EMPATHY GAMES

FELIPE BARCELLOS | @ELVEXKIDD | WWW.ELVEXKIDD.COM

playing for a better world

Post-graduation in Electronic Games DevelopmentUniversidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA)

Manaus, June 2016, Brazil.

EMPATHY GAMES

EMPATHY GAMES

EMPATHY GAMES

Definition

EMPATHY GAMES

Definition Potential

EMPATHY GAMES

Definition Potential Multisensory

EMPATHY GAMES

Definition Potential Multisensory (graphic, sound,

kinetic)

EMPATHY GAMES

Definition Potential Multisensory (graphic, sound,

kinetic)

& Interactive Environment

EMPATHY GAMES

Definition Potential Multisensory (graphic, sound,

kinetic)

& Interactive Environment Highly Immersive Media

EMPATHY GAMES

Definition Potential Multisensory (graphic, sound,

kinetic)

& Interactive Environment Highly Immersive Media Cause Strong Emotional

Reactions

Amnesia – The Dark DescentFrictional GamesSep 2010

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTlWBtz62Z0

“Stress from the presence of strangers

reduces people’s ability to empathize,

a new study finds. However, just 15

minutes of playing a video game

together (in this case, the cooperative

music game Rock Band) is enough to

overcome this barrier and allow

strangers to empathize with each

other.”McGill University, Jan 2015.

via Jane McGonigal’s blog

http://janemcgonigal.com/2015/02/18/superbetter-science-

updates/

EMPATHY GAMES

EMPATHY GAMES

EMPATHY GAMES

Definition

EMPATHY GAMES

Definition“the capacity to understand what

another person is experiencing

from within the other person's frame

of reference, i.e., the capacity to

place oneself in another's shoes”Bellet, Paul S., and Michael J. Maloney (1991)

Multisensory (graphic, sound, kinetic)

& Interactive Environment Highly Immersive Media Cause Strong Emotional Reactions Help Empathize with Strangers

(bounds)

EMPATHY GAMES

GAMES CAN BE A POWERFUL MIND-CHANGING TOOL

CAN BE USED TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD THROUGH GAME IMMERSION CRITICAL THINKING OF OUR “TRUTHS” & UNDERSTANDING OF DIFFERENT REALITIES, CONTEXTS, PROBLEMS, PEOPLE.

AND AS HUMANS, THERE IS A

LOT TO UNDERSTAND AND

WORRY ABOUT.

MODERN SLAVERY

RACISM

RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE

RAPE

SEXUAL IDENTITY ANDGENDER

DISCRIMINATION

DEPRESSION

EMPATHY GAMES

Papo & Yo (Vander Caballero)

EMPATHY GAMES

Papo & YoVander CaballeroMinority Media Inc.Aug 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l88ifV7N44

Papo & Yo (Vander Caballero) Loneliness (Jordan Magnuson)

EMPATHY GAMES

LonelinessJordan MagnusonNecessary GamesSet 2010

http://www.necessarygames.com/my-games/loneliness/flash

Papo & Yo (Vander Caballero) Loneliness (Jordan Magnuson) Coming Out Simulator (Nick Case)

EMPATHY GAMES

Coming Out SimulatorNicky CaseSet 2010

http://ncase.itch.io/coming-out-simulator-2014

Papo & Yo (Vander Caballero) Loneliness (Jordan Magnuson) Coming Out Simulator (Nick Case) Dys4ia (Anna Anthropy)

EMPATHY GAMES

“This was a story about frustration - in what other form do people complain as much about being frustrated? A video game lets you set up goals for the player and make her fail to achieve them. A reader can’t fail a book. It’s an entirely different level of empathy.”

Anna Anthropy about Dys4ia on PennyArcade

Dys4iaAnna AnthropyMar 2012

http://wizardofvore.itch.io/dys4ia

How to make one?

EMPATHY GAMES

Features (cool mechanics)

Features (cool mechanics) Awesome graphics

Features (cool mechanics) Awesome graphics Perfect BGM & SFX

Features (cool mechanics) Awesome graphics Perfect BGM & SFX Super detailed story

Features (cool mechanics) Awesome graphics Perfect BGM & SFX Super detailed story THE MESSAGE (THE FEELING,

WHAT TO THINK ABOUT)

Features (cool mechanics) Awesome graphics Perfect BGM & SFX Super detailed story THE MESSAGE (THE FEELING,

WHAT TO THINK ABOUT)

How the mechanics can help spreading

this message?

Mechanics as Metaphor (part 2)Extra Credits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP_qNm-96Dc

The game designer sets the

boundaries of the experience (which

central concept will be explored?)

The game designer sets the

boundaries of the experience (which

central concept will be explored?)

Meaningful actions (mechanics as

metaphors)

The game designer sets the

boundaries of the experience (which

central concept will be explored?)

Meaningful actions (mechanics as

metaphors)

The “playing” tells the story (not cut

scenes)

The game designer sets the

boundaries of the experience (which

central concept will be explored?)

Meaningful actions (mechanics as

metaphors)

The “playing” tells the story (not cut

scenes)

Let the players make choices

The game designer sets the

boundaries of the experience (which

central concept will be explored?)

Meaningful actions (mechanics as

metaphors)

The “playing” tells the story (not cut

scenes)

Let the players make choices

Let them imagine

The game designer sets the

boundaries of the experience (which

central concept will be explored?)

Meaningful actions (mechanics as

metaphors)

The “playing” tells the story (not cut

scenes)

Let the players make choices

Let them imagine

To explore the full potential of the

gameplay

“Will this save the world?

Not quite.

But it may be a hint of a

future with games

integrated into every

aspect of our lives.”

Allan Hoffman, May 02, 2014.http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2014/05/

can_video_games_foster_empathy_and_save_the_world.html

FELIPE BARCELLOS | @ELVEXKIDD | WWW.ELVEXKIDD.COM

Thank you!

EMPATHY GAMESplaying for a

better world