2 DAYS TO GO…
2 Games to show… in this GaMaYo highlight we will be covering a game that could help you gain skills in the TV/Screen industries as well as one aimed at protecting the world we all live in!
These games are…
Our Earth Your Choice
AND
Play Your Way Into Production
These games are being developed by One to One Development Trust and we spoke to them so they could fill us in on what to expect.
Our World Your Choice:
What would be your description of Our World Your Choice?
“Our Earth Your Choice is a short video game about the importance of protecting the environment. It was developed mainly over Zoom with 25 children and young people aged 8-20 years old during the Covid lockdowns.
Choose your eco-activist character and take on important missions set in four different places around the world to improve the Earth’s health. The choices you make, and actions undertaken will determine the fate of the world.”
How did development start? (Were there any key inspirations or ideas that drove you?)
“Our Earth Your Choice was developed by One to One Development Trust working with 25 young people from Wakefield, UK. The participants were aged 8-20 years old and worked in four age-appropriate teams primarily over Zoom during Covid.
The project came about as a way One to One Development Trust could address climate anxiety and increasing problems with mental health in children and young people during Covid.
The aim of the project was to create a new tech demo exploring a range of environment-themed mechanics and ideas, give practical experience through free game dev software, learn about climate change, and improve personal skills and bring young people together virtually in a safe way during the pandemic. One to One received funding from Wakefield Council towards the game.
The project started in December 2020 and ran until July 2022, with high levels of attendance throughout. Within the Zoom sessions participants learnt the basics of free game-development related software programs. They gained knowledge in various areas of games development, including how to make a story in Twine, how to design a simple Scratch game, how to design basic level maps, prototyping, AI, textures and materials, terrain and terrain makers, colliders, post processing, sound FX/voice FX, and much more.
Sessions were also tailored to address 7 key areas of personal development: Confidence Building, Teamwork, Active Listening, Communication, Planning, Problem-solving and Critical Thinking.
Once lockdown eased the groups came together for QA testing, to present the game at festivals and events in Wakefield and beyond.
The children and young people produced a wide range of material which can be viewed in our online gallery at https://ourearthyourchoice.co.uk/gallery/ This material inspired – and is incorporated – into the game.”
“Tell us about the team working on the game? (Where are you from? How did you get started?)
“We are an award-winning arts organisation and registered charity using film, game design, XR technologies and other creative approaches to work with communities increasing aspiration and opportunities, breaking down barriers and inspiring positive change.. Our team have a wide range of skills including games design, filmmaking, audio engineering and immersive storytelling.
The young people who took part in the project had to have an interest in games and/or the environment. Some of the young people were referred to the project from local youth agencies and others recruited from social media. Co-producing a game like Our Earth Your Choice with young people over nearly two years was an amazing challenge. Research throughout the project has tracked the personal development of the participants with excellent results.
In November 2022, Our Earth Your Choice was awarded a Climate Award by the Culture Health and Wellbeing Alliance. The impact of the project and its evaluation can be viewed in our interactive gallery at https://ourearthyourchoice.virtual-gallery.uk/“
As a team what kind of experiences do you hope to bring players?
Our Earth Your Choice showcases the fantastic ideas and environmental concerns of young people. Through varied levels, characters and game mechanics, the game provides a short, fun, but also thought-provoking experience for players.
The game was showcased by participants to an international conference of Paediatricians and medical staff working with young people. It has gone on to be championed by Dr Guddi Singh (writer, broadcaster, and Paediatrician) as a resource for her and other doctors to use for young patients to play who are suffering with eco anxiety. This level of positive impact both in the UK and internationally has been unexpected and humbling. It has opened up the possibility of games to sectors who previously wouldn’t be interested and has become a change maker project within the medical profession for patients.”
In 10 words or less, highlight the appeal of your game?
“Top-down adventure with diverse characters and an important environmental message!”
What were the challenges of creating a game with young people and why did you want to do it?
“We wanted to do this project because we could see the impact that Covid was having on many children and young people’s mental health – they were becoming more isolated, disengaged and levels of eco-anxiety were increasing. We knew we couldn’t do any face to face work with young people due to lockdowns so thought we’d start a gaming project about climate change. Little did we know at the beginning how important this project would become and how it would grow to have so much influence.
One of the biggest challenges was managing expectations of the young people. Whilst the young people had amazing ideas they had to learn about boundaries and take things slowly. We couldn’t suddenly co-produce a AAA game with a tiny team and modest budget over Zoom. We had to find ways to weave the young people in as co-producers, making the sessions accessible, relevant and fun. We went through all the different stages of game making and this required the children and young people to be patient and open minded – skills that massively increased as the project developed.
