Study shows that playing MMOs can have a positive influence on work behaviors

A recent study from the University of Crete suggests that playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games can have positive effects on real-world work behavior, reports the Huffington Post UK.

The research also found that players will often change their real-world behavior to match that of their online persona. The study suggests training methods utilizing a kind of "metaverse" structure to help employees with professional development.

Leadership skills and active learning carried out in virtual gaming spaces are typically attached to reward components, such as earning experience points or special items. Many in-game tasks requiring puzzle or creative problem-solving skills are also similar to tasks carried out in the work space.

"From collaboration to meeting targets, team work to resolve complex missions, strategic planning, allocating resources, to recruiting new players to form groups, there is a clear link between the skills needed to enjoy a good game performance, and the real corporate world," wrote Dr Savvas Papagiannidis in the Post.

"For this reason, the players who have had to manifest good leadership skills and gaming behaviours to succeed in MMORPGs, were more likely to see these characteristics spill over from games to their real work-life," he added.