TruSim Serious about games

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TruSim Serious about games
Sion Lenton
Development Support Manager Blitz Games Ltd
www.TruSim.com
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The Networked Age

• Traditional media distributes ideas
• New media offers control to users
• Personalised experiences expected
• Video games offer an active personalised
  experience within a designed framework

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The Games Industry

• PlayStation 2 UK sales 8 million

• UK market 2 billion

• Estimated worldwide market in 2007 20 billion

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The Games Industry

• Global Market valued at 20bn
• US, Japan and UK leading markets
• UK industrys position threatened by overseas
  subsidies
• New generation platforms demand substantial
  production investment
• High cost, high risk

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Blitz Games Ltd

• 1986 7 of all game sales

• Interactive Studios formed in 1990

• 2006 new divisions

1980
2006
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Blitz Games Ltd

• Top 5 European Independent Developer
• 200m sales since 2000
• 200 staff headquartered in Leamington Spa
• Work to develop games industry
• -TIGA, IGDA, Skillset, e-skills, LSC, AWM,
  ScreenWM, DTI Games Group
• RD - FP6 SALERO, DTI Technology Programme

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A Balanced Portfolio

• Blitz Brand - Family Friendly
• Volatile Brand - Mature Games
• Arcade Brand - Downloads/Advergames

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A Balanced Portfolio

• TruSim - Serious Games
• The Virtual Experience Company Visualisation

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Technology

• Dedicated technology team
• Established long term strategy
• Wholly-owned technology
• Already working on X360 / PS3/ Wii games

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Guiding Principles

• Blended Learning Solutions
• Engaging and cost efficient
• Simple interface
• Single or networked play
• Easily updated

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Serious Games

• Task based
• Decision based
• Team based
• Communication
• Cooperation
• Exploration
• Experimentation
• May support change

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Engagement

• Suspension of disbelief
• Active not passive
• Achievable challenge
• Player has impact
• Instant feedback

• Practice improves performance
• Cool culture
• Strong narrative
• Good visual and sound design

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Motivation

• Not a cure all
• Part of a social and cultural phenomenon
• Serious Games for all abilities
• May be best suited for particular learning
  styles

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DTI Grant led Technology Programme

• VEGA Group plc
• Birmingham, Sheffield, London Universities
• Specialist partners
• Produce and trial 3 proof of concept prototypes
• Produce robust metrics for validating that
  learning is transferred and retained

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Meshing Game and Instructional Design
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Experience So Far

• Differences in language use
• Different expectations of design and work
  practices
• Clarifying responsibilities on all sides
• Accepting compromise
• Finding the right tools for delivery high
  end/low end debate

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The Console Conundrum

• Consoles have known capabilities
• More consoles than PCs in UK households
• Increasingly always on-line but with a walled
  garden
• Use proprietary software
• Buzz! opportunity or dead end?
• Opportunities with handhelds

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Current and Future Trends

• User Generated Content
• Personalised experiences
• Toolsets v commissioned content
• Intelligent content will adapt to your needs
• Shared home/office/school portals for all
  digital content intelligent networks

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Future Directions

• Emergence of Public Service Content
• Growth of Premium Content active and passive
• New tools to sift, prioritise and personalise
  content
• Clarity of purposes, separation of contexts
  will become essential
• The off button will survive

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Questions
Sion Lenton
Development Support Manager Slenton_at_blitzgames.com
www.TruSim.com