| This question as to the value of online skill games is | | | | be encouraged if the alternative involves executives |
| one you might not want to put to your immediate boss. | | | | assembling their own actual arsenal at home - as per |
| He or she may come down heavily on the | | | | classic 'loner' profile. ('He was very quiet, kept himself |
| 'time-wasting' option. Then again, they might not be all | | | | to himself before he shot all those people. Bit of a |
| that keen on your taking a whole hour for lunch or | | | | loner really. Grew tomatoes'). I was attacked by a |
| having Christmas Day off. | | | | bunch of loners once. |
| A recent survey has proved that stress relief is the | | | | But possibly I digress. Is the playing of online games a |
| single biggest reason as to why adults indulge in online | | | | sharpener of minds? Again, the experts (where would |
| games. The same survey has also concluded that | | | | we be without them?) suggest that indeed they are. |
| bosses who are vehemently 'anti' online skill games are | | | | Some have called for an enlightened office culture |
| a principal cause of the stress in the first place. | | | | where online skill games are actively encouraged - |
| The rise in the popularity of online games of skill is | | | | though not for 70% of the working day, as espoused |
| nothing short of a modern day phenomenon. Trend | | | | by some extremists. There is every indication that a |
| watchers suggest that its growth is four times the | | | | spot of online recreation of the clean and ethical |
| speed of growth in internet use itself. If this trend | | | | variety is a good pressure release and general |
| continues unabated they'll be more people playing | | | | 'refresher', like the one on your tool bar. |
| online skill games than having internet access. I can | | | | But what about competition? Well, competing against |
| foresee droves of frustrated gamers wandering the | | | | oneself is fine as far as it goes. I used to play |
| streets, knocking on doors to find a kindly person who'll | | | | 'Subbuteo' against myself - which is possibly too much |
| give them ten minutes of free broadband access to | | | | information. A remarkable games portal has emerged |
| play online Sudoku. Hey - who said anything about | | | | where you can challenge not only Colin from Bought |
| 'free'? Charge them £10 a minute. It'll be the | | | | Ledger in the next office but anyone in the world |
| going rate by then. (Some UK airports have their eyes | | | | who's also online. You can challenge friends, colleagues |
| on that tariff already). | | | | abroad, ex-colleagues, family members and indeed |
| So what is the attraction of playing a skill game online | | | | total strangers from all over the world. As someone |
| when you really should be getting on with your work? | | | | whose nearest experience to skill games online was |
| Well, the answer's in the question. It's about 'not getting | | | | trying to buy rail tickets, I am amazed at how much fun |
| on with your work.' From our school days we | | | | I now have with it. |
| remember that 'not getting on with your work' was | | | | UVME is a games site attracting a lot of attention, |
| usually more fun than 'getting on with your work'. | | | | mainly because of the huge earning potential it offers. |
| Whoever heard of a teacher shouting 'START | | | | But if you just want to play online skill games against |
| messing around and STOP getting on with your | | | | friends, for free or for small amounts of cash ($3 |
| work'!? | | | | max), then it does 'exactly what it says on the tin'. |
| An online skill game can be over in a minute or two, | | | | Turning it into an income stream is simply an option for |
| and it represents a departure from the predictability of | | | | the more entrepreneurial games player. |
| one's work pattern. For some office-based workers - | | | | But, hold on - aren't we all time wasting? Maybe not. 8 |
| particularly in the Financial sector - watching figures | | | | out of 10 bosses (who expressed a preference) |
| jump around on a screen and reacting with a frenzied | | | | would want you to execute your work duties rather |
| phonecall to a 'stressy' client is tantamount to a skill | | | | than playing 'Fruit Frenzy' on UVME. But isn't your boss |
| game anyway. Shame you can't 'zap' the figures - or | | | | missing the point? How many of us, on our deathbeds, |
| indeed the client. | | | | are going to say (or whisper) 'I wish I'd spent more |
| Some deskbound workers download a set of 'cyber | | | | time in the office.'? Exactly! What we're far more likely |
| weaponry', and attack their desktop icons with | | | | to say is 'I wish I'd given more time to the people I |
| machine guns, chain saws, hand grenades and (in the | | | | cared about...................and that I'd beaten my hi-score on |
| advanced version) staplers. This virtual violence is to | | | | 'Arcade Ducks. |