Fortnite devs help company build a game to boost factory worker productivity

A company in Japan has implemented a game as part of the workers’ day-to-day activities to keep them entertained and boost productivity.

When one’s job involves doing the same thing over and over again, it can quickly become dreadful and boring. This is often the case in certain jobs that demand repetitive tasks, where workers generally perform the same motions throughout the day to keep up with quotas.

Instead of letting boredom take over, though, there’s a company in Japan that has already adapted to using a game to keep its workers entertained throughout their shift.

The way it works is quite simple, yet it has already managed to boost the workers’ productivity, as reported by Automaton.

Factory uses game software to entertain workers

The game itself is actually a software called Real Focus Synergy, developed by Nissho Denki Seigyo. Featuring idle game-like mechanics, each worker can be seen with their own avatar and moving around an island to develop a village.

When it comes to Maruwa, a company that specializes in cleaning and distributing sheets and towels, the game revolves around the workers loading each bed sheet into the machine. When they do this, a countdown in-game will start.

This countdown determines how long their avatar can move on the virtual island. So, if they want to continue their progress in the village, the workers will need to be productive in real life, too.

Each of the characters can be seen carrying out different activities, whether that be collecting resources, mining a rock, or picking up the crops, among others. The workers in the factory can also directly see their overall progress, as there’s a screen mounted in front of them.

According to the representative of Real Focus Synergy, Shohei Shinto, this was the company’s first time actually developing a video game, as they normally supply equipment for factory production lines.

Unsure how to proceed, Shinto reached out to Epic Games, inspired by the success of Fortnite. To his surprise, Epic replied and provided guidance that helped his team establish the foundation of the project.

In terms of results, after Maruwa rolled out Real Focus Synergy, productivity reportedly rose around 8% overall, while a few workers managed to jump by nearly 18% during week one.