Stephen Colbert attempts to understand gamification

The Colbert Report has has its share of notable video game guests and commentary, but it was a (pleasant) surprise to see that he invited author and game creator Jane McGonigal on his show the other night to talk about -- you guessed it -- gamification.

Colbert cracks jokes about McGonigal's propositions ("So when I'm not gaming, I'm timid. After I game and I see a pretty girl, I can pretend like I have a thunder cannon.") and, at times, seems a little dubious. And even though I am intrigued by McGonigal's ideas, which all sound fine in an academic context, I can't help but wonder about the practicality of real-world application.

I've heard first-hand stories about how games can help people with autism and serious illnesses, and I know games can help people learn how to make friends and communicate, but I still think the average game player -- as Colbert says -- still plays games mostly to kick back and relax after a long day, much like they would watch TV, listen to music, etc. So what will it take to get same people who play Halo be willing to play a game that teaches people how to build water supply systems? Sound off in the comments below.

Watch the full Colbert/McGonigal interview here.