# To Communicate with Serious Games

Julian Alvarez, Olivier Rampnoux, Jean Pierre Jessel

► To cite this version:

Julian Alvarez, Olivier Rampnoux, Jean Pierre Jessel. To Communicate with Serious Games. Discussion about Virtual StoryTelling (Behavioural Simulation) and Serious Games (Female Gaming), Heriot-Watt University, Feb 2007, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. hal-04787041

HAL Id: hal-04787041

https://hal.science/hal-04787041v1

Submitted on 21 Nov 2024

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access
archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci-
entific research documents, whether they are pub-
lished or not. The documents may come from
teaching and research institutions in France or
abroad, or from public or private research centers.

L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est
destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents
scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non,
émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de
recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires
publics ou privés.

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>
To Communicate with
Serious Games

University of Edinburgh

02/02/2007

Julian Alvarez, Olivier Rampnoux
& Pr. Jean-Pierre Jessel
Plan of the talk

1) Why to use video games to communicate?

2) Classification of Serious Games

3) What kind of objective(s) defines a video game?

4) Girl gaming

5) Next steps and conclusion
# 1 - Why to use video games to communicate ?

## ■ The principals reasons are :

- Children like to play game

- To play is a good way to learn

- Students are changing (Educative arcade)
2 - Classification of Serious Games

- 5 categories of Serious game...
# 2 - Classification of Serious Games

## 5 categories of Serious game...

- Advergaming

- Edutainment

- Edumarket game

- Political game

- Training & Simulation game
2 - Classification of Serious Games

Advergaming...

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>
2 - Classification of Serious Games

Advergaming...

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>
## 2 - Classification of Serious Games

### Edutainment...

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>
## 2 - Classification of Serious Games

### Edumarket game...

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /></figure>
## 2 - Classification of Serious Games

### Political game...

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /></figure>
## 2 - Classification of Serious Games

### Training and simulation games

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /></figure>
## 2 - Classification of Serious Games

But we can also distinguish Serious games which propose an implemented objective(s) and those which do not...
# 2 - Classification of Serious Games

- So we can classify Serious game on 2 categories :

- Serious games based on video games (With implemented objective(s)))

- Serious games based on simulation (Without implemented objective)
2 - Classification of Serious Games

■ In this two cases, we can transmit a message.

■ So, one question may be:

□ Does the presence of implemented objective(s) play an important part to transmit a message? For instance, as the graphics of the application or the context in which the user is located do?
3 - What kind of objective(s) defines a video game?

■ According to Le Diberder brothers and Frasca a video game is:

☐ A world with its laws (metarules) and cosmetics (Graphics and sounds)

☐ A manner to interact in this world (Paida)

☐ Goal rules (Ludus)
3 - What kind of objective(s) defines a video game?

- Goal rules can be cognitive... But in our case, we talk about formal goal rules: **Implemented rules.**
## 3 - What kind of objective(s) defines a video game?

* Today we have identified with V.E.Ga.S data base, about 10 rules:

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /></figure>

Answer

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /></figure>

Manage

<figure><img src="image_10.png" /></figure>

Have
luck

<figure><img src="image_11.png" /></figure>

Shoot

<figure><img src="image_12.png" /></figure>

Create

<figure><img src="image_13.png" /></figure>

Block
(Maintain)

<figure><img src="image_14.png" /></figure>

Toy

<figure><img src="image_15.png" /></figure>

Destroy
(Collect)

<figure><img src="image_16.png" /></figure>

Position

<figure><img src="image_17.png" /></figure>

Avoid

<figure><img src="image_18.png" /></figure>

Move

<figure><img src="image_19.png" /></figure>

Time

<figure><img src="image_20.png" /></figure>

Score
# 3 - What kind of objective(s) defines a video game?

