What do we mean with serious games?

@ ubium.net 2015 (c)[email protected] 2016 (c)

@Games for EverythingInternational workshop at VIC

June 17th, 2016

What do we mean with serious games?

By Carolina Islas, PhD

carolina.islas@ ubium.net 2016 (c)

Who is the speaker ?

2007 2012 2014graduation of founders

2016

H2020 partner:

main milestones

ELÄMÄN PITKOSPUUT


BraheaMyst @ Lieksan keskuskoulu, LieksaAim: pupils build stories of their city for mobile phones based on historical facts


LieksaMyst @ Pielisen Museo, Lieksa, FinlandAim: gain historical understanding whith emphasis on the life style of past generations


Heroes of Koskenniska @ TuupovaaraAim: invite visitors to listen the forest through and its biodiversity through the elements it offers.


Oxymoron “Serious games”

● Oxymoron.- rethoric a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in “cruel kindness” or “to make haste slowly.”

● Huinzingua (1951) : “a free activity standing quite consciously outside ‘ordinary’ life as being ‘not serious’, but at the same time absorbing the player intensely and utterly.”

● Riddles….


Mapping

My research:


Technology ?

● 1970 ● Cold war era● One of his goals was to

use games for training and education.

● Board game: The New Alexandria Simulation: A Serious Game of State and Local Politics


Abt definition of Serious Games

“Games may be played seriously or casually. We are concerned with serious games in the

sense that these games have an explicit and carefully thought-out educational

purpose and are not intended to be played primarily for amusement. This does not

mean that serious games are not, or should not be, entertaining.”


Are video games for entertainment not focus on learning?

● Chess● Checker ● OXO ● Spacewar…..


Ancestors of serious games

Djaouti, Alvarez, Jessel and Rampnoux (2011):

– Education

– Health care

– Defense

– Art & culture

– Religion

– Corporate training and advertisement

1992

1971


Numerous ancestors of “Serious Games”


Study performed by Djaouti, Alvarez, Jessel, Rampnoux in 2011. (reported on the article Origins of Serious Games) studied 2218 “serious games”

Database available: http://serious.gameclassification

.com/


Commercially: BM: Pay session or pay game copy


Commercial games evolve….

● 1994, the Entertainment Software Rating Board

● 1999 Columbine● 2002 White paper: “Serious Games” by

Sawyer and Rejeksi beginning of the current wave of Serious Games. (entitled originally: “Improving Public Policy through Game Based Learning and Simulations).

1983

1992, Midway Games


Serious game is a billions USD market


What do we mean with serious games?

● Serious games is not a new phenomenon. ● Serious games might mean different things for different experts and practitioners. Create a common ground when talking about serious games.

● Serious games, as games for entertainment, are multidisciplinary, however they should include ideally knowledge of educational scientists, game designers and content experts.


¿Preguntas?y

¡Gracias!