Let’s Get Serious With Games

Let’s Get Serious with Let’s Get Serious with GamesGames

An Overview of the Serious Games An Overview of the Serious Games IndustryIndustry

Prepared by Martin Reimer, 2009http://www.linkedin.com/pub/martin-reimer/1/29b/950

What is a Serious Game?What is a Serious Game?

► Games that are Games that are NOTNOT focused on focused on entertainmententertainment

► Games that are used for education, training, Games that are used for education, training, health, public policy, defense and strategic health, public policy, defense and strategic communicationcommunication

Gary Hayes, Director LAMP@AFTRS & CCO MUVEDesign

These Are All Serious GamesThese Are All Serious Games

► Educational GamesEducational Games► SimulationSimulation► Virtual RealityVirtual Reality► EdutainmentEdutainment► Digital Game-Based LearningDigital Game-Based Learning► Immersive Learning SimulationsImmersive Learning Simulations► Social Impact GamesSocial Impact Games► Persuasive GamesPersuasive Games► Games for ChangeGames for Change► Games for GoodGames for Good

Ben Sawyer: Digitalmill, Inc. & Serious Games InitiativePeter Smith: University of Central Florida, RETRO Lab

Serious Game DriversSerious Game Drivers

Ben Sawyer: Digitalmill, Inc. & Serious Games InitiativePeter Smith: University of Central Florida, RETRO Lab

Modeling, simulation and visualization

Industry LeadersIndustry Leaders

► Ben Sawyer, Games For HealthBen Sawyer, Games For Health

► Ian Bogost, Persuasive GamesIan Bogost, Persuasive Games

► Marc Prensky, Education and LearningMarc Prensky, Education and Learning

► Jane McGonigal, Alternate Reality GamesJane McGonigal, Alternate Reality Games

► Many others…Many others…

Evolution of Serious GamesEvolution of Serious Games

► Role Playing ScenariosRole Playing Scenarios► Board GamesBoard Games► Some ‘Entertainment’ Titles – SimsSome ‘Entertainment’ Titles – Sims► Corporate Internal TrainingCorporate Internal Training► The Educational CD RomThe Educational CD Rom► MOD’ing Entertainment GamesMOD’ing Entertainment Games► Alternate & Augmented Reality GamesAlternate & Augmented Reality Games► Brain Controlled GamesBrain Controlled Games


Serious Games BackgroundSerious Games Background► Computer games cost

significantly less than a large-scale simulator

► Games by their nature are competitive, fast moving and entertaining

► Over the last five years: has evolved into a full-blown market opportunity

► Government agencies are being joined by schools (both K-12 and universities) and Fortune 500

Eliane Alhadeff, SERIOUS GAMES, SERIOUS MONEY: A SIZEABLE MARKET

► Academics recognize the potential scope of SG and conferences sprang up

► Since 2004, annual Serious Games Summits have been held

► Games for Change Conference promotes games for the social good

► Games for Health Conference covers both games for patients and games for health care providers, Humana Inc sponsoring

► Michigan State University announces the launch of a master's degree in SG design

Serious Games GrowthSerious Games Growth


Market DriversMarket Drivers► A number of converging market and

demographic factors are resulting in increased interest in using SG in areas such as education, health, ecology, public policy, science, government and corporate training

► Corporations are taking the first steps and commissioning SG development recognizing they need to consider this approach to provide more effective learning content

► There is now an growing supply chain for Serious Games


Financial GrowthFinancial Growth

► PricewaterhouseCoopers' Media Outlook Report forecasts major growth for the video game sector worldwide

► By 2011, the worldwide gaming market will be worth $48.9 billion at a compound annual growth rate of 9.1% during the five-year period. They handily exceed the 6.4% advance that PwC eyes for the overall entertainment economy during the period.


Serious Games MarketSerious Games Market

► The market is much more B2B oriented then B2C

► Shaping SG from a movement into a viable and growing market, requires new business models that accommodate new ways of doing business, and raising capital, distributing, and selling product


Serious Game TaxonomySerious Game Taxonomy

► Raise Raise AWARENESS AWARENESS of issuesof issues► Train Train MOTOR MOTOR functionsfunctions► Develop Develop SOCIAL SOCIAL skillsskills► Develop Develop CRISES CRISES response skillsresponse skills► Develop Develop HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN CAPITAL and workforceand workforce► Improve Improve MIND & BODYMIND & BODY► Develop Develop BUSINESS BUSINESS skillsskills► Improve Improve ORGANIZATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL managementmanagement► Improve Improve CREATIVITYCREATIVITY► Impart Impart KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE


Raise Raise AWARENESS AWARENESS of issuesof issues

► The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts one third of Americans born after 2000 will be diabetic in their lifetime.



► 2.5 million people 2.5 million people have been have been displaced by the displaced by the turmoil in Darfur.turmoil in Darfur.

► Simulation where Simulation where users negotiate users negotiate forces that forces that threaten the threaten the survival of the survival of the refugee camp.refugee camp.



► Jetset, inspired by Jetset, inspired by real events in real events in airport security, airport security, you play as a you play as a security officer security officer making sure that making sure that people don't bring people don't bring a constantly a constantly changing list of changing list of prohibited items prohibited items onto a plane. onto a plane.

