wepush.org@wepushsocial

design lab for urban and social innovation

Games for Life-long gains project

Highlights on Transformational GamesSalvatore (Toti) Di Dio, PhD, Turin January 16 2019

SERIOUS GAMES

OUR CURRENT COMMITMENT

Lead coordinators of MUV - A Horizon2020 Project which focus on:

• How to improve urban mobility

• How to transform habits

• Leverage on Games

Play is older than culture J. Huizinga

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No [723521]

Toti Di Dio, Phd.Coordinatore del progetto Horizon2020 MUV.

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CitizensMUVERS

Policy makers TRAINERS

Shop owners

SPONSORS

MOTIVATIONS INCENTIVES

NEW HABITS

TRANSFORMATIONAL GAMES

ACTIVITIES THAT PROVIDE ENJOYMENT ARE OFTEN THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE. […] BUT IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO ASSUME THAT ONLY ART

AND LEISURE CAN PROVIDE OPTIMAL EXPERIENCES. […] EVEN ROUTINE DETAILS CAN BE TRANSFORMED INTO

PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL GAMES THAT PROVIDE OPTIMAL EXPERIENCES.

M. CsikszentmihalyiFlow, 1990

WHAT’S THE AIM?

ENTERTAIN US

TRANSFORM US&

WHICH TRANSFORMATION?

1. Knowledge - The player knows something new after playing. Learning the meaning of vocabulary words would be a knowledge transformation.

2. Skill - The player can do something new or better after playing. Learning to solve algebraic equations would be a skill transformation.

3. Physical - The player’s body is changed after playing. Players improving their resting heart rate would be an example of a physical transformation.

4. Disposition - The player’s internal feelings are changed after playing. A reduction in a player’s feelings of stress would be an example of an disposition transformation.

5. Behavior - The player acts in a new or changed way after playing. Players choosing healthier foods to eat after playing your game, this is a behavior transformation.

6. Belief - The player’s sense of truth is changed after playing. Increasing players’ belief that human trafficking is a big problem worth tackling with urgency, would be a belief transformation.

7. Relationships - The player’s social relationships are changed after playing. Getting players to have more trust in authority figures, this would be a relationship transformation.

8. Identity - The player’s sense of self is changed after playing.

S. H. Culyba, A Field Guide for Design Leaders on Transformational Games, 2015

WHICH BARRIERS?

1. Misconception - It’s misunderstood. 2. Relatability - It doesn’t seem approachable or relevant. 3. Social norms - It’s not cool. 4. Complexity - Its scope makes it overwhelming. 5. Priority - It doesn’t seem as important as other things. 6. Difficulty - It’s hard to do or understand. 7. Motivation - It doesn’t seem worth doing 8. Ignorance - It’s unknown. 9. Accessibility - It’s gated somehow. 10. Fear - It’s scary or risky.

S. H. Culyba, A Field Guide for Design Leaders on Transformational Games, 2015

HOW TO MEASURE EFFICACY?

1. Instinctual RationalizationYou have some instinctive reasoning about why the game might be effective

2. Theory BasisThe game uses prior research as a basis for its design and how it achieves player transformation.

3. Expert Review & ValidationThe game has the endorsement of experts who vouch for the games effectiveness.

4. Anecdotes and Informal TestingThe game has been informally used and there is anecdotal data about its effectiveness

5. Formal Research DataThe game has been formally studied and data generated that informs claims about the game’s efficacy.

J. Schell, The art of game design, 2008

MANDATORY FEATURESGOALS, RULES, FEEDBACK, VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION

TRANSFORMATIONAL GAMES IN A NAPKIN

UP TO YOU FEATURESCOMPETITIVE, CHANCE-BASED, MAKE BELIEF, VERTIGO

TRANSFORMATION FEATURESKIND OF TRANSFORMATION, BARRIERS TO OVERCOME,

EVALUATION

NOW IT’S TIME TO MUV

muvapp.eumuv2020.eu �11

TOTI DI DIO s.didio@wepush.org

@totididio