1. The platform must target a specific group.

First off there are a few concepts you need to know from neuroscience to get you started. The first is the reticular activating system (RAS). The RAS is one of the compound structures in the brain responsible for attention and orientation. The RAS is associated with most commonly the concept of selective attention, which means we as humans naturally orient to information that we are invested in.

An example of the RAS would be in a big crowd of people, let’s say walking down the high street where you can’t hear much of anything, but you suddenly look towards someone who has just shouted your name in a conversation. As our names are one of the many “buzz words” which are programmed directly into us from a very early age, we naturally focus on someone when someone mentions us.

Our key strategy when working with clients is to identify relevant and meaningful content that captures the audience, but the trick is that all our content when building influence platforms needs to be relevant, usable and meaningful.

2. The platform must assist users to interact with content in multiple ways, using modes of engagement.

The second theory related to neuroscience is the idea of motivating people to interact with your content in multiple ways. The concept of “multimodal learning” explains that people are more likely to learn and retain information if multiple sensory stimulation takes place.

We are more likely to engage and recall things that appeal to multiple senses, through modalities such as written (visual) and aural (auditory) at the same time. The content appeals more to the user if it’s offering multiple ways by which it can be consumed.

For example in our game Choices and Voices, we had multiple versions for different parts of the UK. Each version would have different voice acting accents, environments and story language to convey a sense of relevance to the user.

Prevent Project – Choices and Voices, Game Series

C&V – West Midlands

C&V – Southwest

C&V – Primary

3. Bring content in front of the audience.

We now turn to human psychology where we can identify a few concepts that are useful in terms of content authoring. We must remember that people tend to respond more strongly to meaningful stories within narratives. By which they go far as engaging with your content if it is logically presented, sequential and easy to understand. Also you may wish to include emotional components which will grab your audience’s attention. Use stories to communicate content, which makes it more personal to your audience.

For example within a community, be that in a game or on a social network create stories around your content, communicate to others through other users. Facebook is a primary example of this with their “User stories”, where advertising can be communicated through the user’s friends. Remember people can recall narratives better then a series of facts or statements.

Video Games and the technologies that support them have fundamentally changed the way we play. The players are older, the genres are broader, the games are much more advanced, immersive, and engaging.

There are many companies today who wish to integrate gaming mechanics and game-based learning into everyday applications, fundamentally changing the way work is done. Add to this the inescapable fact that digital interactivity is being used in disciplines such as behavior modification, autism therapy, leadership skill building, and strategic analysis by organizations like us, PlayGen.

What is game based learning ? Screenshot from Choices&Voices

Most learners only remember 5 to 10 percent of what they read; 20 percent of what they hear; 30 percent if they see visuals related to what they hear; 50 percent if they watch someone do something while explaining it; but almost 80 percent if they do the job themselves, even if only as a simulation.

Today’s schools and companies are running in competition with some of the most compelling and engaging content out there, namely console and video games. Its only by staying ahead of the curve that our schools and organisations can captivate the audience by using the power of interactivity and simulations (dare I say games) to enhance and improve the way we learn and work.

Serious games and game based learning forms a new critical component of the equation to make education smarter. Although the field is still young, PlayGen has already shown how game-based learning has the potential to deliver sophisticated business, science and behavioural education to hundreds of thousands of users simultaneously.

Unlike other historical mass-media experiments in education, for example TV or webcasts, games are a highly interactive medium, and providing they are designed properly they share many key attributes with sophisticated pedagogical approaches (the art and science of how we learn).

PlayGen’s serious games differ from other forms of learning by providing rich, rewarding, relevant and multi-faceted environments in which the player can put their theory into practice in a safe, simulated manner and learn from their own decisions. We offer continuous feedback and cooperative team learning in an inquiry-based, authentic environment where players are motivated by rewards and new levels toward achieving their objectives.

We develop engaging, immersive scenarios using gaming technologies to assess and influence the behaviours of many different types of end-users. Within these branching scenarios, users’ decisions lead to effects, both immediate and simulation wide, altering the events, characters and situations encountered. Feedback is provided seamlessly as a natural progression throughout the experience.

