DGMD E-70 Game Design LESSON #4: Alternative Reality Games

TODAY: 1.How Homework #1-2 were Evaluated. 2. Discussing the Reading: McGonigal & Schell 3. Game Design through Alternatives to Misery

Game Evaluation

CLARITY: Are the instructions and board concise and easy to understand? INNOVATION: What is new and exciting in the gameplay to stimulate interest in new challenges? IMMERSION: Is the story compelling (setting, action framing, art and music)? FLOW: Does the player feel constantly productive, able to act and have those actions matter (advance their agenda) every turn? FIERO: Multiple big victory moments for players?

The First Reading: Art of Game Design: a Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell (pp40-74)

LENSES: (p43) Lense #7: Elemental Tetrad: » Mechanics » Story » Aesthetics » Technology (Focus revision on these four paths) The First Reading: Art of Game Design: a Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell (pp40-74)

LENSES: (p43) Lense #7: Elemental Tetrad: » Mechanics, Story, Aesthetics, Technology (p53) Lense #9: Unification: » All elements work to support a Theme The First Reading: Art of Game Design: a Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell (pp40-74)

QUESTION: What makes for a compelling Theme?

Wish Fulfillment Universal or Personal Truths

LENSES: (p43) Lense #7: Elemental Tetrad: » Mechanics, Story, Aesthetics, Technology (p53) Lense #9: Unification: » All elements work to support a Theme (p59) Lense #11: Infinite Inspiration: » Get inspiration for games from everything EXCEPT games The First Reading: Art of Game Design: a Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell (pp40-74)

The Second Reading: Reality is Broken (pp ) by Jane McGonigal

“A good game can change the way you see yourself and what you are capable of, forever” (p214) Reality does not satisfy human needs as well as games, but if it did, our real lives would be better. Games can be used to alleviate human suffering. Intrinsic rewards motivate engagement and feel more rewarding than extrinsic rewards.

Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal p114: Four Essential Human Cravings: More Satisfying Work Better Hope for Success Stronger Social Connectivity Being a Part of Something Bigger + reliable source of Flow and Fiero p126: To make something fun, make it: Goal Oriented Feedback Rich Obstacle Intensive Happiness Hacks: Avoid embarrassment by focusing on a challenging goal.

Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal FIXES FOR REALITY #01: “Unnecessary Obstacles” (p22) #02: “Emotional Activation” (p38) #03: “More Satisfying Work” (p54) #04: “Better Hope For Success” (p68) #05: “Stronger Social Connectivity” (p82) #06: “Epic Scope (connect to bigger)” (p98) #07: “Wholehearted Participation” (p124) #08: “Meaningful Rewards When We Need Them Most” (p148) #09: “More Fun With Strangers” (p172) #10: “Happiness Hacks” (p189) #11: “A Sustainable Engagement Economy” (p244) #12: “More Epic Wins” (p252) #13: “10k Hours Collaboration” (p277) #14: “Massively Multiplayer Foresight” (p302)

DISCUSS: Your Favorite ARGs From Reality is Broken ARGs: REINVENTING REALITY (pp ) Chore Wars (cleaning, p120) Quest to Learn (school, p ) Superbetter (recovery p ) PlusOneMe (boosts p ) Jetset/Day in the Cloud (flying pp ) Nike+ (running pp ) Foursquare (social engagement pp164) Comfort of Strangers (social engagement p168) Ghost of a Chance (museum, p173) Bounce (elderly, p177) HAPPINESS HACKS: Cruel2BKind (Jen Ratio, p192) Tombstone Hold’em (cemeteries p197) Top Secret Dance Off (public dancing pp )

DESIGN METHOD #4: ALTERNATIVES TO MISERY Process for making an Alternate Reality Game: 1.Identify a source of misery. 2.List the mechanics of the misery 3.List real-world solutions for the misery. These are likely behaviors that people would want to do if they were not embarrassed, too busy, thoughtless, afraid, or otherwise focused. 4.Focus on one tangible behavioral solution at a time, and consider game mechanics that could encourage that behavior. Iterate: what can make those mechanics more meaningful, and more specific to the behavioral solution desired?

ARG EXAMPLE #1: McGonigal’s “Tombstone Hold ‘Em”

“Tombstone Hold ‘Em” ARG Process: 1.Identify Misery: Western culture has lost touch with it own mortality, leading to anxiety and loss of life- focus. 2.List the Misery Mechanics: People avoid cemeteries, avoid thinking about the departed and their own limited lifetimes. Graveyards seen as creepy, taboo, isolating, sources of pain and fear. 3.List real-world solutions: Encourage death-bed roleplay, create social events in cemeteries. 4.Build a Game around one tangible solution: Social game in cemeteries where the gravestones themselves are critical game elements.

