John C. Osborn
Data Journalist/Front-end Developer/Game Designer
Leveling Up Journalism
How games and journalism can tell immersive stories
What are games?
Depends on who you ask...
"a game is a series of interesting decisions"
- Sid Meier
"a closed, formal system that engages players in a structured conflict and resolves its uncertainty in an unequal outcome"
- Tracy Fullerton
"a problem-solving activity, approached with a playful attitude"
- Jesse Schell
What can games offer?
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Immersive Experiences
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Role-playing
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Empathy - "walk a mile in someone's shoes"
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FUN!
What can journalism offer?
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Storytelling
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A Civic Purpose
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Simplifying Complex Ideas
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A Critical and Ethical Framework
What kinds of games work with journalism?
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Adventure Games
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Choose Your Own Adventure
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Simulation Games
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Virtual Reality Games
Examples
Game world telling stories with meaning
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Examples
Journalism world using games as medium
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How to make games?
A few technological solutions
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Adobe Flash (Paid)
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HTML5 (Free)
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Unity (Free/Paid)
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GameMaker (Free/Paid)
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Mother Jones CYOA Framework (Free)
The Challenges
Games are not easy to make
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Can be expensive to make
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Can be time intensive
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To make or not make a game
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Massive competition in market
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Balancing fun with "education"
It's Only a Matter of Time
Games and journalism are the future
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Media companies looking for Unity developers
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In 2015, average age of a gamer was 35
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Interactive data visualizations getting more complex
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Gamers are supporting games with social purpose
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Barrier to entry to make games continues to decline
Where to find me
John C. Osborn
@bayreporta
http://bayreporta.com
Leveling Up Journalism
By John C. Osborn
Leveling Up Journalism
How games and journalism can tell immersive stories.
