A DTI perspective on serious games

1

• A DTI perspective on serious games
• Presentation to Becta Technology Seminar
  Enhancing Learning Virtual Worlds, Simulations
  Games-based Learning
• Leigh Jackson
• Deputy-Director, Business Engagement
• DTI Communications Content Industries Unit
• Birmingham, 24th April 2007

2
Aim of todays talk

• Look at emerging themes related to serious games
• Explore some of the issues relevant to government
• Cite some examples of government use of SG
• Elicit further examples of SG going on in public
  sector

3
Who are we?/Who am I?

• Role of DTIs Communications Content Industries
  Unit
• Work closely with CCI sectors (computer games
  through to ISPs telecoms) to help drive up
  competitiveness and productivity
• Champion policy/regulatory interests of CCI
  sectors with rest of government, including
  EU/international regulators
• Also act as source of knowledge/intelligence back
  to government on CCI sectors
• Relationship manage 108 companies and
  intermediaries, including 29 computer games
  publishers and developers, as well as main
  industry intermediaries TIGA ELSPA.
• Regularly partner up with DFES, Becta, Department
  of Culture, Media Sport (DCMS) and UK Trade
  Investment (UKTI) on policy projects of mutual
  interest
• Current mutual interest in government
  use/commissioning of serious games

4
Definitional issue

• Working defn non-entertainment use of
  interactive entertainment software and content,
  primarily for education training purposes
• Convenient label for expanding universe ?
  inclusiveness requires loose definitions
• Convergence/broadband takeup/user-generated
  content/Web 2.0
• Multi-platform and media opportunities PC,
  console, handhelds, PDAs, mobile
• Recent rapid growth in virtual worlds MMORPGs
  eg. Linden Labs Second Life, Sony PS3 Home,
  Korean Cyworld Blizzards World of Warcraft,
  NCSofts Lineage II
• Advent of advergames to augment viral marketing
  campaigns eg. UN Food Force
• Various combos of the afore-mentioned.
• Two main avenues
• commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) (straight
  transfer/repurposed)
• proprietary
• Serious does not not innovative or fun!

5
Data issue

• A lot of hype, but not much data.need for more
  robust quant research
• Americas Army (2002) (now 7.6 million users)
  seen as first major SG
• Market size for serious games? (Definition
  problem again)
• Worldwide CG market 25 billion (Screen
  Digest/ELSPA 2006)
• E-learning market estimated at more than US80
  billion (ITI Techmedia)
• Serious games in USA estimated at 50 million
  (SGI, GDC 2006)
• Potential market for serious games US700 million
  (ITI Techmedia)
• Useful qualitative studies on learning impact
  use starting to appear
• Teaching with Games (Futurelab/EA/ISFE, 2006)
• Unlimited Learning (ELSPA/DFES, 2006)
• Harnessing the power of video games for learning
  (FAS, 2006)
• An Evaluative Review (Lancaster University, 2006)
  unpub.DFES study
• Learning in Immersive Worlds (JISC, 2006)
• Emerging Technologies for Learning Volume 2
  (Becta, 2007)

6
Emerging findings from the literature

• Substantial potential for learning with games and
  simulations
• Positive impact on higher-order learning skills,
  collaborative working
• Seen as powerful tools for engaging disaffected,
  hard to reach groups
• Speed of uptake in leisure contexts (particularly
  amongst young learners) has big implications for
  training/learning strategies
• Games need to be embedded in practice with sound
  pedagogic principles design industry
  educators need to continue dialogue,
  experimentation
• Popularity of Web 2.0/user-generated content
  needs to be factored in great opportunity to
  empower learners through game-based learning,
  active authoring, etc
• More effective supporting materials needed to
  support teachers, practitioners also training
  to boost confidence, skills
• Challenges remain in setting assessing
  specified learning objectives in learning
  contexts
• More robust measures, more research, needed ...

7
Emerging trends, issues, from industry

• Industry/academia spotting the market
  opportunities
• Annual Serious Games Summits in Washington
  attract major US other government commissioners
  
• Nintendo launches Dr Kawashimas Brain Training
  in Europe in June 2006 in UK top ten best-seller
  list for months (ELSPA ChartTrack, April 2007)
  Sony launches PSP in Education Initiative (March
  2007) also PS3 Home (March 2007)
• ANGILS, first European networking trade
  association for serious games, formed in late
  2006
• Emergence of Midlands cluster, including
  Birmingham Universitys, Coventry Universitys,
  interests in serious games
• Yet much of industry remains sceptical
• no mass-market appeal
• show me someone who is making money out of
  this!
• From industrys perspective, prospect of viable
  business models remains uncertain

8
Serious games - opportunity or threat?
Industry
Government
Opportunity
Threat
9
DTI Perspective

• Broadband, Web 2.0/UGC powerful drivers
  individual consumers now potentially powerful
  publishers
• Increasingly sophisticated digital media
  consumption in leisure contexts will impact on
  behaviour in work/study contexts
• Implications for industry opportunities
  threats
• Implications for educators more innovative
  tools, more media literacy
• Implications for government procurement
  practices, innovative solutions re policy
  delivery
• More collaborative pilot work needed between
  industry, govt academia
• Strengthen the research evidence base, develop
  better quality measurement of impact
• Further promote innovative practice, assist
  digital media inclusion
• Develop better practice in collaborative models
  balance the investment risks - VFM solutions for
  government should not be exploitative industry
  needs reassurance that viable business models
  exist

10
Serious Games Group

• Informal group set up by DTI in 2005 co-sponsors
  DFES MoD
• Aims
• Promote a co-ordinated approach across government
  on the use of serious games to deliver policy
  objectives
• Create valuable constructive partnerships
  between government industry which lead to
  cost-effective innovative outcomes
• Share knowledge and expertise, develop and
  promote innovative best practice, including more
  consistent evaluation criteria
• Now has 11 members
• DTI, DFES, Becta, MoD, DCMS, Scottish Enterprise,
  DEFRA, DoH, DfT, Food Standards Agency, Ordnance
  Survey
• Current work
• Mapping existing/planned government initiatives
• Facilitating dialogue between potential
  government commissioners relevant industry
• Developing strategy

11
Some current SGG member initiatives
12
Next steps for SGG

• Broaden membership base across govt/public sector
• Continue cross-Whitehall mapping
• Finalise formalise strategy in 2007 involve
  Ministers

13
Quote from an industry insider

• Serious games show that there can be dramatic
  interventions in new media which can have public
  service value
• Andrew Chitty, Managing Director of Illumina
  Digital Vice-Chair (Interactive) of PACT (OFCOM
  /Westminster Media Forum PSP Conference, March
  2007)
• Any questions?? Or
  examples??