Combination of the 21 biggest families of game bricks found by V.E.Ga.S. (July 2006)

<table><thead><tr><th></th><th>Answer</th><th>Avoid</th><th>Collect</th><th>Create</th><th>Destroy</th><th>Get Luck</th><th>Manage</th><th>Move</th><th>Position</th><th>Shoot</th><th>Time</th><th>Score</th><th>Toy</th><th>Representative games of the family</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>A - #1 Fam of 5 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Drag and Drop quiz</td></tr><tr><td>B - #2 Fam of 5 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Autoroute (Basic car drive game)</td></tr><tr><td>C - #3 Fam of 5 games</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Memory, Crossword and Text adventure</td></tr><tr><td>D - #4 Fam of 5 games</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Fly eating (Catch flies with a static toad)</td></tr><tr><td>E - #5 Fam of 5 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>MechWarrior 3, Interstate 76, Prohibition</td></tr><tr><td>F - #1 Fam of 6 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>Commando, MDK, Abuse</td></tr><tr><td>G - #2 Fam of 6 games</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Paint activity, Music Sampler...</td></tr><tr><td>H - #3 Fam of 6 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Quiz games</td></tr><tr><td>I - #4 Fam of 6 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>Call of Duty, Tomb Rider, Earth Worm 2</td></tr><tr><td>J - #1 Fam of 7 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>Xenon 2: Mega Blast, J'Dar 2</td></tr><tr><td>K - #2 Fam of 7 games</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Craps game, The secret number</td></tr><tr><td>L - #1 Fam of 8 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Spidzer, Slalom (Basic ski simulation)</td></tr><tr><td>M - #2 Fam of 8 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>Space Invaders</td></tr><tr><td>N - #1 Fam of 9 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Pacman</td></tr><tr><td>O - #2 Fam of 9 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Snake</td></tr><tr><td>P - #3 Fam of 9 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>Street Fighter 2</td></tr><tr><td>Q - #4 Fam of 9 games</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Memo-U (A kind of quiz game)</td></tr><tr><td>R - Fam of 11 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>Double Dragon, Micromachines 2 et 3</td></tr><tr><td>S - Fam of 16 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>Doom, Descent, Duke Nukem 3D</td></tr><tr><td>T - Fam of 17 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>Asteroids</td></tr><tr><td>U - Fam of 19 games</td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>O</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Frogger, Trackmania</td></tr></tbody></table>
3 - What kind of objective(s) defines a video game?

■ Discovery of metabricks « DRIVER » and « KILLER »

<figure><img src="image_21.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_22.png" /></figure>
3 - What kind of objective(s) defines a video game?

■ Discover of « DRIVER » and « KILLER »

Construction of GAME METABRICKS

<figure><img src="image_23.png" /></figure>
3 - What kind of objective(s) defines a video game?

■ Discover of « DRIVER » and « KILLER »

DRIVER = "Move" + "Avoid"

KILLER = "Shoot" + "Destroy"

<figure><img src="image_24.png" /></figure>

Ex : Frogger

Ex : Space invaders

Ex : Duck hunt
3 - What kind of objective(s) defines a video game?

■ The game of "Interstate 76" is a good illustration of the composition of "DRIVER - KILLER", isn't it ?

<figure><img src="image_25.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_26.png" /></figure>
3 - What kind of objective(s) defines a video game?

■ Classification of all the possibles combinaisons of video game found with V.E.Ga.S. (Aug. 2006)

<figure><img src="image_27.png" /><figcaption>Combinaison de métabriques : Les challenges de base des différents jeux vidéo</figcaption></figure>
4 - Girl gaming

- But to communicate by the video game or
Serious games supposes a mixed public.
What is about of the female public?
# 5 - Next steps

* To formalize more the definitions of the Game bricks

* To index a significant number of video games to take into account the analysis of the data

* To explore girl gaming
5 - Conclusion

- To communicate by Serious Games implies now to explore girl gaming.
To Communicate with
Serious Games

Thank you!

alvarez@irit.fr

olivier.rampnoux@univ-poitiers.fr

jessel@irit.fr