[arg_discuss] The Online Performance Game. A new genre?

[Colin McNee]

Hi & welcome Sjoerd, 
To answer your first question, yes I would absolutely like to play this game/performance. I'm a video hobbyist and would dig the hell out of this! It sounds like an excellent way to learn about a complicated historical period, it's a really interesting pedagogical technique. I can see this having application in a variety of subjects, such as bio-chemistry where the students could act out complicated chemical reactions...

Sort of like "Hi! I'm Adenosine Tri-Phosphate! I'm the star of the Muscular Contraction Show..."

I've found that in my own teaching that any time you get students up and being creative and playing, that the lessons learned are indelible. 

I also like your grasp of the necessity of placing some constraints on the game (you are assigning a particular battle or event) but allowing more or less free reign within the boundaries of the assignment. I suspect that your students/performers will amaze you with the things you come up with.

As far as the advice I could give, I would ensure that all of the players understand the judging criteria ahead of time and are acquainted with the judges and that these judges are credible. Also, it's a contest and in that case, some of your players will want completely quantitative scoring criteria, so be prepared for a lot of whining (I'm going by my experience with American students here, maybe Dutch students are different). Also, you may have to have the judges back up their scoring with a narrative as to why they scored each team the way they did.  

Finally, sharing: what's the finished product going to be? A web-site? A DVD? I ask this because I'd like to check it out and your students are also going to want some sort of 'hard-copy'. 

Great idea,
Colin


--- On Wed, 6/11/08, Sjoerd Wennekes <sjoerdwennekes at hotmail.com> wrote:
From: Sjoerd Wennekes <sjoerdwennekes at hotmail.com>
Subject: [arg_discuss]  The Online Performance Game. A new genre?
To: arg_discuss at igda.org
Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 2:55 AM

Hi Everyone,



I have got a few questions about an ARG I'm making.

But first let me introduce myself.



My name is Sjoerd, I'm from The Netherlands and at this moment I'm
still an art student. I say at this moment, because within a few weeks
I will receive my diploma! :)

I study 'Design for Virtual Theatre and Games' at the Utrecht high
school for the arts. My mentor is Evert Hoogendoorn, who is also a IGDA
member, and probably also reading this... -not sure if he is a member
of this SIG-



For my graduation, I'm making an 'online performance game' (OPG).

At this moment the genre doesn't really exist yet.

But there are a few games that are following the same kind of rules.

The most famous is 'The Soho Project'.
(http://www.fictionalmedia.co.uk/2007/)



The game I'm working on is called 'De Opstand'

This is a Dutch name (for me being Dutch) and it can best be translated as
'The Rebellion'.

The game is all about a very important piece of Dutch history, it
covers the so called '80 years war'. In the period 1568-1648 our
country was at war with Spain. The war was all about freedom of
religion and self government. 

Players must first form a team, and then pick one of the assignments.
All these assignments are about the 80 years war, and each of them
covers a different event.

For each assignment the teams have to make a video of there performance. 

Let me give an example.


At the first of April 1572 The Beggars (those where the people who fought for
freedom) recaptured the city of 'Den Briel' from Spain.
For 15 points, film this event. Make sure you point out why The Beggars choice
Den Briel, and not another city.




>From this point players are free to execute the assignment as they see fit.



- Are they going for spot on reenactment? Or for originality?

Teams will receive points for performance, for originality and for historical
correctness.

It's for the players to make up if they are going for originality or
historical correctness, because both is just impossible.

But they always will receive points for performance.



And now the questions I wanted to ask you all.

- Would you like to play a game like this?

In other words: can there be a future for OPG's?



- Can you name some other games that might be OPG's?

I know there must be a few out there, but where?



- Do you have any kind of advise?

All the help is welcome!

I don't really care if it's just one sentence or a full written novel.
;)


- For all of you who understand Dutch the website is: www.deopstand.nl


Kind regards,



Sjoerd Wennekes





__________________

--- And now, the world! ---



-- Excuse my English, it's not my native language. --

 

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