Collaboration between game developers and educators

1. COLLABORATION
BETWEEN DEVELOPERS
AND EDUCATORS
Francisco Souki - Schell Games
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

2. SCHELL GAMES
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

3. SCHELL GAMES
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

4. TUNNEL TAIL
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

5. EDUCATIONAL
PARTNERS
SCHELL
GAMES
BEST
DRUG
STRATEGIES
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

6. EDUCATIONAL
PARTNERS
SCHELL
GAMES
BEST
DRUG
STRATEGIES
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

7. EDUCATIONAL
PARTNERS
SCHELL
GAMES
BEST
DRUG
STRATEGIES
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

8. EDUCATIONAL
PARTNERS
SCHELL
GAMES
BEST
DRUG
STRATEGIES
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

9. MESSAGING CAVEAT
Pretty clear that kids 11-13 don’t
want to play an educational game
about substance use.
Solution:
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

10. MESSAGING CAVEAT
Pretty clear that kids 11-13 don’t
want to play an educational game
about substance use.
Solution:
HEAD FAKE!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

11. CLEAR GOALS
Educational and
Game Design goals
become your compass
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

12. GAME GOALS
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

13. GAME GOALS
• Create a fun game
• Introduce players to
pressure situations
• Introduce internal and
external pressures
• Show that players don’t
need to give in to be cool
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

14. GAME GOALS
• Create a fun game
• Introduce players to
• No preaching or
speaking down
pressure situations
• Mechanism for positive
• Introduce internal and peer support
external pressures
• Emphasize that the
• Show that players don’t majority don’t use
need to give in to be cool substances
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

15. COMMON LANGUAGE
Draft the goals
together
and get constant
buy-off
from each other
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

16. METHODOLOGY
What’s your plan of attack?
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

17. METHODOLOGY
What’s your plan of attack?
What worked for TT: metaphors
and game mechanics that
carry a message
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

18. CUSTOM FIT
Why was that a good fit for us?
Find your custom fit
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

19. CUSTOM FIT
Why was that a good fit for us?
• In line with the client’s vision
Find your custom fit
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

20. CUSTOM FIT
Why was that a good fit for us?
• In line with the client’s vision
• Because of our caveat, can’t teach directly
Find your custom fit
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

21. CUSTOM FIT
Why was that a good fit for us?
• In line with the client’s vision
• Because of our caveat, can’t teach directly
• SG = fun first. Let game carry the content.
Find your custom fit
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

22. CUSTOM FIT
Why was that a good fit for us?
• In line with the client’s vision
• Because of our caveat, can’t teach directly
• SG = fun first. Let game carry the content.
• Had enough time to refine the
transformational mechanics
Find your custom fit
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

23. A WRONG APPROACH
Will vs. Control
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

24. A WRONG APPROACH
Will vs. Control
• Client caught it, messaged to us.
• Worked together on
understanding the problem.
• Client suggested alternative.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

25. MEASURING
A solution that is right for your
message, gameplay and delivery.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

26. MEASURING
Tunnel Tail survey #1 just finished.
Moving forward with more and
different methods.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

27. MEASURING
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

28. MEASURING
• 9% described game as “educational”
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

29. MEASURING
• 9% described game as “educational”
• 86% exhibited at least one positive change
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

30. MEASURING
• 9% described game as “educational”
• 86% exhibited at least one positive change
• Reading and remembering in-game
dialogue correlated with positive changes
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

31. MEASURING
• 9% described game as “educational”
• 86% exhibited at least one positive change
• Reading and remembering in-game
dialogue correlated with positive changes
• Longer play time produced significant
improvements in perceived resistance skills
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

32. DANGERS OF
COLLABORATION
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

33. DANGERS OF
COLLABORATION
• Ownership / identify
decision-makers
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

34. DANGERS OF
COLLABORATION
• Ownership / identify
decision-makers
• Decentralize approvals
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

35. DANGERS OF
COLLABORATION
• Ownership / identify
decision-makers
• Decentralize approvals
• Clear decision pipeline to
avoid approval bottlenecks
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

36. DANGERS OF
COLLABORATION
• Ownership / identify
decision-makers
• Decentralize approvals
• Clear decision pipeline to
avoid approval bottlenecks
• Identify scope of content
and begin curation early
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

37. IS THIS APPROACH
RIGHT FOR YOU?
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

38. IS THIS APPROACH
RIGHT FOR YOU?
• Custom solution is best solution
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

39. IS THIS APPROACH
RIGHT FOR YOU?
• Custom solution is best solution
• SG strengths: communication, quality,
openness, experience in game dev.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

40. IS THIS APPROACH
RIGHT FOR YOU?
• Custom solution is best solution
• SG strengths: communication, quality,
openness, experience in game dev.
• BEST / DS strengths: communication,
knowledge of material, agility, openness,
no-BS approach.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

41. WORKING TOGETHER
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

42. WORKING TOGETHER
Work as one team.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

43. WORKING TOGETHER
Work as one team.
Identify strengths and weaknesses.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

44. WORKING TOGETHER
Work as one team.
Identify strengths and weaknesses.
State goals first.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

45. WORKING TOGETHER
Work as one team.
Identify strengths and weaknesses.
State goals first.
Re-evaluate as needed.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

46. WORKING TOGETHER
Work as one team.
Identify strengths and weaknesses.
State goals first.
Re-evaluate as needed.
Respect expertise of each company.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

47. WORKING TOGETHER
Work as one team.
Identify strengths and weaknesses.
State goals first.
Re-evaluate as needed.
Respect expertise of each company.
Identify owners and decision-makers
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

48. WORKING TOGETHER
Work as one team.
Identify strengths and weaknesses.
State goals first.
Re-evaluate as needed.
Respect expertise of each company.
Identify owners and decision-makers
Plan for measurement
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

49. THANK YOU!
fsouki@schellgames.com
Tuesday, June 18, 2013