TC 830: Foundations of Serious Games
This page is dedicated to multimedia projects that Joy has submitted throughout her TC 830 class as part of her graduate certificate in serious games and Master of Arts in Educational Technology program at Michigan State University.
Course Assignments:
Game Lab 4: Play Testing for Nosomnia
Joy created a podcast to document her first play testing session, also known as Wizard of Oz testing, for a relaxation game she created the prior week called Nosomnia. Nosomnia aims to slow the heart rate of adults who suffer from insomnia or otherwise experience trouble winding down before bed.
In this podcast, Joy walks the tester through her beta version of the game available in PowerPoint to understand how he would interact with the game. She is primarily concerned with understanding what features of her game are intuitive to the tester and how the tester interprets different play elements of the game so that she can iterate and improve the game's core mechanic.
Length: 14:14.
Epic Quest 2: Revised Pitch for Testdrive USA
Joy has designed a board game to help teenagers learn how to drive. Say goodbye to those DMV handbooks with pictures that haven't been updated since 1972 and say hello to Testdrive USA! Five percent of profits are donated to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), a 501(c)3 organization.
Testdrive USA from Joy Hopkins on Vimeo.
Game Analysis 1: News Game - SPENT
In this presentation, Joy conducts an analysis of the online game, SPENT. SPENT addresses issues of poverty by challenging players to get through one month working as a low-wage earner. This award-winning game was designed by Durham, NC-based advertising firm, McKinney, for pro bono client, Urban Ministries of Durham in February 2011.
SPENT Game Analysis from Joy Hopkins on Vimeo.
Epic Quest 3: Physical Prototype & Playtest Report for Testdrive USA
In this presentation, Joy provides a summary of her physical prototype design and first playtesting session of the first board game she designed called Testdrive USA.
Click here to download the file.
Mini-lecture: Funding your Serious Game
In this mini-lecture, Joy discusses several different funding options for bringing your serious game to market.
Funding Serious Games Mini-lecture from Joy Hopkins on Vimeo.
Click here to download the pdf version of the mini-lecture on Funding Serious Games.
Game Lab 5: Gamification Exercise
In this assignment, Joy has chosen to gamify the experience of household chores. She aims to increase household members' engagement and commitment to shared responsibilities through a points system.
Click here to download the file.
Epic Quest 4: Testdrive USA Website and Gameplay Video
Please access the link below to view the final website Joy has prepared for the very first board game she has developed, Testdrive USA. In the Play the Game section of the site, you will find a short gameplay video where Joy simulates gameplay in real time.
Click here to access the website.