February 22nd and March 25th 2010 – London

This session is invaluable for anyone considering hiring developers to create serious games and games for learning. We will focus on good practices on the entire life cycle of a product, getting buy-in from all stakeholders, avoiding gotchas, managing risks and delivering outstanding results.

The aims of the sessions

• Key factors on briefing, developing, testing, deploying and evaluating serious games and simulations.
• A variety of real-life case studies which provides practical insight in delivering a successful product.
• Provide a comprehensive overview from the initial idea to raising funds, understanding gaming mechanics in context of learning and engagement, selecting and negotiating with developers, producing specifications, understanding the users needs and choosing the right technologies and methods for reaching the target audience.
• Showcase a large number of serious games and simulations in a wide variety of sectors.

The areas which will be explored

We will focus on good practices on the entire life cycle of a product, from start of the idea to the delivery of the product and onto support and further development, our session will include :

Setting up game development

You’ve got an idea for a serious game, simulation or interactive; from making the business case to getting the right people on the case, we look at :

• Making the business case – why should we do it?
• Funding – who will pay for it?
• Choosing developers – what should you be looking for?
• Tools – what is out the that I may be able to use

Determining project goals

Serious games and simulations address specific issues or promote specific causes. Using a design led approach can identify the clients’ or users’ needs, set goals and answer those needs, and develop scoring and testing mechanisms to give both the user and client appropriate feedback.

• Creating the project timeline – what to do by when.
• Managing risks – what can go wrong and how to protect against it.
• Instructional design and what we want to the player to learn
• Business development and getting the all important meetings scheduled and carried out
• Production fees and payments
• Subject matter experts (SME’s) – the most important ingredient

Game design – the creative elements

Engaging an audience means getting them thinking, reacting and actively involved. It transforms their understanding and learning experience. Every one learns about the world around them as children through play. When done right, playing with games and simulations provides some of the most powerful tools around for engaging an audience of any age.

We look at the creative side from concept to a simulation; Designing and translating your idea into effective game play and game mechanics.

• Determining the variables for the Simulation
• Developing the concept document
• Prototypes (testing game play)

Game design – the technical

Choosing the correct delivery platform that fulfils client and user needs is paramount. As is the technical design document that informs the technical team of what they need to build.

• What are the game or simulations variables and how do they interact
• Which game mechanics will meet which objectives
• Whilst on the topic of gaming mechanics, what are they
• Adding ‘fun’ into the mix

Design Specification

• Delivery platforms (pros and cons) eg. mobile devices, online, offline, virtual world
• Design document -  (game/simulation overview, project scope and milestones, scenario and narrative, levels, scoring and evaluation, tutoring and remediation system, game mechanics, technology and tools, system design, interface commands, environments and levels, characters, assets and animations, audio, lighting, user data collection, testing and QA, marketing and distribution.)
• The marketing plan

Production and authoring

We’ll examine  production; how programmers and game and simulation designers produce core game play and how artists create user interfaces, characters and the scenery. Finally how by a miracle of development stable builds of the application are made.

• Graphics development, characters, objects, environments
• Media production, audio, cut scenes, training material
• The development pipeline (concept to alpha)
• Alpha and beta testing

The Finishing line

Once a release has been produced the serious game or simulation needs packaging (either psychical or digital), distribution and marketing. We’ll also discuss user assessment methodology so we can begin to evaluate the success of the application (whether in terms of improved performance by the game player, an increase in market share, or other metrics)

• Packing, distribution, and marketing – how to get the world to write about what you’ve done
• Assessment – How to assess
• Return on investment – How to measure how well you made your or your client’s money back?
• User support and evaluation – The long term view

We will show dozens of games on the day, covering a broad spectrum of developments on commissioning serious games and game based learning solutions.

Register

How to get to the Event

Closest Tubes are Old Street (take exit 2, 7 minutes) and Liverpool Street (15min)
Google Map link

Other events Playgen is hosting

Part of the Game Based Learning Conference 2010 – March 29th – March 30th

Game Based Learning 2010 takes place over two full days and includes an evening social event to make valuable connections in a relaxed environment. With a main conference programme running during these two days combined with breakout sessions for special interest groups there is something for everyone with an interest in using gaming and social media technology to improve learning, teaching and training.