This is something I've wanted for such a long time now. I actually first thought of it when I was deployed on the USS Enterprise, during those long nights spent browsing the net, trying not to break the firewall rules. (Which I wound up doing, in a very blatant way...)
The game would take place in a spreadsheet or other work-like interface. Maybe you could customize it to look like the programs you use at work (via many screenshots, and button-mapping.) Basically, you'd be doing the same boring things you'd do at work, but you'd get points, based on, like, how many words you typed, or how many reports you filled out and printed. It would keep random little stats, like words typed per day. Or hours spent outside the game during "working hours".
Obviously you wouldn't want to come home to play this game after a long day at the office. You run it on the work computers, and then you can have fun at work, and it looks like you're actually getting something done. You might actually BE getting something done if you load in your own work programs.
At the end of each day, it adds up your points and if you have enough you can spend them on skills and upgrades at a "store" in the game. You might be able to buy point mulitpliers, or new system interfaces. Or buttons that automate some of your repetitive tasks (the "fill in the name" button, or "insert to e-mail, send to mailing list, and print" button.)-- Iidhaegn, Apr 09 2008 Stealth Switch II http://www.thinkgee...g/usb-gadgets/c8a8/USB footpedal that can switch your screen from your game/browser/chat session to another application. Useful for cubicle drones. [Cedar Park, Jul 07 2010] I hated this idea until you started babbling about upgrades. Now the feeling is just so-so.-- daseva, Apr 09 2008 let he who is without sim cast the first bone...-- jaksplat, Apr 09 2008 [+] This has been baked before, but still worth a bun for another remake. I have also seen screen savers that would bring up a work-like spreadsheet to cover your real desktop, but that’s not the same thing as you’re describing.
At my university (circa 1979) we had a banned mainframe game who’s input was only mathematical formulas that when executed were in reality vectors to guide or otherwise manipulate your space ship in 3-D space. It was a MULTICS (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service) system running on 8 linked Sperry UNIVACs and each terminal login was one ship. The input was so obscure to the casual observer that I was unaware that an illegal midnight game was in play while I waited for one of the 15 occupied terminals. I couldn’t understand why all the terminals were taken at midnight. I wasn’t suspicious of foul play because there were a number of computer administrators working in the room that night and I figured they were installing a patch or something.
I still didn’t discover the widespread ruse until the original designer (and grand master) logged in remotely through a ‘back door’ (i.e. unannounced to gamers), and killed off half the room in seconds. After a number of startled people yelped phrases like, “Who did that?” and expletives, then a subsequent sudden pause simultaneously at all the keyboards, then furious typing at furious speeds by the survivors; did I recognized collusion was under way. In two minutes the designer had killed all the players in the room. Penalty of death in the game was being forcibly logged off. Once they and the game were discovered, I was then one of the invited few. It was one of the first real-time multiplayer games out there, and great fun, partly because it was banned.-- CwP, Apr 10 2008 It's no substitute for full employment.-- LoriZ, Jul 07 2010 random, halfbakery