Branching scenarios (also known as branching stories and utilised in scenario based learning or assessment ) are used every day to help assess and influence the behaviours of a large variety of end-users, from workers on the shop floor to top-tier managers, from military servicemen to school children. In this type of simulation or game, the users’ multiple-choice decisions have knock-on effects on events and situations encountered. PlayGen uses a mixture of measured parameters, combined with artificial intelligence to respond to a player’s decisions with affects rippling across the simulation. This creates believable scenarios where the users’ actions lead to results either straightaway or as an accumulative process.

A typical experience begins with an introductory briefing for the topic or the situation the user needs to make decisions on. They then explore the virtual world where they encounter decision points through characters and objects, their actions and choices changing the experience of the environment and triggering specific feedback, either immediately or creating repercussions further down the track. As the scenario advances, further decision points are presented based on previous choices. Users continue to engage, traversing through the available branches until they reach an intended milestone with varying degrees of success. Users are presented with after action review whilst the facilitators and learning managers are provided with detailed information about the users’ responses and behaviour during the course of the experience.

What’s special about branching stories that PlayGen develop?

We have the industry’s most powerful set of authoring tools, delivery platform and methodologies to harness the opportunities of scenario based training effectively.

The characters and objects in our simulations use artificial intelligence as well as scripted events to respond to the player. This is unique within the serious games business and is largely thanks to our extensive experience of using artificial intelligence models in commercial games.

Once the user makes a decision, the effects can ripple across the whole virtual world and simulations parameters, changing other characters’ attitudes toward the user and guiding them towards specific goals.

Flexible and versatility provided by our delivery platform seamlessly incorporates any number of interactive actions within a single experience. The players can talk to characters, operate objects and devices, drive vehicles, and access external software interfaces all within a single unified interface.

To this end we’ve developed Choices&Voices, class room delivered lessons based on short interactive role-play games in which pupils are encouraged to explore different points of view and make a range of decisions. The aim is to counter the spread of misinformation, negative ideas and attitudes by offering an interactive session in which students are presented with a series of choices, encouraging them to develop their understanding of consequences.

At specific points in the scenarios, students are presented with challenging decisions that form the focal point for class discussion. Positive messages are woven into the narrative throughout, and group discussions will encourage students to extract the positive ideas and to reflect on their merits.

Prevent Project – Choices and Voices, Game Series

C&V – West Midlands

C&V – Southwest

C&V – Primary

Choices&Voices has been supported by the Police, developed by PlayGen in collaboration with Birmingham University’s School of Education and relevant academics, the DCSF and a number of regional schools.

It has been rigorously researched and is in full accordance with the National Curriculum, DCSF’s National Strategy, and covers specific areas within the Citizenship, PSHE and SEAL curriculum.

Learning objectives

• To promote understanding and critical conversation on belief systems, as well as social and economic inequality.
• To encourage productive teamwork in response to difficulties and grievances to get students to learn together, develop their social skills and empathy and work towards a safe and cohesive community
• To emphasise commonality and respecting differences between students.

Our ultimate aim is to support communities and local government to engage more effectively with young people in fostering better community cohesion. Our work is toward aiding the process of building strong and positive relationships between young people of different backgrounds and fostering a sense of commonality and a positive vision of the future.

Prevent aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting violent extremists. It is one of the four components of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy, known as CONTEST.

Prevent violent extremism builds on and is linked to local partners’ wider work to create and support cohesive, resilient and empowered local communities.

Agents of influence are those whose opinions online are trusted, but who are they and how do we get them to talk about what we do?

Influence through cyberspace is about tapping into the power of social networks to build the ideology’s perception, reputation, and in the case of brands, profits. Today’s online influencers are cyberspace natives who trade in values, trust, reputation, and relationships, using social media means to accrue the influence that builds up or brings down ideas online.

The Internet has substantially changed the way we deal with influence — no where is this more apparent than in the field of advertising and marketing. Consumer environments are short on trust and populated by consumers who are cynical, savvy, and informed. Though it’s easier than ever to reach your customers, it’s less likely that they’ll listen. Today, the most valuable online currency isn’t the pound, but trust itself.

At the same time, social networks and personal connections as elements of influence through cyberspace carry far more weight on consumers than any top-down messages ever will — unless we realise how to harness this power. In Trust Agents, two social media veterans show you how to tap into the power of these networks to build your brand’s influence, reputation, and profits.

