Category Archives: updates

We are seeking US libraries to be hubs for making local GAMES and outdoor STORIES — in 20+ cities/towns. Applications due by March 3rd.

For spring of 2023, we will supply game design expertise over Zoom and access to our new authoring tool for low-tech games for mobile devices and storytelling box installations.

Phase 1: Libraries will get two training sessions to develop their idea and explore our tools. Phase 2 unlocks $300 in materials, design consultation and more. Plus join our innovators network. For more, see our detailed program description.

Our authoring tool is called “Hive Mechanic” — and it’s deliberately low tech, with no need for fancy phones or even data plans. Anyone can use it.

For a presentation to the Board of American University, I created a large poster (4×3 foot) of our lab’s recent work:

I am honored to be appointed in a new role: Chief Advisor for Interactive with the Peabody Awards.

Beginning in 2022, Peabody is expanding its award categories to recognize storytelling achievements across interactive, immersive and new media categories, including Gaming, Interactive Journalism, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Social Video, and Interactive Documentary. For an early look, see the Legacy Award winners announced last month.

I am simultaneously joining Peabody’s Interactive Board of Jurors (scroll to bottom).

For me, this is a chance to help close the recognition gap between fields like documentary and journalism and emerging forms with games, AR/VR, and more. I have deep respect for the deliberative process that Peabody Awards brings to their judging, and have really loved the conversations so far with leading creatives and experts. In many ways, this is a bold experiment for Peabody Awards, and I can’t wait to see where we can take it.

An example of the fun we’re having…

My class on “Playful Cities” and interactive storytelling traveled this week to a new museum to pitch their projects as potential exhibitions.

Specifically, the students brought their demonstrations to the enormous “KID Museum” that is opening next month in Bethesda on makerspace themes.

Our students created three different “storytelling boxes” and demos with branching stories and educational games, including with RFID and arcade buttons.

I will be giving a talk for policy makers in education, economic development, and civic games on January 10, 2020. Hosted by the US Department of Education, this convening is part of the larger ED Games Expo at Building Momentum in Alexandria, VA.

RSVP here (Eventbrite).

This talk brings together some of our research in the Playful City Lab on cities using games with urban furniture (like interactive benches, re-purposed payphones, and interactive fountains), and redirecting the momentum of large commercial games like Pokemon GO (e.g., our research on San Jose) to advance local culture and economic development.

I will be giving two talks in Kyoto for DiGRA 2019 (the Digital Games Research Association):

(1) “Localism with Games: Horizontal Channels and Models” (9am, Aug. 8)

Should all cultures play the same games? Should all cities? This paper establishes a distinct conceptual basis for games in cities by aligning with localism as a social movement rather than location-based technology. For details, see my upcoming book: Locally Played: Real-world Games for Stronger Places and Communities (MIT Press, January 2020).

(2) “Cities appropriate Pokémon GO: remix models for local needs.” (2:20pm, Aug. 8)

A new role for local government is emerging to appropriate and remix games for city streets. This study investigates how several major cities in the United States created entirely new activities for players to embed the game in city-specific events, beginning in 2017. This study identifies early trade-offs in city tactics, especially in terms of sharing power to negotiate the content layer with the game company and with local residents, borrowing from models of the appropriation of technology. For details, see our public report, “Cities Remix a Playful Platform: Prominent Experiments to Embed Pokémon GO, from Open Streets to Neighborhood Libraries” (Stokes, Dols, and Hill, 2018).

I will be moderating a conversation at the National Archives on “Game Design and the Constitution” this Thursday, September 6th, at 7pm.

The event will feature game designer Luke Peterschmidt and historian Denver Brunsman, as we explore how the science of game design might be applied to analyze the Constitution and our political system. Welcoming remarks will come from The Honorable David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States.

A live stream is available for those beyond DC.

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After a year of work, I am thrilled to release our report on cities and games. The focus is on five major cities, and how we can build a sense of place by remixing large Augmented Reality platforms like Pokémon GO.  One finding: cities often need to remix the game to align it, including with paper and embedded treasure hunts, and within EXISTING campaigns — like open streets and library walking tours.

Details and pictures are at playfulcity.net/go/pokemon-report/ or see more on the major cities covered.

Any advice on continuing the public conversation, including with city innovators? For example, we wrote “5 provocations” to help read the report: https://playfulcity.net/go/pokemon-go/future-of-cities-5-provocations/

Our full press release with the Knight Foundation and Niantic follows…

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