Digital Game-Based Learning in Business: 8 ( +2) Case Studies Lisa Eldred TC 831 9/11/08

Overview Games in business are used For training employees For educating customers For educating suppliers (no game examples yet)

Games in business are used

For training employees

For educating customers

For educating suppliers (no game examples yet)

1) The Aspirin Trivia Game Simple, 5-question HTML-based quiz Questions neither easy nor obvious Users invited to find out more What makes this a game? Context Trivia a popular game form Lack of compulsion Questions to engage and educate, not test

Simple, 5-question HTML-based quiz

Questions neither easy nor obvious

Users invited to find out more

What makes this a game?

Context

Trivia a popular game form

Lack of compulsion

Questions to engage and educate, not test

2) The “We’ll Pay Your Taxes” Game Build interest in new premium tax service from H&R block E-mail based game through Yoyodine (now part of Yahoo!) 10-week long trivia game for $25,000 of taxes paid by H&R block Survey: 54% of regular responders got right answer to multiple-choice question on Premium Tax service

Build interest in new premium tax service from H&R block

E-mail based game through Yoyodine (now part of Yahoo!)

10-week long trivia game for $25,000 of taxes paid by H&R block

Survey: 54% of regular responders got right answer to multiple-choice question on Premium Tax service

3) Time Out! Developed by Boston Consulting Group to help explain how to streamline production to clients Time Out!—presents a fictional firm and all procedures/paperwork with no “right” answers Team-based problem solving Question workers at fictional company, evaluate data “ It compresses the case team process from 4 months down to 3 hours” (p. 233) Designed to be easily updatable

Developed by Boston Consulting Group to help explain how to streamline production to clients

Time Out!—presents a fictional firm and all procedures/paperwork with no “right” answers

Team-based problem solving

Question workers at fictional company, evaluate data

“ It compresses the case team process from 4 months down to 3 hours” (p. 233)

Designed to be easily updatable

4) Darwin Developed by Ameritrade (democratizers of personal investment) Train online customers who were trading stocks but losing money Appeal to MBA students (future customers) Many also gamers Try to simulate the mania of the trading pit

Developed by Ameritrade (democratizers of personal investment)

Train online customers who were trading stocks but losing money

Appeal to MBA students (future customers)

Many also gamers

Try to simulate the mania of the trading pit

5) HEDGEManager and HEDGEFund Created by Bankers Trust 2 spreadsheet-based games Run high risk company Run high risk hedge fund Who can produce highest return while taking least risk Team-based game Used for both training and recruitment

Created by Bankers Trust

2 spreadsheet-based games

Run high risk company

Run high risk hedge fund

Who can produce highest return while taking least risk

Team-based game

Used for both training and recruitment

6) Dobutrex Dosage Game Drug company advertising to doctors Prescribe right amount of drug to patients Patient either dies, recovers, or stays somewhere in between Affects behavior of doctors (determination to save life, albeit fictional)

Drug company advertising to doctors

Prescribe right amount of drug to patients

Patient either dies, recovers, or stays somewhere in between

Affects behavior of doctors (determination to save life, albeit fictional)

7) Giraffe Developed by Palm Pilot Training for standardized handwriting-recognition software called “Graffiti” Letters fall from top of screen, players have to write letter legibly before it falls to bottom of screen Trains reflexes as well as handwriting

Developed by Palm Pilot

Training for standardized handwriting-recognition software called “Graffiti”

Letters fall from top of screen, players have to write letter legibly before it falls to bottom of screen

Trains reflexes as well as handwriting

8) The Monkey Wrench Conspiracy Designed by games2train and think3 to teach engineers on thinkdesign , a 3-D modeling system to replace AutoCAD Quake-style game Player has to rebuild various things (i.e. a broken trigger for a gun) using thinkdesign in order to move on in game Used as both training for engineers and marketing for engineering students (demo version a magazine insert)

