Serious Game Report and Prototype

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October 11, 2019
 Abstract
The report is comprised of two sections in which the first section discusses the serious game. As
serious games are the reasonable handbook that can guide the engaging element to develop the
diversion genuinely. Also, it identifies the reaction of specialty in the industry of gaming and this
cover the different type of amusement which includes entertainment and non-entertainment. This
report can discuss the concept of serious games and how it is linked with different fields and what
are the advantage and disadvantages of serious games. Also, the game I decided is about the
Dragon Box Elements in which players in which the children can learn about the Math’s and its
different techniques and this game can promote learning and productivity.
 Table of Contents
1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4
2 Elements of Serious Games................................................................................................ 4
2.1 Story ............................................................................................................................ 4
2.2 Gamification ................................................................................................................. 4
2.3 Immediate and Individualize Feedback ........................................................................ 5
2.4 Simulation .................................................................................................................... 5
2.5 Goal to Learn ............................................................................................................... 5
3 Concept of Serious Games ................................................................................................. 5
3.1 Interactivity and Game Mechanics ............................................................................... 6
3.2 Rules ........................................................................................................................... 6
3.3. Immersive Graphical Environment ............................................................................... 6
3.4 Challenge or Competition............................................................................................. 6
3.5 Risk and Consequences .............................................................................................. 7
4 Advantages of Games and Serious Games ........................................................................ 7
4.1 Advantages of Games ................................................................................................. 7
4.2 Advantages of Serious Games..................................................................................... 8
4.2.1 Increase the motivation and engagement ............................................................. 8
4.2.2 They can facilitate the profound reflection ............................................................. 8
4.2.3 Facilitate safe and real practices ........................................................................... 8
4.2.4 Improve or enhance retention and memorization .................................................. 8
4.2.5 Make work a good place ....................................................................................... 9
5 Application Areas ................................................................................................................ 9
5.1 Government Games..................................................................................................... 9
5.2 Healthcare Games ....................................................................................................... 9
5.3 Educational Games...................................................................................................... 9
6 Prototype ...........................................................................................................................12
7 References ........................................................................................................................13
4 Serious Game Prototype

1 Introduction

Serious games are those games whose objective not to provide entertainment of fun but to learn
some things and gain experience of practical skills. Usually, the usage of serious games has
grown in different fields such as science, education, health, defense, and aeronautics. The main
purpose of serious games is to provide training, teaching any courses and practice different
languages.
Also, it is not easy to develop a serious game because a lot of talent is required for the
development of serious games as well as they also require a high cost or budget. However, there
are different objectives and formats of serious games, mostly a game-based learning system
would have several elements that ensure that the games can work properly and behave efficiently
and effectively (Bonnechere, 2017).

2 Elements of Serious Games

There are five elements of serious games and those are:

 Story
 Gamification
 Immediate and Individualized feedback
 Simulations
 The Goal: to learn

2.1 Story

Although that will be more essential as many games have plot or contain main story or idea, for
example, in-game prince can risk his life and limb to rescue the life of princess or brave solider in
army who has to kill is enemy to protect his country and city also we can see that nurse who is
saving her patients life. Moreover, the games contain more sophisticate characters and
arguments and they can easily motivate and encourages the play and get allow them to get into
the game.

2.2 Gamification

This will be another fundamental and essential element of the serious game that represents the
game dynamics and includes point systems, rewards, badges, and ranking. The gamification can
motivate and encourage the players with animation as we all like to get more rewards and
bonuses and more live to get into the next level e.g. (Mario Brother game) (Gobel, 2016). Ranking
or classification would be very critical in the serious games; Game healthy competition with friends
and classmates and colleagues can motivate us to try harder to get them behind and accomplish
the goals and objectives of rewards.
5 Serious Game Prototype

2.3 Immediate and Individualize Feedback

Serious games can provide individual and immediate feedback as it provides a face-to-face
course with teachers and many people in the classroom. The player can directly interact with the
game and receive the punishment and penalty immediately. In most games that are sophisticated
the feedback provided is detailed and contains arguments. Users know that they are doing and
choose the wrongs steps so they try again to do more better next time off in the future. This
feedback would be a very powerful learning tool to enhance learning and skills.

