Game Changer: What can be learned about the most effective use of games to promote social change?
Network Impact has recently completed evaluations of two Knight Foundation social impact games being featured today at the Games for Change festival in New York (session: Making “Good” Games Better: What We’ve Learned from Macon Money and Battlestorm). The foundation was interested in assessing the potential of social games to tackle persistent, real-world problems and to find out how game mechanics can be effective on the ground, in real time. The innovative evaluation project integrated evaluation and communications components from the start to ensure that results would be used and shared by multiple audiences.
Partnering with Network Impact, Cause Communications led the creation of communications materials for the evaluation. In lieu of a long, narrative report, evaluation results are summarized in a way that is accessible and relevant to community organizers, economic developers, city planning officials, and disaster preparedness professionals in addition to game designers and funders. A brief summary of the social impact games evaluation results (PDF) can be found here.
Project lead for Network Impact: Madeleine Beaubien Taylor
Project lead for Cause Communications: Anne Whatley
Macon Money
In Macon, GA a new currency was created as part of a game that brought people from different backgrounds together to strengthen the social fabric of their community while catalyzing economic development.
Slide share presentation of evaluation findings
Browse a series of data visualizations that show overall game activity over time, how the game catalyzed economic impact and social connections created as a result of the game.
Battlestorm
In Biloxi, MS a game that is a combination of dodge ball and freeze tag educated players aged 10-14 about the importance of hurricane preparedness through activities focused on youth as leaders.
Slideshare presentation of evaluation findings.
Take a look at the infographic of key findings from the evaluation of Battlestorm.
More information about the games and the evaluations can be found at: www.knightfoundation.org/games