Quarantined: The Fletcher Library Game Project

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Quarantined The Fletcher Library Game Project

• Tammy Allgood, Bee Gallegos, Karen Grondin
• Fletcher Library
• Arizona State University
• at the West campus

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Game Project Team
Project Sponsor Bee Gallegos, Coordinator of
Lower Division Program Project Manager Tammy
Allgood, Digital Delivery and Design Librarian
Game Design Team Karen Grondin, Library
Specialist at ASU at the West campus Aaron
Rostad, Library Specialist at ASU at the West
campus Marisa Duarte, Reference Instruction
Librarian at ASU at the West campus Developer
Bob Wohl
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Why Games?

• Prevalence of video games, particularly among
  teenagers (2003 Gallop poll reported 69 of
  teenagers play video games each week)
• Evidence suggests games can enhance problem
  solving skills

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Learning Objectives

• Introduce first year students to
• Library as a physical and virtual place
• Library services
• Types of resources
• Basics of the online catalog
• Differences between types of sources
• Reading, understanding, and using citations to
  retrieve information

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Board Game

• Introduced Fall 2005
• Began as prototype to computer game
• Good learning experience

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You need to find articles and background
information in order to make a presentation.
Which resources are best to use? a. Web sites
you find using Google b. Books and
encyclopedias c. A combination of library
resources including journal and newspaper
articles and books
Answer c. A combination of library resources
including journal and newspaper articles and
books
To refine and narrow a search you should a.
Summarize what you are searching b. Start over
and change the keywords searched c. Limit your
search by date or language etc.
Answer c. Limit your search by date or language
etc.
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Much better than just a lecture
It was fun! I didnt fall asleep or anything
I like the game!! Does Milton Bradley make that
one?
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Student Comments Board Game

• This was a great way to learn about the
  library!
• Thanks for the great time and the game although
  I lost.
• The game was intense, a fun way to learn about
  my ASU West Library.
• I learned things about the library that I didnt
  know before.
• The workshop was very informative and was also
  fun with the addition of the game. I feel like I
  know the library services and layout better.

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Computer Game

• Development - Began Spring 2006
• Team 5 people
• Skills - Web development, Flash development,
  database design, lower division instruction
  expertise, extensive research in gaming as an
  educational tool
• Funding - Financial support from Library
  Director, Marilyn Myers, to hire an outside
  programmer
• Platform - Flash

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Documentation

• Project (Business) Plan
• High Concept Document
• Game Treatment Document
• Game Script

From Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game
Design
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High Concept Document

• Premise of the game
• Intended audience
• Genre
• Unique selling points
• Target platform
• Overall storyline
• Example

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Game Treatment Document

• 10-20 pages
• Game overview
• High Concept
• Hooks
• License
• Game play highlights
• Technology highlights
• Art and Audio highlights
• Hardware
• Production details
• Budget
• Schedule
• Competition
• Game world
• Back-story
• Objective
• Characters
• Mission

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Game Script

• Everything from High Concept and Game Treatment
  Documents
• Game play outline or flowchart
• Design details
• Game text
• Example http//www.designersnotebook.com/Wanna-be
  /ctaylordesign.zip

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Timeline Approximations

• Storyline decisions, mission, and documentation -
  Seven months
• Design (game logo, map, isometric tiles, building
  interiors, characters, icons) - Two months
• Character interactions - One month
• Animations and character walking paths - Two
  weeks
• Information retrieval (game catalog and
  database)- Two weeks
• Sound creation - Two weeks
• Bug tracking and documentation One month

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Hiring a Programmer

• Finding Programmers
• Consulted with Game Design Instructor at the Art
  Institute International in Phoenix - possible
  student project?
• Posted on local Tech listservs, wikis and web
  sites
• Hiring Programmers
• Asked for portfolios from top three candidates
• Chose candidate with the most edugaming
  experience
• Top candidate subcontracted game designer

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URL to Version 1.0

• http//library.west.asu.edu/game/quarantined/login
  .cfm or
• http//tinyurl.com/34j4mo
• Username Loex
• Password 2007
• (Good for one week)

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Version 1.1

• Fix bug
• Moveable windows
• Copy and paste
• Citations in the pda
• Mission screen
• Hot spots
• Doorways
• Main character indicator

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I had a better time in class today than I thought
I would on a "library enlightenment day". Thanks!
Too complicated
The game was fun...
Pretty cool game, I liked it
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Student Comments - Online Game

• It was ok
• I found this very helpful. Last semester in
  another course I had people from the library come
  in and teach the class about this stuff. But I
  feel I learned more this time because of the step
  by step instructions and the game was fun and
  helpful as well.
• I did not get the point of the game. I did not
  learn anything from it. The instructor explaining
  everything was better. That is where I learned
  everything.
• I would have found the game more helpful if I
  knew what I was doing. But overall it was fun. I
  don't know if I learned anything but it was
  better then being sitting in class for 45 minutes
  while the librarians talk. The game needs some
  improving but it was fun.
• Over all the game was interesting. At some point
  it did get a bit confusing
• The game would have been easier if there was a
  copy and paste action. I know I had to keep
  checking my backpack which slowed me down from
  saving the Wolf guy.

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Words of Wisdom for Library Game Developers

• Do your research
• Think about starting small
• Dont underestimate time needed for design
• Keep the development team small
• Project manager should have some understanding of
  game development
• Follow document requirements found in Rollings
  and Adams on Game Design
• Dont underestimate time needed for design
• Hire a professional programmer with a educational
  gaming portfolio
• Dont underestimate time needed for design

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Essential Sources

• Branston, C. (2006). From game studies to
  bibliographic gaming Libraries tap into the
  video game culture. Bulletin of the American
  Society for Information Science Technology,
  32(4), 24-29.
• Fletcher Library Game Project Web Site
  http//www.west.asu.edu/libcontrib/game/website/
• Have You Ever Played Any Of The Following Types
  Of Video Games? (2003, Sept.). Gallup Poll
  Tuesday Briefing (Print Ed.). Washington, D.C.
  The Gallup Organization.
• Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach
  us about learning and literacy. (1st ed.). New
  York Palgrave Macmillan.
• Got game? (2006). PC Magazine, 25(18), 21-21.
• Makar, J., Winiarczyk, B. (2004). Macromedia
  flash MX 2004 game design demystified. Berkeley,
  CA Macromedia Press.
• Prensky, M. (c2001). Digital game-based learning.
  New York McGraw-Hill.
• Rollings, A., Adams, E. (2003). Andrew Rollings
  and Ernest Adams on game design. (1st ed.).
  Indianapolis New Riders.