2. Presentation Outline - Concept Concept Initial Work –Game Design –Initial Prototype Latest Work –Game Refinements –Media Future Plans –Schedule –Final Game Risks

3. Create a fun networked multiplayer business simulation game that can be educational both inside and outside the classroom. Concept

4. Teaching Method Scenarios 1.Present an event that exaggerates an economic concept 2.Challenge the guest to discover that concept 3.Place the knowledge where they can find it 4.Reward 1.Eureka moment! 2.Improved ability in the game

5. Intended Audience Students in a classroom & casual players

6. Metrics for Success Helps students grasp some of the most difficult concepts in introductory economics –Give them a quiz afterwards People want to play it –Classroom Would you rather learn from our game, or from lectures and textbooks? –Casual How fun was it? Number of downloads

7. Presentation Outline - Initial Work Concept Initial Work –Game Design –Initial Prototype Latest Work –Game Refinements –Media Future Plans –Schedule –Final Game Risks

8. In the beginning… Research –Determine what the gameplay should be Prototype –Gameplay proof-of-concept

9. Research – Gameplay Supply Chain Simulation Realistic Economy –Player actions affect others Goal is simple, but way to get there is not Have something interesting to do every turn Avoid –Conflict between story and mechanics –Players feeling disenfranchised too early –Too much randomness

10. A Supply Chain

11. Salamander v1.0

12. Presentation Outline – Latest Work Concept Initial Work –Game Design –Initial Prototype Latest Work –Game Refinements –Media Future Plans –Schedule –Final Game Risks

13. What have we been up to lately? Game –Theme – Colonizing Mars –Designed the supply chain –Implemented two economic models – warehouse and market –First Scenario – Marginal Cost –Internal playtesting – 4+ hours of gameplay! –Skyrates: powered by Gamenomic $ –Designed architecture for the new codebase Media –Touchscreen – Game trailer –Poster –Webpage – www.gamenomics.com

14. Theme Why is theme important? Things we want in a theme –Supply chain must make sense –End products don’t just disappear –Resources come from somewhere –Classroom friendly –Promote both cooperation and competition –Allow for more than one winner

15. Our Theme Colonization of Mars –Acquire resources, produce goods, and trade to build the first colony on Mars! Players are establishing Martian industry Martian colonists need goods Resources are harvested on Mars No sex or violence! Players can cooperate and will compete Players are rewarded for growing the economy

16. Current Supply Chain

17. Salamander v1.0

18. Salamander v2.0 Now with Economics!

19. First Scenario – Marginal Cost 1.What is Marginal Cost? 2.Why is it important? 3.Why is it hard to learn? 4.How do we teach it?

20. Skyrates: Powered by Gamenomic $

21. Hellbender v0.1 (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)

22. Media

23. Presentation Outline – Future Plans Concept Initial Work –Game Design –Initial Prototype Latest Work –Game Refinements –Media Future Plans –Schedule –Final Game Risks

25. Upcoming Attractions Networking

26. Upcoming Attractions New UI

27. Upcoming Attractions Re-implement Salamander features in Hellbender Miscellaneous features Game Master controls Add new scenarios Game art

28. Upcoming Attractions Guest Testing David Lamont’s Executive Education ETC Students & Faculty Friends and Family CMU Economic & Business Students

29. Upcoming Attractions Tuning and Balancing

30. Presentation Outline - Risks Concept Initial Work –Game Design –Initial Prototype Latest Work –Game Refinements –Media Future Plans –Schedule –Final Game Risks

31. Biggest Risks Classroom vs. Casual Reward structure doesn’t work Instead of a game, we end up with an economic model that could be used to make a completed game Things are taking longer than we planned –Game Design! Albith has developed Carpal Tunnel syndrome But the biggest risk of all is…

33. Things we could use help with Technical Help: –Java GUI! Guest Testing Sound

34. Feedback from Quarter Presentation Good –Presentation clearly explained project to naïve listeners Bad –Presentation style –Need a strong one-sentence explanation of the game –Need a metric for success for casual players

35. Questions?

36. Thanks