Casual Games, Serious Learning

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Casual Games, Serious Learning

• Daniel Fu, Ben Katz, Jack Schaedler

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w/
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What were gonna do

• Define and describe casual learning games
• Identify examples of successful casual games in
  the entertainment space
• Apply casual game mechanics to instructional
  content
• Discuss how metrics and user testing can improve
  the quality of the learning game

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Who are we, and how did we get here?
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But that isnt important.
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This isnt about us.
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This is about
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ARRR!
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Totally
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What is a casual game?
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Is it this?
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What about this?
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What about
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Casual Games

• Simple mechanics
• No long-term commitment
• Low production costs

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I can has mechanics?
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Mechanics are the rules that make a game fun
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and, in a learning game, actually teach
something.
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Take a look at this
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Zuma
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Diner Dash
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Best game evar
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A quick case study
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Celebrity Calamity

• D2D Fund
• Non-profit
• Financial education for LMI women
• Casual learning games
• Prototype game to teach how credit and debit
  cards function

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So many questions

• Audience?
• How much can we teach?
• How do you balance the learning objectives with
  enjoyable mechanics?

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Now an exercise
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Mechanics

• Dropping mechanic
• Resource management
• Tower defense
• ?

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Metrics and Testing

• User testing during production
• Efficacy testing after production
• Build in ways to record user actions

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Everyone Benefits!
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Thanks!

• daniel.fu_at_enspire.com
• jack.schaedler_at_enspire.com
• ben.katz_at_enspire.com