Video Games at Work?

Admit it. You've played Solitaire, Minesweeper or another game on your computer at work before. And you probably felt a little guilty about it. But imagine a workplace where this kind of behavior isn't frowned upon, but is actually encouraged. Following the red-hot gaming trend--the U.S. video game industry reached $12.5 billion in 2006--companies across the country are designating office areas for the sole purpose of gaming. They're finding that not only do their game rooms help boost employee morale and solidarity, but they're also helping attract a younger workforce and increase productivity.

In fact, according to a recent survey by WorldWinner, a subsidiary of FUN Technologies Inc., more than 80 percent of online gamers who play on and off throughout the workday said they are able to better focus on work after playing. A reported 72 percent actually rely on game breaks to help them deal with job-related stress.

But not all companies with game rooms deal specifically with gaming in their everyday work. Take Edmunds.com, an automotive information website, as an example. According to COO Avi Steinlauf, the purpose of their gaming room is to make employees feel more at home. "We want our employees to enjoy being here. The game room is very much a part of who we are and what we're all about," says Steinlauf. If employees want to take a break, they're encouraged to visit the room, which includes Pop-a-Shot basketball, arcade-style video games and an industry-appropriate, dual-person car racing game. If crowds become too large, employees can expand the room by raising the garage door that makes up one of the room's walls.

Surprisingly, neither Steinlauf nor any of the other companies interviewed say they've had to implement any rules or regulations regarding their game rooms. According to Vechey, the only employees who might have trouble in this type of environment are the ones that can't regulate themselves. But, overall, the companies agree the positives outweigh any negatives by boosting office morale, creating a positive work culture and, as a result, increasing employee productivity.

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