2.4 Simulation

In many scenarios, the game can reproduce and imitate the situation of real life. Using the
characters which are fictitious and to re-develop the case, game players can find themselves as
immersed in the same screen and they don't find the difference while playing in computer screen
and cellphone (Minogue, 2008). However, the simulator allows the game player to interact with
the latest technology and reality to practice knowledge and skills which they want to acquire while
playing the games.
Simulators would be used to create a greater impact on training and example of simulators are
Virtual Interactive Combat Environment (VICE).

2.5 Goal to Learn

Players can't be tired to repeat and restart the game again as a key element of serious games is
to teach and learn somethings. All elements in the serious game would be found in the commercial
video game but that does not make them serious necessarily. Also, using theses elements
discussed the serious game may need to set an aim that is not recreational and always provides
and promotes the aspect of training and education.

3 Concept of Serious Games

In the world of online enhancement and technology as well as learning the serious games play a
vital role. A lot of google searches can discuss the serious games but all serious games can meet
the single or same criteria which are to "Game designed for the primary purpose instead of fun or
entertainment".
In essence, the serious games would be applied as a term called umbrella for any initiative which
is game-based and also, they have any serious motive and agenda. The serious game topic
reflects development and training. Highly developed, encourages and motivated employees can
feed the difference between the company's success and failure along with identifying the reasons
for failure.
6 Serious Game Prototype

Development and training may approach in a different way to deal and with learning objectives
specifically. As from the manual training, videos of training and units of eLearning of every side
may boost the strengths and overcome the weakness (Mitgutsch, 2011). The success of any
training would be determined by lynchpin by any engagement of effort and that is where the game
learning can excel. With an initiative of serious games, the content of learning would be delivered
in that environment which is game-based.
There may be the many components and attributes which share all game from the Monopoly to
Warcraft world which can assist to reinforce an objective of learning engagingly. A good game
will be like a good movie that has an interactive and gripping line of the story (Preston, 2014).
While developing a serious game, the story of the game should be used to reinforce the values
of the company and put some learning additional or an extra-level.

3.1 Interactivity and Game Mechanics

Mechanics of games are the tools basically which can develop work of the game. Like in snake
game if the roll is dice in snake and ladder game or button will be pushed to fire at the plane of
the enemy then at its back-end game mechanic is used. However, these can provide the
interactivity component which keeps involved the learning in the process throughout until it
completed.

3.2 Rules

Rules can provide the framework which can differentiate the games with each other also, this will
be another interactive component which can provide and deliver learning objective subliminally.
In our life, a most lessons we learned from the failures we faced. When the learner can break the
rule in the serious game then he may get the penalty and this led towards them to correct and
change their behavior and prevent them to avoid breaking the particular rule gain (Ra, 2014).

3.3. Immersive Graphical Environment

Few successful games would be graphically impressive as serious games would be developed
without using immersive graphics because most games have an interface that can be used to
reinforces and represented the objectives and goals for learning.

3.4 Challenge or Competition

Every kind of game involved a challenging environment. At the lowest challenging level, the
player's main aim is to achieve a high score and meteoric success in the industry of games
running parallelly with the development of games and their interconnectivity. However, the internet
will have blossomed the new category of games (multiplayer) that are launch and dominated
around the globe (Reeve, 2009). Series games with the social components allow the learner to
7 Serious Game Prototype

challenge each other. This allows us to promote friendly competition but another way to increase
the engagement of users.

3.5 Risk and Consequences

The serious game provides that environment that is risk-free and uses to practice the essential
and necessary skills. The main benefit of serious games is that it covers all industries i.e. defense,
IT, etc. On the other hand, their failure cost is very high that means simulation virtually can
become a practical necessity.

