Microsoft: Educational Games Are A Loss Of Money

Microsoft: Educational Games Are A Loss Of Money Microsoft: Educational Games Are A Loss Of Money

Microsoft UK's Senior Regional Director, Neil Thompson, warned publishers and developers that trying to create educational games will only result in their companies losing money.

"We're in the business of producing fun, not education," Thompson explained. "It so happens that certain products we produce have educational value. We're in the business of creating fun entertainment and the moment we try to pretend we're in the business of education we've crossed the line and it's dangerous for us as a company and as an industry."

"We've got to concentrate on producing great quality commercial products that will sell, because it costs too much money to get that wrong," he added.

Thompson then said the he acknowledges that games can be educational, but he believes that it's not the job of professional game makers to push that agenda; instead, they should let the government and educational system figure that out on their own.

"Educators and government should understand what great education is in order to look at the products we produce and ask can they be used in different scenarios that can benefit children in their educational process?"