Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
My old company Purple Moon provides a good example. Our origi-
nal goal was to create an engaging computer-based activity that would be
enticing enough to get “tween” girls (ages 7 to 12) to use a computer and
become comfortable with it. You may be old enough to recall that the land-
scape of computer games and videogames in 1998 was dominated by games
specifi cally addressed to the interests and play patterns of boys. Our gen-
der studies revealed that girls and boys exhibited some strong differences
in how they thought of “play,” hence our desire to create content with play
patterns that would appeal to girls' play preferences. But as we were doing
the research and designing the games, we were hearing from girls that they
often felt “stuck” in their social and emotional lives. Many experienced a
sense of inevitability about things that happened with friends. So our sec-
ond grand strategic goal emerged: to provide an
emotional rehearsal space
for
girls that would allow them to try out different social choices. Most of our
strategies served both grand strategic goals.
Figure 5.3 is yet a third diagram that replaces the generic terms with
some specifi c ones, in this case related to game design; we could make such
a diagram for non-game interactions as well, but I think you get the point.
One of the ways in which strategic analysis of this sort is useful is to
give us criteria for the inclusion or exclusion of materials at any level of
WHOLE ACTION (PLOT)
WORLD
INTERACTOR
SHAPE
OBJECTS
PHYSICS
NPCs
INTERVENTIONS
AFFORDANCES
COMMUNICATION
Traits
Actions
“Normal” “Special'”
Surprise Reversal
Traits
Responsiveness
CONSTRAINTS
Surface In-Game
“Language” “Social Physics'”
ATMOSPHERE
LOCAL GOALS
Explicit Implicit
Alliances Challenges
Style
Range
Figure 5.3.
A strategic diagram with elements at strategic, tactical, and supporting
levels drawn from game design. Many such diagrams are possible.
