Brief presentation of some reasons why serious games/gamification are bad names but good causes, when done right.

1. Gamification
Should you give a $%!# ?
Noah Falstein

2. My Background in Brief
• Started in the games industry in 1980
• Many years on games of all sorts –
Sinistar, Indiana Jones and the Fate of
Atlantis, recently Mata Hari, Alan Wake
• In 1996 started The Inspiracy – have
worked since as a freelance designer
and producer on all kinds of titles
• Increasingly working on Serious Games

3. What’s in a name?
Simulation Edutainment
Serious Games
Gamification

4. Simulations
• Popular since 70’s
– Military is still fond of it
– But it’s a restricted subset, best for vehicles
– Tended to be literal, expensive (esp motion)
– Also feels old, creaky now

5. Edutainment
• Popular in 80’s
– More market-speak
– Glib mashup name – Jazzercise, Dancercise,
Infotainment – does not inspire trust
– Much of Edutainment was tainted by the
Chocolate Covered Broccoli fallacy

6. Serious Games
• Popular in 00’s
– Serious implies “very great, bad, dangerous,
harmful, or difficult to handle” (#1 def)
– Others are not frivolous, trivial or superficial
– Some Serious Games aren’t even games

7. Gamification
• Popular now – since 2010
– Best analysis of flaws from Ian Bogost:
• www.bogost.com/blog/gamification_is_bullshit.shtml
– Another Marketing term
– Oversimplified, makes it sound easy,
reassuring, “just sprinkle on badges, score”
– Chef: “I’m too tired to make dinner, I’ll just
cookify some food”

8. Serious benefits
• But there are many positives too
• I’ll use the term Serious Games because
I find it the most inclusive, and least
odious – if you don’t like it, sorry!

9. What are Serious Games?
• A purpose beyond entertainment
• Sample fields:
– Military
– Government (NASA, State Dept, etc.)
– Education – all levels
– Simulation – Training (esp. Corporate)
– First Responders
– Social Causes/Political/Commentary
– Health (Examples just from this one area)

10. Creative: Folding@home
• Use networked PC, PS3 to do research
• Use old skills, new ways, avoid burnout

11. Challenging: Driving While Distracted
• Designed to be played during fMRI
• Stretch your abilities – hardest goals!

12. Commercial: Wii Fit
• 22 million units as of May 2010
• Make money, diversify studios, income

13. Compassionate: Dance Dance Revolution
• Verified fitness increase, weight loss
• Help people with real world problems

14. Consequential: ReMission
• Study in Pediatrics: Saves kids w/cancer
• Serve society, fix problems, save lives!

15. In Summary
• Creative
– Fresh approaches, redefining games
• Challenging
– Interesting problems, different fields
• Commercial
– First steps into what will be a huge market
• Compassionate
– Helping people with real world problems
• Consequential
– Shaping opinions, instructing, saving lives!

16. Thank you!
Noah Falstein
The Inspiracy
Email:
www.theinspiracy.com
Twitter, Skype: nfalstein