SAVE ENERGYTechnical Meeting – Luleå 29th June 2009Work Package 3 and 5, Serious Game working group

Serious Game – WP 3 & 5

• Serious Game Working group for the Work packages 3 and 5 has been working actively

• Skype meetings 2-4 times per month• Additionally, some skype meetings for

collaboration between packages 1, 2 and 3• About 5,45 person months used in March-

June in WP 3

Serious Game – WP 3 & 5

• Changes in the consortia cause some changes in the WP 3 and 5

• In general, HSE/CKIR takes over most of the work originally dedicated for RTS, support from Alfamicro

• However, due to big difference of the organizations (RTS/HSE), there will be some distribution of the work and some changes in the game concept

Serious Game – WP 3 & 5• HSE/CKIR will be having 20 person months to take

over the game implementation tasks=> Need to focus

• As CKIR is a research center instead of game developement company, some support will be bought from consultancies (game company expertise, artist, technical support)

Game concept

• Also, as a concept, HSE wants to focus more on interactive education, made engaging through pure principles of good game design, not through graphics and simulation

Work distribution WP 3

• Tasks 3.5 (Simulation Model) and 3.6 (Ontology and Data model) were originally lead by RTS=> Alfamicro will take the task leaderships=> HSE will continue as a contributor

• RTS was a contributor in Task 3.9 (Tutorials and Game Scenarios)=> Metropolia University of Applied Sciences will take their role (1 PM)=> HSE will continue as the task leader

Work distribution WP 3

• Green Net Finland will be added as a contributor in the Tasks 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.3 for 1 PM in total

• Collaboration with all the project partners is highly appreciated, you are welcome to participate!

Work distribution WP 5

• Alfamicro will be the Work Package leader for the WP 5

• CKIR will take task leadership in tasks 5.1 (Serious Game System Architecture), Task 5.2 (Save Energy Dashboard and Serious Game Client) and Task 5.3 (Save Energy Server)

• Alfamicro will take task leadership in Task 5.4 (Save Energy Services)

• As a concept, we want to focus more on interactive education, made engaging through principles of good game design, not through graphics and simulation

• Game-ify the interaction domain, instead of shoehorning energy saving activity into a commercial-style game– Still identifying domain of interaction

SAVE ENERGY game concept

• Simulation vs Interaction• Simulation is resource intensive

– Art– Modelling– Testing

• Interaction is not prescriptive– We can cut the cloth to meet the measure

SAVE ENERGY game concept

SAVE ENERGY process model

TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENTSImplementing energy efficient

technologies, improving the energy management systems, automatizing the

usage etc.

slide by Suvi Häkämies

Lighting:• Decreasing the unnecessary usage of lighting (switching off the lamps

when not needed)• Usage of energy efficient technology (i.e. incandescent lamp vs. compact

fluorescent lamp)• Automating the lighting system (using sensors etc.)

Office (and other) equipment:• Decreasing the unnecessary usage of equipment (switching off i.e. computers and TVs when not needed)• Decreasing the amount of printing and copying• Defining user settings so that the device will be switched off if not used

i.e. for 10 minutes• taking the stairs instead of elevators• detaching the chargers from the socket when not needed

SAVE ENERGY generic actions

HVAC:• Using energy efficient technologies• Maintenance of the equipment• Adjusting the temperature a bit lower• Reducing the need of air conditioning (adequate insulation etc.)• Programmable thermostats etc. equipment

Others:• Decreasing the usage of warm water (user behaviour and technology)• Improving the whole process (i.e. in kitchens cooking more at a

time)• Opening windows wide open for a short time period rather than

keeping them a bit opened the whole day

SAVE ENERGY generic actions

SAVE ENERGY game design

• SAVE ENERGY project is currently busy identifying the domain of interaction

• Different ways to interact with different types of user– Serious game– Web Portal– Pilot buildings– Citizens– Public Servants– Policy Makers

SAVE ENERGY game design

• Three ways to interact with 3 types of player• Serious game• Web Portal• Pilot buildings• Citizens• Public Servants• Policy Makers

Interface typesPlayer types

Serious Game

Web Portal Pilot Buildings

Citizens Personal use & interpersonal actions

Private social net profile, vote Policy maker players

Education, group projects

Public servant

Community-organiser actions

Public social net profile, access to social net groups

Organisation, dissemination

Policy maker

Management actions

Votable public social net profile

Facilitation

SAVE ENERGY community design

• The community of users is built geographically and socially– Web portal: “join local SAVE ENERGY project”?– Pilot community education and effort– Geo-locate game using google maps API

• Integrate across services– allow game scoring through online participation

(and pilot-based actions?)– reflect game performance in online profile

• Some concepts for reference, ranked from low to high simulation level– Basic slide-based tutorial with interactive elements:

• http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/500172

– Mostly text-based with interactive graphics & game-play:

• http://www.siliconvalleyigda.org/special-guest-noah-falstein-video/

– Sprite-based simulation with fully interactive game-play:

• http://climcity.cap-sciences.net/us/climcity.php

Game design – reference points

SAVE ENERGY game solution

• What can we do without RTS?!– They brought game design and game engine

• Replace their design experience with HSE game design research and consultant’s expertise– http://iHobo.com

• Replace game engine with HSE technical expertise– use COTS components for efficiency

SAVE ENERGY Work Package 5

• Planning, architecture & implementation delayed due to loss of RTS

• Current Concept:• Off-the-shelf as much as possible• Browser based client

– Flash-powered, with 95% certainty

• Constructed with affordable COTS game builder– Mockingbird, Metaplace, PlayCrafter,

PushButtonEngine

SAVE ENERGY Work Package 5

• Limited server capacity, provided by CKIR– Stores game data, hosts access to browser-based game

• Integration with Web 2.0– At the least, save game scores to web profile– Also integrate web resources right into game UI:

• carbon calculator, SAVE ENERGY wiki, etc

Thank you!Riina Utriainen, Ben Cowley

{riina.utriainen, ben.cowley}@hse.fiwww.ict4saveenergy.eu