BS

Serious Games have a mission entirely apart from entertainment. The motivating factor can be to learn something, to analyze and explore an idea, to improve a skill, or to get healthier. This can involve entertainment as well but that's not the mission. I was once asked, why I was working on a game about university management? I said that if more people played Virtual U they might become better more enlightened managers. If in some way this meant that their institutions ran just that tiny bit better, a child would get a better education, be it one that was cheaper, or better run, or more enjoyable. The game was a means to a more purposeful end.

Serious game titles have needs for different distribution schemes, different business models, and different features. Sometimes the market also requires lower-specs because many potential users aren't running around with Alienware desktops. So there are unique needs and challenges, which is fun for developers who want a change of pace. We'll be covering all of this at the summit. Developers will get a crash course in a new business - the serious games business.