Global Conflict

Woot!
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71796-0.html?tw=rss.technology

 

Cool! It sounds like a really great concept.

 

It is

 

Hmm...

Theoretically i've a problem with such kind of things. If i am interested in a subject than i would like to get as much information as fast as possible. For middle east conflicts for example i remember one great documentary film which showed up several times on arte. If i want more then there is a lot of stuff to read through...

If i wanna play a game then i simply want to play and personally i prefer scenarios beside of the war or the reality. Personal taste but especially this conflict is there for so many years and nothing has really changed so that it's just boring nowadays.

So what exactly does such a kind of game offers me on top? To me it seems like a mix of playing and learning whilst not giving me what i really want the best.

Who is the target audience for this?

 

Probably me, but not you

Tastes vary, as you note. And educators will use this I'm sure.

 

taumel, you make me smile Interesting concept for the game; I like the description as a first person talker. I can't wait to hear more.

 

Me!

And a lot of people who aren't gamers by a long shot say they'd love to play this.

One example is my friend P. She's an actress, interested in politics, quite idealistic, but also not very well informed about this conflict... no strange really, it's exceedingly complex, so that people merely read an article then and now tend to get more confused than informed.

She regularly watches Discovery and tries to read the papers regularly. When she heard about this game she got really excited: "wow, finally a chance to perhaps get a clue about this conflict".

I for one am convinced she's not alone.

d.

 

If you want to go play a game purely for entertainment, there are thousands of games out there. You don't have to play every single one, and just because you don't think it sounds fun doesn't mean it shouldn't be made. David's already summarized that there are lots of different target audiences, and games should be build differently for each of them.

I think it's also worth discussing the fact that games as a medium can do so much. They can educate, provoke thoughts, immerse you in a movie-like setting, provide interactive artwork, tell you a great story, lots of things!

I love the idea of games that educate. When I was little I played Math Blasters to get better at quick simple math problems. When I was in middle school I played Science Sleuths, and learned about Salmonella. And let's not forget Where in X is Carmen Sandiego?.

I'm hugely interested in Global Conflicts, because I would like to know what life is like in that part of the world right now, and they're aiming to provide that exact experience. I want to be intellectually stimulated when I play a game. I want to learn something or be challenged. Maybe sometimes I want my reflexes tested, or to turn my brain off completely. Ok I'm done. [/rant]

I'd love to take Global Conflicts for a spin! Need any beta testers? ... :roll:

 

@lfrog
Why? :O)

@Others
Well, as i said that's my personal opinion. I simply have problem with these edutainment titles as mostly they just don't give you the information you want so easily, fast and deeply as if you inform yourself in another way. Mostly you're slowed down by the game or other steps you have to proceed to get the information. They often just don't adapt so well to users different speed/interest/needs. And when content and accessibility is well done budget often is a problem for the media provided due to the rights. Edutainment titles which aren't a drag to use after you're through the first steps are really rare. There are some good around but most of them suck.

Reading a book whilst i'm lying in my bed. Travelling to foreign countries i'm interested in or talk to other people who are also interested in a special subject is somehow the better experience so far in my opinion.

 

Global Conflict can become real time, not only focusing on the israel / palestine conflict but expand to other conflict as well. News media, journalist can contribute their news and updates the game in real time, you can play Christian Amanpoure as a journalist or a Larry King kind of reporter. A game that will give some information and help understand why is there such a conflict.

It can be a reality game type, kinda like reality TV but a whole lot better. Interactive type of news where you can participate and try to make decision on how to correct or resolve issues.

If you think about it, Global Conflict game, you will learn about geography, customs and traditions of others. Hmm.. maybe find out about their foods, how best to prepare and cook it.

 

@taumel
I find it funny that you use a television program as an example of something that conveys you a lot of information in a short time - Television has a very low information density.

GCalestine ships with a booklet in order to convey a lot of information quickly. The game then allows you to explore a range of opinions. True, we lose some information density to gameplay. In the classroom setting, this game is not meant to be used as a standalone - the designed usage pattern is more like:

1) Read some material to get the basic knowledge.

