Game is the human beings’ future

In about twenty years, the majority of the population will make living by playing the video games just like the characters of Ready Player One novel written by the American writer, Ernest Cline (and soon adapted to the cinema by Steven Spielberg). In this narrative of anticipation, the author describes a Humanity living in a reality virtual world (réalité virtuelle) (VR) close to MMORPG (for "massively multiplayer online role-playing games") which actually become their refuge while the planet was ravaged by the consequences of the global warming. 

Yet, this apocalypto-playful future is approaching fast. The confession comes from the leader who has tried the headphones of VR Oculus Rift, has declared to the magazine Forbes*:

"I realized that all that I had written in Player One was going to arrive faster than planned".

Better, what the literature anticipated a few years ago is actually confirmed by the social sciences.

Gamification of the job

It is the theory defended by Edward Castronova in an entitled article "Players For Hire: Games and the Future of Low-Skill Work"**. According to this Professor associated with the game design of Indiana University, the current technological, economic and social evolutions in the developed countries make us think that the video game will be a major source of jobs.

The automation of the tasks inferred by the technological "progress" (in particular, that of the artificial intelligence) will make the company more and more unequal, on the one hand, those who will lose their jobs, replaced by machines, and on the other hand, those who will take care of their design, construction and management. The first ones cannot derive profit from their competence in the real world any more (just like the drivers replaced by autonomous cars). They will then have no another choice of becoming gamers.

A system gaining "winner"

This evolution is more likely as the model of the free-to-play (F2P) risks to stand out. Having been fashionable for several years with the success of League of Legends, Hearthstone and other Clash of Clans, it indicates these video games of which the access is free. The paying contents are available for those who would like to make progress faster and stand out on the others. Being perfect to validate a two-tier game, reflection of the company:

•          on the one hand, will allow the poor unemployed people to reach the game without anything to pay;
•          on the other hand, the rich can assert (derive profit from) their economic capital by buying some paying contents. In addition to strengthening their self-respect, the activity will get them a social life which becomes impossible in that every day.

This system would be economically viable thanks to the purchases of the most well-to-do, called "whales" in reference to this players' minority which assures the main part of the casinos’ financing. In fact, it is necessary to know that now more than half of free-to-play incomes of 0,19 % of gamers ***. Such a model would be sufficient to retain and maintain the great majority of the poor players who just can afford to meet their needs.

Article written by Thierry Randretsa

* Paul TASSI, “'Ready Player One' Author Ernest Cline Believes In Facebook's Oculus”, Forbes, 28/03/2014.

** Edward CASTRONOVA, “ Players For Hire: Games and the Future of Low-Skill Work “, Gamasutra, 12/10/2016.

 *** Erwan CARIO, " why is free-to-play free? ", a little of silence.