incolsa get your game on presentation

Get Your Game On: Videogaming @ the Library

Instructor:

Beth Gallawayinformationgoddess29@gmail.com

Fall 2008

Contact Info!

Contact Info: • Beth Gallaway• informationgoddess29@gmail.co

m• 603.247.3196• http://informationgoddess.info

Introductions• Name• Library• Position• What games do you play?

Workshop Overview• Defining games

• Benefits of games… at the library!

• Creating a gaming experience:

– Ways to serve gamers

– Collecting games

– Game programs

• Let’s play some games!

What is a Game?GAME: activity

engaged in for diversion or amusement; synonym: see FUN

VIDEOGAME: an electronic game played by means of images on a video screen and often emphasizing fast action

Merriam-Webster Online. http://www.m-w.com

Game design slides courtesy of Chris Castaldi http://www.echoshard.com

Goals• What the Player wants to achieve

– Main goals•Winning!

– Sub-Goals•Shiny things

– Goals Fit the GAME

Game design slides courtesy of Chris Castaldi http://www.echoshard.com

Obstacles

• Impeding the player’s progress

– Impeding the player’s path

– Feeling of Accomplishment

– Challenging the player

Game design slides courtesy of Chris Castaldi http://www.echoshard.com

Tools• Tools are what the player use to get to

its goal– A Sword

– A Spell

– A Jump

– Players need to use them properly

Game design slides courtesy of Chris Castaldi http://www.echoshard.com

Second Chances• The Player’s ability to fail and try again

– Only once Chance in reality

– Try again

– Extra Lives

– Health Bar

– Quest for perfection

Game design slides courtesy of Chris Castaldi http://www.echoshard.com

Learning• Player’s Skill and Mastery of the tools

they use.– Player learns the rules of the game and how

to rise above them.

• Spikes = Death• Fire Creatures are immune to fire.

– Increasing Difficulty• Levels become harder and more complicated.

Game design slides courtesy of Chris Castaldi http://www.echoshard.com

Game Playing Components

• Console/Playing Device – PC, Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo

• Screen or Monitor• Controller

– mouse, joystick, keyboard, peripheral device

• Power Source• Game

– CD-Rom, cartridge, digital

Game Play Devices• Consoles

– XBox– Playstation– Nintendo

• Handhelds– PSP– DS

• PC

Console Units Sold

VG Charts. http://www.vgchartz.com/

Game Components• Console/Playing Device

– PC, Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo

• Screen or Monitor• Controller

– mouse, joystick, keyboard, peripheral device

• Power Source• Game

– CD-Rom, cartridge, digital

Game Screens• Monitor • Television• Projector/Screen

RCA Cable Inputs

RCA Cable Converters

Game Components• Console/Playing Device

– PC, Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo

• Screen or Monitor• Controller

– mouse, joystick, keyboard, peripheral device

• Power Source• Game

– CD-Rom, cartridge, digital

Game Controllers• Keyboard• Mouse• Mat• Guitar• Steering Wheel• Drum• Joystick• Camera• Controllers

Plug ‘n’ Play

• Plugs into your TV

• Play begins immediately

Handhelds

VG Charts. http://www.vgchartz.com/.

Mobile Gaming Devices

Mobile gaming is expected to quadruple to 11.2 billion by 2010

Exercise #1: Play a Game!

Work in pairs to try a game on a handheld device

Objective: gain a little more comfort with a mobile or handheld game.

Take 5 minutes to try a game--or show one to someone else--right now!

For Discussion:• What game(s) did you play?• Were the games easy or hard? • Did you look for instructions, or jump right in?• Do you want to play more?• Would you play this online? How might it be different? • What did you learn from this experience?     

For Discussion:What Are Some Benefits

of Games?

Does This Sound Like Any Gamers You Know?

• Social• Competitive• Wired• Self-aware• Always On

• Heroic• Multi-taskers• Global• Collaborative• Risk Takers

Beck, John and Mitchell Wade. Got Game: How the Gamer Generation is Reshaping Business Forever. Harvard Business School Press, 2004.

