How gaming technologies are changing the world of business

When Notre Dame caught fire in 2019, many feared that all the details of the centuries-old cathedral would be lost to history and that any attempts to restore the building would fail to reflect the many unique features that amaze millions of visitors each year.

The story goes that an unexpected helping hand came to the rescue in the form of Ubisoft, a French company. video game the studio behind the success story of the Assassin’s Creed series. Each incarnation of the game is set in a different historical world, allowing players to explore everything from Ancient Egypt to Renaissance Italy. The anthology has won millions of fans around the world, thanks in no small part to its incredibly accurate and realistic replicas of real buildings, allowing players to climb the Pyramids of Giza, London’s Bank of England and Florence’s Uffizi. Gallery.

With Notre Dame captured in all its glory at the heart of 2014’s Revolutionary France, Ubisoft was quick to offer 3D models it captured as part of its efforts to restore the cathedral.

Whoever said, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story,” may have been right. It so happens that while 3D modeling played a crucial role in the reconstruction of Notre Dame, the real help came from the American software firm Autodesk, which developed a complete 3D model cathedral The company created the model by comparing laser scans of the structure taken before the fire with scans taken after the fire, and combined them to create a 3D BIM model of the 12th-century building.

However, the very fact that Ubisoft believed its technology had the answer is a telling reflection of how far the gaming industry has come in shaping the way we view and interact with the world around us.

Jonathan Barrett

Potential beyond gaming

Contributing over £10 billion to the UK economy and growing steadily at 15% per annum, games The sector is a fast-growing industry that is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible with its technology. From expansive open-world games to immersive platforms such as augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), gaming technologies are some of the most advanced available. Its potential outside of entertainment has long been underestimated, but we are now seeing a shift as organizations begin to use the technology to solve real-world problems.

In healthcare, we are starting to see the latest developments in VR technology is used to enable real-time operations and improve accuracy, and sophisticated databases developed for the Football Manager game are used by real coaching staff to understand player profiles.

Creative and inventive application of gaming technology in real-world settings can not only help solve productivity and efficiency problems, but also encourages us to look for solutions in unexpected places to secure the future of business.

These are just a few of the ways companies are adding gaming innovation to their strategy.

How Large-Scale Virtual Worlds Help Us Represent Complex Real Worlds

The largest open world game is No Man’s Sky, a game with 18 quintillion planets in size, totaling 31,7000,000,000,000,000,000,000 km². The scale of creating virtual worlds is literally galactic, and the technologies developed to create these worlds can also be used to create digital twins of existing environments, down to the micro-detail.

Digital twins have long been used in corporate environments to manage warehouses, factories and even entire cities, but the emergence of AI expands their capabilities. Using artificial intelligence, digital twins can predict events that will impact its physical counterpart, using real-time data to support decision making and prevent potential failures.

This is perhaps most critical in the world of supply chains, where disruptions cost the UK £12 billion a year in lost revenue. Really Amazon – one of the world’s most expensive and complex supply chains – has deployed artificial intelligence and simulation technologies to support the operation of its highly complex automated warehouses, delivering increased efficiency, lower costs and improved productivity.

Taking inspiration from large-scale virtual worlds for computer games, business leaders can use AI-powered simulation to expand their edge and anticipate how external factors such as extreme weather or political unrest might affect their operations. This foresight is critical in today’s fast-paced, interconnected world, where the ability to quickly anticipate disruptions and adjust strategy accordingly is essential to navigating the complexities of global business.

Using the concept of “multiple lives” in a business environment

In the gaming world, mistakes help players improve and think tactically to reach the next level. However, in the business world, companies do not have “multiple lives.”

When it comes to major projects that modernize a company’s systems or enter new markets, decision makers need to carefully weigh risks and make decisions with confidence, but this is difficult to do when consultants only paint half the picture.

Gartner estimates that between 55% and 75% of all ERP system projects are not achieving their goals and the main reason for this is that decisions are made in functional silos and no one has a detailed enough picture of the whole. For example, manufacturers of robotic systems will tell you performance the benefits of automating a specific aspect of a warehouse or a specific operational task, but they will struggle to prove the return on investment that an entire warehouse will provide, or how wider adoption across the supply chain will impact your business.

However, by using an AI-powered digital twin early in a transformation program, companies can apply the concept of “infinite lives” to the business environment and use real-time data to test and rehearse how different decisions impact their business in a secure environment. and controlled environment. Companies can stress test organizational systems and see what happens if they implement automation at different stages. With this foresight, business leaders can identify potential problems and plan to fix or avoid them accordingly, as well as gain a better understanding of ROI before making an investment.

Level up your team with new abilities.

It is also true that the more advanced you become at video games, the more your avatar needs the right experience, tools and abilities to overcome obstacles. It’s the same with business: teams need the right tools and training to overcome complex and ever-changing problems in order to take their company to the next level, as well as advance their careers.

In high-tech disciplines such as surgery or aviation, recent advances in augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) software play a critical role in training. These simulations allow professionals to practice complex operations or operate vehicles in a safe environment, helping them hone their skills and gain confidence before stepping into the operating room or cockpit.

In terms of transforming business operations, leveraging artificial intelligence and digital twins of business operations is akin to enhancing X-ray vision. A person gains the ability to look into the future and understand whether investments made now will live up to their promises in the future, and how best to move towards the best outcome available.

These technologies are designed to improve user experience and, when used in a business environment, can increase stakeholder engagement. cooperation and consistency in decision making by increasing transparency, as well as creating a safe space to improve skills and strategy.

Strengthen your business for the future

In today’s fast-paced, interconnected world, business faces increasing complexity and uncertainty. To remain competitive and address critical challenges—whether it’s increasing productivity or leading in artificial intelligence and automation—organizations must explore new technologies across multiple sectors. The gaming industry in particular provides clear examples of how advanced technology can increase confidence in strategic investment decisions, and game-inspired user experiences significantly improve stakeholder engagement and collaboration. As more industries adopt similar approaches, they can unlock new levels of efficiency, creativity and growth, taking their businesses to new heights.

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