Serious Games by Deborah SolomonProfessor, Computer Applications DepartmentMontgomery CollegeRockville, Marylandwww.studygaming.com
Games, Simulations & “Serious Games” “The possibilities today are starting to explode.The lines are starting to blur between games andsimulations, between serious and fun.Just like in real life.” http://www.mondaymemo.net/001016feature.htm www.studygaming.com
Who is the biggest Purchaser/Developer of “Serious Games”? www.studygaming.com
Serious Games: US Military - $Billions • Navy: PC-based simulator for flight training • Marines: commissioned a special version of Doom for combat training • Army: America’s Army. • Pentagon: uses simulations for disease outbreak modeling www.studygaming.com
Serious Games: US Military (con’td) • “DARPA (Defense Department Advanced Research Project Agency): licensed Atari to design an advanced version of its arcade game 'Battlezone', to train soldiers. • Now DARWARS Project “seeks to transform military training by providing continuously available, on-demand mission-level training.” (Digital game Forecast) • “Digital Warrior: C4ISR* Training for Army Battle Command Systems” *Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance. www.studygaming.com
Serious Games: US Military (con’td) • Army “embedded simulations”: “soldiers, using transportable technology, can simulate the battles that are about to take place” www.studygaming.com
America’s Army: “Be All that You Can Be” …in a video game • U.S. Army creates it’s own video games for recruitment and training! • America’s Army cost $6.3 million and took 2yrs to develop. It’s available for free at www.americasarmy.com: • “The game…lets a player assume the role of a new recruit on an Army team pitted in an online battle against terrorists.” • “Players will be able to undergo basic training and fight in 10 multiplayer missions, including one to defend an Alaskan pipeline.” • “The other half of the game, called "Soldier," involves role playing similar to the popular game "The Sims." Players pick one of about 20 Army careers and learn new skills in order to try to earn the rank of sergeant.” (www.washingtongpost.com) www.studygaming.com
Serious Games: Media • Electronic Arts designed 'Jane's Fleet Command' and 'Jane's F-15' • Used by NBC news to simulate 'Desert Fox' assault on Baghdad. www.studygaming.com
Serious Games: Homeland Security • FBI hostage negotiation(http://www.willinteractive.com) • terrorism • emergency response • etc. www.studygaming.com
Serious Games – Corporate Training • Universities and corporations are using simulations of business situations to teach folks how to deal with them.” http://www.mondaymemo.net/001016feature.htm www.studygaming.com
Serious Games: Virtual Leader www.studygaming.com
Serious Games – Medical Training • Model complex biological interactions (e.g. DNA) • Simulate specialized medical procedures. • Increase Dr.’s fine motor skills!! (Surgeons who played video games were more accurate) www.studygaming.com
Serious Games – Medical Training for patients • GLUCOBOY: Helps kids manage diabetes • Glucose meter that can be inserted into a Nintendo GAMEBOY • Downloads video games into the GAMEBOY as a reward for maintaining good blood sugar control. www.studygaming.com
Serious Games – Advertising & gaming • Product Placement • Online Ordering: can buy pizza in Everquest! • Advergames: WildTangent (WA), designs online games for companies (Toyota, Nike, DaimlerChrysler, etc.) www.studygaming.com
Serious Games – Advergames “These games are the perfect form of advertising… You really get to know the product. You can pick a car, accessorize it, tune it and drive it in the game under realistic conditions. It’s better than any brochure, magazine ad or TV commercial.” (http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosinsider/0402/15/b01-64356.htm) www.studygaming.com
Serious Games – AdvergamesCorolla Joy Ride • Driving game to hype 2003 Corolla. • Attracted 425,000 unique visitors in its first month • Users choose car model and color (info sent to Toyota) • Sends players to closest dealership • Provides E-brochures.http://www.technologyreview.com/offthewire/3001_12122002_2.asp Story: Corolla sneaks off a dealership lot, parachutes from a cargo plane, & lands on a mountaintop. 3 Levels: Downhill Skiing, Hang Gliding, and Go-Kart Track Racing www.studygaming.com
Serious Games: AdvocacyUsing games to reach new audiences… • Carabella video game by the Electronic Frontier Foundation: “highlights the ways that consumers' privacy and fair use rights are being whittled away by digital rights management technologies, online spyware and data profiling services.” www.studygaming.com
Serious Games: AdvocacyUsing games to reach new audiences… • “Online Safe Sex Game Attracts 125,000”: Launched on World AIDS Day in November 2001 by charity, K-Generation because “the online format got safe sex messages through to young people who weren't listening to campaigns by government and others.” (Reuters) www.studygaming.com
Serious Games: AdvocacyUsing games to reach new audiences… • Simulation meets political cartoons:September 12th and Madrid, “games” by newsgaming.com: “We are a team of independent game developers who believe video games are not simply an amusement. Games and simulations can also make us think about what is going on in this world.” www.studygaming.com
Serious Games - Education • Teach Students • Mathblaster: teaches math to kids www.mathblaster.com • Tycoon series: “A wonderful way to teach economics and business!” (from a review by choosingchildrenssoftware.com) • ‘In Science Space… players interact with a Newtonian world to better grasp the properties of Newton's physics. Players learn by "playing" with these systems, introducing new variables, and observing how the system reacts.” http://cms.mit.edu/games/education/vision8.html • Will Interactive: roleplaying games teach students how to engage in positive relationships. • Muzzy Lane: History simulations • The Games-to-Teach Project (a partnership between MIT and Microsoft): studies “games' potential to simulate phenomena, engage the player through story, express ideas creatively, or collaborate with other players.” www.studygaming.com
Serious Games - Education • Teach Teachers: • “Virtual School” simulation trains teachers: ”The virtual school is a multiple choice game on the National College for School Leadership's website.” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/2453907.stm) • “Virtual University” teaches management skills www.studygaming.com
Gamebike Exercise & Music Games Groove Dance Dance Revolution YourselfFitness (DDR Image from Live with Regis and Kelly) www.studygaming.com
Exercise & Music Games (cont’d) • Donkey Konga • Karaoke Revolution • Get on Da Mic (DDR Image from Live with Regis and Kelly) www.studygaming.com
