Games for Change - Day 2 and Wrap Up
I really enjoyed Day 2 - I'm starting to see a picture of how and when we can best use games to communicate a particular message or engage our audiences - not that I can completely articulate it...I came up with several high level takeaways and observations from the conference that I'd like to share.
Observations
- There is a lack of definition and semantics that needs to be addressed by the "community"
- There wasn't a lot of "bi-partisanship" from the folks in the room - not that that is bad! But - I wouldn't have liked to have been a guy representing the NRA.
- Raph Koster is smart, very smart. And knows how to inflame an audience! Same goes for Ian Bogost. I believe both of these folks were making a point by being inflammatory - a tactic that not only takes cajones, but is absolutely entertaining as well.
- Jerry Paffendorf is tall. Is his avatar in SL that tall?
- Lots of discussion about modeling the real world in the virtual world. It's amazing what's happening with Google Earth and the 3D web - and there are clearly privacy and safety issues at hand... but I hope that someone will figure out how to model and FIX traffic problems around the country starting with the Merritt Parkway.
- The organizers did a great job - many good (some not so good) discussions and thought provoking ideas.
Takeaways
- Look for collaborative opportunities to push the mission forward and utilize "games" as a way to enable the collaboration. For example - could we build a way for students, patients and researchers to take cell level building blocks to build new potential ways to reorganize treatments? (Hey, I'm not a medical person, I'm just thinking here!).
- Consider FUN first. If a game isn't fun - why bother. My new definition of fun is.. fun = engagement.
- Games are an emerging and legitimate for of literacy, art, storytelling and commerce. Cave Paintings ---> Video Games/Interactive Media. At some point (soon I assume) we'll start seeing critical reviews in the WSJ or NYTimes about video games and interactive content.
- Globalkids.org
- Holymeatballs.com - Global Kids SecondLife lessons/documentation
- Secondlife Education - info about how SL is reaching out to the education market
- Pathfinder Linden's site - insider at SL's web site
- Multiverse - 3D browser
- SL Boutique - buy SL items
- There.com - another 3D environment
posted by Marc @ 9:30 AM
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