Soft power: military video games could morph into peace-building simulations.

• Author: Jean, Grace V.
• Position: Training & Simulation

At a July meeting at the White House, a group of information-technology gurus brought up the topic of video games--specifically, the untapped potential of gaming as an educational tool for non-military agencies involved in diplomacy and nation-building.

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The military has long been an avid user of video games to train troops for war, but civilian agencies have yet to take advantage of the increasingly sophisticated and low-cost technology available, said Beth Noveck, deputy chief technology officer for open government at the White House's office of science and technology policy.

The Obama administration is "looking very seriously at the role that games can play in achieving national priorities," Noveck told an overflowing audience attending a "simulations and serious games for peace-building" conference at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington.

"People who are playing massive multi-player games like World of Warcraft, who are engaged in these social and visual technologies learn the skills of coordination, learn the skills of working together, learn the skills of decision-making ... that are central to their being effective workers, but also effective citizens in democracy," she said.

Four of the priorities on the president's agenda include education, energy, economy and the environment. Games can teach citizens about energy consumption and how personal habits affect energy use and the environment. They can help students achieve higher literacy rates and improve math skills. They also can tell consumers how to manage their money better, she said.

The question before the administration is not about which games to use, Noveck said. Rather, it's about how to develop a strategy to foster partnerships with the private and public sectors to employ games in achieving national goals. There is also the challenge of encouraging federal agencies to consider simulation technologies as they craft their priorities for the 2011 budget cycle.

Some agencies already are branching out and embracing gaming opportunities. NASA has a presence in Second Life, an online virtual world where users can create an avatar, or computer-animated character, and explore islands and interact with others. The FBI has erected a billboard of its 10 most-wanted criminals on the site. The military services are building displays on "Coalition Island" to share with the public some of their ongoing research efforts, said Scott Sechser, government...