Games for use in 8th Grade History:Four classes of games
Dean O’DonnellAssoc. Director of Interactive Media and Game [email protected]
Games for use in 8th Grade History:Four classes of games
Dean O’DonnellAssoc. Director of Interactive Media and Game [email protected]
Pearson EducationMarch 19, 2009
Why Video Games?Why Video Games?
Global Sales in 2008*– Video Games: $32 Billion (20% growth)– DVD/Blue-ray: $29 Billion (6% drop)
Kids play videogames– Neilsen started tracking game sales because 18-34 male
demographic isn’t watching TV.**– Recent study found two groups of 12-14 year olds with most social
problems in school were those who played only M-rated games, and those who didn’t play games at all.***
*Source: Media Control GfK, as cited in Video Business, Jan. 22, 2009URL: http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6631456.html**Source: NY Times, Nov. 23, 2003, http://tinyurl.com/dfz4dr***Source: Kuttner, Lawrence and Cheryl Olsen, Grand Theft Childhood
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
3
The Competition– AAA TitlesThe Competition– AAA Titles
Call of Duty: World at War– First Person Shooter– Published November, 2008– Features historical battles from WWII Pacific
Theater and Eastern Front– Voice work from Gary Oldman and Kiefer
Sutherland– Two years and millions of dollars to develop– Equivalent to a major Hollywood Blockbuster– Released on all major platforms
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
5
The Competition- AAA TitlesThe Competition- AAA Titles
Empire: Total War– Combination Turn-based and Real Time
Strategy Game– Published March, 2009– Covers late 18th to early 19th century warfare
on land and sea– Latest in long line of successful PC games– Two TV Series used earlier versions to
simulate historic battles– Targeted at adults
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
7
Other Notable AAA TitlesOther Notable AAA Titles Civilization
– Turn-based strategy– Simulates history from cavemen to modern times
Colonization– Turn-based strategy– Based on Civ4 engine– Examines colonization of New World in detail
Company of Heroes– Real-time strategy– Examines WWII European theater
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
8
A Games- Licensing?A Games- Licensing?
City Builders– Caesar IV, Children of the Nile, Sim City Societies– In-depth economic and zoning simulation where
player manages population, taxes, industry, and city services
– Non-violent– Egyptian city builder: Nile Online available for free
on the internet http://www.playnileonline.com/– Developed by Tilted Mill, Wayland, MA
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
10
A Games- Licensing?A Games- Licensing?
Mosby’s Confederacy– Real-time tactical game– Manage and control small band of
confederate raiders– Possible to adapt engine to other periods of
history– Developed by Tilted Mill, Wayland, MA
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
12
A Games- Licensing?A Games- Licensing?
The Political Machine– Real time strategy game– Simulates (satirically) the 2008 presidential
election– Could be easily adapted to simulate any
presidential election– Developed by Stardock Software, Livonia, MI
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
14
Indie GamesIndie Games
Room Escapes
Sagrario’s Roomhttp://sagrarios.room.escape.fizzlebot.com/
Bars of Black and Whitehttp://www.kongregate.com/games/GregoryWeir/bars-of-black-and-white
Escape Your Boyfriend’s Roomhttp://www.escapegames24.com/2008/05/escape-your-boyfriends-room.html
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
15
Indie GamesIndie Games
Geosense: http://www.geosense.net/
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
16
Indie GamesIndie Games
Grow Games: http://www.eyezmaze.com/
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
17
What is an Alternate Reality Game?What is an Alternate Reality Game?
Fiction Non-Fiction
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
18
What is an Alternate Reality Game?What is an Alternate Reality Game?
What if you use non-fiction media to tell a fictional story?
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
19
Current ARGsCurrent ARGs The 39 Clues
– Published by Scholastic– Targeted at YA age group– 10 books over multiple years– Card packs associated with each book– Companion website
Cathy’s Book– Published by Running Press– Targeted at YA age group– At least 3 books over multiple years– “Evidence” packaged with each book– Multiple phone numbers, websites, and email addresses to
interact with characters and other players
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
20
Current ARGsCurrent ARGs Most ARGs exist as marketing vehicles for
movies, TV shows, videogames, or software. Amateur ARGs allow creative unknowns to
tell stories in mulitple media (This is My Milwaukee).
Future stories will take place in many spaces, so TV show markets website which markets book which markets videogame which markets TV show.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
25
Something from Nothing (3/3)Something from Nothing (3/3)
M ICKEY MOUSE H E R CULES DO T STA R COMMAND CAVE O F WONDERS BO PEE P I CAN SH O W YOU THE WORLD BLUE WHA L E TREBLE CL E F
M E T R O P O L E
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
26
WPI ProjectsWPI Projects
3-5 Seniors: Mix of Artistic and Technical Students
1 Faculty Advisor 1 Sponsor Advisor 7 weeks full-time or 21 weeks part-time Weekly meetings Non-mission critical project Deliverable at the end
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
28
Questions?Questions?
Dean O’DonnellAssociate Director of
Interactive Media and Game Development
WPI
Daniel TennantStudent, IMGD