams have to win six games to become National Champs(sorry 16/17 seeds, but the past speaks for itself).  If you've got a horse in the race, they most likely have a shot at making a run, except for the 16 seeds I just mentioned.  That's never happened and probably never will.  Unless this happens...

Note: This is the Onion. If you take this seriously, people will laugh at you.

Anyways, March Madness is one of the best times of the year to watch college basketball, or any sport for that matter.  When you can turn on the TV or go online and watch dozens of games and be excited by most of them, what's not to love?  I'll be pulling for another National Championship from the Maize and Blue but I'll still be watching the other games as well because, who knows, there could be another Virginia Commonwealth or Butler again this year.  One thing I know I'll be cheering for before Selection Sunday, for the first and hopefully last time, is an Ohio State win in basketball this weekend.  If Michigan beats Penn State and Ohio beats MSU, three way tie B1G champs.  Anyways,  I'll leave you with this video as you're waiting for Madness to begin. Go Blue!

Courtesy of Ricochet Videos and CBS Sports