From Steel to Skills: How GBL is Closing the Global Skills Gap with Games

Founded in 2024 by Daisuke Shudo, a former steel executive turned education innovator, GBL is on a mission to change how we think about skills, and how we measure learning. They were recently recognized as Special Track winners during the GESAwards 2024 Global Finals and since then, their impact is growing fast. 

Shudo’s journey is not the typical founder's tale. His career began in 1990 at Nippon Steel Corporation, followed by an MBA and a whirlwind of international business ventures that took him from Tokyo to Taiwan, where he led an electronic components manufacturing company to IPO. But it was during his time at EduLab, running EdTech projects across India, China, and Southeast Asia, that something shifted. “I saw firsthand how education systems were struggling to prepare kids for the future,” he says. “And I knew we needed a new approach.”

That approach became GBL, Inc. short for Game-Based Learning. At its heart is the idea that children can develop vital skills through structured, purposeful play. But what makes GBL stand out is how they measure what happens when kids play games.

Cracking the Code of the “Unmeasurable”

For decades, educators have talked about the “4Cs” of 21st-century learning: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. They are the skills employers want, but until now, they have been notoriously difficult to assess.

That is where GBL’s 4CsGram comes in. Adapted from risk-profiling algorithms originally built for the financial sector, the 4CsGram psychometric framework transforms what was once anecdotal into actionable data. Shudo explains: "4CsGram converts "gut-feel" 4Cs traits into tangible scores. Parents who are skeptical about the learning effects of playing games get concrete evidence of skill development that they can trust".

In pilot programs like one run in Malaysia, students showed measurable improvements in all four skills, particularly in communication. “We saw kids who were usually shy or hesitant begin to open up through the structure of the games,” Shudo recalls.

Games With Purpose

One of the standout moments for GBL came from a field study at SJKC Subang, a public primary school in Malaysia. During a Minecraft Education workshop, students were asked to collaborate on building a virtual house. What started as a fun task quickly revealed something deeper. “They were fully immersed with problem-solving, communicating, and creating together,” says Shudo. 

Even students who were reserved during presentations stepped up and delivered. “Seeing these students, who might typically be shy in public speaking, develop strong communication foundations, was incredibly rewarding. It proved that even in environments where initial language barriers or cultural tendencies might exist, GBL can lead to measurable skill enhancement,” Shudo shared. 

The final results showed statistically significant improvements on all 4C’s, with an impressive 6%+ improvement in both collaboration and communication scores, reflecting the potential impact of “just playing a game” for the development of real-world skills.

A New Path Towards the Future of Learning

GBL’s participation in the Global EdTech Startup Awards (GESAwards) gave the team a global platform to share their findings. “It was a validation moment,” says Shudo. “We were able to showcase the data to back up our assumptions and theories.”

The GESAwards stage also gave GBL the chance to spotlight their partnerships, with Sunway University, Bee Informatica, and psychometric experts Ebonibo Inc, as well as the rigor behind their research. “GESAwards offered us an unparalleled opportunity to present our DeepTech Innovation to Visualize 21st Century Skills to a global audience of experts and peers,” Shudo shared.

The world of learning is a whirlwind of systemic shifts. There are many deep questions EdTech companies need to ask themselves. GBL are betting on serious play and thoughtful learning evaluation, as to them, this could be the key to addressing the global skills gap effectively and successfully.