Texas Hold’em Basics: Sit at a Table The Hole: Each player gets two cards (face down) The Flop: Dealer deals 3 cards to the center of the table face up. The Turn: Dealer adds a 4th card to the Flop. The River: Dealer adds a 5th card to the Flop. Hands/Betting: Between each of the above stages the players place bets based on the poker hand they can create between their Hole cards and the cards in the center (runs, pairs, etc).

Tombstone Hold ‘Em: In a Cemetery Flop/Run/River happens First

Tombstone Hold ‘Em: In a Cemetery START WITH THE RIVER: All players gather in one location in the cemetery and the dealer puts out all five communal cards. PLAYERS WORK IN PAIRS TO FIND THEIR HOLE CARDS: Search cemetery for two “cards” to get the best possible hand stone shapes = suit: round=hearts, cross=clubs, point=spades, flat=diamonds. dates/#names = card number/face: last number on a date = card number, multiple names on a stone = Jack, Queen, etc.

Tombstone Hold ‘Em: In a Cemetery Find your own Hole cards– recruit among departed

RESULTS: Engage positively/socially with space and those laid to rest there. Leave with sense of peace. Tombstone Hold ‘Em TIME’S UP: Everyone runs back to the start and declares their hand. Only best claim needs to prove it at the site.

ARG EXAMPLE #2: “The Wastronauts”

Parenting and Games Blog: Yaya Play Parentzine

“The Wastronauts” ARG Process: 1.Identify Misery: Bedtime ritual emotionally exhausting and physically taxing. 2.List the Misery Mechanics: Child delays between each of the four bathroom tasks, has meltdowns and end-of-day out-of-control behavior. 3.List real-world solutions: Distracting songs and activities, different body positions, read stories offer incentives and consequences. 4.Build a Game around one tangible solution: Invent hero narratives around a fantasy crisis.

“The Wastronauts” Narrative The bathroom is not a bathroom. It is a power and control station for MoonDoggie Base. Each bathroom task is part of fixing an air leak, building a sonic defense tower against invading alien predators, building a shield against a storm of solar flares.

“The Wastronauts”

Translate each task into part of a larger narrative that supports her desire to take care of her stuffies. Tasks she knows how to do so she feels happily productive and fully engaged. Make it optional. Make each task a bit more challenging than it needs to be so each completed task is an accomplishment. Make the goal clear, add a ticking clock. End with intrinsic reward: saving-the-day speech. RESULT: Happy, engaged bedtimes, even improvements in timing.

GAME DESIGN EXERCISE: ALTERNATIVE REALITY GAMES PLEASE NOTE: There is potential for this week’s assignment to enter into subjects which may be larger than your classmates have reasonable capacity in this course to engage. Please be considerate and aware of your teammates and the larger class in choosing your topics and be aware of the possibility of “trigger” topics. That said, I ask and trust you to communicate honestly with your teammates in setting appropriate boundaries this week in discussing sources of human misery, and please do not hesitate to contact your teacher with any questions or concerns.

GAME DESIGN EXERCISE: ALTERNATIVE REALITY GAMES 1. TEAMS: Choose NEW teams of three. Everyone needs paper and pen to list Miseries/Solutions. 2. MISERY IN PRIVATE: Take 5 minutes alone and in silence to list personal and social miseries. What makes you or people you know afraid in their daily lives? What unavoidable tasks make them unhappy, depressed, full of worry or shame? Both smaller and bigger sources are welcome. 3. MISERY IN COMPANY: Discuss your list with your new teammates, taking notes on paper. 4. MECHANICS OF MISERY: Choose a misery you find particularly interesting or deplorable. Identify the mechanics of the misery– how does it make people miserable? How does it affect their lives in larger ways? 5. SOLUTIONS: Choose 1 mechanic of misery and consider behavioral solutions, if only the people involved were not so embarrassed, in pain, isolated, or otherwise feeling incapable of feeling otherwise. 6. GAMES: Brainstorm game ideas – paper or participatory – to engage 1 of those solutions by adding GOALS, CHALLENGING OBSTACLES, and RICH FEEDBACK

Due Next Week: HOMEWORK #4: With your new team, meet outside of class to revise/discuss the ARG designs from class and discuss more possibilities for paper or physical games. Try playing the games! EACH TEAM WILL TYPE AND SUBMIT 1-2 ARG CONCEPT/S: Description of suffering, gameplay rules, board image if applicable, photos of initial setup and key moments, and notes related to the reading. Download Unity3D and try the first training module ALSO Read 50 pages more of EITHER Schell or McGonigal’s books, your choice. Note “Lenses” or “Fixes” you find & apply them in your design write-up.

Have a Spectacular Week! And don’t forget to with questions: Instructor: JASON WISER Available daily by