Post on 20-Aug-2015
WHY GAMES?
Playing games brings together
fundamental aspects of
psychology, sociology and
technology to engage people for
social change
72% of American households play
computer and video games
Have seen the rise of games in
popular culture with video games
and reality television competitions
Games engage the public’s
imagination
WHY FUND
SOCIAL
IMPACT
GAMES?
Knight Foundation aims to
increase the ability of individuals
to engage in change by funding
innovative ideas
Research on digital games
shows that they can influence
behavior
Knight wanted to see if the same
was true for games that took
place in the real-world, in real-
time with real-people
WHY FUND
SOCIAL
IMPACT
GAMES?
Funded two pilot projects:
Macon Money in Macon, GA
Battlestorm in Biloxi, MS
– Knight partnered with local
partners on a game that
promotes the importance of
hurricane preparedness
through activities focused on
youth as leaders.
AT A GLANCE
More than 3,500 unique
players.
About one in five players
played the game more than
once.
$65,000 was distributed to
players to spend at 41 local
businesses.
The top-earning business made
more than $12,000
A MACON-
CENTRIC
INTEGRATE
D
STRATEGY
Game
designers used
images from
local partners
and from the
city’s history
HOW TO
PLAY THE
GAME
Match your bond
half with another
player, redeem
it for Macon
Money bills and
spend them in
local businesses
Watch a video of how to play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT91aQTFHiY
WHO
PLAYED?
Game had a
young
audience
Most players
surveyed
were 40
years or
younger
Note: When pre- and post-game surveys were combined, the
percentage increases to 84%.
WHO
PLAYED?
Young
Professionals
Majority of players
surveyed that
were 31-40 were
employed full-time
with incomes
$60k and above
WHO PLAYED?
African Americans
underrepresented
Outreach
efforts to boost
their
participation
were largely
unsuccessful
Key Findings:
Engaged
Residents/
Created
Social
Connections
Players used social networks
(offline and online) to engage
others in the game and meet
new people.
66% of matches were with
people players did not previously
know
63% of matches were with
people the player would be “very
unlikely” to meet otherwise.
Key Findings:
Engaged
Residents/
Created
Social
Connections
Players played regularly with a
group, such as friends, colleagues
or people at church
Key Findings:
Engaged
Residents/
Created
Social
Connections
Relatively few strong ties created – only1
in 5 matches led to further personal
contact, and only 15% of those became
friends on Facebook
Key Findings:
Catalyzed
Economic
Development
Players continued to return to
businesses they visited during the
game
– 46% reported they spent Macon Money
at a business that was new to them, and
of those, 92% reported they have
returned to a business that was new to
them
– More than 85% of players surveyed said
their perception of shops, parks and
other amenities in the target revitalization
area improved since playing the game
Key Findings:
Contributed to
Place
Attachment/
Built Social
Capital
Game created sense of excitement
about Macon and increased
optimism about Macon’s future
– Positive correlation between
number of times played game
and agreement with “the energy and appeal of the CHC/Downtown
Macon area is on the rise.”
“Macon is becoming a more welcoming place for
young adults to live. “
“5 years from now, Macon will be an even better
place to live”.
Key Findings:
Contributed to
Place
Attachment/
Built Social
Capital
Familiar faces
in our
environment
contribute to a
sense of place
and belonging
Majority of players would recognize
their matches and say “hi” on the street
BEST
PRACTICES:
Game Design
Create synergies by building on
existing revitalization efforts and
events
Combine diverse value
propositions for players with
different or evolving interests
Combine online and offline
elements to meet players where
they are most comfortable
interacting
– Explore use of social media to create
longer lasting connections
BEST
PRACTICES:
Game Design
Build in strategies so that bills are
spent equitably within target area
of local businesses
– Encourage use of social media by
businesses
Mobilize local business owners to
invest in game
Experiment with mechanics that
encourage looser or stronger
connections between players
BEST
PRACTICES:
Implementation
Target outreach to highly
networked players
Right-sizing: Macon Money best
suited to small cities or
neighborhoods
Right-timing: Game should be
played intermittently, not
continuously
Get city involved in game
promotion
KEY
TAKEAWAYS
Games like Macon Money need to
reinforce other efforts and be part of a
larger context. Tap into existing
networks and infrastructure
Keep your project grounded in the
community you are serving from
development through implementation.
Be open to changes that help fix
unanticipated bugs in the game’s
design or implementation.
Have an “open-source” mindset and be
prepared to let go when the game
shows signs of having a life of its own.
MACON
MONEY
In Your Town
Game designers produced
documentation designed to help
anyone interested in creating
future iterations of Macon
Money in their community
Link: http://www.maconmoney.org/in_your_town
EVALUAITON
AND
ASSESSMENT
Methodology:
– Pre- and post-game interviews with
Knight Foundation, Area / Code, and
community partners
– In-depth interviews with 26 players
– Results of pre- and post-game player
survey (n-757)
– Area / Code bond tracking data, analysis
of game website and Facebook traffic
– Participant observation of game-related
events
– Focus group interviews and surveys with
participating businesses