Is There a Demand for Educational Gaming in Today's Market?

[TeslaG]

Hello friends,

This might seem a bit off kilter but I'm curious to know what the market is like for physics based games? Or "educational" gaming that is closer to strategic brain teasers than actual gaming. Are the kids of today likely to buy into such concepts?

All input, negative or positive, is appreciated.

 

[mishrashubham]

What sort of game is it? Could you just elaborate a bit on the mechanics? Any similar examples?

 

[mishrashubham]

Unfortunately i am not able to open the websites that you mentioned but still i got the point. Basically they are 2D flash/java games. If i were a little kid genuinely interested in science but unable to understand, i would definitely go for such a game. But as parent I would not spend money for simple games like these.

A small question; do you want to actually sell the games you make or are you just planning to make a free site?

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Some years ago I read about an old game from the 70s that I found fascinating. It was a 2d space based strategy where the combatants controlled ships. The game was played with hex-grid plastic sheets and marker pens. The fascinating thing about it was that it obeyed Newtonian mechanics, i.e rather than ships accelerating to their max speed ships had a max acceleration.

A game like that could easily work as flash and would be a really good tool for teaching kids (and us adults) in a fun way. An example is that to orbit a planet players had to slow their ship so that it's speed was 1-hex per turn. This combined with the planets gravity caused it to orbit.

EDIT: thank you wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triplanetary

 

[mishrashubham]

interesting post ryan

 

[TeslaG]

Unfortunately i am not able to open the websites that you mentioned but still i got the point. Basically they are 2D flash/java games. If i were a little kid genuinely interested in science but unable to understand, i would definitely go for such a game. But as parent I would not spend money for simple games like these.

A small question; do you want to actually sell the games you make or are you just planning to make a free site?

I would not want to sell the java/flash games, just capitalize on advertising views from returning users. These would be on a free site.

However, I would be interested in producing a brain teasers software pack with more levels, more tools and more complex features and integrate physics concepts into those. These can be accessed via the internet through a very cheap subscription. I don't think it should be limited to just kids - I know quite a few guys (in different industries, ie oil trading, banking) that spend 30-45 minutes a day online gaming during work. And these are menial games like Snake 2 that are challenging yet simple. It's either a break in the action or there just isn't enough work to be kept busy all day.

Instead of mindless games that focus on violence, gore, pop culture, etc... I thought there could be a pretty decent niche market for educational, physics related concept games.

Anyways, appreciate the reply!

 

[TeslaG]

Some years ago I read about an old game from the 70s that I found fascinating. It was a 2d space based strategy where the combatants controlled ships. The game was played with hex-grid plastic sheets and marker pens. The fascinating thing about it was that it obeyed Newtonian mechanics, i.e rather than ships accelerating to their max speed ships had a max acceleration.

A game like that could easily work as flash and would be a really good tool for teaching kids (and us adults) in a fun way. An example is that to orbit a planet players had to slow their ship so that it's speed was 1-hex per turn. This combined with the planets gravity caused it to orbit.

EDIT: thank you wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triplanetary

That's what I'm aiming for Ryan. I'm meeting with my programmers later this week and will discuss it with them - I haven't played the game but I'm sure the description will lead to even more ideas. On certain games like fantastic contraption, the game itself lays down the guidelines and doesn't allow you to break certain laws of physics. So you figure out why you can't place certain objects in areas and are immediately notified whether it works or not. It's kind of like bowling with the gutters blocked off, so the novice can pick up knowledge instead of being expected to know it beforehand!

Thanks for the informative post!

 

[Mech_Engineer]

How do you define what an "educational game" is? There are plenty of games I've played that weren't considered educational, but I learned something from them.

 

[Drakkith]

Has anyone thought about inserting REAL science into current videogames when possible? I for one am kind of tired of seeing all these incorrect things in video games that are supposedly science in the plots and such. I'm not saying don't break the rules when it comes to powerful heroes, future technology, ETC, but there are plenty of things that are incorrectly portrayed that are relatively minor.

One of my favorite examples is Mass Effect. I liked the way the in game library or whatever detailed on specific topics such as Heat Generation in ships in space as being a major problem during combat. (Which is entirely believable, as it is very difficult to get rid of excess heat in space) I also enjoyed their FTL travel. Obviously not possible in current understanding, but I can ignore that due to the need for FTL travel for any space setting like that. The whole way that increasing velocity increases the blueshift of light emitted from the ships, giving them away if they travel at FTL was very cool to me.

While not 100% correct, they are one of the few examples I can think of that takes a relatively realistic potrayal of technology and science.

 

[mishrashubham]

While not 100% correct, they are one of the few examples I can think of that takes a relatively realistic potrayal of technology and science.

exactly! I actually love sci fi games and movies. Though not completely accurate, they still keep coming up with new ideas.

What was science fiction 50 years ago is reality today.

 

[Drakkith]

exactly! I actually love sci fi games and movies. Though not completely accurate, they still keep coming up with new ideas.

What was science fiction 50 years ago is reality today.

Well, some of the science fiction of 50 years ago is here. Some of it is nonsense lol.

 

[mishrashubham]

Well, some of the science fiction of 50 years ago is here. Some of it is nonsense lol.

Well yeah...

 

[I_am_learning]

You may like to look into this.
http://www.crayonphysics.com/
I am loving this game. Note that the game doesn't much educate you but the Programmers must have great Mechanics. Its so realistic.

 

[MATLABdude]

I don't know if it was so much educational, but I spent many hours munching numbers around a screen and avoiding troggles when I was in elementary:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_Munchers

Wonder if anybody still owns / enforces the copyright?

 

[wild999711]

http://physics.ucsc.edu/~snof/er.html

just going to leave this here

 

[Drakkith]

I just started the tutorial for Universe Sandbox. Got if off steam. It's...REALLY cool so far. Just watched what would happen to saturn's rings and moons if Neptune was WAAAAY close to it. I'd suggest taking a look into it.