Group Brainstorm:一三三七

From CS 160 Fall 2008

Contents 1 Group Members 2 Idea List 3 Idea Selection 4 Target User Group 5 Problem Description 6 Problem Context 7 Why Serious Games are a Good Technology for the Problem 8 Solution Sketch

Group Members

• Buda Chiou [ Individual Proposal ]
• Alan McCreary [ Individual Proposal ]
• Jeffrey Rosen [ Individual Proposal ]
• Mei Than [ Individual Proposal ]
• Billy Grissom [ Individual Proposal ]

Idea List

Ideas
1. problem: looking for new routes/things/sports to do
2. integrated with existing games, wow, etc. where exercising would help to advance players in the games mmorpg - actual walking or running interfaced with an avatar, generate resources through exercise, exercise will generate turns - in the virtual environment {problem: getting exercise and playing games at the same time} bike - odometer measuring distance and speed {problem: getting biking in with game play at the same time} multiplier - team competition, city competition, encourage local events rankings, comparisons with others? involvement/competition of other college campuses feedback - comparison with sports celebrities
3. sound effects? visual motivation? audio, inspirational music, different types of music played based on the intensity of the activity? {problem: how to figure out the intensity of work outs}
4. devising a way to group together people with different lifestyles for different activities
5. photos - graph adding a photos to the route of the trip, using GPS for tracking {problem: not being able to share photos of scenic jogging routes, as the jog is being done. Could also be biking}
6. exercise safety i[hone app that tells if you run incorrectly via headphones
7. facebook app to teach healthy eating habits - checks dorm website for nutrition facts
8. iphone drivers ed using GPS
9. GPS treasure hunt/relay race around the city
10. facebook app to grow a pet fighter, grow via exercise
11. {jump} vocab game; you need to type in the correct word or the object kills you
12. foriegn language fighting game: shows you a character in japanese and you need to type in the letter to attack
13. art memory game. flip over two paintings and try to match the two paintings by the same artist
14. programming game, write a function in a certain amount of time
15. online flash pictionary
16. online jigsaw puzzle
17. {jump} janitor FPS
18. sim House: compete to build a good, well designed house
19. Iron chef flash game
20. recipe competition
21. {jump} online GPA competition
22. {jump} Brainstorming game
23. {jump} Plant growing game, receive some seeds and plant
24. {jump} iphone GPS blindness simulation
25. lip reading game, try to match your online partner.

Idea Selection

We decided to create an iphone/website application, using the step counter feature because it was a feasible idea. The format of the game is also very unique. It isn't the typical multiple choice format. Players get through the game depending how fast and long they run. In addition, our target user group is all around us on campus, so we wouldn't have to go to great lengths just to get user interviews for our prototypes and working prototypes. The fun factor for the intended audience is carried over from pre-existing games, and so also there is an element of familiarity. Associating exercising with games, any game, that someone already plays, helps lift the barrier to entry to the game. We've also decided that this is one idea we don't want to not develop, it's interesting to all of us {acceptance}, and with its flexibility, we hope to see it widely adopted, hopefully resulting with very fit gamers.

Target User Group

The target user group of this game are youth 6~18 years old who like playing games. They wish to maintain their fitness, grow their fitness, or just be fit, and avoid a stereotype. They love games and having fun, but are under peer pressure, and are conscientious about their appearance. For them, exercise and becoming fit is hard work, and is rarely fun. Games and exercise can each be very time consuming so for our target user group, its usually one choice or the other. Often the choice is to have fun in the most direct and quickest way possible, game play.

Problem Description

A growing number of people in the United States are either overweight or obese. Contributing to this trend is the constant arrival of new video games, which makes the idea of going outside to exercise less appealing. A game that can be played through the Internet while exercising will help with this problem, since it can provide a constant source of motivation and reinforcement.

Problem Context

One obstacle for people looking to get in good physical shape is motivation. For some, the motivation is strong and clear - the person's goal may be to impress people of the opposite sex, or it may be to prepare for physical competition (a marathon, for example). For many, however, the motivation to exercise is either weak or nonexistent. Getting in shape, in general, is a slow, gradual, and tiresome process, so it may seem like a tedious endeavor. A session of physical activity often requires organizational skills (as with a basketball game), and it can be be monotonous (as with running on a treadmill). Video games, on the other hand, provide accomplishment without requiring long-term commitment, organization, or physical strain. In a first-person shooter, for instance, killing an opponent is generally not too difficult, yet it provides motivation and a feeling of success.

The members of our target user group are children and young adults who frequently use the Internet and play video games, so our solution incorporates both. Today, people commonly listen to music or watch television (in a gym) to make repetitive exercise more enjoyable, but our solution is different in that it incorporates exercises into an actual game and uses competition as a primary source of motivation.

Why Serious Games are a Good Technology for the Problem

Serious games are a good technology solution for the issue of finding time to exercise while playing video games. Serious games in general are also a good technology for staying fit. Two goals are achieved through one method, serious games. The first goal, finding something to occupy game player's times,and hold their attention, is achieved. Good game design will be fun, motivate, and challenge the participants. In achieving the first goal, the second goal is achieved as well. Game players, while devoting time to something they already enjoy, will also exercise, they will then find themselves the proud owners of more fit, healthier bodies.

Solution Sketch

With our solution, we attempt to combine the positive aspects of physical exercise and video games. By adding the constant reinforcement of a game to the monotony of an exercise session, we will make it possible to get in shape while gaining a sense of accomplishment after each step.