As the project progressed, we became more determined to release a playable game that the participants could be proud of. The children and young people’s dedication to the project was staggering, as was seeing their confidence and skills developing.”
Play Your Way Into Production:
What would be your description of Play Your Way Into Production?
“Join an imaginary film crew shooting a CGI dinosaur documentary in a green screen studio. As a new crew member, you can explore the film set in one of three new entrant roles, meet the crew, check out the kit, and encounter different scenarios based on real life experiences at different times throughout one day.
Funded by the Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN), Play Your Way Into Production is an educational video game that looks closely at the ‘soft skills’ that young people need to progress in the TV/screen industries.”
How did development start? (Were there any key inspirations or ideas that drove you?)
“We were approached by SIGN (The Screen Industries Growth Network) to see if we would be interested in developing a game aimed at young people wanting to go into the screen industries. The project was based on research that shows that financial barriers and lack of personal networks can often be obstacles for young people getting opportunities to do work placements or internships on film sets. Research also demonstrates that screen employers say that young people can lack basic practical and social skills that are important in jobs.
Having worked in the film sector for many years we were interested in how a game could be developed to help address some of these barriers and issues. The most important thing to us was that the game felt authentic, so as part of our research we collated stories and undertook interviews with people who work in the industry (in different jobs/length of service), or those trying to get into it about their experiences. These lived experiences form the backbone of the game and have been adapted into game play.
Play Your Way into Production is aimed at anyone interested in film production, particularly students and graduates who are new entrants to the industry. The game demonstrates some of the tasks that junior roles are often expected to do on set, meeting the different crew members, exploring kit and seeing the pressures that can arise within a filming day on set.
This interactive educational experience, available to download from the end of November from the project website (playyourwayintoproduction.com), will help inform and skill-up young people interested in working in the industry and provide a learning resource for educators.”
Tell us about the team working on the game? (Where are you from? How did you get started?)
“We are an award-winning arts organisation and registered charity using film, game design, XR technologies and other creative approaches to work with communities increasing aspiration and opportunities, breaking down barriers and inspiring positive change. Our team have a wide range of skills including games design, filmmaking, audio engineering and immersive storytelling.
What was great about this project was that all our team could bring their experiences to it, whether that was as an illustrator or a DOP of zombie films, or through writing, game design, documentary film making. Play Your Way into Production has been about growing our skills as a team and trying out new ways of working. For us this has manifested with much more in depth work around character development, the use of a hybrid approach with AI for voice-overs and involving lots of different cohorts in giving feedback at different stages of development.
Working with academic partners on a research project has also been a great learning opportunity. They have supported QA testing, and given particular focus to an education resource pack for lecturers/facilitators that sits alongside the game.
The project created an opportunity for us to take on a young person not in employment, education, or training (NEET) for a paid internship. We were delighted that this opportunity was for one of the participants from a community game project we had just run called Our Earth Your Choice. What started off as a twelve week placement has evolved into an ongoing paid position for this young person as a 3D artist within our organisation. She has now been with us for over a year and her skills and confidence have significantly improved.
Seeing the impact on one person who just needed away into the industry, we were keen to create other opportunities for other young people to work on the game, so supported another three additional paid internships to work with us as part of our team.
Alongside the game we have also produced a short documentary film about the project, giving extensive insight into the team and processes involved.”
As a team what kind of experiences do you hope to bring players?
“Play Your Way Into Production is an immersive learning experience with diverse characters and a fun TV/film studio theme. Educational and informative, the game gives you the unique chance to explore scenarios and situations that might arise during typical on-set days in the real-world of trainee roles. It’s available as a top-down experience for PC – including various exploratory modes and access to film interview content – and as PC/VR experience where you can explore the set, characters and technical equipment from a first-person perspective.”
In 10 words or less, highlight the appeal of your game?
“How will you fare as a newbie on a film-set?“
The opening scene of the game features a dinosaur, why did you choose that?
“We decided that the game needed a good back story behind it, so Pink Sprout Productions was born. This fictional new media company have just landed a decent TV gig to make a documentary about dinosaurs. We chose this theme as we wanted an element of surprise within the VR version which would make for a dramatic and unexpected opening scene. A dinosaur charging through the vegetation at the player in the VR headset, just as the director shouts ‘cut’ provided a good entry to the game. There are also lots of subtle bits of dinosaur references within the scenes. We had fun with this, and it added humour and distinctive visuals to the project throughout its development. Also, we all love dinosaurs!”