By interacting with the video game, students can make decisions about real-life business situations, such as re-designing a call center process. They can see the results of their decisions right away, and if they make a mistake, it's much more private than "failing" in front of a classroom of their colleagues. Because a love of gaming is shared around the world, professors have told us the game can help to bridge cultural barriers.

The trend is spreading.

According to The Apply Group, a marketing consultant, at least 100 of the Global Fortune 500 will use gaming to educate their employees by 2012, with the United States, United Kingdom and Germany leading the way.

While it's too soon to measure the full implications, there's a new business environment emerging. If hundreds of thousands of players organize themselves to successfully complete specific endeavors during their "play" time, will they be content during work hours in organizational structures used since the Industrial Revolution, with central command and control? Chances are they're more likely to want to work on virtual teams distributed around the world, undertaking multiple endeavors, taking advantage of the thought processes that succeeded for them in online gaming.

As employers, we cannot ignore the changing group dynamics. In fact, we should tap into the most innovative ideas to redefine the fundamental nature of computing. Just as games present us with situations that invite players to make choices, consider the advantage of using graphics and decision-making steps of games in business. Supply chain software and customer relationship software could allow decision makers to immerse themselves in the real-world simulations, judging cause and effect before making decisions.

The possibilities are huge -- and not just for business.

The application of serious gaming techniques in science, medicine and other industries could help us solve some of the world's biggest challenges.

The term "serious gaming" no longer is an oxymoron. Not just competition for employees' attention, there's endless opportunity if we harness the power of games to get work done.

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