CITRIS Research Exchange - How Games and Art Might Close the Service Loop

Professor Greg Niemeyer claims that games are among the most powerful vectors of change in our culture. So how can they support learning and problem solving? Rather than seeing games as purely diversion, he proposes that games can help engage people with serious issues, particularly that of climate change. Starting with visualization models used in meteorology and public health studies, Niemeyer shows how little viewers care about important information if it is not dramatic. Then, considering games such as Grand Theft Auto, Gears of War or BioShock, Niemeyer discusses when games are so dramatic that players are distracted from grappling with the seriousness of the games' theme. Niemeyer then argues for a balance between information and drama, for a middle ground where players can engage with a subject deeply. He proposes game design methods that connect play-based learning to real- life situations and highlight in our minds the demands of a changing world. Niemeyer and his team of researchers at the BID (Berkeley Institute for Design) lab have developed several games, including the Balance Game and the Tomato Quintet and are developing a game about pollution called The Black Cloud.