Addenum: Just read <a href="http://the99percent.com/articles/7080/IDEO-Big-%3Cstrong%3EInnovation%3C/strong%3E-Lives-Right-on-the-Edge-of-Ridiculous-Ideas" rel="nofollow">http://the99percent.com/articles/7080/IDEO-Big-%3Cstrong%3EI...</a>
and it got me thinking of another point. These gamers were able to solve something that was not solvable because the gamers were not met with constraints/ rules/ expectations normally associated with the people involved with the research. And, as the authors of the other article stated, "Try to encourage open-ended behavior. It's not about goals, it's about pushing the boundaries and discovering something" So, if you are seeking that spark of innovation, try to remove yourself from all of your constraints and negative thoughts of "no, it can't be done this way" and try to think outside the box.....
And who said playing games was a waste of time! It's interesting that two dichotomous areas have come together to solve a problem. It also got me thinking that the power of the internet is not used/maximized to its full potential. We are connected, but most of us just throw stuff into the Net. Blogging/forums come close in that we exchange ideas and discussion. But I wish there was a legitimate site/forum where we could post a question and get various answers (from legitimate users/professionals) that were somehow weighed/scaled. Using the power of the internet to point us in the right direction....