Village the Game Play the world of social enterprise.

Village the GameVillage the Game

Play the world of social Play the world of social enterprise.enterprise.

Darian BioDarian Bio

Grew up in Locust Hill, VAGrew up in Locust Hill, VA Graduated JHU Comp Sci 2001.Graduated JHU Comp Sci 2001. Boring high-paying defense jobs for Boring high-paying defense jobs for

4 years.4 years. Now working on Village after an Now working on Village after an

inspiring conversation with friends inspiring conversation with friends in LA.in LA.

SummarySummary

What is Village?What is Village? Where did it come from?Where did it come from? Where is Village now?Where is Village now? Where are we going?Where are we going? What are the technical challenges to What are the technical challenges to

getting there?getting there?

Kenya ScenarioKenya Scenario

The ProblemThe Problem

Eradicating extreme poverty.Eradicating extreme poverty. Life is so easy in developed Life is so easy in developed

countries, people are bored.countries, people are bored. Life is so hard in undeveloped Life is so hard in undeveloped

countries, people are hopeless.countries, people are hopeless.

The SolutionThe Solution

Bring the Bored and the Hopeless together.Bring the Bored and the Hopeless together. Use video game entertainment to inspire a Use video game entertainment to inspire a

new generation of social entrepreneurs to new generation of social entrepreneurs to connect with the micro-entrepreneurs.connect with the micro-entrepreneurs.

VillagetheGame.com VillagetheGame.com GoalsGoals

Raise awareness of poverty Raise awareness of poverty solutions.solutions.

Make platform for experimentation.Make platform for experimentation. Get people addicted to third world Get people addicted to third world

development.development.

Started in May 2006Started in May 2006

Original Idea too big: SimVillage but Original Idea too big: SimVillage but not Sim.not Sim.

Village the ShowVillage the Show Conclusion: Village the Game started Conclusion: Village the Game started

in May 2006.in May 2006.

Did travel to meet social enterprises Did travel to meet social enterprises in person. Great response from in person. Great response from everybody.everybody.

State of Game and State of Game and CompanyCompany

Finishing up playable demo. Finishing up playable demo. Revising design for Village Casual Revising design for Village Casual

Download.Download. Not even a garage office yet.Not even a garage office yet. About 5 teammates working steady on About 5 teammates working steady on

the project. Micro-Multinational the project. Micro-Multinational Company.Company.

Jason still writing business plan.Jason still writing business plan. Entirely funded by my condo in NoVA.Entirely funded by my condo in NoVA.

Village DemoVillage Demo Coincidentally all the Coincidentally all the

companies in our demo are companies in our demo are connected to Stanford.connected to Stanford.

Kiva - microcreditKiva - microcredit Kickstart – irrigation pumpsKickstart – irrigation pumps Cosmos Ignite. – affordable Cosmos Ignite. – affordable

off-grid lighting. off-grid lighting.

Village VisionVillage Vision

2007 Single Player Casual Download 2007 Single Player Casual Download RTSRTS

2008 Multiplayer Online RTS, 2008 Multiplayer Online RTS, cooperative teams and competitive cooperative teams and competitive play.play.

2009 Village Tournament. Compete 2009 Village Tournament. Compete to win cash prizes. Team that wins to win cash prizes. Team that wins builds their village for real. builds their village for real.

Major Technical GoalsMajor Technical Goals

AI Pathfinding, it’s only 2D pathfinding AI Pathfinding, it’s only 2D pathfinding but still hard apparently, especially with but still hard apparently, especially with MMO’s.MMO’s.

Making available entertaining choices. Making available entertaining choices. “Paradox of Choice”. How to objectively “Paradox of Choice”. How to objectively pick which companies end up in the pick which companies end up in the game.game.

Scaling simulation quality for system Scaling simulation quality for system specs. How detailed can it be on 600 specs. How detailed can it be on 600 MHz 64mb Win98 box?MHz 64mb Win98 box?

Optimizing FunOptimizing Fun

Biggest factor of fun is being Biggest factor of fun is being challenging enough to keep the challenging enough to keep the player engaged yet achievable player engaged yet achievable enough to avoid frustrating the enough to avoid frustrating the player from playing.player from playing.

Dynamically adjusting pace of Dynamically adjusting pace of disasters to respond too; or adjust disasters to respond too; or adjust speed of consumption so something speed of consumption so something keeps happening.keeps happening.

Q & AQ & A

http://www.VillagetheGamhttp://www.VillagetheGame.come.com

[email protected]@villagethegame.comm

650 464 5342.650 464 5342.

Questions for YouQuestions for You

Does this game sound fun to play?Does this game sound fun to play? Which game dev challenges interest Which game dev challenges interest

you?you? How should Village partner with How should Village partner with

Stanford?Stanford?

TeamTeam

Artist – Blake DouglasArtist – Blake Douglas Programmer – Anton BurschProgrammer – Anton Bursch Business Advisor/Partner – Jason CarvalhoBusiness Advisor/Partner – Jason Carvalho Simulation Expert – Daniel WintersteinSimulation Expert – Daniel Winterstein Game Producer/Designer - Bryan Wiegele –Game Producer/Designer - Bryan Wiegele –

of BigTimeGames.comof BigTimeGames.com Sound Designer – Todd KinsleySound Designer – Todd Kinsley Advisors – Matt Langley of Advisors – Matt Langley of

GarageGames.com, Angel Inokon of GarageGames.com, Angel Inokon of Playfirst.com, and many others.Playfirst.com, and many others.

PressPress

www.WorldChanging.comwww.WorldChanging.com www.NextBillion.netwww.NextBillion.net www.Kiwanja.netwww.Kiwanja.net Many other blogs.Many other blogs.

Needed InfrastructureNeeded Infrastructure

Referral commissions management.Referral commissions management. Peak load management for media Peak load management for media

blitz.blitz. Upload user-created content. Upload user-created content. Plugin API for domain experts. Plugin API for domain experts.

Experiments We Can DoExperiments We Can Do

Open source AJAX/Flash version of the Open source AJAX/Flash version of the game playable virtually everywhere.game playable virtually everywhere.

Integration with Google Earth.Integration with Google Earth. Deployment on OLPC laptop so kids Deployment on OLPC laptop so kids

can learn how to engineer their village can learn how to engineer their village from the start.from the start.

Sim Iraq. How to rebuild while in civil Sim Iraq. How to rebuild while in civil war grassroots style: DOD Directive war grassroots style: DOD Directive 3000.053000.05

More ExperimentsMore Experiments

Build Computer AI with Numenta HTMHierarchical Temporal Memory (video)