November 2009 Archives

The Humble Crickler

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By Ian Bogost on November 11, 2009 1:00 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
crickler1.png
Crickler is a crossword-derived digital puzzle game named for its creators, Michael and Barbara Crick. Crickler puzzles retain the verbal clues and one-word responses of crosswords, but they explode the layout of the puzzle into a list rather than an interlocking grid. When players type an answer, letters from one response automatically fill certain cells in other responses down the page, mimicking the way a crossword's answers provide clues for orthogonal responses. On their website, the Cricks explain why this arrangement makes for a better puzzle:

Traditional crossword puzzles are incredibly successful but they have several serious drawbacks: (1) They are difficult to construct, (2) Most words are short and often silly--chosen only because they fit, (3) Matching clues to numbers is a distraction, and (4) A given puzzle is usually either too easy or too hard. Cricklers solve all of these problems while retaining the essence and feel of a traditional crossword puzzle.
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A Platform for Engagement?

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By Tanyoung Kim on November 9, 2009 10:51 AM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks
ethanol1.pngPrepared by Cinque Hicks and Tanyoung Kim.

You be the Reporter: Ethanol as Fuel! was developed by the Institute for New Media Studies (INMS) at the University of Minnesota by Nora Paul and Kathleen Hansen. It was one of two games developed under the Institute's "Playing the News" umbrella and supported by the Knight Foundation's 21st Century News Challenge grant. Along with other format variations based on the same topics, this game was designed and tested in 2007 and 2008. In this article, we first explain the goal, the characteristics of the game and the procedural gameplay. Next, we look into this newsgame in a larger context in which we discuss how we might improve this game beyond its primary goal of delivering complex news content. In addition, we suggest how this game could encourage readers to take real world social action. Finally, we argue the potential of this game as a platform for further newsgames in which other community issues can be embedded.
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Playing the Internet with Shuffletime

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By Tom Gibes on November 4, 2009 12:29 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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Undoubtedly one of the strongest capabilities of the internet is its ability to make a wide range of real-time information easily accessible to anyone with a connection.  News aggregators such as Google News and Huffington Post serve as some of the strongest manifestations of this capability. 

One might think this easy access to information would lead to a more informed citizenry, but as a 2007 report by the Pew Research Center demonstrates, this is not necessarily the case.  In the report, Pew asked respondents questions that tested their public affairs knowledge in 1989 and then again in 2007, and despite the many changes in mass communication that have occurred over the almost two-decade span of time, public affairs knowledge changed little.  In some instances, it decreased: 74% of respondents could name the vice-president in 1989, but in 2007 that number dropped to 69%.
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  • Ian Bogost: John, thanks so much for this link. It looks very read more
  • John: I have bought papers for the puzzles before, but definitely read more
  • John Pavlik: Greetings. You may find of interest this news reporting simulation read more
  • Simon Ferrari: He didn't need to toss it far. Really, he needed read more
  • Jim: "he would spray a Batarang with explosive gel, throw it read more
  • Wondering: When is someone going to run 9/11 north/south towers simulation read more
  • Golf Club Reviews: Didn't know that Fantasy Golf was the first. We used read more
  • Mike Treanor: This is pretty much one of the best serious games read more
  • Andrew Abouna: Interesting look at how the lines between journalism and photography read more
  • Zac L: To answer your first question I think that the majority read more

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About the Researchers

What lies at the intersection of journalism and videogames?

This research project, made possible by funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, seeks to understand the ways videogames can be used in the field of journalism, providing examples, theoretical approaches, speculative ideas, and practical advice about the past, present, and future of games and journalism.

We're hopeful you will follow along and add any comments, suggestions, or clarifications from your perspective, whether it be that of a journalist, game developer, researcher, or something else entirely.

As the ideas in this blog gel into arguments, we'll be publishing more formal articles on the main site.

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