Chapter One

Sitting alone in a dark and dreary basement is a male creature bathed in a flickering bright light. Occasionally this strange beast emits a sound of defeat, screeching as if its life were ending. At other times, the creature lets out a cry of sheer joy, leaping up and down as if it had just conquered the world.

This is the somewhat skewed image most baby boomers (or boomers) have of someone who plays a lot of video games (Figure 1.1). It is the image of a lonely teenage boy sitting in his parents' basement hours on end and socializing with a game. He thrives on playing in an environment of extreme violence and debauchery. Parents, teachers, and other concerned citizens often mumble or even yell, "Video games rot brains! You'll never grow up to be any- thing if you play video games all day."

Nothing could be further from the truth. A growing body of research has begun to reveal that video and computer games have tremendous educational value. It turns out that many of the traits, habits, beliefs, and actions that teenagers and young adults pick up playing electronic games and working with handheld gadgets will help them as they enter the ever-changing global workforce.

In fact, these very traits will forever alter the makeup of businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies. Boomers will be forced to adjust to the characteristics of the gamers, and gamers will need to learn the rules of the boomers. As this generational transition occurs, it is fraught with the usual strife between the work ethic and beliefs of the incoming generation and the institutions and paramet