Visionary game designer Jane McGonigal reveals how we can harness the
power of games to solve real-world problems and boost global happiness.

More than 174 million Americans are gamers, and the average young
person in the United States will spend ten thousand hours gaming by
the age of twenty-one. According to world-renowned game designer Jane
McGonigal, the reason for this mass exodus to virtual worlds is that
videogames are increasingly fulfilling genuine human needs. In this
groundbreaking exploration of the power and future of gaming, McGonigal
reveals how we can use the lessons of game design to fix what is wrong
with the real world.

Drawing on positive psychology, cognitive science, and sociology,
Reality Is Broken uncovers how game designers have hit on core truths
about what makes us happy and utilized these discoveriesto astonishing
effect in virtual environments. Videogames consistently provide the
exhilarating rewards, stimulating challenges, and epic victories that
are so often lacking in the real world. But why, McGonigal asks, should
we use the power of games for escapist entertainment alone? Her research
suggests that gamers are expert problem solvers and collaborators
because they regularly cooperate with other players to overcome daunting
virtual challenges, and she helped pioneer a fast-growing genre of games
that aims to turn gameplay to socially positive ends.

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