OPINION – What could be the similarity between a treasure airlifted from the bottom of the sea and the delivery of a project? You wouldn’t think it, but there are many connections between the way today’s video games are built and how they are made to work. LG has put together some of them, and the state of immersion in the game can be replicated at work with a few simple tricks.

Video gamers often report becoming completely absorbed in the game, with the outside world almost disappearing during the activity. They are so engrossed in the experience that time flies by. There is no doubt that many people get caught up in the ‘flow’ effect, as LG has shown in a recent representative study of the relationship between the epidemic and gaming in this country. Respondents who regularly played video games not only considered them a good pastime at home but also gave them a sense of purpose and achievement, with nearly one in two respondents saying they helped them escape from their everyday lives and transported them to another world.

Several disciplines address the effects of games programmes on users. Whether these effects are positive or negative, one thing is certainly true of today’s games: they are the most effective at capturing attention and keeping it for long periods of time. And to achieve this, creators are using tools that can be useful in keeping us focused on the work at hand.

Unnecessary information excluded

Anyone who has played with gaming software will have noticed how simple and clear the interface is. In the middle of the screen is the main thing, the character you are controlling or, in strategy games, the area you want to see. And at the edges of the screen, you can see the information graphics that are only necessary for the gameplay: the health, the number of bullets left in your gun magazine, the potions and weapons needed to repel a sudden enemy attack in adventure games. All the essentials are at hand, with no unnecessary distractions. All this is done precisely to make the gaming experience as uncluttered as possible so that the user’s attention is focused on the essentials.

Before we get down to work, we should also eliminate any distractions for the sake of efficiency. Therefore, we should remove all junk and objects that are unnecessary for the task at hand from our desks. Only take notifications and calls on our phones and computers that are essential. As attractive as multitasking is, it’s much faster and more efficient to focus on one task at a time.

Music or the cure for productivity

In most video games, music accompanies the gameplay, and it fits the dynamics of the stage. So while in an adventure game, for example, you might hear slow, friendly tunes as you explore your surroundings, the creators have designed a moody soundtrack for the dangerous parts, and usually some majestic orchestral march for when you go to battle against the main villain at the end of the game. Some games, such as one-shot shooters, do not include background music because it is important to hear your opponents’ footsteps. However, regular gamers often turn on some dynamic music, typically because it improves their performance in the game.

Likewise, the right choice of music can also help you work. If the task at hand requires a high concentration level, it is a good idea to have a slow and less musically complex tune playing in the background. And if you’re working on a creative project, you can even use orchestral pieces composed for the endgames of the most exciting video games to help you focus.

Timing – the basis for accurate task completion

There are computer games where completing tasks is subject to a time limit. And often, these tasks are designed to get you out of a burning house before it collapses or to retrieve treasure from the bottom of the sea without running out of air.

Being time-bound can help us allocate our resources properly and keep up with the pace of the tasks. But it also has another positive effect: it motivates you to complete the task and helps you avoid procrastinating and leaving it to the last minute.

One of the most important features of games is that they reward successful completion of tasks by keeping the user glued to the screen. In the same way, we can reward ourselves for our successes at work.

-theGeek-

Source: LG