4 Advantages of Games and Serious Games

4.1 Advantages of Games

There are various advantages of video games and that includes:

 Improvement and training of mental and physical abilities as some studies believe that if
we can play video games every day, then our visual attention is improved along with more
efficiently can performed tasks and in a faster way.
 It provides therapeutic usage because it can help to provide both mental and physical
relief. Games can also be used to overcome people's mental pressures.
 Games would be used as didactic manes which means to promote learning for people
who use it in a playful and different context. Games are good means of motivation for
youngers and kids to learn through the difficulties and overcome them.
 Games can foster positive values and it consoles the pc or computers and promotes
different values i.e. cohesion, solidarity, and friendship. Also, parents need to take the
benefit to enhance the relationship in the family.
 Games would be used as leisure and entertainment as it overcomes the pressure and
stress caused by boredom.
 Encourage teamwork when played in grouped and allow an individual to develop skills of
working together in a team to overcome problems and face all challenges. Additionally, it
allows them to develop the ability to face the problem and make the decision by mutual
thinking and understanding.
 Improve self-esteem and sense of competence because different challenges are
completed at a different level and players can feel betters and they thought objectives and
goals are accomplished (Silney, 2011)).
 Empathy is developed by playing games as the player has to make a corrective decision
which has both positive and negative consequences on another game player. So, this
means the game facilitates empathy development.
8 Serious Game Prototype

4.2 Advantages of Serious Games

The advantages of serious games are:

4.2.1 Increase the motivation and engagement

We have all suffered from the negative aspect of traditional education while listening to the teacher
lecture for long hours, endless books and chapters and no interaction with content. Whether they
may talk about the children in school and company workers, the lack of engagement and
motivation in students and workers will be the main concern of the HR managers and teachers.
A serious game is the best solution for this problem as they are interactive necessarily and the
users have to make the decision and perform an action from the world go. Dynamics of the game
can encourage the effort as they are narrative as well as a wrapper to motivate students and
workers (Thompson, 2014). The more learner will be interaction the content would be more
promotes learning and interactive and facilitates the instructors to enhance the learnability and
they also identify the way how learnability increases and occurs.

4.2.2 They can facilitate the profound reflection

Particularly we are working in that environment which is repetitive and humdrum where we can
set priority on the urgent task. This way it may be difficult for the strategic plan to accomplish long-
term goals and it also prevents us to reflect from any opportunities and challenges faced. A
serious game can thank to how they would immerse users around the globe and whisk them away
from real-life while providing the distance to encourage the different thoughts and reflections in-
depth.

4.2.3 Facilitate safe and real practices

Provide face-face training because game-based learning is one of the main forms of learning
which based on the skills and practices because of the simulator, users can interact with the
character and they can use the experience and knowledge. Serious games can offer both world
real-life experience and on the other hand, it provides a safe and secure environment without any
risk of personal harm and damage to the material (Silney, 2011). This is necessary while we are
flying a plan and performing surgery.

4.2.4 Improve or enhance retention and memorization

The main benefit of a serious game is with the maximum engagement and motivation and this
way retention and memorization is also increased about what the user has learned about. These
direct and real practices can result to improve the learning for student and they can learn things
deeply and better. Several studies proved that learning by performing different things can make
a long-lasting, effective and efficient impact on the brain of an individual.
9 Serious Game Prototype

4.2.5 Make work a good place

Several serious games may be bold to change the globe. The fact discusses above gamification
and simulators would be perfect to encourage and promote empathy, defend people's rights,
promote peace and spreading and determine civic value.

5 Application Areas

As serious games are classified into different areas which promote the learning and engagement
to the individual, users, and players to play the games and increase and enhance their learning
in the respective field they want. The area of serious games are:

5.1 Government Games

The serious game provides in the application area of Government can promote social awareness
and different things related to community i.e. fight against hunger. One of example if Food Force
in which player can put him or herself in the UN rookie shoes who has to handle the crisis that
involved civil war and famine on the Pacific Island. The main goal of the player is to distribute the
food between people and help the country to become efficient to accomplish long-term goals. This
example will be a fantastic example of how serious game can make work a better and effective
place

5.2 Healthcare Games

Healthcare games provide the learning to young doctors to train for the surgery and prevent the
real-life loss as this innovative method of teaching which was welcomed by the healthcare. Pulse
game is the best example of a serious game in the health sector. The Pulse is a first-person
shooting video game that can reproduce the condition of hospital emergency wards. This allows
future nurses to practice all things which they have to learn in the classes and experience would
be gain by handling the real cases (Welney, 2016). The goal of the player will be to identify the
problem of each patient and provide the priority to the cases which are serious and appropriate
measure would be taken depending on the conditions of each person or patient.

