Edu-tainmet - Demographic

This is the area where I am going to look into the type of audience that I am going to do my 2D game for. This is going to be a varied research since am going to be looking into, different types of educational games, different age audiences and also looking into different types of 2D games.

Educational Games:

These are games that are usually designed for educational purposes, or have incidental or other educational value to them. There are many different games that come under the same jurisdiction of educational games.

Educational games are games that are made to teach people about certain subjects, expand on original thoughts, understanding of events or culture or assist them in leaning a new skill as they play the game.  Educational games can come in the form of, card, board and video games.

Game based learning is a type of play that has defined learning outcomes. This is designed to balance subject matter with gameplay and the ability of the player to retain and apply the subject matter learnt in the real world.

According to Richard N. Van Eck, there are three approaches to creating software that stimulates cognitive growth in the gamer.
These are:
Building games from scratch created by educators and programmers.
Integrate commercial off-the-self (COTS).
Creating games from scratch using the students.

At this point in time, this does not really apply to my creation; this is because I do not have the application of getting programmers or students of the correct age to help me.
So what I am going to do is use the resources at my fingertips, and that is a maths teacher and also the internet, I shall be using these for research.

The built-in learning process of games is what makes the game enjoyable. The progress a player makes in a game is through the learning. It is the progress of the mind grasping and coming to an understanding of a new system. The understanding of a new concept through gaming makes an individual feel a sense of reward whether the game is considered entertainment (Battle Field) or serious (a flight simulator).

Games that motivate players are what make them ideal learning environments. Most games have problem solving situations that spark creativity. A Successful game-based learning environment includes, choosing actions, experiencing consequences and working towards goals allows players to make mistakes through experimentation in a risk-free environment.

Games have rules, structures and goals that inspire motivation. Games are interactive and provide outcomes and feedback.

Identification with a character within the videogame is an important factor in the learning potential of the gamer. This will be a gate into the virtual world and link the gamer to the game.

Examples of educational games through the ages.

LeapFrog

This is a company that makes toys for children as soon as they are basically born up to the age of nine and they make them educational.

For babies they have the basic toys with rings on them and some simple shapes, like square and circles.

For older children there are thing like the Leap Reader, this is where it helps you to read as you are going along by touching the words with a pen, and it sounding it out.

Cbbies Games

This is a web site for games and other educational things. This site has a number of different games, these are all educational in their own right and not all of them are obvious, but they are there to teach many different things.

Flags of the World

This is a board game where you have to know the flags of places, so that you can win the game.

Times Tables Snap

This is a game that helps children learn their times tables, but in a fun way, so that they are not bored and they learn so that they can win the game.

Clue Finders

Child's detective game.

Brain Training

This is a game this is basically for all ages to partake in. This is a game that used numeracy and also literacy skills to help the players build on their skills.

Trivial Pursuit

This is a family board game that is based on general knowledge of a lot of things, like the world, geography, people and art.

Scrabble

This is a game that now older generations tends to play, but there are a few of the younger generation that also play it, this game is based on literacy and also numeracy skills.

Crosswords

  This is a game that many people partake during the morning when they are on their way to work/school and are reading the newspaper. This is a game that uses literacy and also general knowledge so that the task can be complete.

Equality and Diversity Issues

This is something that effects everything out there, and there will always be someone who finds a way to be offended by something. But when producing goods for the people be it clothes, games or cars there will always be the issue of equality and diversity.
When doing something, you have to try and have an audience, without one of those then there will be no real substance to the project. Having an audience gives what you are making a starting point. Something that is for a 3 year old, would not please someone in their 40's, so it has to be clear who it is that you are designing for. The same goes for sex, in most cases what a male would want is not necessarily what a female would want.

Issues that occur.

Race
Age
Disability
Gender
Sexual Orientation
Religion/Belief

These are what would be issues within making a game. Since that is what I am going to be making.
Within games, there are different age restrictions. 3 - 7 - 12 - 15 - 16 - 18, this is just the UK age content rating, in other countries that are different.

So, my game will be for for 12 - under 15. This is because the highest age restriction that I can do for this project is 14. So I have to go to this restriction in making my game.

So one issue that I would come across an issue with Age because this is the audience that I am going to have to narrow down.

Race is not something that I would probably come across when making my educational game.

Gender is another think that I would not really think about since it is based on being educational and all I have to do is make maths fun and also make sure that the audience is learning.

Sexual Orientation, this is something that would not probably come up in the making and looking into audiences, but it would come in on the making, and the content of the game, seeing how they are depicted and other things like that, because this would be seen as sensitive to some people.

Religion/Belief is something that would be considered in the content and whether it was appropriate for the audience, like people being sacrificed by the Aztecs, for some people that would not be acceptable for them to watch.

Different Ages

The ages/audience for the game is important, because knowing who it is that you are aiming at to make a game, you will know more or less what you have to make.
If you were to make a game for the younger demographic then it would be obvious that it would be in-ideal to make a game that used quadratic equations to further the game. 

Also the same would also apply to making a game that was really simple and straight forward and then marketing it towards 15 year olds. No one would play it and there would be no challenge in it and that is something that gamers like.

So in this research I have looked into different games for different ages.

Leapfrog is a company that caters to ages 0 months to 9 years. This is a wide range to have, but on their are clear tabs as to what age group you should be looking for.

Games like Snap that can help a using specifically brought cards, this would be mainly for primary aged children.

There is also Brain Training, this is to help functional skills become faster, like reading and also faster numeracy skills. This is for age groups 3+ making it for just about anyone, and also the game shows while in play, that this is true.

Catch the Sperm, this is a game from Scandinavia to help people learn about HIV and preventing it, this was for computer gaming as well as mobile gaming. However I cannot find an actual age range for this, I would suppose that the age prevention on this would be at least 16 within England, if not 18.

Horrible Histories is a series of books that was then made a TV series and now has games, this are linked to the history that is told in the other media and also teaches them along the way by them answering questions or completing other tasks in the levels. The age group for this is 6+. 

As you can see from the games above mentioned the majority of educational games are made for a younger audience, this is probably because they are a generation that is made for learning, and grasp new things easier. Making it for younger people makes them easier to sell, and also easier to teach things to, because either people of the older generations will not care for it, or they already think that they know it.

For my game I am going to take that into consideration, and think about what you make a teenage audience interested in an educational game.



Types of 2D Games

Platform - This is a game that uses a number of different things to make the game more interesting for the player, making them jump and guiding them over-under-on different floating platforms.

Adventure - This game is for making a gamer participate in an interactive story and also puzzle solving.

Japanese Simulation - This is a game were the person playing plays as them selves and answers questions the game asks so that they can progress within the situation, most known ones are dating simulations.

Strategy games - This is games like Chess and Checkers, this is a game that makes you think and it is also a game that you play against someone else, this can be AI or online with other people, this teaches people to think fast and think smart and to also plan ahead.

Scroll - This is a type of game where the actual main character does not move within the game, and it is the background that actually moves, these are usually used within racing games.

Arcade - These are many different genre of game, and were mainly in 2D, these were games that allowed for fast play and also they had many rewards, but harsh consequences, like the game ending, and you having to pay more money each time you lose.

Fighter - This is a type of game that has been around for a while, and they were very popular as arcade and also home console games. This is however not educational to people in any way, due to the only reason being to senselessly beat your opponent up.