(Technical Director for Game Engine Development)
(2009-present)
Collaboration with Elizabeth Goins (CoLA R.I.T), Andrew Phelps (GCCIS/IGM R.I.T.), and W. Michelle Harris (GCCIS/IGM R.I.T.)
Partners: The Luce Center, Washington, DC
About
This work involves the development of a Facebook game prototype for museums and cultural spaces. The game is designed to fill the gap in young adult and teen oriented interactive content by combining a collection management /curatorial game with the social networking capabilities. Current challenges include: (1) how to develop a game framework that supports the style of gameplay and interaction required by museum games (2) how to create contribution channels for both museum partners and players (3) how to solve communication problems and leverage social media tools for game participants and partner institutions (4) how to apply Egert's theory of technical, social, and usability factors to balance the technical-social tensions of the gameplay, and (5) how to properly instrument gameplay systems for the collection of pertinent user interaction data for later analysis. The work is based upon prior investigations of the team in the areas of game development and social media. By the end of the prototype period, it is the intent to have collected "best practices" for a full game development cycle as well as provide our partners with a playable experience to enable conversation regarding the next phase of work.