Social games have been with us since the dawn of time, so next time some one talks about this new arena you can point out that we’v been engaging in the social game probably since DNA appeared on earth. In fact DNA is probably the virtual currency of nature over a long period.

So what is a Social Games?

A Social Game by its very nature is a multi-player activity. It requires others to participate and interact. But what are social interactions? Well here is a good diagram of everything considered to be a social activity, game or otherwise.

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Suddenly everywhere you look there is a buzz about social games. Dollar signs flashing before every developer’s eyes as everyone is amazed by the success of some of the first movers in this exploding market. But designing an engaging social games is not something everyone can do, just because the designer is ripping off the latest big hit on facebook it really doesn’t mean its going to be a success.

So having had a good look around the social game world & having made our 3rd social game this year,  here’s some nuggets of information that should help any budding social games designer to develop a better game.

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Evidence shows that the long term solution to tackling violent extremism lies in prevention. The most effective way to prevent young people from turning to violence is to encourage open and honest conversations on attitudes, ideas and choices in a safe and positive environment.

To this end we’ve developed Choices&Voices, class room delivered lessons based on short interactive role-play games in which pupils are encouraged to explore different points of view and make a range of decisions. The aim is to counter the spread of misinformation, negative ideas and attitudes by offering an interactive session in which students are presented with a series of choices, encouraging them to develop their understanding of consequences.

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How Social Gaming is Improving Education

Educators have always looked for better ways to prepare students for the real world. The mildly apocalyptic government report from the US, A Nation at Risk,  warned that an outdated school system was unwittingly sabotaging America’s economic superiority. Year after year, major educational organizations would echo the report’s call with threats of dire consequences and pleas for sweeping reform, from the U.S. Department of Labor to the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

Audits of the U.S. educational system have revealed that the highest hurdle to adopting skills-based teaching practices is the lack of an easily implementable curriculum.

The picture in the UK is a similar affair, with publications Future Labs publications on games and learning confirming much of what we know to be a fact – namely the better the engagement, the better the learning.

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Designing social games for multi-player engagement

We examine designing games for online social networks, such as Facebook or Twitter. Looking at how the design can be improved by embedding an interaction centric approach into the development process. Research into motivations and emotional dispositions of social media use, and analysing existing popular social games, help in identifying game mechanics that tap into user practices across social networks.

We attempt at developing a set of design principles and a design framework where interaction, social, service, and game design meet. The framework aims to support the inherent sociability, spontaneity, and playfulness that permeate online social networks.

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What are Serious Games and Game Based Learning?

Serious gaming is the use of gaming technology for purposes other than primary entertainment. Digital game based learning is educational content delivered via a computer game. It goes further than e-learning packages, which simply put the textbook on the screen, to create a highly engaging, interactive virtual learning environment where the learner has complete agency to explore and react to the virtual world.

The fundamental characteristics which make computer games so entertaining also make this an ideal medium for teaching, learning and assessment. The training features of an excellent computer game are the same as the features of an excellent learning experience.