Play with a purposeGame design for exhibitions

Who Am I?

We specialise in creatingdigital exhibits for museums

I run Joe Cutting-Digital Exhibits

We also provide consultancyfor large or complex projects

Games are for telling stories

The Company of Merchant Adventurers of York

The game tells you

1. What did the original Merchant Adventurers did

2. What they traded in

3. The places they went

4. What they did in the Merchant Adventurers Hall

So what makes a game?

Game design books

Game definitions“a problem-solving activity, approached with a playful attitude”Jesse Schell “learning in a context where there is no pressure”Raph Koster

“A closed, formal system that engages players instructured conflict and resolves its uncertainty in an unequal outcome”Tracy Fullerton

What is a game of skill?

1. The player is put in a situation

2. The player makes a choice

3. The player receives feedback on that choice which may help with future choices

4. Go to step 2 and make another choice

Games have a feedback loop

Launchball

Launchball

Launchball

An APE exhibit at the Exploratorium

Comparing games toother media

Books : good at expressing thoughts

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.

The Catcher in the Rye J D Salinger

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Books : good at expressing thoughts

The Catcher in the Rye J D Salinger

Films: Good for conversation (and physical situations)

Games: Good for physical reality

Games: Also good for systems

Games are about the physical.

Good for showing systems.

“Active In-vessel Composting Phase”

Games have a protagonist

Colonel Mustardfrom Cluedo

Pacman

RobertBlackburn

How much content?

“The Merchant Adventurers made their money by trading with other European ports”

Message

Even a simple game needs a lot of background content

How long will people play?

Exhibition game: average 3 minutes

World of Warcraft ~ 150 hours

Console Game like “Call of Duty” ~ 2 hours average

Web game: 5 minutes to 1 hour

Smartphone game: 5 minutes to 1 hour

Ready to write a brief1) Message

2) Big chunk of background content

3) Possible protagonist and feedback loop

4) Duration

5) Fixed budget

More informationGames: www.joecutting.com/play.php

Advice: www.joecutting.com/advice.php

Launchball: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/launchball

Museum games: www.show.me.uk

Industry: www.gamasutra.com