Over the last several years, projects related
to serious games have begun to emerge as an
important outgrowth of the gaming industry
[2]. The number of non-entertaining games
under development is rapidly increasing.
The appreciation for the ideas, skills,
technologies and techniques used in
commercial entertainment games is at an all
time high. Many commercial games are
already in use for purposes other than entertainment. Some of the titles such as
SimCity, Civilization, Hidden Agenda and
others have been used as learning tools in
schools and universities across the globe.
As a result, a new field of computer and
video games, applied to non-entertainment
purposes, has the capability to become a
new hotbed of activity. This field is growing
steadily, and represents a significant new
opportunity for game developers, as well as
interactive development tool and technology
providers. As the entertainment market
matures, these new fields offer further
economic opportunities for an industry that
employs tens of thousands of high-tech
workers in the U.S. and worldwide.