Serious Games For A Better World Contest: Deadline For Questions Today

Serious Games challenging us to play a better future

Via: The Simulations and Serious Games Registry - WILL Interactive $500,000 Simulate A Better World Challenge

WILL Interactive, an international leader in creating custom educational Serious Games, kicked off the $500,000 Build A Simulation For A Better World Challenge on December 14, 2011 (please find also Serious Games @ Will Interactive: Play It Before You Live It Out).

The deadline for submitting questions regarding this challenge is today, February 1, 2012. All questions received will be answered, and emailed back to parties who have expressed interest by February 15, 2012, whilst the deadline for Entries is February 29, 2012.

“Basically, they are asking people to submit ideas for a full-blown educational Serious Game that, if deployed, would have a positive social impact. WILL will then put the top five submissions up to vote, build the winner and distribute it.”

Challenge Overview

WILL Interactive, Inc. follows a corporate philosophy of “doing well by doing good.”

A major component of WILL’s business philosophy is the company’s desire to create positive social change through the use of Virtual Experience Immersive Learning Simulations (VEILS®).  In that vein, this Challenge is a call for entries for the creation of a VEILS® Serious Game to address a pressing social issue.

VEILS® is an immersive technology that harnesses the engaging characteristics of game-based video simulations to capture the attention of individuals at a level that leads them to positive action.  (Learn more about VEILS® Serious Games here)

How to Enter

1.   Read the Official Rules

2.   Create a concept for a VEILS® Serious Game  to address a social issue

3.   Complete the Entry Form

The Entry declared winner of the Simulate a Better World Challenge will be further developed by WILL for the production of VEILS® Serious Game based on the Entry’s subject matter. The development of the Simulation will be completed by WILL at its own expense.  It is expected by WILL that the development costs of the simulation would be valued at approximately Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000).

The winning Entrant(s) must actively participate in product development reviews and provide subject matter expertise for successful development of the winning simulation(s). Additionally, in order to help maximize the positive impact on the widest possible audience, proposals must contain a marketing and distribution plan that describes how the simulation will be disseminated and the Entrant’s prior experience relevant to the marketing and distribution of learning products.

Serious Games Market Back From Sabbatical QTR In Wiesbaden

Serious Games challenging us to play a better future

After a superb Sabbatical Quarter in Wiesbaden, Germany, Serious Games Market Blog is back ,digging the best of Serious Games promising market.


My deep apologies to the Serious Games community for the huge backlog: catch-up has just started.

Scientific Serious Games: Power Of Research Expanded

Serious Games engaging players in health research projects

3D Hospital game released in Power of Research

In Power of Research players can engage in health research projects, by performing microscopy, protein isolation and DNA experiments, publishing research results, participating in conferences, managing  high tech equipment and staff or request funding – all tasks of real researchers. 

Power of Research, a free strategic browser game is now expanded by a 3D hospital, where players can act as a medical doctor and select suitable treatments for a large variety of patients in their own hospital. 

This Serious Game extension is now available for free and playable on http://www.powerofresearch.eu through your browser.

The game features more than 12 different illnesses, 120 different patients, 11 different rooms, many different diagnosis methods such as x-ray, CT, lab tests, etc. and also a wide spectrum of treatments including injections, infusions, surgery, tablets, casts, etc.

Every player starts out in his own hospital as a doctor with basic skills. By treating patients successfully players earn experience, which will advance their abilities.

A virtual patient receives initially a basic examination. Based on the results, further tests such as x-rays can be done to make a correct diagnosis possible. Dependent on the diagnosis, players are prompted with appropriate treatment steps for them to fulfill, so that the virtual patients can then finally leave the hospital healed and fully recovered. All this needs to be completed before the health or the mood of the patient drops below a certain level, which will prompt a patient to leave. In addition the current energy and hygiene level of the doctor need to be managed throughout.

When players reach higher experience levels they are able to use an additional examination room, have more slots in their inventory and can use more equipment. Every player sees how good the others perform through a local (country based) and a worldwide high score. The challenge of the game is to plan necessary examinations and treatments based on available resources (rooms and medications). This has to be done under increasing time pressure, as patients are arriving at shorter time intervals at higher levels. 

The game graphics feature a full 3D environment, where players can change between different camera modes and simply click on patients or cabinets to interact with them in an easy way. The hospital is an entertaining casual game with - for a browser game - astonishing graphics that is the perfect expansion and complements the existing strategy game. Further expansion of the hospital game is planned by implementing additional illnesses, examinations and more.

About Power of Research

In Power of Research players can engage in health research projects, by performing microscopy, protein isolation and DNA experiments, publishing research results, participating in conferences, managing  high tech equipment and staff or request funding – all tasks of real researchers. 

The Serious Game is funded by the European Union through the 7th Framework Program for research and is aimed at bringing young people from all over Europe closer to real science on the one hand, and to present possible scientific careers in a comprehensible and tangible way on the other hand. Power of Research is already supported by five Nobel Prize winners and several international renowned researchers.

Power of Research has received funding through the European Community's 7th Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 202239, acronym “POR”.

Call 4 Speakers: 2nd Serious Play Conference, Everything About Serious Games

Serious Games challenging us to play a better future

Call for Speakers for 2nd Annual Serious Play Conference, August 21-23, 2012

Sessions for Developers, Project Leads, Faculty

Interested participants are encouraged to apply here

SEATTLE – Dec. 28, 2011 – SeriousPlay Conference has issued a call for speakers for its second annual “boot camp” for Serious Games professionals. The 2012 conference will again be held at DigiPen Institute of Technology, Tuesday – Thursday, August 21 – 23 in Redmond, Wash., just outside Seattle.

The three day conference will feature sessions by publishers, developers, game design consultants, market analysts and other professionals already leveraging game mechanics in education, health care, corporations, government and for military training as well as vendors providing Serious Games hardware and software and faculty teaching Serious Game development.

Speakers will outline critical success factors in game design, share case histories, offer recommendations on setting up as well as measuring learning outcomes and give advice on how to take advantage of current development technology. Market research consultants will discuss industry trends.

Developers can also vie for recognition in the International Serious Play Awards Competition and certification.  A student winner is also awarded.

ClarkAldrich, author of five industry text books and a Serious Games consultant, is conference director.  Game industry veteran Sue Bohle, president, The Bohle Company, Los Angeles, whose agency helped build attendance for the Game Developers Conference (GDC) and currently supports Penny Arcade Expos, produces the event.

For more information, visit http://www.seriousplayconference.com