Gaming Slow

Even the high-octane world of gaming is warming to the joys of slowness. Say hello to Slow Games.

Can gaming spark a revolution in savings?

A few months, ago, I was invited to join a think called the Future Prosperity Panel. It was convened in London by Aviva, a global financial services company. There were nine members (they called us “thinkers”) on the panel, all from different backgrounds. The aim was to reach beyond the traditional confines of the City and Wall Street to find fresh ideas for reshaping financial services for the future.

Each thinker wrote an essay putting forward a single idea. Mine was that we might be able to inspire people to save more if we make saving more like a game. Since I submitted the piece, the media has been full of stories of how “gamification” is working wonders in many fields of human activity. So perhaps I was on to something.

You can read a very abridged version of my essay on Page 3 of today’s Financial Times. An interview with me will be broadcast on Radio 4’s Today Programme very soon (depending on how the News of the World story plays out).

And for the full version of the essay plus a video interview and more background on the think tank, click here.

Jump into the debate and let me know what you think….

Financial services

In 2012, Aviva put together a think tank to imagine ways to redefine prosperity and revolutionise financial services. It was called the Future Prosperity panel, and I was a member.

My idea was to use gaming to spur people to save more – you can find a clip (title: Gaming Finance (In A Good Way)) posted elsewhere on this site.

During our first meeting, though, the crew cornered each member of the panel for a quick take on the proceedings so far. It was like a hockey player being interviewed between the second and third periods. This is what I had to say in the heat of the moment.

Gaming finance (in a good way)

In 2012, Aviva put together a think tank to  imagine ways to redefine prosperity and revolutionise financial services. It was called the Future Prosperity panel, and I was a member.

My idea was to use gaming to spur people to save more. Here I am talking about it.