[Report on Preparations for the Establishment of the Faculty of Human Information Science 02] Playfulness Solves Problems - Learning from the Cutting Edge of Gamification at Sega XD

The Faculty of Human Information Science (*), which will be newly established in the 2027 academic year, will introduce an "Innovation Mentor" system. This system will provide mentors—experts such as engineers and creators who are active on the front lines of various fields—to support the growth of students through interaction.

One of the pioneering initiatives was conducted in the "Digital Society and Technology" course (taught Professor Koji Hata). In this course, students learn how rapidly advancing digitalization is changing society and our lives, and cultivate a perspective on creating new value by utilizing technology. This time, with the cooperation of Sega XD Co., Ltd., which is working to solve corporate and social issues through the power of entertainment, we invited Mr. Kazuhiro Kishida, a Lecturer in the Experience Design Department of Sega XD, to give a special lecture on the theme of "gamification."

Gamification is a method of applying the "power to engage people" that games possess to fields other than games. In the lecture, concrete examples were given, such as English learning materials that allow people to learn while playing, disaster prevention training events that young people "want to participate in", in-house training board games that deepen understanding of people with disabilities while having fun, and membership sites that people want to access repeatedly, demonstrating how the mechanisms of games are being used to solve a wide range of social issues such as education, disaster prevention, and healthcare.

Furthermore, the company's unique framework for designing experiences by focusing on people's psychological needs such as "the need for competence," "the need for belonging," and "the need for autonomy" was explained, and the participants realized that "mechanisms that people can't help but become engrossed in" are created through the accumulation of meticulous design.

The participants in this session were Business Administration students. They will now use the perspective of "experience design that moves people," learned in the lecture, as a starting point to develop new business concepts that solve corporate and societal challenges through entertainment-based approaches. Combining Business Administration knowledge with a technological perspective to create services and experiences that customers continue to choose will undoubtedly be an invaluable experience for these students who will be the leaders of future businesses.

The Innovation Mentor Program in the Faculty of Human Information aims to broaden students' perspectives and inspire them to take on challenges through experiences collaborating with a variety of companies and experts, including SEGA XD Corporation, who kindly cooperated with us on this project.

(Source: Faculty of Human Information Sciences Establishment Preparation Office)

[Faculty of Human Information Science (Scheduled to open in April 2027. Application for establishment approval is pending) *]
The Faculty of Human Information Science Otemae University transcends the traditional boundaries of information science, aiming to design a people-friendly future by integrating "information technology" with "sensibility" and "digital expression."
*The Faculty of Human Information Science (tentative name) is currently undergoing application for establishment approval. Content may be subject to change.