5.3 Educational Games

Educational games provide the instruction and way of learning to kids and children and improve
their thinking and vision to understand the things and perspectives. Doulingo is the famous
language application in which users can learn different languages and receive points at every
level and move to the next level, lose a life and redo the level again. Each lesson which the user
10 Serious Game Prototype

learns has some points or rewards (Thompson, 2014). This game is not strictly speaking and
serious game which is one of the best and successful applications when it is compared with
elements of gamification for learning.
11 Serious Game Prototype

Dragon Box Elements

Game title
The title of the game is "Dragon Box Elements". The name indicates that it is a mathematically
based game used to solve math problems.

The target age of players

 9 to 15 years
 Game is for schools, colleges and universities student to perform and learn different
mathematics techniques and concepts.

Learning Outcome
The game has the following learning outcomes:

 Improve and enhance learning

 Improve motivate, encouragement and motivation
 Grab the maximum users and Promotes effective and efficient decision making

Game Summary
Dragon Box Elements in which player in which the children can learn about the Math’s and its
different techniques and this game can promote the learning and productivity. Here in this game
players have to develop or create an Army to defeat the evil dragon name Osgard and save the
island of Euclid. This game would be design mainly for the kids and manage to learn the basic
concepts of theorems and geometry of Euclid. Dragon box is a serious game and students can
learn math while they can be filled up with fun in a video game.

Game-Play Distinct Modes

Game is not too much entertained and it includes the basic skills of Math's to play. All game is
based on the Euclid geometry and theorems. Users should know about the basics concept of
geometry and theorems to play the game.

Unique Selling Point

 This is an educational game.

 Improve the learnability and productivity skills of users.
 Players required to use their concept of Maths.

Competitive Product
As it allows the teacher and parents to learn Maths more easily and efficiently.
12 Serious Game Prototype

6 Prototype

A prototype of Drawing Symbols

13 Serious Game Prototype

References
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Göbel, S. (2016). Serious Games Application Examples. Serious Games, 319-405.
doi:10.1007/978-3-319-40612-1_12
Minogue, J. (2008). Getting a “Feel” For Serious Games. Serious Educational Games, 75-83.
doi:10.1163/9789087903817_009
Mitgutsch, K. (2011). Serious Learning in Serious Games. Serious Games and Edutainment
Applications, 45-58. doi:10.1007/978-1-4471-2161-9_4
Preston, J. A. (2014). Serious Game Development. Proceedings of the 2014 ACM International
Workshop on Serious Games - SeriousGames '14. doi:10.1145/2656719.2656721
Ra, G., Sung, J., & Min, H. (2014). Serious Game Development for Civil Defense
Training. Proceedings of the Serious Games Conference 2014. doi:10.3850/978-981-09-
0463-0_056
Reeve, C. (2009). Narrative-Based Serious Games. Serious Games on the Move, 73-89.
doi:10.1007/978-3-211-09418-1_5
Sliney, A., & Murphy, D. (2011). Using Serious Games for Assessment. Serious Games and
Edutainment Applications, 225-243. doi:10.1007/978-1-4471-2161-9_12
Thompson, D. (2014). What Serious Video Games Can Offer Child Obesity Prevention. JMIR
Serious Games, 2(2), e8. doi:10.2196/games.3480
Wendel, V., & Konert, J. (2016). Multiplayer Serious Games. Serious Games, 211-241.
doi:10.1007/978-3-319-40612-1_8