2) Play the game, getting personal information. Due to the branching structure, we can squeeze in a lot of info - the student doesn't get it all in one go. That is ok.

3) The students are arranged in groups, and have to discuss the various aspects. Some will have very biased opinions, as they only explored one side of the conflict. When the students have to reach an agreement, they begin to CARE about learning. The game is no longer a dead book they are forced to read or a television program they can safely sleep through.

We have a lot of material for teachers in order for them to extract as much as possible from this title; lesson plans for various time lengths, good questions to pull out the essence.

So basically, yeah - you get more info just reading a book. Then you forget it again. We found that students were actively seeking out knowledge, which gives a far higher retention. The students can also take the game with them home, in this case, they spend more time here than they normally would (there is a large empirical study backing my claims).

As for which markets we go for, that varies by country.
* Scandinavia: mainly edu.
* Germany: Private market (typical Discovery viewer) + parents who want their kids to learn (EA did a study that showed this to be VERY big in Germany, for some reason)
* USA: Let's just say Apple Edu is begging us to finish it soon ;-)

I completely agree that most edutainment titles are utter S***e. most of them focus on teaching skills (math, grammar, etc). This game is somewhat different in that it focuses on giving a larger understanding on some of the dynamics of a chaotic chain of causalities. This is a field that I find computer games to be potentially good at. Not sure ours is yet, but I think so.

Also, our budget is "somewhat" higher than typical edutainmaint....

Cheers, The Director B-)

 

You probably got a discount on the engine, too

Myself, I wouldn't be comparing how MUCH you learn from TV vs. books vs. games vs. travel etc. ... I would be comparing the different KINDS of learning. Learning by interactive simulation might not load you with raw facts, but there is more to understanding that just data.

Interactive education is my personal career target, you see

 

@Morgan

I completely agree... Guess I've just been fighting on the traditional's grounds for too long. That's the best part - they even learn more using traditional retention tests, as well as gaining a better understanding of the causality.

 

>>>
I find it funny that you use a television program as an example of something that conveys you a lot of information in a short time - Television has a very low information density.
<<<

I disagree. There are some excellent documentaries out there.

As for the rest let's just wait and see to judge it fairly but i haven't seen a single edutainment title till today which didn't gave me the feeling that i'm limited in certain fields due to different aspects like content/concept/interface and so on. I just have to life with that i don't think like the majority, so you 've pretty fair chances of beeing successful. ;O)

As Morgan said you best see it as an alternative way for learning and to provide information. Some will like it and some won't but i doubt that it will support efficient learning not to mention resolving a problem or getting know to a different culture. If i remember the times i went to countries which had nothing to do with the western civilisations then i strongly doubt you will be able to put that intense feelings which are also important to the situations there into a computer game nowadays.

There are fields which can be explaind better than others by such titles. For example for a sim tourism and business administration i see no problems and the computer helps you to get the dirty parts done. Everything which relies much more on religion, feelings and emotions is so much harder to do.

A good teacher or a good book can teach/be read anywhere. A good edutaiment title needs more ressources due to the computer places for the students.

Well, if it would be of help resolving problems then well well done but i honestly don't think so. Especially this conflict is at the same time so simple and so complex.

 

Why can't games cross into territories like this? Why not have the optimism that the medium can evolve beyond "I just want to play"? Maybe the very word "video game" needs to change in the future to a more general term like "interactive media". I think titles like this are trying to bridge a gap into broader areas of what the medium can express. And plaguing it with a derogatory term like edutainment is misleading. A well written book or documentary on the topic could be given the same distinction.

Is this the best medium for teaching people about this subject? I have no idea. Is it a welcome addition and deserve a nod for at least trying to create a more visceral interpretation of the topic? Definitely.

 

I'm looking forward to GC's reception. I believe the strength of the computer game to be providing context (because it's open-ended and interactive), and in this case there is almost nothing else. That is, no easy answer.

Contextualizing scenarios, even fictional ones, allow the player to make their own connections, form their own conflicts, in short create their own drama—this postmodern technique is where I think the future is in scenario-based games.