Learning Principles*

• Risk –tasking in a “safe” environment• Rewards practice• Use of affinity groups• Probing cycles• Situated meaning• Self-knowledge• Identity formation

*Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Palgrave McMillan, 2003

Why Games at the Library?

• Games provide opportunity for library as third place

• Games are just like books, they are just another new format

• Games are the medium of choice for the millennial generation

• Games meet developmental needs/build developmental assets of teens

• Games are literary• Games reinforce new literacies• Other???

Third Place

Third (Mc)Place

Exercise # 2: Games Are Like Books, Part I

Gaming is the medium of choice for the millennial generation

Developmental Needs of Young Adolescents• Positive social interaction with adults &

peers• Structure and clear limits• Physical activity• Creative expression• Competence and achievement• Meaningful participation in families,

school, communities• Opportunities for self-definition

NMSA. NMSA Research Summaries. Young Adolescents Developmental Needs (1996)http://www.nmsa.org/Research/ResearchSummaries/Summary5/tabid/257/Default.aspx

Developmental Assetsof Adolescents• Support• Empowerment• Boundaries & Expectations• Constructive Use of Time• Commitment to Learning• Positive Values• Social Competencies• Positive Identity

The Search Institute. http://www.search-institute.org

What Developmental Needs or Assets Are Being Met?

Gaming = literacy• Environmental print

– Signage– Labels– Maps

• Reading about the game– Instructions– Walkthroughs

• Writing about the game– Forums– Websites

• Chat: – “WTS, Mageweave cloth, 15g”

& 4 /\/\ 3 I2 5

G A M E R S

“Leet”

BREAK

Gaming Reinforces New Literacies

• Exposing knowledge

• Employing information

• Expressing ideas compellingly

• Ethics on the Internet

Armstrong Sara, and David Warlick. ”The New Literacies.” Scholastic Administrator. Sep15, 2004. http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=47102021. June 12, 2008.

1. Exposing Knowledge• Find information

• Understand and explain found information regardless of its format

• Evaluate information

• Organize information

Runescape

Ways Games Expose Knowledge

2. Employing Information

• Computation

• Measurement

• Analysis

• Application

• Estimating

• Basic arithmetic

• Averages

• Statistics

Lemonade Stand

EXERCISE # 3: Try Set Game

http://www.setgame.com

3. Expressing Ideas Compellingly

• Mechanics matter

• Creativity & efficiency highly rated

• Text, images, audio, and video are used to express ideas in many digital formats

Ways Gamers Express Ideas Compellingly

• Fan Fiction• Machinima• Web Comics• Fan Forums• Clan Websites

FanFiction

Warcraft Tutorial

Ethics on the Internet• Modding – recreating game content

• FanFic – writing stories about characters created/owner by someone else

• Machina – films/videos created through recording video game play

For Discussion:What Are Some Negatives

of Games?

Exercise #4: Gaming by the Numbers

1. What is the average age of the gamer?*

*Entertainment Software Association. “Industry Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts. Accessed June 12, 2008.

35

2. What % of teens report playing games online?*

*Pew Internet & American Life Project. Teens and Technology, July 2005. http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Teens_Tech_July2005web.pdf. Accessed June 12, 2008.

81%

3. What % of people over age 50 play games?*

*Entertainment Software Association. “Industry Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts. Accessed June 12, 2008.

26%

4. What % of gamers are female?*

*Entertainment Software Association. “Industry Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts. Accessed June 12, 2008.

40%

5. What % of gamers read on a regular basis?

*Entertainment Software Association. “Industry Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts. Accessed June 12, 2008.

32 %93%

6. How many billions of dollars did the computer and game sales gross in the US in 2007?*

$9.5 billion

*Entertainment Software Association. “Industry Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts. Accessed June 12, 2008.

7. What % of games sold in 2007 were rated M for Mature?*

*Entertainment Software Association. “Industry Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/. Accessed June 12, 2008.

15%

Have you ever played a game rated M for Mature?

8. What % of public libraries allow patrons to play computer games?*

82%

*Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed June 12, 2008.

9. What % of public libraries host videogame programs?*

13%

*Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed June 12, 2008.

