When we think about Millennials, or people born in the 1980’s and 1990’s, it is important to remember that we are talking about a generation that grew up at the dawn of the Information Age. Just think about it; within that 20 year span, children went from playing Pong to having a home-based gaming console that was almost 1,000 times more powerful- the PlayStation 2 or the Xbox. Millennials grew up during a truly great revolutionary period that is still unfolding to this day.
In fact, this generation saw exciting new advancements being developed almost every year of their life, which is why they are so quick to embrace new technology within all aspects of their lives. Millennial Learners seem to thrive with serious games and 3D simulations as well, but they are also a much more demanding audience. Here are three reasons why-
Blame it on Public Education
While the earliest versions of serious games can be traced back to the 1970’s, titles like Number Munchers started popping up in Elementary Schools across the country in the early 1980’s as learning tools. As the school systems steadily advanced from their IBM PC 133’s to more powerful computers, new and exciting “demo versions” were being shipped off to schools in droves.
So when we say that Millennials literally spent their entire lives playing serious games, it is not an exaggeration. From handheld toys like Speak and Say as a toddler to PC and console games, this generation is very well adapted to learning in this manner.
Exciting New Opportunities
Besides, the technology surrounding the lives of Millennials did more than just educate them; it became a serious motivation as well. The Computer Age created a whole new land of opportunity for professionals on every continent on the planet, and it gave birth to a global economy like the world has never seen before. Here in the United States, the American Dream was literally reborn in garages and basements long before anyone had heard the phrase “Silicon Valley.”
Now, that’s not to say that most Millennials became computer programmers or network techs, but almost everyone saw the fresh possibilities of what technology could bring. Entire industries were born around the advancement of the early computer chip, with things like handheld games, pagers and personal computers flooding the market. Over 19 million new jobs were created as the market shifted towards technology and Millennials eagerly welcomed the dawn of this new era.
An Eagerness to Succeed
Another trait that Millennials have in common is an “out of the box” way of thinking that was never before present in society. Instead of going with the flow and pursuing the traditional business path of college and then a career, this generation aggressively used technology to create startups, new innovations and marketing insights that literally reinvented how today’s brand of entrepreneur conducts business.
Additionally, the creation of the Internet meant that practical knowledge on almost anything could be accessed with the click of a few keystrokes. This generation was quick to self-educate themselves on business, politics and almost every other imaginable topic, simply because it was readily available.
So why do Millennials seem to thrive with serious games and 3D simulations? In a nutshell, it is because they grew up surrounded by this technology and embraced it throughout their lives. Some would even say that it is a part of them, just like Baby Boomers feel about the industrial revolution or the New Worlders (1880’s) think of patriotism.
At Designing Digitally, we are proud to be a part of the millennial generation and that’s why we take so much pride in designing fantastic serious games. For more information on solutions for your business, please contact us at your earliest convenience to request a free quote.
