Company presentation PhD Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen CEO Serious Games Interactive “…develop games which contain advanced content, operate according to sound pedagogical principles, enable classroom customisation, and create real excitement within the core game market” - Henry Jenkins
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Company presentation PhD Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen CEO Serious Games Interactive “…develop games which contain advanced content, operate according to sound.
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Company presentation
PhD Simon Egenfeldt-NielsenCEO Serious Games Interactive
“…develop games which contain advanced content, operate according to sound pedagogical principles, enable classroom customisation, and create real excitement within the core game market”
- Henry Jenkins
History
PhD project on computer games & Learning (2002-2005)
Talks with Danish game companies (2004-2006)
Research project for prototype development (2005-2006)
Launch SGI on back of research projects (2006- )
First products hits market (2007)
Expanding with more products & client work (Today)
Our company
Research project
Growing out of international research Next generation of educational games Mix of competences: Game developers, researchers,
educators and content experts Collaborate with companies Global outreach through strong network Strong technology and access to support
Our company
Research project
Concept phase researcher & game developer Design document research, developer & content Prototype developer, advisory and researcher Evaluation researcher & schools Companies continue if project is viable
Our company
Research project
Explore whether educational computer games have a future in the educational system and the form it may take.
Explore, develop and implement a prototypical educational computer game examining the challenges and possibilities in development process and the educational use of the title
Provide a foundation for a serious games industry through a prototype convincing other developers of the potential in developing educational computer games
Our company
Background
Unique cross-disciplinary team with strong roots in research.
Founded in 2006
ReferencesGlobal Conflicts: Palestine (completed)Global Conflicts: Latin America (concept)
Bolivia Brænder (completed)Mayas Eventyr (completed)Darwin (in-production)Financial company (in-production)
Revenue
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Mar-06 Sep-06 Mar-07 Sep-07
Our company
Team
CEOCommercial directorProducerGame DirectorLead ProgrammerProgrammerLead 3D animator3D artistCharacter artistTester
Employees
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Mar-06 Sep-06 Mar-07 Sep-07
Our company
Team
CEO($)
Producer (Time)
Game director (Quality)
Programming (All programming)
Graphics/animation(All graphics)
Content (Story, script, dialogue)
Board
Commercial director (Sales, distrib. & Marketing)
Our company
Media coverageOur company
[Play CNN trailer]
This is not about edutainmentLittle intrinsic motivation: Extrinsic motivation through rewards, rather than intrinsic motivation.
No integrated learning experience: Lacks integration of the learning experience with playing experience - learning subordinated play experience.
Drill-and-practice learning principles: Rely on drill-and-practice rather than understanding – training above learning.
No teacher presence: No demands on teachers or parents.
Simple gameplay: Built on a simple gameplay from classic titles.
Small budgets: Produced on limited budgets with limited technology.
Educational Games
Edutainment has problems
Most of what goes under the name "edutainment" reminds me of George Bernard Shaw's response to a famous beauty who speculated on the marvelous child they could have together: "With your brains and my looks ..." He retorted, "But what if the child had my looks and your brains?"
• Important with fast feedback• Depend on iterations of concept & prototype• Above influenced by budget & scope
Our design philosophy
Our work: Global Conflicts: Palestine
Platform: Mac/PC, single player, CD-Rom
Technology: 3D game engine Unity
Playtime: 8 hours
Budget: 5 mio. DKK
Game: It is about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a strong integration between learning & playing. You play a journalist that solves different assignments by talking to people and locating the right sources while building trust.
Target group: Older students + mature people
Advantages• Strong, visual, immersive universe• Feels & plays very close to a real game• Unique gameplay
Disadvantages• More expensive with 3D• Long development time• Harder to test & change gameplay [Show trailer]
•Kolb’s cycle covered with different teaching forms in the course.
• The teacher is crucial to facilitate a full learning experience.
Empirical study
Qualitative feedback (students)
“Global Conflicts: Palestine is a fun and different way to receive learning” (Female student, 18 years)
“You had a greater desire to learn about the topic from Global Conflicts: Palestine” (Male student, 16 years)
”You learn a lot about how Israelis and Palestinians respectively look at the conflict, because you talk to
different persons... I think it is good that the stories derive from reality, providing the stories with a realistic tone.”
(Female student, 18 years)
Empirical study
Qualitative feedback (teachers)Customers
"By playing the game, the students reached a higher level of understanding on the issues of the conflict, than I could have
accomplished in a traditional way, so it has my highest recommendations.”(Danish 8th grade teacher)
"They are VERY interested and are highly motivated to it themselves.The parents say: Wish we had that form of
teaching in school!” (Danish high school teacher
"I used the game with our 11th grade World Cultures students - I have never seen the computer lab so quiet! All of the
students were seriously engaged and many expressed that they really enjoyed it” (US high school teacher
Students want more...Empirical study
90% students find it to be an interesting course
88% students find it to be an interesting educational material
59 % students find they learned more
90% students wants to try a similar course again
Sample: 51 Danish High school low-middle class students after a one-week course (similar results for 8th graders).
Our work: Bolivia Brænder
Platform: Mac/PC, single player, CD-Rom
Technology: 3D game engine Unity
Playtime: 1 hour
Budget: 1,2 mio. DKK
Game: It is about the challenges facing Bolivia. Gameplay a bit simpler than GC: P. It relies on technology from GC: P. The game is split into two missions.
Target group: Older students + mature people
Advantages• Strong, visual, immersive universe• Feels & plays very close to a real game• Welllproven gameplay
Disadvantages• More expensive with 3D• Medium development time• Limited changes to gameplay• Only works for some domains of knowledge
Our work: Mayas Eventyr
Platform: Single player, webbased
Technology: Isometric Flash game engine
Playtime: 45 minutes
Budget: 0,65 mio. DKK
Game: Is about the Maya indians in Guatemala and the challenges they have especially around language barriers.
Target group: 5-8 years old private users
Advantages• Easy & simple graphics• Easy to access & navigate• Lower budgets for more interaction• More chance for innovative gameplay
Disadvantages• Often not perceived as a real game• Immersion & realism suffers• Often more approriate for younger age groups
Our work: Darwin
Platform: Single player, web-based
Technology: UNITY 3D engine
Playtime: 30 minutes
Budget: 0,5 mio. DKK
Game: Is aimed at learning children about Darwin and evolution theory as an example of what natural science is.
Target group: 11-13 years old private users
Advantages• Easy & simple graphics• Easy to access & navigate• Lower budgets for more interaction• More chance for innovative gameplay
Disadvantages• Often not perceived as a real game• Immersion & realism suffers• Often more appropriate for younger age groups