The December/January issue of Fast Company has a very intriguing piece entitled The Wisdom of Gamers by Lucas Conley. It’s intriguing because it touches on the new strategy that other industries are using to tap into the collective problem-solving skills in the gaming community. Here’s my favorite part:

Stanford’s Byron Reeves, using video clips of medical samples, had players of Star Wars Galaxies diagnose cancer to advance their standing as “doctors.” After 20 hours of training, players got it right 60% as often as a pathologist; 35 of the best players, on average, actually beat the pro.

Brilliant. Engaging a community on their own terms to help solve problems for the greater good. The lesson here is to not limit yourself with some sort of silo mentality when dealing with a specific community. Thinking laterally not only could have benefits outside of what that community is used to, but by engaging them on their level, it gives them a greater sense of being as well.

Can you say “win-win?”

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