Serious game jam (2022) - #1

This is a game making marathon, focused on design, mechanics, and clever ideas for serious game development.

 Moreover, this jam is part of PhD research being conducted at the North-West University.

***NEW DATES & TIMES! The jam runs from 13 May 2022, at 18:00 PM, to 20 May 2022, at 18:00 PM. Voting ends on 22 May 2022 at 18:00 PM.

The theme for this jam is Better Together. Your game must be a serious game. This means that the game should aim to do more than purely entertain. For example, it should aim to train, teach, simulate or test skills, etc.

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Here's what you need to know:

• Who can enter? Anyone over  the age of 18, from anywhere may participate. You should work in teams, BUT you may work alone if you so wish.
• What is the theme? The theme is Better Together.
• What can I make my game in? Anything, provided you can upload a file that runs on Windows/Mac or on browsers.
• What assets can I use? The game should be developed during the jam, but you may use some pre-existing code and can use whatever art and audio assets you have the legal right to use.
• Who will judge the games? If more than one team takes part in the jam, teams will play-test and judge (peer-review) each other’s work. Moreover, public judgment will take place on the final product(s). Additional, follow-up jams will be scheduled. Internal reflection is encouraged.
• What will the games be judged on? Games may be ranked against the following criteria: serious aspect(s) (i.e. is the game capable of training/simulating/instructing/ etc.?) fun, originality, and presentation.
• Is there a Discord server I can join? There is a dedicated Discord server for the jam HERE: https://discord.gg/MGk7GGNw6E

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Advanced rules:

• What genre must the game be? Any genre, from roleplaying game to first-person shooter, may be used. The only constraint here is that the <serious> game should have aspects capable of teaching, training or simulating a topic.
• Is a prototype acceptable? Yes, a working prototype will suffice for this jam.

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Legal bit:

• Anything you make during the jam is your property. The jam organisers claim no rights or ownership of your game.
• Any game submitted to the jam organisers will not appear in the thesis surrounding this study—without your express permission.

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See resources for Game Jammers:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qQf5zjvJHEB40xYhTiFo9GzNYUBt8iAw8vzPu2Oy354/...

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Game jam structure:

13 May 2022 @17h00 PM	Game jammers complete the pre-jam survey BEFORE the game jam begins: https://www.questionpro.com/t/APWHCZrbio
13 May 2022 @18h00 PM	The game jam officially begins!
13 May 2022 @18:01 PM to 20 May 2022 @17:59 PM	Game jam work continues...
13 May 2022 @18h00 PM	The game jam officially ends and voting begins!
13 May 2022 @18h05 PM	Game jammers complete the post-jam survey AFTER the game jam ends: https://www.questionpro.com/t/APWHCZrbqi Voting ends on 22 May 2022 @18:00 PM

You are hereby invited to participate in a research study conducted by Mr LR Bunt at the School of Computer Science and Information Systems at NWU, Vanderbijlpark Campus.

Title of the Study: "A stakeholder-centred framework for the design of serious games."

Ethics number: N W U - 0 1 7 7 5 - 2 0 - A 9

Principal Investigator: MR LR Bunt

Supervisors: DR JJ Greeff and Prof. E Taylor

Brief Introduction and Purpose of the Study:

This research constructs, applies and evaluates a stakeholder-centred framework for serious game (SRG) design. Such an intelligent system is directed at stakeholders in the process of developing SRGs within their own context(s). Prevailing design frameworks do not focus on the individuals with vested interests and concerns relating to SRG design. As such, no current taxonomic, theoretical or applied frameworks consider organisational communication and the invisible influence of performance parameters such as intergroup interaction, capability management, stakeholder input, vision control, staff activities, production processes, product output, and overall project outcome(s). The research objective puts forward an applied SRG design framework, informed by an integrative literature review which textually analyses the three theoretical pillars of stakeholder theory (ST), SRGs and enterprise architecture (EA) as corpora (body). Metrics for sound decision making for SRG teams investing in policies, projects and programmes are established in this way. This is done to ensure framework applicability to as many scenarios and environments as possible.

Outline of the Procedures:

The participant has the responsibility to answer the survey honestly and accurately; and to complete all questions upon submission of his/her responses. The survey should take no longer than 30-45 minutes to complete, and pertains to the nature and functions of the game jam undertaken by members of the team.

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Important notes regarding the survey:

- A response may be excluded if the survey is incomplete or if the majority of responses are incomprehensible;

- The survey is being disseminated electronically for the convenience of all participants to complete in their own time;

- A follow-up consultation with the participants is foreseen and may take place telephonically or in-person; at the request of the participant; and

- ONLY participants identified for the study may complete the survey.

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Risks or Discomforts to the Participant: 

No foreseeable risks or discomforts to participants are expected.

Benefits:

The results of this research can aid in serious game development teams: (i) understanding and taking charge of all serious game activities; (ii) identifying the appropriate roles and stakeholders to design/develop serious games more effectively; (iii) determining which events fall within their control and which do not; (iv) recognising how stakeholders can contribute to functional areas within serious game interest areas; and (v) discover novel plans to use in future serious game contexts. Furthermore, the creation of a stakeholder taxonomy and related professional practice guidelines will benefit future serious game makers.

Reason(s) why the participant may be withdrawn from the study:

A participant can leave the research study at any time. When withdrawing from the study, the participant should let the researcher know that he/she wishes to withdraw. A participant may provide the researcher with the reason(s) for leaving the study, but is not required to provide their reason.

Remuneration:

Participants in this study will NOT receive any form of monetary and/or academic remuneration.

Confidentiality:

The researcher will do the following to maintain participant confidentiality and will protect subjects' privacy by: (a) Using study codes on data documents (e.g. completed questionnaire) instead of recording identifying information and will keep a separate document that links the study code to subjects’ identifying information; (b) Encrypting identifiable data; (c) Removing face sheets containing identifiers (e.g. names and addresses) from survey instruments containing data after receiving from study participants; (d) Properly disposing of, destroying, or deleting study data / documents; (e) Limiting access to identifiable information; (f) Securely storing data documents within locked locations; and/or Assigning of security codes to computerised records.

Persons to contact in the event of any problems or queries:

Please contact the researcher by email (Lance.Bunt@nwu.ac.za).

Potential participants can rest assured that participation in this study is completely voluntary and all identifiable stakeholders involved in the research will be asked to participate. It is not required that ALL of these participants consent to having their responses used in this research. So please do not feel pressured or forced to comply with this form. You have the choice to say "no, thank you".