I found two examples within the span of a week of games that are being used to aid in productivity. I have imagined sims as a learning curve interface system, perhaps for teaching a new entreprenuer to budget better for example, or a new employee how to operate within a new industry.
Ford's dashboard
In the first case, one game is embedded in Ford's new prototype dashboard for hybrids and helps a driver focus on driving in a fuel efficient manner. If you break and accelerate suddenly alot you burn more fuel so an indicator on the far right will display a withering vine to punish you for it. If you do a good job driving in a fuel efficient manner then you are rewarded with a thriving vine with increasing leaves.
Blog link
Kansas Transportation Tycoon
The other is a calculator created by the Kansas Department of Transportation called T-LINK. It is an online sim for budgeting and building and maintaining roads in Kansas but it goes further.
After completing their program, an option to “Submit your program” is available. KDOT will develop statewide and regional averages based on the submittals. These “average theoretical programs” will eventually be made available on the website and presented to the T-LINK Task force for consideration.
T-LINK
The T-LINK calculator (the game)
Serious Games
I think these are both what are referred to as serious games. I don't know of any other uses of serious games except the wargames of the military (both the computer and boot camp games), so this is interesting to me from games and informatics perspectives. I haven't realized until now how much.
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