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Chapter 31
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-0149-9.ch031
INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, serious games (SG) transformed
into increasingly popular complex technological
applications with high potential use in educa-
tion and business (Antonova&Martinov, 2010).
Serious games offer many benefits for learning,
enriching real-world experiences. Serious games
learning is based on the learning cycle of Kolb
and enables users to develop complex compe-
tences which lead to high-order thinking models
(Antonova&Todorova, 2010). Thus, the main ad-
vantage of SG is put on the trial-and-error method
and first-hand experiences. However, there is still
no clear understanding of the differences between
developing serious and entertainment games. In
order to build successful serious games, people
need to consider them as complex platforms for
service creation. In the scope of service science
and service-dominant logic, value in services is
co-created with end-users (Vargo&Lush, 2004).
By combining both fields – serious games and
service science, we aim to propose a model that
Albena Antonova
Soia University, Bulgaria
Exploring Serious Games from
Service Science Perspective
ABSTRACT
Nowadays, serious games increasingly attract public interest, and many applications of serious games
in education, business, politics, healthcare, and social issues are reported. Serious games offer unlimited
number of opportunities for experiments and training, where different experiences become possible,
without cost, time, or physical limitations. Serious games offer various services to their end-users, com-
bining entertainment with additional serious elements. The present chapter aims to discuss serious games
from the service science perspective. Service science explores the model of value-creation in complex
and technology-enabled services. Therefore on one side, serious games are discussed from three service
science perspectives, highlighting the end-user involvement in the process of value co-creation. On the
other side, different application domains of serious games are reviewed in the context of services they
provide to users and stakeholders. The last section discusses the beneits of service science approach,
developing a new set of considerations for improving SG value for customers.