Trust agents are ordinary people with a keen interest in an area, they are digital savvy wield the web to provide an honest, genuine relationship for their own means. They have the capability to elevate an ideology and reputation or vise versa.

Counterintelligence is typically associated with the idea of catching foreign spies and double agents attempting to spy on their own country for financial gain or blackmail. However in the context of influence in cyberspace counterintelligence is really about understanding and countering all aspects of intelligence operations.

And thus in order to indentify, deceive, exploit, disrupt, or protect against cyber espionage we have no choice but to take cyberspace seriously and learn from marketers and advertisers who wield it to their advantage.

Inspire your learners with the power of games

Inspiration gives us the fuel to do things we never even dreamt of. Innovation is all about being curious and trying new things. It means taking risks and considering the impossible. There are many situations in which we wish the people around us were more inspired. These could be students, our staff, our customers and trainees that we engage with daily. The realities of the workplace, the lab or the classroom do not always make this easy.

When players are deeply immersed in a virtual world they tend to let go of their inhibitions and be more open to new ideas and experimentation. This is the ground where inspiration flourishes. Games and simulations let users explore the ideas that would be too expensive, too risky or simply beyond the realms of today’s science. Cutting edge science can be given a helping hand by cutting edge technology.

Our games give you the tools to open minds

Virtual worlds can take innovation to new levels. We can take users to the inside of a human blood cell, the corridors of power in the White House, or the far reaches of space. And most importantly, we can provide them with detailed feedback about results across a range of scenarios, informing today’s decisions in the real world.

Time Commanders

PrettyPoli

Climate Health Impact

We can help to inspire your audience

Virtual worlds don’t just play a role in inspiring the leaders and professionals of today. Their biggest potential is perhaps in inspiring the scientists, the visionaries and the healers of tomorrow. We are looking to join forces with other organisations that share this vision and want to work with us in inspiring young people to innovate.

Benefits of working with PlayGen:

• We can help to instil a sense of awe on a subject that seems difficult or impossible to understand.
• We build immersive worlds where users’ decisions have a knock on effect as a scenario plays out.
• This also challenges people to think about new possibilities and opportunities.
• As a result, we help people to look at things from a new perspective.
• To bring a complex area to life and make it accessible.

How do we make serious games and simulations to inspire?

• Start with a solid foundation of what is known.
• Add a generous helping of tools that are open ended enough to allow for experimentation.
• Provide plenty of space for the player’s own imagination.

We’ve learnt that the most inspiring tools are often the simplest ones. For instance, we’ve developed a number of games to inspire the next generation of scientists about the possibilities of nanotechnology. The games vary from fairly complex to extremely simple. Some of the simulations with the biggest wow factor have been those that bring to life the notion of the nano-scale through the simplest visual comparisons.

There is no better training than by being actively involved

We all learn better by trying things out. Our serious games and simulations deliver results by putting the player in charge, in a safe environment, where they are free to experiment.

Simulations offer the best training tool as they enable the learner to actively engage with the topic and experience it

They are particularly effective when:

• The content is critical or risk of failure is high – either in monetary terms, injury or death.
• The content is complex or difficult to communicate using traditional methods.
• The content is made up of actions and decisions within a system.
• The learners need to be more engaged than they are using current methods.

In many circumstances, the cost of getting things wrong or not knowing what to do is high. In some industries it can seriously hit the bottom line. In others it can mean the difference between life and death. This gets in the way of learning by experience. You wouldn’t want a doctor or a pilot trying out a new idea whilst you were in their hands. You wouldn’t want your Head of Finance taking a punt on a completely new investment strategy without walking through the consequences. But we all need our staff and students to test out new ideas in order to push the boundaries and get ahead.

Open Source Virtual World

We create interactive learning environments where learners explore real life situations and learn by doing.

By using gaming technology and interactive experiences, we can fully immerse users in the topic, so that they are trained more effectively, and in less time. Geared to exactly match your specific goals, our content provides learners with:

• Transformational training.
• Deeper interaction with the subject.
• Better understanding of the content in context.
• Sharpened skills through motivating hands-on experience.

With dedicated focus and constant communication, we are with you every step of the learning process, making adjustments whenever necessary. Our job is only complete when your employees and students can flawlessly execute the proper skills and behaviours identified for success.

