This document provides an overview of serious games programming. It discusses challenges in creating serious games like social perceptions of games, infrastructure and deployment issues, and constrained budgets. It also covers development methodologies ranging from general purpose languages to authoring tools. The document spotlights two authoring tools - GameCreator and eAdventure. Finally, it outlines that the workshop will use eAdventure to create a simple game and cover packaging and redistribution.

1. Pablo Moreno Ger
pablom@fdi.ucm.es
Carcavelos
June 26th 2012
2nd GALA Alignment School
Pablo Moreno Ger (et al.)
Serious Games Programming

2. Introduction
 What is this all about?
 Game programming
 Game creation
 Game authoring
 Questions that will be answered
 How can I create a new game?
 Which technologies should I use?
 What level of expertise is required?

3. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Overview
 Challenges when creating a new serious game
 Variability and important decissions
 Available tools and approaches
 GALA authoring tool spotlight
 Game Creator
 eAdventure

4. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
How does the game industry create games?
 Great development teams
 100+ creators
 Highly specialised roles
 (usually) Strong implication from stakeholders
 Multimillion projects
 Wide audience
 Rigurous schedules
 High stakes

5. How is the serious games industry?

6. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Who are we preaching to?
 Institutions
 Schools
 Universities
 Corporations
 General public
 Whoever listens…

7. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Do they listen?
“After years of research and proselytizing, the
proponents of digital game-based learning (DGBL)
have been caught unaware. Like the person who is
still yelling after the sudden cessation of loud
music at a party, DGBL proponents have been
shouting to be heard above the prejudice against
games. But now, unexpectedly, we have
everyone's attention.”
Richard Van Eck (2006)

8. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
And where are we now?
 Serious games conferences
 Serious games journals
 Serious games institutes
 Serious games Networks of Excellence

9. So, everyone is playing?

10. Challenges

11. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Social perception
 Teaching with games? But videogames are
clearly…
 Digital toys for kids
 A worthless waste of time
 Brainwashing devices for our children
 Violence inductors
 Evil tools that turn players into psychopaths

12. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Infrastructure

13. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Deployment
 School computers (when available)
 Network systems
 IT policies
 Security concerns
 Deployment cost (PS3’s for everyone?)
 Time and scheduling

14. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Development cost
 How much does a commercial game cost?
 Call of Duty?
 World of Warcraft?

15. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Should we surrender?

16. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Deployment
 How are the students going to play?
 School?
 Home?
 Game console?
 Mobile device?

17. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Budget and staff
 How much money do we really have?
 Do we have artists?
 Programmers?
 Game designers?
 Instructional designers?
 Managed processes?
 QA teams?
 Beta testers?

18. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Budget and staff
 Multidisciplinary teams are complicated

19. Development methodologies
Very
abstract
Low
abstraction
DIV Games Studio, Dark Basic / Dark Basic Pro,
Lite-C, Blitz, etc.
C, C#, C++…
Game engines
General purpose
languages
Libraries and
middleware
Specific languages
Authoring tools
C, C#, C++…

20. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Authoring tools
 Lower costs by limiting variability
 A continuous spectrum
 Lower barriers
 By requiring less specialised staff
 Improve reusability
 It is easier to make small changes
 Allow instructors to create
 Or to modify
 Or at least to participate (appropriation)

21. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Unity

22. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Game Salad

23. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
RPG Maker XP

24. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Raptivity

25. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
And in GALA?
 University research groups
 Computing, pedagogy, medicine, …
 Large research institutes
 Small game studios
 Large corporate firms

26. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
GALA expertise

27. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
GALA Expertise
 Kristian

28. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
GALA Expertise
 PLAYGEN

29. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
GALA Expertise
 eAdventure
 Easy-to-use platform for the creation of low-cost
educational adventure games
 Integration in e-learning environments (Moodle,
WebCT, Sakai, etc.)
 Tracking and assessment integrated in the
games

30. eAdventure – Classic adventure games

31. eAdventure – Classic adventure games

32. eAdventure – Classic adventure games

33. eAdventure – First person games

34. eAdventure – First person games

35. eAdventure – And many more…
 Really free for everyone
 Free license, unlimited use
 Open source
 Multi-platform
 Sample games at http://e-adventure.e-ucm.es
 Redistributable
 Editable

36. Contents
Introduction
Challenges
Serious
decisions
Authoring
tools
GALA spotlight:
GameCreator
GALA spotlight:
eAdventure
Worshop today
 Will cover basic uses of eAdventure
 Creating a simple game
 Packaging and redistribution
 Requires initial materials
 eAdventure
 Sample games
 Art resources
 Ask for your CD before lunch!