Serious Games

This special issue highlights some of the best of emerging research in using video games for serious purposes. Although “serious games” is a new term, such games have been around for many years in the form of training simulators for vehicle control, such as flight simulators, and other types of simulation technologies. Through game constructs, we can simulate realistic situations to provide valuable experience that can support discovery and exploration while saving money and lives. Advances in video game technologies have enabled and enriched serious games research, from interaction with and modification of data-driven, complex 3D models, performed in real time on graphics processing units, to robust artificial intelligence and simulation components. Conversely, through creatively leveraging commodity video game technologies in new ways, serious games R&D has helped the video game. Serious games applications expand the horizons of games to include scientific simulation and visualization, industrial and military training, medical and health training and education, and geographic information systems, as well as public awareness and policy change. This special issue showcases developments that can have an impact on future research, development, and application of computer graphics and related techniques. Our selections reflect the exciting diversity of the submitted papers, and we hope that researchers will continue to submit related papers to IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications for future issues.