Push Play: Gaming For a Better World

by Songyee Yoon

Grab the controller! Save the World!
One of the gaming industry’s leading women describes how gaming can be a force for global good.

Play is in our DNA, but gaming has always had a bad rap. Since the first humans carved a game board into the dirt, we’ve been told that playing around isn’t a useful way to spend our time. But gaming is as natural as we are. We game to experiment with ideas and to learn. We play to create new worlds so we can change this one. Gaming pushes us to imagine what more we can become. In Push Gaming for a Better World, Dr. Songyee Yoon, Chief Strategy Officer at NCSOFT, lays out how gaming can help us craft a better world together.

While gaming has global implications, it has largely been created by, marketed to and associated with men. The gaming industry’s perception as a “boys club” has kept many talented women from pursuing their passions in STEM. As a leader and expert in the video game industry, Dr. Yoon shares her own experience in this male dominated field and her quest for a more diverse and equitable tech community. From encouraging more female lead characters in games to creating more supportive environments for working mothers, Dr. Yoon works to break down barriers for those who have been shut out of opportunities in STEM. After all, the game only gets better with more players.

Through stories from her career in the gaming industry and her deep passion for tech, she outlines how innovations in gaming push industries forward and create a more equitable world for everyone.

Learn how gaming inspires Artificial Intelligence to consider everyone’s perspective.Master tips and tricks from gaming that can be used to lead diverse and thriving business teams.Explore the digital worlds of Massively Multiplayer Online Games and understand why we need digital communities where all humans can participate.So, get those thumbs flexing with Push Play to unlock your power to play.

Genres: Games

129 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2024

Reviews

[Jaki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really sure who this book's intended audience is - it's kind of like a TED talk without a lot of actionable steps but a lot of inspirational ideas thrown around that if you're already well versed in the field are mostly old news. It jumps around a lot. Each chapter is organized around a theme, but the chapters are packed with small quick facts and information (some of it inaccurate - small potatoes, but Chase Center isn't in the Mission District of SF, it's in Mission Bay District, very different parts of the city despite the names and not even adjacent to each other). The most interesting parts to me at least were where the author brought in parts of her own story or parts of NCSoft's games' stories, as those were more original contributions, but I admit that I may have been more familiar with some of the rehashed information than most readers. Even though each chapter does hew to its theme, it's unclear to me how the book as a whole adds up to a conclusion beyond "games can be good for you (and even wider society), and we need a wide variety of people making games" which only confirms something the reader picking up this book likely would have expected going into it.

That said - I would 100% read a memoir from this author!! She's a big deal in the field, and the little pieces of her story sprinkled throughout this book definitely made me even more interested to learn about her path.

A detail that was interesting to me - the author does touch upon Chat GPT and other AI uses in game development towards the end, but didn't mention earlier how AI has displaced some of the previous societal benefits of games as a way to crowdsource solutions to tricky problems, specifically the example she gave of FoldIt. While at the time FoldIt was a brilliant way to crowdsource attempts at a problem that was prohibitively difficult to compute (folding complex proteins in 3D space using certain heuristics to decide which configurations were more physically plausible), years before the recent LLM innovations it was functionally rendered obsolete as a useful research tool by advancements in AI that could essentially play in the same problem space much better than humans (as is the case with many other games). I don't think that takes away from the overall message the author was trying to get across, but I do think that's just one aspect of many indicating how this book overall takes a very superficial approach to the topics.

[Almiria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you always thought of gaming and tech as men’s fields? Do you consider gaming to be a waste of time? All this is about to change with “Push Play” by Songyee Yoon. This book is a fascinating combination of personal experience and inter-industry review of the gaming and STEM worlds by Dr. Yoon, a leading figure in the traditionally male-dominated gaming industry. She argues for the good that playing games can bring, including computer games. From creativity to STEM research gains, playing games can have countless benefits. This is not to say that Yoon advocates letting your kids spend 24 hours in front of a screen. On the contrary, she acknowledges the importance of limiting screen time. Nevertheless, this interesting book brings a new perspective to our commonly held prejudices about the gaming industry.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an innovative exploration of gaming's potential to drive positive change globally. The author, an important figure in the gaming industry, challenges clichés and advocates for inclusivity, particularly for women in STEM fields. I enjoyed that through engaging stories and expert insights, she showcases how gaming fosters creativity, innovation, and diverse perspectives. Her vision extends beyond entertainment, highlighting gaming's role in shaping Artificial Intelligence, promoting effective leadership strategies, and fostering inclusive digital communities.
In my opinion, this is a fascinating call to action; it inspired me to harness the transformative power of gaming for a more equitable and interconnected world. It is a very recommended book for those who love the gaming industry.

