Serious Games
AKA Applied Games
What is a
serious game?
What is a serious game?
Types of serious games
Challenges
Guest lecture: Applied Game Design
Serious games
The term “serious game” has a negative connotation
It sounds like the fun has been removed
Some people prefer the synonym “applied game”
-
Like me, but since serious games are better known, let’s use that this
lecture. It’s up to you what you call it.
Serious games
Games initially associated with serious games
???
Serious games
Games initially associated with serious games
Serious games
These games are also serious games
● SimCity depends on the situation
Serious games
Serious games can be a lot of different things
● But not entertainment games?
○ It depends…
The term “serious game” is relatively well-defined
● But still a very young research field
Definition
“Any computerized game whose chief mission
is not entertainment, including entertainment
games which can be reapplied to a different
mission other than entertainment”
Ben Sawyer, 2004
Definition
“Serious games are games that do not have
entertainment, enjoyment, or fun as their
primary purpose. This is not to say that serious
games are not entertaining, enjoyable, or fun.”
David Michael and Sande Chen, 2005
Purpose
The primary purpose is not entertainment
Its purpose can vary per situation
Examples
America’s Army
●
Recruitment tool
Red Bull Air Race
●
Advertisement
Craft Mechatronica
●
Educational training
Example
What about Flight Simulator games
● Entertainment game?
● Or serious game?
Example
What about SimCity?
●
●
It is an entertainment game
What if a teacher uses it to learn students about city planning?
Serious games
The primary purpose is not entertainment
● Primary purpose for whom?
Depends on the situation
●
●
●
●
For the player him/herself
For the instructor introducing the game
For the creator of the game
Or a combination of the above
Gamification
Gamification is somehow related to serious games
Examples of gamification
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●
●
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Stack Overflow
Duolingo
Twitter
Jop! (@home)
Definition
“The application of gaming metaphors in non
game contexts to influence behavior, improve
motivation and enhance engagement“
Andrzej Marczewski
Motivation
● Widely used!
● Sometimes also called “gameful design”
● Gamification is using extrinsic rewards to motivate
○ What have we learned about extrinsic rewards?
○ Intrinsic (motivation) beats extrinsic (rewards)
● Different from Serious Games
Gamification
Gamification can be about
●
●
●
●
●
Gaining status
Achievement
Competition
Expression
…
Playful design
A distinction is made between gameful design and playful
design
● Gameful design includes clear rules and goals
● Playful design doesn’t
Types of
serious games
What is a serious game?
Types of serious games
Challenges
Guest lecture: Applied Game Design
Why Serious Games?
Why?
Why would someone want to use serious games?
To utilize the motivating power of games for a
different purpose
This purpose is the basis of our categorization
Purpose-based classification
Many purpose-based classifications exist
● No consensus yet
● We will use the most common categories
○
Based on Alvarez et al., 2007
Purpose-based classification
Common categories
Educational games
Training/simulation games
News/journalist games
Persuasive games
○ Games for change
○ Advergames
○ …
● Exergaming
● …
●
●
●
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Educational: History
Educational: Programming
Educational games
Purpose:
● Teaching (e.g. about history)
● Training skills (e.g. math, writing, programming)
Largest category of serious games
Training/simulation games
Training/simulation games
Training/simulation games
Purpose:
● Training close to reality
Related to educational games
News/journalist games
News/journalist games
News/journalist games
Purpose
● Inform the public about events
○ With an attempt at (journalistic) objectivity
Related to educational games
Persuasive games
Persuasive games - Games for change
Purpose
● Change the attitude of the public on societal issues
○ Often exaggerates the problem to make it more
visible
Related to news/journalist games
Persuasive games
Persuasive games - Advergames
Purpose
● Promotional
In-game advertising is something different
Persuasive games
Purpose
● Persuading the player
Contains
● Games for change
● Advergames
● …
Exergaming
Exergaming
Exergaming
Purpose
● Stimulate exercise
Serious games
Some purposes fall in none
of the categories
For example the game Hooked!
● Research game by the UU
Game collects play session data
● To find out how people recognize music
What is a serious game?
Challenges
Types of serious games
Challenges
Guest lecture: Applied Game Design
Challenges
Introducing the additional purpose is usually not easy
● The purpose must be achieved
● Without compromising the entertainment
This is still in active research
● Very few established theories
The magic circle
Example: a teacher instructs school kids to play an
educational game
● The element of free will is removed
Example: results obtained in an educational game affect
school grades
● The game is no longer a safe play space
Serious games can break the magic circle
Transfer
The effects on the player (e.g. learning) must be retained outside of the game
Transfer to the
real world
Tests outside
the game
Serious Game
Learning
Apply math in work situations
Solving math problems on a
paper test
Solving math problems in
the game
Transfer
The effects on the player (e.g. learning) must be retained outside of the game
Transfer to the
real world
Tests outside
the game
Serious Game
Learning
Behave healthy in real life
Tell in what way food has
an effect on health and
what the consequences are
Experience how food has an
effect on health and what
the consequences are
Effectiveness
Some studies show that educational games are
more motivating, but learning is not improved
Graesser et al., 2009
Effectiveness
Other studies show that educational games are
more effective, but not more motivational!
Wouters et al., 2013 (UU)
An effective combination is not (yet) clear
Todo
Playtest on Friday!
Deadline for prototype and plan is tomorrow! :O
Evert Hoogendoorn
Serious Game Design