Problem solving on the net - more than Factory Balls

Something big is happening on the internet that is demanding our understanding. I'm not talking about Twitter or any of the other forms of social networking that are fascinating in their own right. I'm talking about flash games.

You may have come across some of these games when whiling away a few minutes at work (which can easily extend to a few hours, hence their notoriety in some workplaces). But what is grabbing my attention, increasingly, is their levels of sophistication in problem solving. I have already enthused about them here but more are appearing all the time and they just get better and better.

I have learned quite a bit about them through my son Robert who has begun making them. He hosts his own games and those of others on his website, BadViking.com.

Last night I was playing this one called Electric Box. Yes it's a game but imagine this was your introduction to physics. I urge you try it. There's a small tutorial to start you off and then you're on your way. Each component and its function in the increasingly complex circuits outlined in the game is explained so that as you move from one level to the next you are building on accumulated knowledge.

Are these games being used in schools? Are they being used in recruitment? If not, they should be. Many of them are marvellous educational aids because they present learning as something that is fun and allow learners to move at their own pace.

Companies are paying consultants small fortunes for delivering so called "training solutions" that are far less sophisticated than this. You want your employees to understand logistics and production flows? Try them out on Factory Balls here. Most flash game developers are relatively young like Robert who is 21. But don't imagine they are not aware of the power of the material they are producing.

Rob has had some success already with his Panda games like this one. His first panda game, Panda Tactical Sniper, has notched up three million plays worldwide. At first sight it looks like a so-called "sniper game" beloved of young teenage boys. But if you try playing it you will find that it's all about problem solving.

He has deliberately avoided shoot 'em up games so that his site concentrates more on thinking or reaction games such as his latest one called Popopop. It seems easy at first. It is not. One thing I like about this game is a feature that allows players to create their own "levels."

I'd like to grab a few graduate recruiters and take them gently by the hand in to this flash games world. The advertising agencies have already discovered it in their search for creatives - but why should they get all the talent? The answer is that too many companies rely on their future talent to come knocking on their doors. But companies can't rely on Robert and his pals, beating a path to their door. They're having too much fun.