[Agustina Sureda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be life-changing in the hands of a little girl pursuing her goals. Dr. Yoon, the author, shares her own experience in this male-dominated field that is gaming and her quest for a more diverse and equitable tech community. Nowadays, luckily for us girls, we have started to achieve new possibilities and that is precisely what Songyee proposes for digital communities that can be key to achieving a more balanced world.
I enjoyed reading this book; I believe Dr. Yoon's perspective is very idealistic. Even though I would love to see more women in this field, the reality is that for us to achieve an equitable world, everyone should have free internet access and we know for sure that it is not even near. Great reading, very insightful!

[Saya Jacaranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Playing is such a big part of life, but we as humans tend to underestimate the importance of it. We tend to see it as something useless or a waste of time. But this book really changed my mind on that. I loved the use of nature and its elements to explain why playing is so important. For instance, the part with the sea lions really captured my attention. It is so true that everywhere in nature there is play involved. So why do we see it as something bad? There is so much to learn from it. We need it in order to develop and come up with new ideas. This book explains in detail what the benefits of playing are. Although I have to say that I’m not sure that video games can be compared to other kinds of games in nature and in person with friends.

[Dani Savante · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Push Play, the author offers an eye-opening and transformative vision of the video game industry, challenging the common perception that play is a trivial activity. In this writing, she draws on her extensive experience to argue how video games can be powerful tools for social change and inclusion.
What I really enjoyed about the book is one of the central themes, the role of women in technology and gaming, an area traditionally dominated by men. 
Another thing that stands out about this read is that it explores how videogames are cutting into other fields, from artificial intelligence to business management, demonstrating their potential to develop critical skills and foster more inclusive online communities. It is really a very interesting read. 

[Rocio · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Push Play" offers an interesting look at how video games can make a positive impact on the world. The author challenges stereotypes and highlights how games can strengthen and unite communities and address global issues. It's a book that offers a fresh and motivating perspective on the transformative power of video games, inviting reflection on their role beyond entertainment. Through real-life examples and insightful analysis, Yoon shows how video games can be powerful tools for educating and promoting empathy. It's a read I recommend for anyone interested in the social impact of video games and their potential to contribute to a better world.

[Mia C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Yoon challenges the persistent stereotype that gaming is a frivolous or destructive activity and instead paints it as a vital, creative force capable of driving significant global change. Her emphasis on gaming's role in promoting diversity and inclusivity particularly struck a chord with me.
Moreover, her practical advice on using gaming strategies to enhance business leadership and team management was unexpectedly enlightening. It's not just about knowing your enemy in a game but understanding your team in the workplace, drawing parallels that I find both innovative and applicable. Recommended!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm used to reading books that portray gaming as a negative activity and all the terrible things that can happen for those who play too much. But it is refreshing to read about all the positives also, like seeing how gaming contributes to innovation and being creative or how it helps to develop faster thinking.
The author does a good job also making a statement on her advocacy for more diversity in STEM fields, predominantly led by men.
I have to mention I really like the cover, but to sum up I really enjoyed this book and I think it would be a great choice for parents to see how the gaming community supports each other worldwide.

[Santiago Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended

I liked it because the author possesses a unique vantage point. One of the most compelling aspects of "Push Play" is, in my opinión, the author's focus on the untapped potential within the gaming industry to foster a more inclusive and equitable society.
The discussion on how gaming inspires AI to consider diverse perspectives is particularly intriguing, as it suggests that the technology developed for gaming can lead to more sophisticated and inclusive AI platforms in other sectors.
For readers unfamiliar with the technical aspects of gaming or AI, more explanatory sections could help in fully understanding the concepts discussed.

[Chico's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

No more NPCs

It is an excellent book with lots of valuable insights about the potential of the gaming industry. The author encourages the readers to look into the industry as a new means of education, entertainment, and more. Online games and other platforms are now different places where people socialize; we even watch people play their games, gamble, or just regular RPG games. As technology evolves, so should we. Cooperative play is something that I have always enjoyed, and I have been doing it since the pandemic with my parents, sisters, and cousins. Since we are in all parts of the world, we use a gaming platform to connect and spend time with each other.

[Melissa Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Dr. Yoon reminds us that video games are here to stay and to stop using the typical stereotype of gamers - sweaty, lazy, etc. We can do so much more with video games, and Dr. Yoon provides examples on how it's done. We see folks rallying to conquer a bully online, stealth suits, etc. Luckily, my local news media has begun to talk about the positive effects - accessibility in video games! We should celebrate video games and use it to better the world.