I am an entrepreneur; I admire entrepreneurism and its spirit in others. I encourage forward-thinking and thought-through initiative. I enjoy creative energy and where it can take someone or some group. When these attributes are applied in the right balance to developing a business, great things can occur. And so, from that perspective, I understand the motivations of the LMS companies to begin eyeing serious game engine developers and serious game design companies as the next golden market opportunities.
That said, allow me to point out a few reasons that you are going after the serious game market far too soon.
1. This is a very immature market. Rapidly growing, yes. But still a toddler. We are still defining ourselves. We are not ready for you yet.2. LMS companies are in the learning business. Most serious game companies have come to this work because they were first entertainment game companies. Teaching and learning are well appreciated on a lay-person level, but there are very few learning professionals who understand game design, and so brilliant game designers are shouldering the learning design role at the same time. Assessment and measurement, their desirability, their suitability, are all relatively new concepts.
3. Learning management systems are built around recognized industry standards and highly structured content and learning formats. Serious games are, in part and by nature, loosely structured. We're still trying to determine in what ways entertainment game engines must be modified in order to become serious game engines. We don't yet understand the problem you are rushing to solve.
Moreover, I contend that LMS technology is not appropriate for serious games at all. What differentiates serious games from just about any other form of learning (I know there are those who will argue this) is that they emphasize "the group": group dynamics, team-building, group communications and interactions, community-building, cooperation. Sure, an individual player can do many things alone, but if the group weren't important, why is there a group? Why isn't it just solitaire?
How do you indicate group learning in an individually-oriented assessment? Sure, I can explicate every group learning goal into discrete individual behaviors - but why? That's not the point. The point is getting the whole group - as a group - where they need to be.
So, my LMS friends, we have a lot of shaking out to do in our industry before we can be solid business partners to you. Along the way, we must decide whether your technology is suitable for our (and our customers'!) purposes. Don't be surprised if we take a pass.
I'm serious,
Anne