10. What % of public libraries circulate videogames?*

30%

*Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed June 12, 2008.

Ways to Serve Gamers

1 Use games to do readers advisory!2 Be a strategy guide!3 Embrace your inner technogeek4 Be flexible … embrace change!5 Immerse yourself in pop culture …

especially video game culture!6 Try some games!

1. Reader’s Advisory to Gamers

INSTEAD OF: • What authors do you like to read?• What are the last 3 books you read and

enjoyed? • What did you like about them?

ASK: • What movies do you like? • What TV shows do you watch? • What games do you play?

If You Like City of Heroes

Exercise #5: Reader’s Advisory to Gamers

1. Break into groups and discuss characteristics of each genre

2. Add a few titles and authors to recommend to a gamer

Objectives: • seek similarities in games and

books• approach a traditional library skill

or service from a new angle

Roleplaying (RPG) Games• Games:

– Everquest– Runescape– World of Warcraft– Dark Age of Camelot– Ultima

• Characteristics– Epic fantasy setting– Good vs. evil theme

• Suggest?

Historical Sim Games

• Games: – Civilization– Caesar– Age of Empires– Oregon Trail– America’s Army

• Characteristics– Simulation elements– Historical setting– Alternative history possibility

• Suggest?

Sports Games

• Games: – Madden Football– NBA Street– Need for Speed– Tiger Woods– Golf

• Characteristics– Sports theme– Competition

• Suggest?

Strategy & Puzzle Games• Games:

– Myst– Tetris– Bejeweled– Where in the World is Carmen San

Diego?• Characteristics:

– Problem to solve– Logic, math, reasoning

• Suggest?

First Person Shooters (FPS)

• Games: – Doom– Quake– Halo

• Characteristics– Warfare– Strategy– Violent

• Suggest?

Simulations

• Games: – The Sims– The Urbz

• Characteristics:– Character driven

• Suggest?

Japanese/Manga tie-in• Games:

– Katamari Damacy– Final Fantasy– Dragonball Z– Pokemon

• Characteristics– Anime style– Japanese culture

• Suggest?

Superhero Games• Games:

– Spider-Man– Fantastic Four– City of Heros

• Characteristics– Heroes/villains setting– Good vs. evil theme– Film tie-ins

• Suggest?

Print Resources for Gamers

1. Magazines2. Strategy guides3. Nonfiction about gaming4. Fiction with gaming as a plot

or subplot

Exercise # 6: Games Are Like Books, Part II

2. Be a Strategy Guide

• Don’t be a level boss• Show, don’t tell• Make it interactive• Get them started with a free-for-all• Ask for a demo of expertise• Be open-minded

3. Get Your Geek On

• Upgrade• Get a screen name• You can’t break it• Pilot projects• Read tech news

4. Be Flexible… Embrace Change!

• Change the space• Flexible furnishings• Say yes• Go meta• Customize• Change yourself

Flexible seating

It’s a stool

It’s a table

It’s a storage unit

5. Immerse in Pop Culture…

• Pop Culture• Hot High Tech• Crossovers

Especially Videogame Culture!

• Watch machinima• Read gaming webcomics• Subscribe to a gaming podcast or

blog• Skim gaming magazines• Pay attention to gaming around you

More Ways to Immerse!• Join the LibGaming Google Group

– Email discussion for gaming in libraries

• ALA Gaming News Blog– Blog about gaming news of interest to libraries

• Join YALSA and the Teen Gaming Interest Group– YALSA interest group dedicated to gaming

• Celebrate Teen Tech Week– Annual celebration of teens + technology in

libraries, March 2008

6. Try Some Games

• On the Internet• On a console• On a handheld

What Makes a Good Game?

Plot +Setting+Character +Graphics +Soundtrack+Modification/Customization+Support+Uniqueness________________ Replayability

Exercise #7: What Makes a Good Game? In this group exercise, you will preview video game magazines and look at the articles, advertisements, and reviews for clues about what makes a good game.

