 or call 1-888-286-3540 Dates & Details
The Serious Games Tutorials will take place throughout the Spring and early summer of 2007 in several different locations around North America.Locations & Dates San Francisco, CA March 28-29, 2007 Orlando, FL April 26-27, 2007 Washington, D.C. May 8-9, 2007 Toronto, Ontario June TBA, 2007 Pricing Admission starts at $445.00 for early bird registrants and rises to $695.00 closer to each individual tutorial. Discounts Group discounts for three or more registrants from the same organization are available. Please contact Beth Bryant for more information. |
Although some minimal familiarity with popular games is a big plus, the tutorial is designed to help people with a wide range of initial experience. We will also suggest a few key games that can be played before the tutorial to help prepare.
Have studies proven serious games to be effective in teaching and other pursuits?
Although the serious game field is quite young with few detailed studies, the ones that have been done are very encouraging. One of most thorough studies involving the cancer education game Re-Mission with over 300 participants showed significantly better educated players with the game playing group more adherent to treatment regimens then the control group. This was measured not only in response to questions but in actual presence of chemotherapy levels in the bloodstream.
While full educational benefits are still being studies it is felt especially that games are a great training environment for modern organizations in which rely on collaborative problem solving to face their business challenges.
How long does it take to make a serious game?
he time depends of course on the complexity of the game, and the number and experience of the people making it. But the time can range from a few weeks for a small project with experienced people, up to several years for the largest ones. Our tutorial focuses on how to scope and schedule projects big and small and getting the best game you can in every given situation.
How much does it cost to make a serious game?
The cost varies considerably based on the type of game and its goals, but it can typically range from a few thousand dollars to a few million. Many serious games are made for a low six-figure budget. Our tutorial features some time devoted to understanding what budget level is best for various types of problems and in the case of lower-cost projects how to do great things with low levels of budget.
It still sounds expensive – will this tutorial help me lower my development budget by more than it costs to attend?
By teaching you both the fundamental elements and design principles behind successful serious games, as well as warning you of dozens of the common mis-steps serious game production, the tutorial can help you avoid thousands of dollars of wasted effort. Among the many topics we’ll cover will be what makes a game expensive (art), what doesn’t cost too much (design, writing, and voice), and what falls inbetween (programming).
Our experience shows that games often cost less per-person than standard methods of instruction, especially for large, geographically dispersed organizations that have to incur the cost of air travel, hotel rooms, and time away from the job in order to conduct conventional training. This and other return on investment models that account for hidden costs will begin to define the various value-propositions for games.
How can a two-day tutorial cover all I need to know about making a game?
It can’t. But it can teach you what you need to find out. The hardest part of solving a new problem is “knowing what you don’t know.” We can help.
Will the tutorial help me find the resources I need to build a game?
We will identify a range of individuals and companies that can help with all stages of game development, as well as advise you on the practicalities and pitfalls (advantages and disadvantages?) of building a game on your own.
I have an idea for a serious game that I think will be very successful. Will this tutorial be all I need to start building it?
Unless you already have game development experience, even two months of instruction will not be sufficient to teach you all you need to know to build a game, much less two days. But we will provide the basics for understanding how to proceed such that you can avoid the biggest pitfalls that aflict others and more importantly get it actually built with the minimal amount of mistakes and stress.
I have seen some commercial games that I think could be adapted to teach a curriculum I designed. Is that possible?
Some games on the market are designed to be modified, others are not. We will cover the plusses and minuses of this approach, and will be prepared to answer questions about specific games and to identify further resources if more information is needed.
I’ve been to one of the Serious Game Summits – will this tutorial cover the same ground?
These tutorials have been designed from scratch to compliment content seen at various Serious Games Summit events. The tutorials meet the specific needs of many who need orientation on the field in an extensive classroom situation. The only expected overlap will be some of the information about the current serious game market, assessment, or game development and design specifics.
I am concerned that my great idea for a serious game will be compromised if I share it.
The Serious Games Tutorials do not require you to divulge your grand game designs. If you feel there is value in sharing our ideas during Q&A time or as part of your efforts to participate then do so. If you hope to just gather information and not sharing your ideas or prototypes for serious games then by all means keep your lips sealed and learn as much from us as you can without going into details.
Please also keep in mind as designers and consultants in the serious games space we see many ideas, have many of our own, and in general make no provisions to avoid any overlap with ideas you might proffer to us while attending the tutorial. Since confidentiality should not affect the learning associated with The Serious Games Tutorial it is assumed that keeping your ideas to yourself is a personal responsibility.
Why is the sky blue?
OK, that’s not about serious games, but it is a Frequently Asked Question. The sky is blue because when the white light from the sun collides with air molecules, more blue (short wavelength) light is scattered our way than the other wavelengths. [What do you guys think – lighten things up for a change of pace, and show them there is fun to be had? Or is it just a stupid idea?]
A large part of my workforce is less than 40 years old. Do they learn differently than people who are older?
“Digital Natives” (those who have grown up in the gaming generation) have a radically different approach to learning and problem-solving. Their gaming experience teaches them that trial-and-error is to be preferred over “reading the manual.” They learn by interacting with content, rathern than by reading it.
I work for the Government – thy’re not going to approve a game, are they?
Yes. They have and they will. One of our faculty members designed one of the earliest serious games for the Department of Justice over ten years ago. Since then, hundreds of games have been funded and developed for all branches of government.
I’m already a project manager – what makes games different?
A games is first and foremost a software development project. If you have software development experience, then you have a leg up, but you still must deal with the development issues peculiar to games, including the elusive “fun factor.”
Will there be individualized instruction?
With only 2 days, we will not have time to deal in-depth with specific projects. However, if you come prepared with real-world questions, we will do our best to address them in the course of the tutorial.
What if my subject matter is too serious to be treated as a game?
Our faculty has worked on projects whose subject matter ranges from cancer to government ethics to hospital regulations. Serious games have been developed about famine, war, and the Middle East. Games are not the right tool for every situation, but they are capable of dealing carefully and thoughtfully with a very broad range of issues.
How could a game designer possibly have the specialized knowledge to create the game that I need?
Games are built by teams, including artists, programmers, designers, writers, etc. A Subject Matter Expert (SME) is a crucial member of the team. The tutorial will cover the roles of all the team members and how they interact to created the final product.
My boss has asked me to look into this whole “Serious Games” phenomenon. Why should I start with you guys?
In just two days you will get a comprehensive look at all aspects of putting together a serious game – from design through production, and even marketing (whether internal or external) Our faculty has unparalleled practical experience in making both commercial and serious games, having worked on over x games with sales of over y million units, and an audience of more than z million people.
How big is the Serious Games industry?
The serious games field by estimates of the Serious Games Initiative sees over between $50M-$100M in spending each year at the developmental level. A large part of that spending is K-12 development and military simulation. However, in the last few years increasing amounts of corporate spending (for training and advergaming) has been one of the fastest growing spaces. After defense and education the largest amount of spending on serious games appears to be in the health sector. The Games for Health Project has charted over millions in spending on games for health and healthcare that has been expended the last three years. Overall we estimate based on growth rates and coversations with other sponsors and developers that the serious games field is growing at a minimum of 20%-30% a year and we expect that as more organizations become experienced with serious games that spending could easily approach $1 billion by 2012.