Prevalent criticism of online gamers seems, to most commonsensical views, to be well justified. The popular conception of online gamers shacked up in their parents basements spending full-time-job hours as internet dragon slayers is, lets admit, a sad prospect and true to our dismay. Don't be completely discouraged though, a recent study shed a new positive perspective on the beloved online gaming obsession, especially playing MMO games.

IBM studies in collaboration with MIT and Stanford, suggests that multiplayer online games such as World of Warcraft and EverQuest can help the next generation of workers to become corporate leaders as the work itself becomes more virtual in nature. Eric Lesser, member of the IBM think-tank Institude of Buisness Value, argues that "there are lessons that gamers learn within virtual environments that are relevant to what people are now starting to see in corporations."

"For example, the ability to bring together distributed groups of individuals - often who are on a volunteer or semi-volunteer basis - to be able to make more rapid decisions under conditions of uncertainty. To incorporate and use different sources of data to make decisions rapidly. To recognize people for their contributions. To be able to motivate."

Mr. Lesser believes that games can be powerful training tools for future leaders who will be required to communicate "across a virtual environment." Yet, even he admits that putting an MMO on your resume will probably not be so appealing just yet. Weird, that worked for me.

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