Why is Gaming Emerging Technology?
Video games and gaming are not new, so a description of what this is will not be included here. If you want to learn more about why gaming should be implemented in the library, check out ALA's Games in Libraries: Why Gaming in the Library?
What is considered emerging is the application and format of games, along with some of the technology running behind the scenes.
Virtual and Augmented Reality are quickly becoming popular in the gaming world, with artificial intelligence running the background. Quite literally, the background scenery and characters are sometimes controlled by AI algorithms.
It’s becoming the new norm for game developers.
Games are also becoming more complex in how they are made, including continually more advanced graphics techniques. They are also branching out into more industries. They are already used extensively in education, but marketing companies are using it to encourage
product use. Some corporations are using games to train new employees with pretty good results. It's easier to learn something when it's fun to do!
How Are Games Made?
There are board games, video games, card games, and many other types of games. For the sake of simplicity, this section will just dive into how video games are made. Especially since video games incorporate more emerging technology.
Whether the game is played in virtual reality, augmented reality, on the computer, or through a console connected to a TV, the design process will be similar. The following process is paraphrased from PBS's "Inside the Games: How a Game is Made" series:
- Storyboard the Game Concept: the storyline of the game is plotted and sketched to keep the game world intact while tweaking level options
- Character Building: this is done while building the storyboard. This keeps character behavior consistent as different artists and writers work on the game
- Animate the Characters: characters are rendered digitally and natural movement is developed
- Building the Environment: every good game has an immersive world that takes the player into a new world
- Coding the World: good code can make or break a game and is necessary to bring the separate elements together smoothly
- Testing and Refining: the game is then tested to work out the kinks before it goes to market.
- Marketing: games are expensive to make and must be marketed well to offset the high production cost
If the game is designed for a particular industry or educatonal purpose, the game builders must also work closely with consultants to make sure the outside industry details are accurate in the final game.
Games in the Library
This has been a popular topic for quite some time and there are plenty of resources already out there. This section will focus on some of the newer ways video games are being implemented in libraries.
- Games to Learn Coding: Libraries everywhere are incorporating more ways to expose patrons to coding skills. With simple block-based programs like Scratch, people can make their own simplified versions of games.
Here's a YouTube video with a Scratch Tutorial 5: Platform Game.
- Unity 2D/3D Game Devemopment Platform: If you want to take it up a notch, try Unity to build video games. This video is a good introduction to Unity because it does require code: How to Make a 2D Game in Unity
- Gamify Library Learning: librarians are starting to get creative with augmented reality too. An app called Quiver is a great way to introduce patrons to augmented reality. You can bring coloring pages to life for fun or education!
- Patrons Create Games for Other Patrons: People like to play games. People like to make games. Let library patrons make games for other library patrons. This also gives older kids a change to play teacher.
Additional Resources: