A Serious Game for Mayors, ISAGA 2011

A Serious Game for MayorsFrank AldershoffT-Xchange

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Who am I?Serious Gaming Specialist @T-X

Lecturer @University of AmsterdamGame Programming MSc AI

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Who am I?Serious Gaming Specialist @T-X

Lecturer @University of AmsterdamGame Programming MSc AI

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Serious gaming is serious business

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T-XchangeUrban & Spatial Planning

Training/Awareness Games

Commercially and SubsidisedGATE

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GATE“To advance the state-of-the-art in gaming and to facilitate knowledge transfer to companies, the Dutch government has funded the GATE project with a total budget of 19 million Euros.”

gate.gameresearch.nl

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Gate Pilot SafetyA new method to train mayors for future crisis situations.

www.burgemeestergame.nl (offline)

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Designing a Game for Mayors

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Role of the mayor

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Role of the mayor

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Some StatisticsAverage age

Ratio male/female:

GamerMayor

0 15 30 45 60GamerMayor

0 25 50 75 100Male Female

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“We don’t play games!”

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Designing the Game

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Focus-group

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Requirements

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Two Types of RequirementsExternal conditions

Game/learning conditions

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External ConditionsGame for mayors/deputy mayors

Playable by one person, individual gaming

But also: Part of group training

Anonymous (safe)

Short, quick game

Playable anywhere

Alternative to large scale exercise

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Game/Learning ConditionsLearning goals

Prioritising

Reconciling different sources of information

Time pressure

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Learning Goals (cont.)Spokesperson for councilKnowledge of personal tasks and responsibilitiesUnderstanding of the required knowledge for personal tasks and responsibilitiesAware of the need to prioritiseAssigning well-founded prioritiesConveying a clear messageKeeping the media informed (in a timely manner)Keeping the people informed (in a timely manner)Calm the peopleDecide under time pressure

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The Game15 minutes duration

Player presented with dilemmasStrictly yes/no

Crisis team offers advice, information and opinions

Dilemmas and information ‘appear’Creating time pressure

When decision made: Enter some data on decision

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The GameRealistic

DilemmasCrisis team/AdvisorsAdvice

Non-RealisticOnly yes/noInformation is fixedNo clear date, time or location

Triggers reflection

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FeedbackFeedback presented to the player instrumental in achieving learning goals

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Design Process

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Iterative DesignPaper based

Digital mock-up

Prototype

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Paper-based

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Digital Mockup

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EvaluationTime-pressure felt

Design well received

“I feel the same kind of tension as with a real crisis”

Learning goals achievedQuestionnaires before, directly after, and a week after the experiment

Show a chance in attitude towards self-directed learning

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Prototype

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Design for MayorsVisual style

Interaction

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McCloud’s Big Triangle

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Lidwell’s UPD AC{ F')SIBILITY

"DIIIINC£. ORGANlzrR

.-r IlETie USABiliTY EFFECT

I.:LIISSICAI CtlNOtllONING

eOGNI

COMPARISON

CONfiRMATION

,-OST BENEFI OEFENSIBIf 5PA( I

DEPTH or PROCESSING

O[VElOPMfNT GY(;Ll

EXPECTATION EFfECT

OPO:: RE EF !"C

FACT)R Of M ElY

FIBONA(;rI &[QuENrE

FIGURE GHOIJND HHATiONSHIP nns LAW

fLD:IBIUTY USAfliLiTY TRADlOFF

roqM rOt lOW FI NCTtON

GAR8AIH IN (.ARUAGE our GOlDEN RATIO

GOUIl CON !INUATtON GUTENBERG DIAGRAM

HIGHLIGHTiNG

ICONIC REf'RfSENTATION

INffRFERENCE EFFECTS iNVEfHm PYRAMID

MENTAL MODEL

MOIJUlARln [ Al APPEARANcr fFF£C

NORMAL []1' TRUJUTION

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Visual Style

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Visual Style

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District Attorney/Public Prosecutor

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Military

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Web-based

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FeedbackFeedback for learning

Three B’sBurgervader - City father

Boegbeeld - Figurehead

Bestuurder - Bureaucrat

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FeedbackUnderstanding reaction of certain groups

Attitude towards other team members

...

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The Final Game

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The Final Game

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Demo

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But first:

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But first:

Tomorrow:Plenary Hall

11:45 - 12:25

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Questions?

http://games.txchange.nl/BurgemeesterGame/Username: isagaPassword: isaga2011

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