Designed by games2train and think3 to teach engineers on thinkdesign , a 3-D modeling system to replace AutoCAD

Quake-style game

Player has to rebuild various things (i.e. a broken trigger for a gun) using thinkdesign in order to move on in game

Used as both training for engineers and marketing for engineering students (demo version a magazine insert)

Some conclusions… Corporate games designed for clients serve multiple purposes Informing Training Marketing Teaching collaboration Streamlining processes Affect player’s behavior

Corporate games designed for clients serve multiple purposes

Informing

Training

Marketing

Teaching collaboration

Streamlining processes

Affect player’s behavior

9) Dungeons & Dragons: Tiny Adventures Facebook application by Wizards of the Coast Advertise D&D 4 th Edition Goal: Get character to level 11 Pick a character Send on mission Gain loot and experience from random encounters Buff and/or heal friends

Facebook application by Wizards of the Coast

Advertise D&D 4 th Edition

Goal: Get character to level 11

Pick a character

Send on mission

Gain loot and experience from random encounters

Buff and/or heal friends

D&D:TA Effectiveness “ Die” rolls in encounters accurate Skill enhancement bonuses accurate in theory if not practice 8 playable characters reasonable representations Very limited options Not very collaborative Anecdotal evidence that more players pick up D&D: TA because of interest in D&D than become interested in D&D because of D&D: TA.

“ Die” rolls in encounters accurate

Skill enhancement bonuses accurate in theory if not practice

8 playable characters reasonable representations

Very limited options

Not very collaborative

Anecdotal evidence that more players pick up D&D: TA because of interest in D&D than become interested in D&D because of D&D: TA.

In Comparison… Informing - yes Training - no Marketing – yes in terms of design, but no data available Teaching collaboration – not as well as actual D&D Streamlining processes – yes/no Affect player’s behavior – probably not

Informing - yes

Training - no

Marketing – yes in terms of design, but no data available

Teaching collaboration – not as well as actual D&D

Streamlining processes – yes/no

Affect player’s behavior – probably not

10) Don’t Be Bob Advertising game by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for young adult health insurance Web site with several interactive elements, including 2 games

Advertising game by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for young adult health insurance

Web site with several interactive elements, including 2 games

Don’t Be Bob Effectiveness Highly unlikely to be zapped by aliens (or even stung by bees hidden in store-bought flowers) Accidents happen Accidents are money-drains Health insurance functions as a shield for the bank account

Highly unlikely to be zapped by aliens (or even stung by bees hidden in store-bought flowers)

Accidents happen

Accidents are money-drains

Health insurance functions as a shield for the bank account

In Comparison… Informing - no Training - no Marketing – yes, but no data Teaching collaboration - no Streamlining processes - no Affect player’s behavior – yes, but no data

Informing - no

Training - no

Marketing – yes, but no data

Teaching collaboration - no

Streamlining processes - no

Affect player’s behavior – yes, but no data

Final Thoughts Making a marketing game enjoyable does not by default make it effective Corporate games ought to fulfill several functions Arguably, for marketing, changing consumer behavior is the most important function Be careful about how you’re changing consumer behavior (e.g. Scrabulous)

Making a marketing game enjoyable does not by default make it effective

Corporate games ought to fulfill several functions

Arguably, for marketing, changing consumer behavior is the most important function

Be careful about how you’re changing consumer behavior (e.g. Scrabulous)

References Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. (2007). Don’t Be Bob . Available: http:// www.dontbebob.com/default.asp Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Game-Based Learning . St. Paul: Paragon House. Wizard of the Coast. (2008). Dungeons & Dragons: Tiny Adventures . Available: http://www.new.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=23415053320

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. (2007). Don’t Be Bob . Available: http:// www.dontbebob.com/default.asp

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Game-Based Learning . St. Paul: Paragon House.

Wizard of the Coast. (2008). Dungeons & Dragons: Tiny Adventures . Available: http://www.new.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=23415053320