Anti-money Laundering Trainer

We train using serious games and simulations by incorporating:

• Clear goals which push players/learners to achieve.
• Rules that set the parameters within which goals can be achieved, reflecting practical limitations.
• Competition, challenge and problem solving at personalised levels of difficulty which inspire players and learners to continuously test new solutions and improve their knowledge and skills
• Continuous feedback about performance and steps that could be taken to further improve
• An exciting, interesting and engaging experience which fully immerses the player or learner in the subject matter.

Data Security Trainer

We can help you bring difficult subjects to life, by putting the learner in control and allowing them to experiment without fear of failing until they understand the topic fully.

Measure everything…it’s important

As the saying goes ‘you can’t manage what you don’t measure’. We’re here to make things better. And we know we’ve got to measure everything along the way to achieve excellence – for us, our partners and our players.

By measuring players’ capabilities we can help them improve their understanding and performance. By measuring a product’s usage or impact on behaviours and attitudes, we can help you improve its design and show return on investment.

Why are serious games or simulations good for measuring?

Serious games and simulations are cost effective, but more importantly, they provide a valuable way of measuring choices.

Personality tests, interviews, and training sessions can be prohibitively expensive – once you’ve developed a simulation there is no limit to the number of times you can use it. The fun and relaxing environment of games and simulations means that people let go of inhibitions and reveal their true motivations and instincts – it’s significantly more effective than an interview or test!

We can provide a more effective way for:

• Showing how well the player knows something
• Understanding the players emotions and attitudes
• Finding consensus on issues through collecting data from a cross section of players
• Providing a benchmark for training and development

Our technology takes measure to a new level

Any old training tool can measure what people know. Ours can also measure how they behave, what they believe and what motivates them.

Progression measurement

Policy Engagement

Psychometric measurement

We can help you measure:

• Player’s knowledge of facts, systems or procedures.
• Player’s level of skill on particular tasks.
• Player’s cognitive abilities.
• Player’s behaviour: one-off or patterns.
• Their personality traits.
• Players’ social norms and what they find acceptable.
• Attitudes and opinions of a whole cross-section of society.

Our projects measure many aspects including knowledge, behaviour and attitudes. By feeding this back to people in a user-friendly way, we can create a virtuous circle of self-awareness and self-improvement.

Our measurement capabilities can help you transform performance in many ways:

Benefits

• Predicting an individuals’ fit with competencies or values needed for a role.
• Using simulations to assess and target risky behaviour.
• Providing a benchmark for training or development for personalised coaching.
• Helping users to understand and reflect on their own behaviour, driving behaviour change.
• Collecting data from a wide cross section of players to give the bigger picture on behaviours and attitudes.
• Reaching new audiences and consulting with stakeholders on a whole new scale.

From measuring capability, attitude or aptitude of the players, to measuring the products interims of usage, exposure, change on behaviour or performance, we measure real return on investment.

Engaging Lives, Improving Lives, Saving Lives

PlayGen Health combines established principles of learning and scientific research with playful gaming mechanisms to deliver innovative solutions for behavioural change within the healthcare industry. Focus areas include general wellbeing, disease management and compliance.

Benefits

• Increasing users knowledge about illness, prevention and treatment.
• Improving patient compliance.
• Changing attitude and behaviour to inform, empower and improve quality of life.
• Improve doctor-patient communications and trust.
• Boost productivity and reduce medical costs of healthcare organisations.

Re-Education and Health Solutions

Our interactives are designed to tackle three core focus areas: wellness and prevention, disease management and patient compliance.

• Wellness and Prevention – Our interactives are designed to improve the overall lifestyle and habits of users, covering areas such as sexual health, diet and nutrition, drug and alcohol abuse, hygiene, and stress management. In addressing these issues, we help to reduce the number of emergency hospital cases, for example, and therefore aid considerable efficiency savings within the healthcare system.
• Disease management – The World Health Organisation has identified that chronic conditions currently account for approx. 80% of GP consultations. If not successfully managed, this will become the most expensive problem for health care systems and will be the leading cause of disability by 2020. Our solutions have the capacity to address the way in which people manage their conditions, by helping them to prevent complications, slow down deterioration, maintain health, and generally improve their quality of life.
• Patient Compliance – Non-compliance to medication regimens can result in an additional $100 billion in annual health care costs. By combining proven social media, gaming mechanics and digital technologies, we create adherence solutions for a wide variety of patients. This is achieved by informing patient of treatment benefits, educating of side effects, and overcoming the lack of trust between patients and healthcare providers.

