Games are a form of storytelling.
I think we forget that fact too often, but it’s one of the reasons why gamification can be such an effective strategy in learning, and it’s why I love designing and playing games.
Kinect NatGeo TV
While I worked as the narrative designer and video director for two seasons of this Xbox 360 game, I was lucky enough to sit-in with the amazing game designers from Microsoft and Relentless Software as we ideated various full body gameplay scenarios that leveraged the Kinect camera.
Each episode included 2-3 different full-bodied animal-based games based on the episode’s hero animals, plus interactive storytelling adventures we called ‘Sidetracks,’ which I scripted and oversaw production of.
“Kinect Nat Geo TV is a brilliant blend of realistic TV and fanciful games that teach as they entertain...4/4 stars.”
“I wholeheartedly recommend Kinect Nat Geo TV if you have pre-teens - or frankly anyone in your house - who’s interested in learning about nature through one of the most innovative pieces of edutainment I’ve ever come across. 100/100”
Kinect Nat Geo TV mixes family TV night with family game night by combining Kinect's "reach in and explore" interactivity with content from Nat Geo WILD. Solve mystifying puzzles, learn about the natural environment, get to know exotic animals and get inspired to care for the planet.
“The production values are consistently impressive, and we’ve learned at least six new things about bears. You can’t say that about Gears of War 3.”
“Not only does it manage to convey a lot of information in a way that’s fun, but from the voice-controlled main menu to the mini games that get the child to learn through doing, this is one of the few pieces of commercial software that really clicks with the often-obtrusive Kinect and makes it seem worthwhile.”
A quick look at how to play Hoopsters, and the evolving market opportunity for a simple, quick-paced basketball-themed board game. Sets are available at hoopsters.store.
Hoopsters is a cross between basketball and backgammon. Learn more at Hoopsters.store.
Big Swing Games
Big Swing Games is a toy and game concept agency I started with Matthew Longley, as well as a small-batch game producer.
We are the makers of Hoopsters, the greatest basketball-themed board game ever made, and the forthcoming games Pongr, Either/Or/Over/Under and 4-penny Bobby.
We are also in the process of licensing new game concepts to well-known toy and game companies.
Gamification and Learning
I am a frequent speaker on the topic of adding gamification to your learning experiences. My approach is not to force an awkward game metaphor on top of your existing course, but rather starts with brain science, and seeks to “gamify” your course by pairing learning moments with dopamine production in the brain.