In 2010, researchers sought to examine whether video game skills correlated with surgical ability. One study found that among its 20 participants, five exhibited exceptional skill in video gaming on the Nintendo Wii – and this prodigious skill did indeed coincide with relatively greater effectiveness at laparoscopic surgical techniques.

In that same year, a literature review was compiled of video gaming ability's effect on surgical ability, as the Wii study had been the 13th study done in the medical field so far. The review concluded a connection between video game skills in general and a propensity for laparoscopic surgery success.

Augmented reality is certainly not surgery, but these and other studies show that people who are familiar with video-gaming techniques are well suited to become the primary users of things like robotic management and virtual reality, especially in a workplace setting.

This article explores the secrets to success the video-gaming industry has seen in recent years and how developers of augmented reality for businesses can incorporate those industry successes into their ever-evolving software.

This article posits three important aspects of video-gaming culture that companies should consider embedding into the augmented reality experiences of their employees:

• Usability
• Connection with other users
• Rewards

Let's discuss each of these at length below.

The importance of usability

In 2016, Pokémon GO took the UK by storm. Britons found themselves roaming the streets looking for digital monsters on their phones through an app that tracked their locations and told them if there were "Pocket Monsters" that might appear.

The trend caught on like wildfire. The number of downloads of the app in 2016 was reported to reach around 230 million. 

Why was this game so popular?

Pokémon GO is a good demonstration of the three tenets that augmented reality companies should learn from video gaming. (And it should be noted that although Pokémon GO is also an example of an augmented reality platform, other successful video games that do not incorporate augmented reality also exemplify the three tenets.)

We'll start with its extraordinary usability.

Pokémon GO basically asks its users to do two things. First, the user has to interact with something that is already embedded into their phone's software and is already used by most smart-device owners frequently – GPS. The app tracks and locates the user's position to tell them whether any Pokémon are close by.

What's the second task asked of Pokémon GO players? Once a Pokémon is discovered, the user has to swipe their phone to try to capture the creature.

Aside from a slight initial adjustment to learn how to swipe at a proper angle, these tasks take almost no training for most people. The controls of this game can be learned quickly and easily, and are accessible to people of all ages.

This is the first thing all augmented reality developers should replicate. Whatever software you're making for your augmented reality equipment, whether it's smart glasses or a smartphone, it should have easy-to-use controls.

This idea is plain to most people, but its effects are sometimes taken for granted. Research has shown that the better usability of a game, the more a user reports feeling a phenomenon known as "flow". When users enter a flow state, it means they feel an intense connection with the game.

We'd recommend using iterative design and beta-tester feedback to make software that causes users to report "flow" when using your augmented reality equipment. And in the initial design process, don't be afraid to pare ideas down to their simplest forms to ensure everyone using your product can have an easy and enjoyable experience.

Strangers, colleagues, and friends

Now, had Pokémon GO been merely easy to use, it would not have exploded in popularity as it did. What made the game different was its challenge to players to get outside and find creatures. And these creatures weren't just Pokémon, they were also other people.

Pokémon GO's unique algorithm created hubs of Pokémon at popular sites. In your backyard, you could find some small Pokémon to get you started (and addicted). But if you went to your local city hall or a famous monument? You'd find large and rare Pokémon that were difficult to spot and catch.

This created bands of experienced players who would eventually find one another. And realising that everyone was gawking outside a town landmark all doing the same thing, they'd talk and even aid one another in their quests.

Pokémon GO turned strangers into allies. And it was not the first video game to do this. Video game companies have been setting up hubs like this for decades.

If you know what a LAN party is, then not only are you a bit of a nerd but you also were lucky enough to witness the beginning of the explosion of video game popularity. (And let's not forget arcades. Millions of people would visit these dark, crowded spaces to play games and part with their change.)

The mistake is to see video gamers as sweaty dudes in their parents' spare bedrooms eating Wotsits and schooling 12-year-olds. In actuality, video games have rich, lively communities.

Parents during the pandemic thanked their lucky stars that this was the case because, for almost a year, those communities – active these days on online lobbies across the internet landscape – offered the safest way for kids to hang out with friends during lockdown.

Developers of augmented reality apps must tap into this nearly infinite potential for connection. How can companies and businesses do this for their employees using augmented reality on-site? Let's list some ideas:

• 
  The ability to know the locations of coworkers you need to talk to.
• 
  Making it possible to leave notes on equipment. (Say the photocopier is broken and someone tried to fix it a while ago. They can virtually leave a note. Or let's say a pressure valve has been testy at a power plant – someone can leave a note that it should be bypassed or inspected.)
• 
  Allowing workers to leave virtual "easter eggs" around the office for others to find.
• 
  Making detailed ID tags at large companies where you can get to know someone's background in an instant, in case you're meeting someone you've never worked with before.

And of course, there are many more possibilities.

Some tend to think technology isolates us. And while it certainly has the potential to do just that, it has an arguably greater capacity to connect people more than at any point in human history. Augmented reality in the workplace can be one of these driving forces – if organisations keep an open mind.

Rewards-based programs

Have you ever walked by a crane machine? One of those big red monstrosities where the soft toys are packed in tight?

It's the same old story every time. There's no way you'll actually be able to get the Buzz Lightyear pillow that you've got your eye on. And yet, we play them anyway, because there's always that small chance that we'll win something fun for what ultimately is a very small but focused effort.

Let's bring that kind of energy and enthusiasm to the workplace!

We've written articles before about the use of augmented reality to spot-check work instantly for quality assurance purposes. But imagine if you could reward an employee instantaneously for outstanding performance.

A welder could be rated and get experience points ("XP", for you non-gamers out there) for a perfect weld. An HR manager can opt in, say once a week, for a timed competition for data input. Microsoft Excel competitions are an actual thing.

These are the things that make video games addictive. Random intermittent rewards. These types of programs can not only increase productivity but can increase worker satisfaction as well.

We should also mention that bright colours and fun images are also well received by all video gamers, from veterans of the Zelda series to folks at the new video slots in casinos.

Conclusion

Not everyone loves video games. But the people who do can sometimes love them so much, they form an entire identity around them. And there are certainly people who form their identity around being good at their chosen profession.

These forces can come together through the magic of augmented reality. Via careful planning and empirically-based practices, companies can be revolutionised.

Are you ready to press start? Explore extended reality products from manufacturers like Microsoft, Magic Leap and Vuzix – or try before you buy with a free XR tech demo.