The document discusses gaming/simulation for development (GS4D). It presents examples of development issues that can be addressed through games, including frame games, global issues games, and specific issue games. Localization is key to building successful GS4D games, requiring adapting content for other cultures and languages. Building international teams is also important but challenging due to limitations of intercultural communication. GS4D has great potential when localization is properly handled, though internationalization of games is still a new concept.

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ISAGA - International Simulation and Gaming Association
42nd Annual Conference, 11-15 July 2011, Jachranka, Poland
Pieter van der Hijden MSc
Sofos Consultancy
GS4D - GAMING/SIMULATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
BUILDING AND APPLYING GAMES FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
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AGENDA
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1. INTRODUCTION
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1. INTRODUCTION – ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 Pieter van der Hijden MSc
 Sofos Consultancy
 Ict for development, government
and learning
 A.o. Gaming/simulation,
Cyberdam, Fab Labs, Moodle.
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1. INTRODUCTION - ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Titles of assignments as WordleTM cloud
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1. INTRODUCTION - DEVELOPMENT
Suriname, as example
 Location: North coast of
South America
 Area: 5 times NL
 Population: 0.5 million
 <15 year: 25%
 Settlements:
 70% Paramaribo+
 20% rest of coastal strip
 10% hinterland (jungle)
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1. INTRODUCTION - DEVELOPMENT
 25% children
 40% primary school or
less
 50% dropouts in
hinterland
  education and
training for all
  no money
  limited technology
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1. INTRODUCTION – GS4D
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2. DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
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2. DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
Categories:
 Frame games that can be loaded with
development specific content
 Games on global issues and international
cooperation
 Generic games on development issues
 Specific games on development issues
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2. DEVELOPMENT ISSUES – FRAME GAMES
 Example: Dharadam, a
week in the slums of
Dharavi, Mumbai.
 Goal: sensitize social work
students before they go
for practice in the slums.
 Type: online role playing
game based in Cyberdam.
 Author: Pieter van der
Hijden & students for
ISAGA Summerschool.
 http://www.cyberdam.nl
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2. DEVELOPMENT ISSUES – GLOBAL ISSUES
 Example: Evoke, a 10-
week “crash course in
saving the world.”
 Goal: to help empower
people all over the
world to come up with
creative solutions to
our most urgent social
problems.
 Type: social network
game.
 Author: Natron Baxter
Applied Gaming
 http://www.urgentevok
e.com/
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2. DEVELOPMENT ISSUES – GENERIC GAMES
 Example: HEX, run
Hexland during five
years.
 Goal: tool for learning
to allocate resources
for developing
governments.
 Type: board game on
three levels.
 Author: Richard Duke
& students for
UNESCO.
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2. DEVELOPMENT ISSUES – SPECIFIC GAMES
 Example: Inside Haiti
Earthquake.
 Goal: experience the
earthquake from
perspective of survivor,
journalist and aid worker.
 Type: web-based
interactive simulation,
part of multimedia
campaign.
 Author: PTV productions
 http://www.insidethehait
iearthquake.com/
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2. DEVELOPMENT ISSUES – CONCLUSION
The examples show:
 A variety of development issues can be
addressed via a variety of gaming technologies
 Game producers need expertise in both
domains, so there is a field like GS4D.
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3. DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT
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3. DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT - VISION
 Vision –
games can
make learning
more
appealing,
effective and
efficient; both
for children
and adults
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3. DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT - TEACHERS
 Teachers –
games help
teachers learn
the coaching
role
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3. DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT - TECHNOLOGY
 Technology– limited, but
improving
 “The day the big
antenna was switched
on, was the most
important day in my life”
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3. DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT - GAMES
 Games – yes, when
localised!
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3. DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT - CONCLUSION
Conclusion:
 Great potential
 Avoid high-tech and
broadband (for the
moment)
 Go for localization
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4. BUILDING GS4D
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4. BUILDING GS4D - LOCALIZATION
 Localization = preparing
a game for another
country, culture or
language.
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4. BUILDING GS4D - LOCALIZATION
 How do you
use Lego
streets?
 City
 Rural
area
 Jungle
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4. BUILDING GS4D - LOCALIZATION
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4. BUILDING GS4D - LOCALIZATION
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4. BUILDING GS4D - LOCALIZATION
Learning goals
Example:
Elaboration of the language
Learning styles
layer:
Game patterns
 Conventional wisdom
Actions  Symbolic expressions
Objects  Jargon
Visualisation & sound  Slang
 Idioms
Language
 Text
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4. BUILDING GS4D – LOCALIZATION
Focus on individual Focus op collaboration
learner
Bron: ISAGA Dharadam game-sessie
Source: Jeroen van Merriënboer
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4. BUILDING GS4D - INTERNATIONALIZATION
 Internationalization is
the process of designing
a game so that it can be
localized easily.
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4. BUILDING GS4D – INTERNATIONAL TEAMS
 Multidisciplinary team required
 Local knowledge required
  international team required
Issues:
 Little face-2-face contacts
 Intercultural communication
 Time zones
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4. BUILDING GS4D - CONCLUSION
 Localization is key success factor
 Localization is more than ICT
 Internationalization and localization are rather
new for gaming
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SUMMARY
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SUMMARY
GS4D – Gaming/Simulation for Development
 Development issues
 Interesting and innovative category of games
 Added value for developing countries not always evident
 Development context
 Great potential when localization is OK
 Internationalization will be challenge
 Building GS4D
 Internationalization and localization are rather new for gaming
 GS4D – Gaming/Simulation for Development
 Not a new discipline, but a new specialism
 Local knowledge indispensable
 Internaionalizatiom amd localization become hot
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SOFOS CONSULTANCY
Thank you for your attention!
Pieter van der Hijden MSc
pvdh@sofos.nl
2011 – Sofos Consultancy / Pieter van der Hijden (pvdh@sofos.nl) - This work is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
License.
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