Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Level 16
Designing the Future
Lately, there
s been a lot of mention of the
gamification
of society in the media.
Expect a lot more. But I
'
'
ve only mentioned that word a couple of times in this
book. That
s because the multiplayer classroom existed before that word was
coined. And I began to write this story about it before I had ever heard the word.
But the fact that the ideas of levels and points and yes, phat l00t, are deluging us
like a perfect storm, is no coincidence. The gamer generation has driven the
success of everything from smart phones to the movie
Avatar
. So it should be no
surprise to anyone that gamification has already been co-opted by sales and
marketing.
'
—
when we looked at
Quest to Learn
for 6
-
—
Way back on Level 2
I
mentioned in passing an idea taking root at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Last month at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Andrew
Phelps, the Director of the School of Interactive Games & Media at RIT, told me
their dream about designing the entire undergraduate experience as a game.
That
12 grade kids
s journey. Last week, I
visited them. They are heavily into the planning stages. Have a look for
yourselves at
thinkplay.rit.edu.
And keep your eyes peeled for more innovative
ideas that bring games and education together. If that sounds too painful, then
just keep your eyes open. There are lots more yet to come.
'
s right: four years. Think Joseph Campbell
'
s hero
'
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