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Sara de Freitas, Paul Maharg.

The wide uptake and pervasiveness of leisure games, which over the last ten or so years has permeated all areas of society, has resulted in the emergence of a new paradigm whereby gaming and gaming technologies are having greater possible applications in non-entertainment contexts of use. A general tendency of games being used in non-entertainment contexts harks back to its earliest uses as war simulations, where military groups used games to mock up real battles thereby allowing them to prepare and rehearse skills in advance of active combat. Games and simulations for training even in these earliest instances offered real potential for rehearsal of skills of individuals and broader practice for coordinated actions in groups which, in more recent times, has given rise to initiatives such as Montessori games that have been described by at least part of the educational community as a highly effective form of learning.