Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Gaming as a Business; factors that make it possible

Right now Philippine Tourism has a interesting problem, how to draw more revenue by getting more Tourists. One interesting thing about the Philippines compared to its neighbors is the legality of airsoft and milsim activities. there is very little ambiguity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_issues_in_airsoft

So the Philippines can have Adventure Tourism at the intensity of allowing Simulative equipment like Airsoft guns. Whats that got to do with GMing and RPGs?

Well, LARPs and RPGs all work on real principles of Player Management. A GM who takes his craft seriously enough knows the amount of diplomacy, social engineering, and story telling craft necessary for a successful game are really do exist. Creativity, Innovation and Application of personnel management are already a science, they being used in large corporations and marketing.

So Adventure Tourism is taking the Skills of a GM and transforming the experience, the same way Brand Managing uses Association Biases, and taking something familiar to a whole new level (ex. Coffee, from DD to Starbux; Luxury Products etc). The resources are spent by the GM/Entrepreneur are invested to create an entirely NEW experience. Elevated to a level where it is more sophisticated, and easier to appreciate universally.

There is a Business Plan and the Idea used for a country like the Philippines where Services are cheap because of labor and knowledge and expertise are all there, left only to the ingenuity of the person willing to learn.

Its not just about the Philippines but a plug for people who can see the core strengths that allow for GMing or RPGS (LARPS too) as a feasible business.

Affordable Services, the kind that allows people to focus on their fun, create an environment where in they stay in that experience. The tactile and kinesthetic involvement, is never to be underestimated (cerebral cortex, motor skills and kinesthetic intelligence is highest ratio in humans in brain comparison_idhmsources with me right now). Also the objective and critical GM skills that has an appreciation of Kaizen/Empirical methodology.

Milsim, Adventure Simulation, and its varying degrees of simulation, Cosplay and LARPs and their also broad variants, and Live action Adventure games like Races, Puzzles, Coops and Competitive play. Add some basic and very useful Game Theory skill in incentive, system analysis, and tools of theory one can design the game for optimum fun and sustainability.

Go on vacation, an adventure vacation with affordable rates or if not choose to be pampered, where skilled GM's and trained NPCs-players create a simulated and safe dynamic experience where core problem solving skills and the exhilaration of being able to apply them.

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