Jane McGonigal is one of the major forces in the world who takes games seriously. She will be speaking at TED this week on how online massive multi-player games can be harnessed – have been harnessed – to change the world for the better.

Essentially, Jane’s thesis is that while playing games, people are more highly motivated to overcome obstacles and solve problems for longer periods of time without giving up. The massive nature of online games provide a platform for tackling critical world issues.

An interview.

(source)