Playful LearningHow to turn any IP into a successful educational app or game

Workshop structure 1-5pm

● Part 1: Choosing the right IP● Part 2: Making it educational● Part 3: Designing your game● 3pm Coffee break● Part 4: Your strategy for success● Pitch your game idea

Your hosts for the afternoon…

Mahesh Josh Phil Chris

Martha Kirsten

Mahesh Ramachandra, Hopster

Josh Davidson, Nightzookeeper

Phil Stuart, Preloaded

Chris O’Shea, Cowly Owl

Part 1: Choosing the right IP

Can anything be made into a game?Should everything be made into a game?

Choosing the right IP: considerations

Things to look for:• Reach• Cost vs likely return• Ease of partnership/acquisition• Spin off possibilities• Creative possibilities (e.g. Disney will

demand a lot from partners)

The audience

• Who is your target audience?• What do they like? • What games do they play?• What sites do they/parents visit?• What do they need to know (literacy, maths,

GCSE psychology?) • Who makes the purchasing decision (kid, parent,

teacher, school, local authority?)

Who’s playing what – tablet apps

Stats compiled by Dubit Ltd

Activity 1: Choose your own IP

In your groups…• Pick an audience segment• Pick some IP you’d like to work withYou have 5 minutes!

Octonauts Young Sherlock Holmes Romeo and Juliet

Education, Education, Education

• Designing with the end in mind – setting objectives

• Objectives and game design – a natural fit

• Should you design to fit a pre-existing curriculum?

• Working with educational specialists/partners

From syllabus to screen

Activity 2: Set your learning objectives

• Decide what subject area/s your game will focus on

• Pick a small aspect of the subject to create a demo around (e.g. the 3 times table, the life-cycle of the honeybee)

• Write out 3-5 learning objectives from the learner’s perspective. E.g.:• By the end of this game I’ll be able to draw an

elephant• By the end of this level I’ll be able to spell 3

words

Part 3: Game design - considerations

• Balancing fun and learning• Phil’s framework – jeopardy, scoring,

narrative, cause and effect, measuring achievement, second to second

• Prototyping and iterative development• Examples: High Tea/Little Digits

Game design: visuals and UX

• How and when to use a graphic designer/games artist

• Making sure your game is challenging to win, not to understand (or the importance of good UX)

• Game design: test, test & test again

• Why?• How?

Activity 3: Design a part of your game

Create the narrative for part of a level (what will happen as the student plays)● Decide which game mechanics you will use

(strategy game, tower defence, racing game, platform game, end of level boss? collecting points? avoiding bad guys?)

● Use the flipchart to illustrate your level

Part 4: Your strategy for success

Designing your game is just the start… Now we move on to consider how you make it a bestseller…

Distribution

• Which platform?• How to market to schools -• How to market to families - app store,

other? • Price - freemium/paid for/free• Partnerships

Schedules and budgets

• How long does it take?

• How much does it cost?

• What are you paying for?

Measuring success

• Building in evaluation - qual and quant

• Using analytics• Setting goals - what

are the benchmarks?

Post launch

• It doesn’t end when you launch - legacy and maintenance

• Iteration• Promotion

Activity 4: Pitch your game

● In your group decide on a distribution strategy (who will you sell to and how)

● Agree your benchmarks and how you will measure the success of your game

● Set your budget (Hollywood or Holly Oaks?)● Present your game to the judges - you have 3

minutes to present and 3 minutes for Q&A● Win great* prizes!

* not necessarily that great

Thanks and happy games making!

@marthasadie@campbellhowes@philstuart@chrisoshea@hopsterTV@nightzookeeper