For Discussion:What Makes a Good Game? 1.Who is this magazine for? 2.What is appealing/unappealing about the magazine?  3.What can you learn from the articles? The ads? The reviews? Other content? 4.What are some indicators of game quality? 5.What magazine might you want to subscribe to?

Asteroids

Vector graphics in Asteroids

ZORK

Text RPG Zork

Non-Original Games• Authenticity to

existing story• Retold in a

creative way• Fan Service

Text RPG Zork

Minigames• Bioshock

• Zelda

Text RPG Zork

Setting

Realistic Settings

Character Characteristics• Customizable• Diverse• Representation of the player

Mii

Game Physics

• Smooth• Realistic• Appropriate

Graphics

• Fast Loading

• Seamless

• Cinematic

Sound

• Music

• Speech

• Ambient Noise

Customization

• Calibration

• Interface

• Modding

Support

Katamari Damacy

• Unique plot

• Creative gameplay

• Multiple modes of play

Finding Good Games• Game Awards

– Websites– Magazines– Organizations– Networks

• Game Reviews– Magazines– Library Journals– Websites

Game Awards

• BAFTA - http://www.bafta.org/ • IGN - http://bestof.ign.com • Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences

http://www.interactive.org/• GameSpot - http://www.gamespot.com • GameSpy - http://goty.gamespy.com• Game Developer’s Choice Awards -

http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/ • Game Critics Awards

http://www.gamecriticsawards.com/

Print Reviews• School Library Journal• Voice of Youth Advocates• Gaming Magazines• Tech Magazines

Online Reviews• Bub, Andrew. Gamer Dad.

http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/

• Scalzo, John. Video Game Librarian.http://www.videogamelibrarian.com/

• National Institute on Media and the Family. Annual Video Game Report Card http://www.mediafamily.org/

Collection Policy Considerations

• Formats – Console – PC– Internet– Subscription

• Breadth & Depth– Genres– Styles– Age ranges

• Budget

Collection Management• Storage depends on:

– Format– Staff– Space– Budget

• Theft– Start with programs– Start small

• Issues– Replacement/Repair– Resistance

Model CollectionsRockridge• Ages 13-18 year olds• PS2 games • 2 games/patron • No holds/renewals • 7 day free checkout• $1/day late fee• $50/replacement fee• Genres: sports,

adventure, racing, fighting, & shooters

Helen McGraw• E, E10+ and T• PS2 and PC games• 14 day circ• $.25/day late fee • game

cost+$5/replacement fee

• Genres: compilations, sports, racing games, platformers, unique and quirky titles

Model Programs: CA• Santa Monica Public Library, CA

Counterstrike LAN party– After hours program– 50 teens lined up around the block to play

• After School Zone, Benicia Public Library, CA– Hanging out, snacks and playing games

encourages– Kids and teens who have gotten parental

consent can play Halo 2 and Ghost Recon on the XBox 360;

– Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Melee are popular on Gamecube

Model Programs: US• Ann Arbor District Library (MI)

Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, & DDR– Tournaments for all ages– Regular programs– Online community

• North Hunterdon High School (NJ) – Student-run game night in the cafeteria

What Makes a Successful Gaming Program?1. Research2. Marketing3. Variety4. Play5. Evaluate

Handheld Program• Cell phone clinic• PSP Gamefest• Nintendo DS Gamefest

DDR Recipe for Success• One console ($80-$600) • 2-4 dance pads ($20-$300 each)• 1 game ($25-$60)• 1 LCD projector ($600-1000) or TV

($100-$2K)• 1 one large screen or white wall• Activity for waiters• Water

“I LOVED DDR”

“Awesome cuz everyone gets along with each other, there’s no waiting in line or nething. Plus guitar hero is wicked rad”

“I liked this because there’s too few of the DDR community around. This is a good opportunity to meet people with like interests.”

Now What?

Upon your return to the library, what are the next steps? •Specific (detailed! 5W+1H)•Measureable (what = success?)•Attainable (what resources do you need to achieve?)•Realistic (benchmarks of progress)•Timely! (what’s the time frame?)

Evaluations!

Contact Info: • Beth Gallaway• informationgoddess29@gmail.co

m• 603.247.3196• http://informationgoddess.info