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A Serious Approach to Serious Game DevelopmentRon Punako, Sr. Software EngineerJoy Pachucki, Instructional Designer

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Your organization decides to develop a serious game

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You are tasked with planning and developing the game

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You must quickly produce a product that will succeed in it’s learning mission

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Put the proper processes into place

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You will stand a greater chance of success

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BackgroundGames for what purposes?

Games for Health

Advergames Games for Training

Games for Education

Games for Science and Research

Production Games as Work

Government & NGO

Public Health & Mass Casualty Response

Political Games

Employee Training

Inform Public Data Collection / Planning

Strategic & Policy Planning

Public Diplomacy, Opinion Research

Defense Rehabilitation & Wellness

Recruitment & Propaganda

Soldier/Support Training

School House Education

Wargames / planning

War planning & weapons research

Command & Control

Healthcare Cybertherapy / Exergaming

Public Health Policy & Social Awareness Campaigns

Training Games for Health Professionals

Games for Patient Education and Disease Management

Visualization & Epidemiology

Biotech manufacturing & design

Public Health Response Planning & Logistics

Marketing & Communication

Advertising Treatment

Advertising, marketing with games, product placement

Product Use Product Information

Opinion Research

Machinima Opinion Research

Education Inform about diseases/risks

Social Issue Games

Train teachers/Train workforce skills

Learning Computer Science & Recruitment

P2P Learning Constructivisim Documentary

Teaching Distance Learning

(2008, Sawyer, B., Smith, P., “A Taxonomy of Serious Games”)

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BackgroundIndividual first-person perspective role playing games

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BackgroundWhat kind of team?

• Artists

• Modelers/Animators

• Information Architects

• Instructional Designers

• Integrators

• Program Manager

• Project Manager, Tech

• Software Engineers

• Sound Engineer

• Subject Matter Experts

• Video Engineer

• Voice Actors

• Writers

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BackgroundImportant development facts

• Web-based games• Custom development tools• Custom extensions to commercial game engines• Between $400,000 – $1,000,000• Between .5 – 1 years• Small team (6-10) people• Serve government and military clients

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Systems Development Life Cycle

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Systems Development Life CycleAnalysis

• Project Planning– Initial Client Meetings

• Instructional Intent– Assess Training Needs– Determine Training Solution

• Client Requirements• Technical Specifications

Identified and Analyzed

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EngineeringClient requirements

ID: CLIENT1

The simulation shall enable the learner to progress by completing decision points within a scenario.

Trace toDerived

Requirement1

Derived Requirement

nUse Case

1,2,n..

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EngineeringUse cases

ID: UC1

Name: Select Character Dialogue Choice

Primary Actor: Learner

Goal in Context:

To select a character dialogue choice.

Preconditions:

1. The Start System use case has been completed successfully.

2. The Start Simulation use case has been completed.

3. A decision point has been reached.Trigger:The learner decides to select a characterdialogue choice while speaking with a nonplayer character.

Scenario:1. Learner: Observes the NPC in the first person.2. NPC: Speaks to player to set up choices for current dialogue.3. Learner: Observes the character dialogue choices.4. Learner: Selects a dialogue choice.Exceptions:…

Trace toDerived

Requirement1

Derived Requirement

n

Derived Requirement

n

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EngineeringDerived requirements

ID: FUN1

The simulation shall provide the capability for the learner to respond to character dialogue.

Trace toDerived

Requirement1

Derived Requirement

nTest Case

1,2,n..

Trace toDerived

Requirement1

Derived Requirement

nDesign1,2,n..

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EngineeringRequirements traceability

CLIENT1 USE1

FUN1

???

???

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Systems Development Life CycleDesign

• Concept Paper Development

• Simulation Course Outline• Screenplay Development• Initial Product Asset

Development• Technical System Design

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Systems Development Life CycleDesign Continued

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EngineeringTechnical investigations

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Engineering Art Plan

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EngineeringTechnical Solution Plan

Level 0 DFD … Level 3 DFD

Class: DialogueDescription: A dialogue object.Methods: load, showResponses, getResponses, setStatement, get Statement, …

Class: ResponseDescription: A dialogue response object.Methods: getResponse, setResponse, …

API

Trace toDerived

RequirementFUN1

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EngineeringInformation Architecture Plan

Structure Content Model SkeletonVisual

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Systems Development Life CycleDevelopment

• Text Simulation Development

• Asset Development• Product Development

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EngineeringAuthoring tools development

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EngineeringGame engine development

Append Functionality

Purchase Game Engine

Unity

Virtools

Sound Subsystem

Animation Subsystem

Event Sequencing Subsystem

Notification Subsystem

Lipsync Subsystem

UI/Menu Subsystem

ScoringSubsystem

Character AI Subsystem

Abstract Functionality

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EngineeringAsset development

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EngineeringIntegration

Scenario Authoring

Tool

Level Staging

Characters

AnimationsEnvironments

Sound

Video

Sequence of Events

Decision Points

UI/Menus

Character AIScoring

Production Game

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Systems Development Life CycleImplementation

• Verification for adherence to instructional specifications

• Final product installation• Validation testing and

discrepancies resolved• Product training conducted• Final review and

acceptance

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EngineeringVerification testing

ID: TST1

Prerequisites:

1. The system must be started

2. The simulation subsystem must be started

Actions:

1. NPC engages the learner’s character in dialogue

2. Learner attempts to select a dialogue response

Outcome:

1. Pass: The learner is able to select a response to character dialogue

2. Fail: The learner is not able to select a response to character dialogue

Trace toDerived

RequirementFUN1

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EngineeringValidation testing

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Systems Development Life CycleEvaluation

• Evaluation tasks directly planned in support of individual efforts, if applicable, would apply to each part of the process

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Questions?

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Putting ideas into action.SM

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