Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget

10:45 am – 11:00 am

Win Win: Models for Creating a

Social Impact Game on a Budget Clay Ewing & Lien Tran (University of Miami)

Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget @claytical // @lient // @uminteractive

courtesy of Constance Steinkuehler, GLS 2013 KeynotePhoto credit: @mitSTEPlab

Game Industry Ecosystem

https://twitter.com/mitSTEPlab/status/345551606177202176/photo/1

https://twitter.com/mitSTEPlab/status/345551606177202176/photo/1


Clay Ewing@claytical

claytical.com

Lien Tran@LienT

lienbtran.com


Models for Indie Collaboration

Simply for the love completely indie no budget

As part of an academic class student assignment or official class potential budget

Small grant funded by institution or foundation modest budget

Game Contractor / Consultant partnering with humanitarian organization

variable budget based on game designer’s experience and project scope


Complete Indie


Ad Patrol

http://claytical.com/ad-patrol




Ad Patrol





Complete Indie

• Complete control over what was made

• Never a priority, slow to complete

• No institutional support to help get the word out

• Without “catching fire” it pushes a person like me to move on to the next project

PROS CONS


Complete Indie

• Tap into your personal/professional networks

• Limit the team (can include game designer, programmer, artist, subject matter expert)

TIPS


Part of a ClassHustlin Health Carehustlinhealthcare.com

Gaming the (Immigration) Systemlienbtran.com/games/gaming-the-system/

http://lienbtran.com/games/gaming-the-system/





Part of a ClassHumans vs. Mosquitoeshumansvsmosquitoes.com

Magnitudelienbtran.com/games/magnitude/




Humans vs. Mosquitoes






Part of a Class

• Inexpensive

• Potential for a wide variety of skill sets

• Built-in potential for institutional support

• Unpredictable outcomes

• Ownership issues

• Confined by academic schedule

PROS CONS


Part of a Class

• Workshop early with subject matter expert and students

• Organizations should set realistic expectations for student work - think of it as an experiment

• Look to partner with design and communication programs

• Take advantage of built in access to playtesters

TIPS


Small Grant

Vanity - Funded by University of Ottawalienbtran.com/games/vanity


Small Grant


Small Grant

• Built-in network of advocates

• Stepping stone towards bigger opportunities

• Lack of resources for assessment

• Rarely enough money for a digital game *

PROS CONS


Small Grant

• Keep the team lean

• Ensure that the grant timeframe is feasible

• Subject matter experts should be very conscious of scope creep

• Make sure you have a contract and stick to it

TIPS


Cops & Rubberslienbtran.com/games/cops-and-rubbers

Uwezeshaji Kaya Kuhimililienbtran.com/games/gaming-the-system/

Independent Contractor






Open Society Foundations


World Bank

with the Tanzania Social Action Fund



• Organizations can push more resources at the project to get it to where they want it to be

• Easy to get into “design by committee” conundrum

PROS CONS



• Define roles early on

• Contracts are extremely important for transparency and expectations

TIPS


Digital vs. Non-Digital

DIGITALCost per person

Size of audience

NON-DIGITALCost per person

Size of audience


General Tips

• Look for game collaborators in design and communications schools/programs and at game meetups

• local game groups, Global Game Jam, Indiecade, G4C, GLS, etc. // possibly game listservs

• Provide a summary brief (concrete concepts, key goals and messages, priorities); Don’t bombard your designer with too much information!

• If you can’t meet regularly, schedule early a face-to-face weekend for briefing and rapid prototyping

• Avoid scope creep

• Publish your print-on-demand tabletop games at thegamecrafter.com*


Clay Ewing@claytical

claytical.com

Lien Tran@LienT

lienbtran.com

Questions?

Design

Win Win: Models for Creating a Social Impact Game on a Budget