Serious Games for Dynamic Content and Advanced Entertainment Services

María Amparo Navarro Salvador

1st December 2011

Summary

Introduction

Motivation

Objectives

Materials and methods

Results

Conclusions

2

INTRODUCTION 3

Motivation 4

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) have been keeping a constant evolution for the last years

ICT are increasing their presence in all human activities (working and private life)

The Internet is part of many people in many places of the world: The Internet is a macro showcase for the knowledge of the

world The Internet is everywhere The Internet is driven by Social Networks and new ways of

uploading content

The Internet is still a linear scenario focused on showing contents and dissociated from the physical world

Motivation 5

For children today ICT are part of their daily lives ICT are a privileged way to transmit messages to

children ICT can be used to teach and entertain at the same

time Videogames can play a positive and important role

if they are used properly Interconnection of games can improve social contact

and participation in common activities

Objectives

Design, development and validation of an entertainment platform and advanced contents practical realization of new products and services of the Future Internet

Development of innovative research lines such as the integration of the user in the chain of provision of services

Contribution to the research and development of innovative technology based on the Future Internet

6

Objectives

The Future Internet: The Internet of Things: Physical world as an

extension of virtual world

Ambient Intelligence (AmI) system that acts depending on the user’s necessities, identity and context

7

Objectives

The Future Internet: The Internet of Knowledge: Automatically associate

content Tools for generating and

using content

8

Objectives

The Future Internet: The Internet of People: Entertainment and

education at the same time Promotion of the

integration of everybody in the use and enjoyment of applications

Customization of roles respecting users’ privacy

9

MATERIALS AND METHODS 10

Materials and Methods

Serious games: learning while playing Cooperative games among 20-25 players

Interaction form of the games using new technologies: New game controllers Environmental sensors Social Network

Socio-cultural animation combined experience Unified Modelling Language (UML) for the designing of

the games XNA Framework 4 has been used for the games

programming

11

RESULTS 12

Results

Digital interactive entertainment platform for children

Complete role-playing adventure of interconnected games

10 groups of 25 children (9-10 years old) from the Polytechnic University of Valencia’s Summer School will participate

13

Results: Adventure

Adventure summary: Region with several villages (groups) Irresponsible use of resources endangered habitat Oracle solution different journey undertaken by

each group to recover the pieces of a magical object Group consisting of approx. 25 children with different

professions and skills (roles) The journey consists of several stages where children

must pass several tests

14

Results: Architecture 15

Modular and scalable platform Architecture based on Process Choreography:

Services and devices are able to exchange information in a distributed way

Choreographed processes are independent and can communicate with each other

It’s easier to connect and disconnect services in a dynamic way

It’s capable of using different types of sensors and configurations

Results: Architecture 16

Results: Architecture 17

This model requires: Common exchange language that allows services to be

understood Semantic layer in the choreographer to improve

communication among sensors, actuators and services

Ontology Services and Machine Reasoning: Description of data from sensors Make a more accurate obtained interpretation Allow the system to automatically detect available

sensors and services in every moment

Results: Architecture 18

Results: Architecture 19

Orchestrator service Supports the use of Workflows to describe processes

graphically Workflows are a formal specification of the automation

of processes

Results: Architecture 20

Results: Architecture 21

Private Social Network: To view and modify their profile of characters, groups

and other groups (forward, milestones achieved...) To see the groups’ position on the map To contribute to various forums related to each site To upload and view photos of all groups at all stages

Results: Games 22

Each stage of the adventure is a different game Games are multiplayer, collaborative and

interconnected to the whole adventure Games are reusable use them for several years

by modifying the environment, activities, questions… Four games have been developed and tested by

UPV Summer School children

Results: Games 23

‘Finding the golden idol’ Objectives: To roam the map looking

for the stones that unlock a chest

Kids get the stones passing tests and answering questions

Children are the counters using an overhead camera

Results: Games 24

Evaluation: Good response from dice and overhead camera

Children are fully integrated in the technology

It stimulates the cognition through the challenge of answering the questions

It encourages both memory and attention

Promotes motor and eye-hand-foot coordination, laterality and spatial knowledge

Team working: collaboration among members and desire for improvement

‘Finding the golden idol’

Results: Games 25

“The crazy boat race” Objectives: To row as a team through

a river overcoming obstacles

To get bonus coins To promote teamwork

and cooperation A rowboat with 6 oars 1 Wiimote/oar 3 children/oar 1 captain

Results: Games 26

Evaluation: Good response from oars Collaboration and

cooperation among kids Coordination and balance It is essential that children

are guided Physical activity Kids are immersed on the

game

“The crazy boat race”

Results: Games 27

“The endless forest” Objectives: To successfully solve 7

labyrinths in a touch screen

To press the avatar with the finger to move it around the screen

To avoid the collision against a wall

Results: Games 28

“The endless forest”

Evaluation: Good response from

touchscreen Interaction and coordination

of mutual interests Children guide their mates Respect for the rules, awaiting

their turn The game helps:

Attention process Eye-hand coordination Capacity of concentration Development of the fine

motor skills

Results: Games 29

“Paint and colour” Description: Whiteboard where kids can

select a range of colours and draw

Use of infrared pencils Spontaneous drawing, or

guided by monitors Two children can draw up

at the same time

Results: Games 30

“Paint and colour”

Evaluation: IR pencils draw within a

range of 10 cm from the whiteboard surface

The game promotes creativity

It encourages the development of the imagination

An incentive must be proposed

CONCLUSIONS 31

Conclusions 32

The project aims to: Make new technology accessible to children Provide personal and social benefits arising from the use of

ICT Contribute to the development of physical and cognitive

skills Promote social relationships, cooperative learning, creativity,

communication, reasoning... Integrate ICT in the individual’s environment Immerse the users in a world where they will interact in a

natural way

Thanks for your attention

Serious Games for Dynamic Content and Advanced Entertainment Services

María Amparo Navarro Salvador manasal@itaca.upv.es

http://www.proyectoenjoyit.es/