there were 2 games we play tested last week.
1. the madlibs postcard with pics
2. the ransom note scavenger hunt
the madlibs was a bit rushed (since we were doing both games at the same time) but I think has the potential to be a really great “tourist” playful interaction. becuase there is really no winner, it’s more of an activity, but is still really cute and fun.
I think by adding the “tourist” into the photo or forcing them to ask others to take thier photo for them might be a nice way to have a souvenier postcart of your travels through new york….and not just the random things you saw here. I could see this as a cute pack of cards, with a matching online component where the imges are embedded in the postcard, but are able to be enlarged (otherwise it’s too tiny to fit all those photos on the card).
The Ransom scavenger hunt needs further refinement, but was a good test to understand what is needed as far as context for people to know what they are looking for. The thing it was missing was tension or conflict to propell the players to “win”. It also needs a more defined “win” state. It was fun to wander around and see the ordinary block with new eyes. I felt like I was seeing stores and details that I had never known before….and at times felt like I was in a completely foreign place instead of on the block I know best in Manhattan. I think this proves the concept has potential to get others out of thier ordinary world and into a game space within the urban environment.
look for more to come soon!
-lynn
The NYU Game Center, an independent multi-school center at New York University for the research, design, and development of digital games, established in fall 2008, has announced its first series of guest lecturers. The lecturers represent scholars, creators, and thinkers in the field of games. The talks will take the format of a discussion and audiences are encouraged to join the conversation. The lectures are as follows:
Thursday, April 2, 6 – 8 pm
Jonathan Blow, creator of the creatively ambitious, highly acclaimed game Braid.
Thursday, April 16, 6 – 8 pm
Warren Spector, influential game designer who is presently working with Disney Interactive.
Thursday, April 23, 6 – 8 pm
Marc “Mahk” LeBlanc, creator of the MDA framework, a powerful conceptual approach to game design.
Thursday, April 30, 6:30 – 8 pm
Eric Zimmerman & Katie Salen, co-authors of the groundbreaking book on game design, Rules of Play.
Friday, May 8, 6 – 8 pm
Clint Hocking, pioneering game designer whose work explores new directions for blending narrative and gameplay.
The series will be held at the Tisch School of the Arts, 721 Broadway, Room 006, lower level. Refreshments will be served. The talks are free and open to the public; advance reservation is required. Please RSVP: gamecenter((at))nyu.edu
refining elements of the game. working towards description for application. possible playtest!
Background
-The Aliens have landed in NYC!!!
-People throughout the city have been irradiated.
-You can play as an Alien Team trying to abduct radiation victims or a Human Team trying to save them.
Guiding Principles
-Security - dangers, security zones, safe/unsafe locations
-Shelter - individual protection and community centers, location based services, gathering places
-Sustenance - food, water, information
-Status - health, personal information, vital signs
How to save the world?
-You must find the radiation victims and get them to safety to be decontaminated
-Victims are represented by QR code stickers. Once you take a picture of the QR code, you would have saved the victim and uncovered 2 locations
-You must avoid further contamination or abduction in certain areas
-You can also hunt Aliens! If you detect them, they are out of the game.
-In one hour, If you have saved more victims than the Aliens have abducted, you win!!!
How to destroy all HUMANS
-You must find the radiation victims and abduct them in your ship
-You must avoid detection by the stinking humans
-You can also contaminate their safe zones
-In one hour, If you have abducted more victims than the Humans have saved, you win!!!
How to play
-There are two teams: aliens v/s humans.
-Get directions to first 10 victims via geo location.
-5 victims overlap with the two teams and other 5 are different.
-Victim is a QR Code - scan to save (5 points) and find next victim location.
-Solve riddle that comes along with QR code to find family victim (10 points)
-Gather resources (decontamination zones), by geotagging pharmacies or delis teams earn decontamination points (2 points). In the alien team case, geotagging pharmacies or delis would contaminate the humans’ safe zones.
-Take paparazzi shots (candids) of opposing team’s players. When uploaded, person in photo becomes disease carrier, and location is revealed. If the photograph is taken with the player’s knowledge and hence is looking straight into the camera, the photograph does not qualify as a paparazzi shot, and the player is not a disease carrier.
-When player becomes disease carrier, s/he is supposed to freeze in decontamination zone for 5 minutes. Another alternative is getting tagged by another healthy team member, and get unfreezed; or deducting 5 points from the total score and moving on.
-Build - find clues for game play. (Village Voice boxes with QR code stickers) - also gives locations of decontamination/abduction zones
Obstacles
-Watch Out!!! There are things to be avoided
-The aliens are trying to abduct more victims. Stay away from Abduction Zones
or they will abduct all of your victims
-Avoid getting your picture taken candidly, stay alert!
Point System
Victims
**1 victim == 5 points
**1 family == 10 points
Resources
**1 pharmacy == 2 points
**1 deli == 2 points
**humans score saving points ++ decontamination points
**aliens score abduction points ++ contamination points
uploading photos of resources thru beacon gain u points
decontaminate/contaminate (1st to upload)
Roles
-Rescuer/Abductor: searches for victims
-Riddle Solver: riddles (revealed with QR code, when solved unlock bonus family victims location worth more points)
-The Spy: takes paparazzi shots (candids) of opposing team’s players. When uploaded, person in photo becomes disease carrier, and location is revealed.
-Disease Carrier: needs to decontaminate him/herself by deducting decontamination points or standing in decontamination zone for 5 minutes
OR needs to be touched/tagged by other team member to be able to move
Positive Feedback
-Game encourages players to talk and ask people not participating in the game.
-Taking paparazzi shots is fun
-Unserious theme to deal with serious theme successful
Negative Feedback
-Word puzzles are too difficult. Perhaps we can incorporate content relevant to disaster scenarios.
-Win state is still unclear
-Connection between the 2 teams for conclusion?
Beacons
-The Game utilizes the beacons, sms, mms, email through cell phones.
-Geotagging through input into online database.
- sms/mms/email parser running responding to messages sent to beacons@2rem.net
-http://beaconsql.2rem.net (login/pass = beacons/531396)
Tags, Call & Response
** Victim saving/abducting:
QR code opens a url that updates database at http://beaconsql.2rem.net & registers it as under alien or human team according to the phone id.
OR
Sticker contains specific number code on it ex:
V450021 (normal victim)
FV639121 (family victim)
Player text messages:
-[V450021] near/around/at/close to [approximate address in the new york city area]
-[FV639121] near/around/at/close to [approximate address in the new york city area]
result: victim is saved/abducted and registered under human or alien team
** Resource Allocation:
Players text message & attach picture of either delis or pharmacies by using following keywords.
For Humans:
-[decontamination zone] near/around/at/close to [approximate address in the new york city area]
For Aliens:
-[contamination zone] near/around/at/close to [approximate address in the new york city area]
** Disease Carriers:
Players take candid photograph of a player from the opposing team and upload photo with:
-[disease carrier] near/around/at/close to [approximate address in the new york city area]
To decontaminate disease carrier:
Player either uploads picture of other team member next to him/her with message:
-[saved] near/around/at/close to [approximate address in the new york city area]
OR
Player uploads a 5 minute video documenting him/her frozen in place in decontamination zone with the message:
-[saved] near/around/at/close to [approximate address in the new york city area]
