GAMBIT Research Video Podcast Episode 14, "First Person Victim: Using Interactive Drama and Tragedy to Create Awareness About The Consequences of War"
This video of GAMBIT's March 31st, 2011 research meeting will feature our friend Henrik Schønau Fog , PhD Fellow in Mediology who will present his game "First Person Victim", a project that he developed with a team of other researchers from Aalborg University, which situates the player in the middle of a war scenario as a civilian. It's a fascinating project, so don't miss it! Video Produced by Generoso Fierro, Edited by Garrett Beazley, Music by Abe Stein.
Episode Fourteen, Part One
Click here to download Episode 14 Part One for iPhone/iPod
Episode Fourteen, Part Two
Click here to download Episode 14 Part Two for iPhone/iPod
Episode Fourteen, Part Three
Click here to download Episode 14 Part Three for iPhone/iPod
Episode Fourteen, Part Four
As a professional game developer for 25+ years (many of them spent working on first-person shooters), I applaud efforts such as these to bring reality and humanity to these experiences.
One suggestion I have for Dr. Fog, to make this sort of experience more immersive and meaningful for players, is to have a period in which they can wander through the town before the attack, familiarizing themselves with their neighbors, family, and surroundings. Perhaps this is already in there but was not depicted in the videos, but adding a time for emotional attachment before the attack would, IMO, increase the impact of the simulation.
Kudos to all involved in this effort and I look forward to further iterations of this demo. :)