For the last 30 years, the entertainment has been the core value of the game industry. Yet in an ever-expanding market, merely being entertaining is not enough to remain competitive. Authentic experiences, moments that resonate with players, and inspiring learning through play are what let games rise above merely being fun, though how to do this is rarely discussed. In this panel, practitioners working on transformational games will discuss their secret sauce: how they blend research, conversations with communities, and collaborations with academia into emergent and embedded narratives, creating authentic experiences for AAA, indies, and beyond.

Takeaway

How to manage narratives, traditional and emergent, to blend serious purposes into a game in a way that aligns and enriches existing play, how to build and promote value-driven experiences from the ground up in collaboration with communities of interest, and how to modify games to provide novel, educational experiences.

Intended Audience

Developers, funding bodies, publishers, and other various stakeholders interested in using commercial games for other purposes such as scientific research or cultural exploration. No prerequisite knowledge needed.