Previously Developed Solutions

• Alcohol Addiction and Drink Driving for the US Department of Defence: Informed by trials of over 1000 military personnel, this simulation collected and measured soldier’s reactions, behaviours and attitudes to alcohol in a non-obtrusive way and targeted interventions at those displaying high risk beliefs and behaviours, to develop support where needed and provide further education to positively impact upon approaches to alcohol.
• Risky Sexual Behaviour for Coventry University and Life Sciences Applied Research Centre: Research suggests that adolescents who feel connected to their friends and family are more likely to delay initiating sexual intercourse than other teens. This simulation helps parents to discuss difficult or embarrassing topics to improve communication style and open up child-parent dialogues, and consequently impact upon the attitude of young people to reduce their sexual risk behaviours.
• The Threat of Climate Change to Public Health for the Wellcome Trust: This simulation is designed to give users a better understanding of the emerging threat of climate change to public well-being, and to catalyse positive behavioural changes relating to personal health and hygiene, through the education of disease and disease prevention in a powerful and engaging format.
• NanoMedicine treating cancer for the Wellcome Trust and London School of Pharmacy: Nanomedicine is an engaging and scientifically accurate interactive 3D learning game to promote users’ scientific reasoning, foster cooperative learning and intellectual teamwork.

Evidence That It Works

Digital games and interactives are proven to effectively change behaviours across all acuity levels and positively impact upon growth and healthy development.

Re-Mission, for example, helps educate young cancer patients about their disease and results in greater medication adherence, and Packy & Marlon helps children with their diabetes self-management and successfully reduced diabetes-related emergency visits by 77%.

Whether the objective is to improve doctor-patient communications, lose weight, improve nutrition habits, educate on risky behaviours or cope with pain symptoms, we have the healthcare knowledge and digital expertise to develop an effective solution.

Areas of Application

• Health professionals
• Pharmaceutical and Healthcare companies
• Patients

We are writing a book and we need your help

PlayGen Health is engaging with professionals from around the health industry to have their input on our book “Games for Health- Which improve lives”.

What’s in the book

• The benefits of using simulations and serious games compared with standard e-learning.
• Clinical trials that demonstrate significant positive benefit in use of games for patients.
• Articles on social media and the approaches taken by practitioner’s and pharmaceutical companys.
• White papers on how healthcare training can be made more effective through the use of simulations and serious games.
• Learn how gaming and virtual technologies can be harnessed to increase physical activity, encourage better personal health and improve hospital operations.

We are looking for contributors

• Governmental bodies and institutes.
• Private organisations and Healthcare groups.
• Pharmaceutical companys and research professionals.
• Medical practioners and training overseers.

Want to contribute?

Tel: 0800 530 0136 or +44(0)20 7749 3783
E-Mail: contact@playgen.com

Influence your audience

Changing attitudes and entrenched behaviours is difficult, but this is our expertise. We understand that tackling such issues requires far more than making a playful experience or developing an information resource.

Why are serious games or simulations good for influencing behaviour?

At PlayGen we’ve captivated the imaginations of audiences from soldiers to students, and ministers to media professionals. We’ve played this game enough times to know how to do it right!

Benefits

• Serious games and simulations can be instrumental in influencing behaviour because they provide a realistic and safe environment.
• To enable the exploration and recording of attitudes and behaviours.
• As a means of informing to counter misconceptions.
• As well as encouraging open and critical conversations.
• In doing so, users are encouraged to transfer their experience beyond the gaming world, and the likelihood of long-term behaviour change is increased.

We thrive on designing solutions that captivate the audience on an emotional and intellectual level, so that players are motivated to explore, discuss and understand the subject through rewarding experiences. The gaming environment is conducive to supporting players to develop the skills and confidence to move forward on their journey of self-realisation.

Our work in influencing behaviour covers many areas, from violent extremism, to data security, risky sexual conduct, or simply realising one’s potential in life.

WSWTC

Anti-Money Laundering

Open Source VW