Phaedra Boinodiris speaks about “Evolving Serious Games beyond Training” at the Serious Play Conference 2012 ABSTRACT: Organizations are straining to interpret and make informed decisions based on the abundance of data captured by advanced data systems to optimally manage strategic and tactical business operations. Serious Games can harness the power of analytics to enable a better understanding of the data and information gathered from these systems. A by-product of collaborative gameplay will be better decisions that help produce innovative and effective solutions addressing complex issues organizations are faced with today. This session provides insight into how the confluence of cloud computing, sophisticated game design and powerful applications can give a renaissance to serious games that process and incorporate real time data to drive business improvements. The session will show how Serious Games can stretch beyond skills training and actively engage participants to effect real change. This session is for participants interested in gaining a better understanding of how Serious Games can offer a powerful and effective approach to solve issues facing organizations today. In this session our team will discuss how organizations can use Serious Games to: • Solve problems collaboratively • Improve Business processes • Achieve predictive and real time modeling • Increase Return on Investment

1. Serious Games beyond Training:
From Process optimization to complex problem solving
© 2011 IBM Corporation

2. The average gamer?

3. Example: Achron
Real-Time Strategy Game via timeline manipulation
Watch Gameplay &
hear time travel
explained

4. Although typically used to augment F2F training, a serious
game can help solve real-world problems using an online and
video game format
Foldit
America’s Army Univ. Washington EMS Training
US Army Protein recognition Application
Recruitment
Serious games enable the player to learn faster and retain more knowledge in order to make
smarter decisions in real life situations by virtually experiencing the cause and effect of actions.
“Games are the most elevated form of investigation.”
Albert Einstein

5. A walkthrough of three Business Games

6. According to a recent study, using data visualization, simulations and
scenario development will be the most valuable techniques to analyze all
the data

7. •
Confluence Need •
Commander Level and Above
Data Deluge
• Complex Systems
• Managing Partners
• Decision making
Sophisticated SMARTER
Game Engines Commercial
Serious Applications
• Real Time Strategy
Games Games
• City Sims • Analytics
• Communities
• Business Process Mgmt
• Relational databases
… Supporting flow of real
data & real processes
Cloud

8. ROI extends well beyond virtual training
OPTIMIZE A
PROCESS
t
m en
st
Inve
n on
tur
Re
Teach a Process/Instructional Design

9. 9
IBM Confidential

10. Leaders can improve and vet business processes in a video
game format.
Hit Play Button to Begin
Transform this process flow…
…into this format.

12. “ By 2015:
More Than 50 Percent of
Organizations That Manage
Innovation Processes Will
GAMIFY Those Processes
“
-- Gartner

13. Growth Model for Process Optimization Games
PHASE 0 PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3
Biz plan
Discovery Workshop Design and development Integration of game into Real-time data
explaining scalable of a canned real time BPM on the cloud for the integration for executable
growth model, choosing strategy game collective (multi-player) use
pilot program showcasing pilot optimization of the
processes chosen process.
(Cloud or downloadable
Pilot program is chosen executable, single-player
based on need and maturity or multi-player based on
level of best practices need and budget)
processes
Business Process
Templates created
I
RO
Start off creating a real time strategy game that can being used to train best practices associated
with processes. Scale up as data matures to support strategic execution, real time visualization
all in the SAME platform.

14. Municipalities can enable a ‘Smarter Conversation’ about
public policy with their citizenry
Transform the process of vetting public policy or
training for disaster response…
…into this format.
‘Serious Games can enable better bi-lateral
conversations with customers’
----
Forrester

15. Imagine, the Next Gen City Sim Game…
User Generated Content
Automated Inputs from Sensors
Citizenry/ General
Public Awareness
Game Designers
Educators
TO
PM
OS
T
Businesses GA
M
E
LA
Universities SC YE
I EN R
TI
FI
C S
MO IC
Researchers DE LYT
LS
TO ANA
Urban Planners OL
S
IN
TE
Government G RA
Stakeholders TI
ON

16. Did you Know?
Serious Games are being created to solve complex problems
in real time unbeknownst to the player?

17. Success Example: Using Serious Games for Optimal Modeling
Folding Proteins
“ Here's a model of how real proteins work, and a way for you
to create a model showing how they fold and stick together.
We'll give points and put you on a leaderboard based on how
well this matches our model of an optimal solution. Play! ”
 Play a serious game - incentives guide players
to optimize models in a competitive
environment.
 Players discover multiple optimal models -
thus they are collaboratively building up a suite
of solutions for the customer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axN0xdhznhY

18. More DARPA Science Fiction?
Use the by-product of
casual game play to
train a compiler how to
better recognize
bugs in code.
--- DARPA
Crowd Sourced
Formal Verification
BAA

19. One of FIVE Casual Games that we proposed
Mozart Code
Find where the music sounds off key in order to
teach a compiler how to better annotate security
problems in code

20. ACTUV Simulator
Play This Submarine Strategy
Game and Help the U.S. Navy
 DARPA is developing
antisubmarine warfare drones
and has released a video game
hoping to crowdsource some of
the tactical AI behind them

21. Imagine, Games with this Muscle…

22. Focus 2015: Ethics in Serious Games Design?
 When military-centric games can support real data and real processes for
strategic execution, the way that components are weighted in the game
(even if used for strictly training) will become a central focus.
Which will have more weight in a strategic
targeting game and WHO decides?
How transparent will these weights be??
Saving Vs. Saving Vs. Preserving Vs…
180 Scarce Global
Civilian Resources Reputation
Lives

23. Where to Start?
5 Step Approach to saving a LOT of time and Money
1. ROI
2. Learning/Pain Points
3. Puzzles/Experience
to Teach & Motivate
4. Genre
5. Platform Fun vs. FLOW
Beware of Chocolate
Covered Broccoli

24. In Conclusion
1. Gamers are...
2. Games can be extremely adept at explaining complex
systems
3. BIG ROI.
When designed well, they can be used to collaboratively
solve very complex problems, whether the players actively
realize it or not.

25. Useful Links:
www.seriousplayconference.com
www.seriousgamesdirectory.com
www.seriousgamesassociation.com
Contact:
sbohle@seriousgamesassociation.com