WHAT CAN BUSINESS LEARN FROM MINECRAFT?
I’m not a great fan of computer games, but with more than 91 million monthly active users of Minecraft and 250 million downloads, others apparently are. Microsoft paid $2.5 billion for the wildly popular game but it could have profound implications for the business world if Microsoft can join up the dots. For example, the technology is now being used to help employees get acquainted with a refresh of Microsoft’s sprawling campus in Redmond, Washington and the “Sahara Project” is a highly impressive initiative to re-create the Amazon store in Minecraft.
So, what can the business world, especially financial applications learn from Minecraft and how can we leverage the Minecraft experience to make business software more compelling?
The partial answer is (i) Collaboration (ii) Rapid process redesign and (iii) creative business modelling.
Collaboration:
I was amazed to watch my 5 to 7 year old grandchildren playing Minecraft on their iPads this week. They came home from school and invited their friends into their imaginary world and built a fantasy world together.
Substitute “imaginary world” for a business process and substitute the building blocks (stones, trees, houses and other objects) for invoices, orders, customers etc and you have a collaborative environment in which all personnel can work together and build an enterprise-wide process in an immersive collaborative environment.
Rapid process redesign
A simple process automation tool (high level language) enables Minecraft players to programme the ‘characters’ (substitute staff) to walk through a process, changing/adapting process steps as they go. A toggle bar allows the process owner to see the actual JavaScript behind the high-level commands and edit it for fine tuning. Imagine building a control environment or workflow this way!
Creative business modelling.
The “Sahara Project” is a highly impressive initiative to re-create the Amazon store in Minecraft. https://youtu.be/HP-2PHmdSj0 So if you can build something as complex as that in Minecraft, imagine what could be done to conceptualise and support new and disruptive business models.
Finally, ask yourself whether today’s 5-year-old will want to use today’s obsolete business software when they are 20?
The business world has a lot to learn from the gaming industry. So, can Microsoft set the business world alight, or will Minecraft simply remain a fantasy? What do you think?
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