Train Train MOTOR MOTOR functionsfunctions

► X-Plane is the X-Plane is the world's most world's most comprehensive, comprehensive, powerful flight powerful flight simulator, and has simulator, and has the most realistic the most realistic flight model flight model available for available for personal personal computers.computers.


Develop Develop SOCIAL SOCIAL skillsskills

► Sims have user Sims have user created personalities created personalities that dynamically react that dynamically react to their environmentto their environment

Develop Develop SOCIAL SOCIAL skillsskills

► Akoha is the world’s Akoha is the world’s first social reality first social reality game where you game where you can earn points by can earn points by playing real world playing real world missions with your missions with your friends. friends.


Develop Develop CRISES CRISES response response skillsskills

► TruSim creates TruSim creates effective, immersive effective, immersive and engaging and engaging training games using training games using high quality 3D high quality 3D games techniques games techniques and technologies. and technologies.


Develop Develop HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN CAPITAL and and workforceworkforce

► America's Army America's Army game is designed game is designed to provide to provide civilians with civilians with insights on insights on Soldiering from Soldiering from the barracks to the barracks to the battlefields the battlefields


Develop Develop HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN CAPITAL and and workforceworkforce

► 1997 - Marine Corps used Software Inc.'s "Doom" for training

► 2002 - U.S. Army released America's Army Free online download More than 5 million Registered users

► US government and military turned to SG for two reasons: lower costs and improved quality of user experience


Improve Improve MIND & BODYMIND & BODY

► Brain Age is inspired Brain Age is inspired by the research of Dr. by the research of Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, a Ryuta Kawashima, a prominent Japanese prominent Japanese neuroscientist.neuroscientist.

► His studies evaluated His studies evaluated the impact of the impact of performing certain performing certain reading and reading and mathematic exercises mathematic exercises to help stimulate the to help stimulate the brain. brain.



► Wii Fit encourages BMI Wii Fit encourages BMI checking, challenging checking, challenging activities, including activities, including aerobics, yoga, muscle aerobics, yoga, muscle stretches and balance stretches and balance

oriented games.oriented games.



► The Glucoboy makes The Glucoboy makes monitoring and achieving monitoring and achieving blood sugar goals fun.blood sugar goals fun.

► The Glucoboy may prove to The Glucoboy may prove to play a critical role in play a critical role in providing the incentive for providing the incentive for kids to be compliant with kids to be compliant with their blood sugar monitoring.their blood sugar monitoring.

Develop Develop BUSINESS BUSINESS skillsskills

► IBM’s INNOV8 IBM’s INNOV8 teaches students teaches students about business about business process process managementmanagement


Improve Improve ORGANIZATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL managementmanagement

► SimCity is an open-SimCity is an open-ended city-building ended city-building simulation.simulation.

► Continuously improve Continuously improve the life of citizens in the life of citizens in your city.your city.


Improve Improve ORGANIZATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL managementmanagement

► Hilton Garden Inn Hilton Garden Inn hotel role-playing - hotel role-playing - Hospitality TrainingHospitality Training

► Janitorial, front desk, Janitorial, front desk, kitchen duties and kitchen duties and room servicesroom services


Improve Improve CREATIVITYCREATIVITY

► WORLD WITHOUT WORLD WITHOUT OIL simulated the OIL simulated the first 32 weeks of a first 32 weeks of a global oil crisis. global oil crisis.

► Play by creating a Play by creating a personal story – an personal story – an email or phone call, email or phone call, or a blog post, or a blog post, video, photo, video, photo, podcast, twitter – podcast, twitter – that chronicled the that chronicled the imagined reality of imagined reality of their life in the their life in the crisis. crisis.


Impart Impart KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE

► Learn algebra Learn algebra from a 3D from a 3D adventure gameadventure game


ActivityActivity► Create a storyboard concept for a serious game based on one of the taxonomies below. Create a storyboard concept for a serious game based on one of the taxonomies below.

Which taxonomy?Which taxonomy? What is the topic?What is the topic? Who is the audience?Who is the audience? What type of gameplay?What type of gameplay?

► Raise Raise AWARENESS AWARENESS of issuesof issues► Train Train MOTOR MOTOR functionsfunctions► Develop Develop SOCIAL SOCIAL skillsskills► Develop Develop CRISES CRISES response skillsresponse skills► Develop Develop HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN CAPITAL and workforceand workforce► Improve Improve MIND & BODYMIND & BODY► Develop Develop BUSINESS BUSINESS skillsskills► Improve Improve ORGANIZATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL managementmanagement► Improve Improve CREATIVITYCREATIVITY► Impart Impart KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE

ActivityActivity► Create a storyboard concept for a serious game based on one of the taxonomies below. Create a storyboard concept for a serious game based on one of the taxonomies below.

Which taxonomy? Which taxonomy? Raise AWARENESS of issuesRaise AWARENESS of issues What is the topic? What is the topic? RecyclingRecycling Who is the audience? Who is the audience? MSD Employees + CustomersMSD Employees + Customers What type of gameplay? What type of gameplay? Adventure game using object matching Adventure game using object matching

Technology

Let’s Get Serious With Games