Thinking of Serious Games: Too Ambitious Potential

Serious games have a potential of allowing growth of content through methods that are more active. In making a serious game, developers focus on the ability to impart some learning or information in the context of a game or an entertaining activity. Expanding into the potential of using what we've learned throughout the ICS691 serious games class thus far, and gained experience with Git, Python, Django, and Heroku, along with the exposure to the already existing serious game in the Kukui Cup, I had begun exploring the potential ideas that could be done in developing a serious game idea of my own.

In the studies of serious games, there exists two common foci, either the ability to impart information, or to enlighten and change behavior for a more positive outcome. Both foci make use of the excitement and active participation which comes from a game to keep the user involved and motivated to continue learning and/or maintaining their behavior. With this in mind, I intend to propose an idea for the study and continuous learning of language. For the sake of my own personal experience and knowledge, this proposal will be suggested with Japanese in mind.

When it comes to serious games, Japan has been involved in trying to include learning into gaming environments for some time (some examples of what Japan could define as potential serious games, you can visit here). Japanese is visual, both culturally and linguistically, and because of this, learning the language can be a challenge. It is because of this belief, that we would explore making a serious game that would assist in the learning of Japanese language and/or culture.

The idea is not a new idea, there are various different concepts which already exist, in different media with different limitations, including the pay for access learning site LinguaLift, the free multinational Japanese learning system Erin's Challenge! I can speakJapanese, and the mobile application Obenkyo. Each site or application provides methods for studying Japanese as a language using game elements of quizzes or entertaining aspects like movies, comics or games.

With the exception of LinguaLift, which requires paid access and could not be evaluated, the flaw that currently exists with these systems is that they are not optimized for use across different devices (Obenkyo is only available on Android, and Erin's Challenge while accessible on mobile devices does not optimize it's display or interface for it). In addition, these applications focus solely on the learning/review of Japanese language content, with little additional motivation to continue using their methods.

The ultimate goal of this concept is to provide a system that can be accessed both through mobile devices and from a computer, providing learning material for the Japanese language, and providing hints and encouragement to continue studying or expanding studying beyond the confines of the game. To do this we will combine the general quiz, learning system that would be used in other games, with additional goals and games which could influence motivation into expanding use of the language and/or applying learned content into different situations.

Initial learning would include vocabulary and expression lists, as well as lists for the kanji characters commonly used in the Japanese language. They can be tested in game like systems that combine randomized lists with scores based on correctness and speed of recognition. This will allow users a competitive system to challenge themselves, and could potentially lead to a community system to compare scores and statistics with others.

Figure 1: Kanji recognition using fill in the blanks and translations

Figure 2: Grammatical check by using English and having users pick proper Japanese

In addition, cultural content could be given in colorful visual-based or audio-based presentations, which would then be tested on as a way of allowing users to gain cultural information as well. The variety of presentations of information and tweaks to testing methods could provide necessary variety to the game as to maintain user attention. Cultural information provides a free flowing style of presentation and quizzing that can be more scenario-response-based rather than using recognition (For example: give them a scenario regarding a person introducing themselves to someone and have a user pick the best choices of what to say and how the other people would respond).

To try to encourage students expand beyond the limitations of quizzes and continue to study, goals could be given with suggestions allowing users the opportunity to attempt to expand their studies. This can range from small things like suggestions for items they could read or look at, to activities or ways they can practice the content they learn. These optional activities could also be included in some way (such as a copy of a news or entertainment article they could read for fun) and then quizzed on for extra practice.

Figure3: Provide ways students can learn more, as well as an optional in-game activity to add more to their experience.

Scores and levels can be provided to maintain a connection between the game as a whole and the individual units. While not an emphasis, ranks or level can be used to chart progress up to certain levels either based on an arbitrary system of progress or on possible estimated progress based on standards of language (such as the Japanese Language Proficiency Test system) giving users a gauge to their progress and a reminder of how much progress they had achieved.

Figure 4: Some kind of progress to their activities, which can help them judge real world level.

The concept itself is still very young, but the difficulty that is sometimes given with learning a language might be alleviated with an active system of actions and goals, which can motivate users beyond the repetition of lists on paper.