The generation born after 1975 should be known as the “game generation,” the authors say, because it is their broad experience with video game technologies that sets these young people apart from the rest of us. And, they argue, the prevalence of video gaming is the biggest factor shaping the future of business.

Video games are a technology universally adopted by a large, young cohort but ignored by its elders. So the authors undertook a broad survey, which they conclude shows a direct, statistically verifiable link between digital games and professional behavior in the workplace.

According the Beck and Wade, “gamers deliver a ‘reality’ where the rules are different from the rest of the world and players are steeped in lessons like:

• You, the player, are the star, the boss, the expert;
• There’s always an answer and trial-and-error is generally the best way to find it;
• It’s all about competition.