In 1990, Microsoft released the Windows 3.0 operating system
Windows 3 ushered in the era of personal computing with
its user friendly interface of menus and icons,
and with a game called Solitaire.
Microsoft had added the game as a way to acclimate new users to their operating system.
It was a hit with everyone from grandkids to grandmas.
But Solitaire especially took off in the workplace.
Procrastinators rejoiced and bosses fumed.
At least, that's how the game was portrayed throughout its lifespan.
This is how Solitaire and computer gaming came to
be the scapegoat of the turn of the century office,
and how it sparked an unjustified war over productivity.
Microsoft included Solitaire on Windows 3 because it
offered a unique way to learn how to use the new computer mouse.
Picking up and placing cards aligned well with the drag and drop,
pointing click nature of the mouse,
Microsoft used the same tactic in 1992 by releasing the game Minesweeper,
teaching users how to right click by marking potential mines in the game.
Over the next decade,
windows became the most popular operating system.
Millions of PCs were shipped to offices with Solitaire and Minesweeper pre-installed,
and they became the most used programs on Windows machines.
The games were a hit because of their simplicity.
Topping personal best became an obsession and people
quickly realized how addictive these games could be.
A Harvard psychologist opened
a computer addiction clinic as the result of her own Solitaire playing habits.
Bill Gates was sneaking into his co-workers office to play Minesweeper,
after uninstalling it from his own computer to try to cut down on his playing time.
By the mid 1990s,
it was being reported that employees were spending
five hours a week playing computer games like Solitaire,
costing companies an estimated 10 billion dollars in lost revenue.
The witch hunt was on.
A US senator introduced a budget amendment in
1997 seeking to ban the game from all federal government computers.
It is absolutely ludicrous that taxpayers all pay people to play computer games.
New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg fired a city staffer on
the spot after he saw a game of Solitaire open on his desktop.
The message was clear.
Computers were for work, not for play,
and if employees were going to game,
they would have to do it incognito,
and their weapon of choice was the boss key.
Boss keys were keyboard shortcuts created in the
1980s by IT workers to quickly hide their office gaming.
Pressing the Alt and F4 keys in
Windows 3 immediately close any open program on your desktop.
But as other games began to infiltrate the office,
were created boss keys were deployed that hit the game
behind what appeared to be office work or e-mail.
Boss keys hacks were shared in online gaming forums in the '90s.
As a counter-punch, IT departments were instructed to uninstall computer games outright.
But by the early 2000s,
the Internet offered countless Web based games.
Companies came back with web blockers and computer monitoring software,
but employees dodged with smartphones and social media.
But what upper management didn't understand at the time,
was that games like Solitaire had the potential to
actually help productivity in the digital age.
The computer had become the ball and chain of the modern office,
keeping office workers tethered to their desks.
Workers were working through lunch more and more and taking vacations less and less.
Researchers in 2003 found that when employees were
allowed to play Solitaire or minesweeper for an hour a day,
they felt better about their jobs,
leading to reduced absenteeism and better task completion.
Research also touts the benefits of micro breaks,
little bits of time office workers can carve out to recharge.
Computer games are perfectly suited for these breaks.
In fact, they enhance them.
A quick break with the simple problem solving game can help reset
the brain and motivate employees to
attack real world problems they're having trouble with.
Think Solitaire, but also more modern games like Angry Birds and Candy Crush.
Employees really don't game that much at the office anyways.
According to research, an employee will spend more time taking
bathroom breaks during the day than will playing computer games.
Meaning the distraction that a game can bring isn't just necessary,
but it can be beneficial too. So relax boss.
Solitaire wasn't included in the release of the windows 10 operating system.
But its legacy as a time waster remains intact.
But the reputation doesn't seem well deserved in hindsight because
time playing computer games could actually be time well spent.
Do you think playing video games in the office can help or hurt productivity?
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