Keynote at "Meaningful Play". Mastery, as defined in Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey”, is a transformation resulting in freedom from the fear of death and to the freedom to live fully. As developers if we truly believe that games can be meaningful, how do we fearlessly take on significant challenges, build teams and partnerships, and apply game principles with the power to transform the lives of our players? The Emergent Media Center has been pursuing these questions by celebrating the ability of the 20-something mind to build games that address the wicked problems facing us. A prime example is BREAKAWAY sponsored by the United Nations that creates champions of its players with the life-freeing goal of ending violence against women and girls.

1. Heroes
Ann DeMarle, demarle@champlain.edu

14. “Play is often talked
about as if it were a
relief from serious
learning.
But for children play
is serious learning.
Play is really the
work of childhood.”
—Fred Rogers

15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAROcbv4gco

16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAROcbv4gco

22. Transformation
through the journey

23. Transformation
through the journey

24. Transformation
through the journey

25. Transformation
through the journey

26. Transformation
through the journey

27. Transformation
through the journey

28. Transformation
through the journey

29. Transformation
through the journey

30. Transformation
through the journey

32. “Furthermore, we have not
even to risk the adventure
alone; for the heroes of all
time have come before us,
the labyrinth is fully known;
we have only to follow the
thread of the hero-path.”

35. Emergent Media Center
at Champlain College

36. Emergent Media Center
at Champlain College

37. Emergent Media Center
at Champlain College

38. The 20-Something Hero

42. Wicked Problems

43. Wicked Problems
“a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve
because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing
requirements that are often difficult to recognize.”
—http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_problem

51. Sex Trafficking
US: an estimated 17,500 women and children are trafficked
annually for sexual exploitation or forced labor.
4 million women and girls are trafficked annually worldwide.
Globally an estimated one million children, mostly girls, enter the
sex trade each year.

52. Murder
US: 33% of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate
partner.
At least 60 million girls are "missing" from various populations,
mostly in Asia, as a result of sex-selective abortions, infanticide or
neglect.
Zimbabwe: domestic violence accounts for more than 60% of
murder cases that go through the high court in Harare.
"Honour killings" end the lives of thousands of young women
every year, mainly in North Africa, Western Asia and parts of South Asia.

53. Physical Abuse
US: a woman is battered, usually by her intimate partner, every 15
seconds.
Globally, at least 1 in 3 women & girls is beaten or sexually
abused in her lifetime.
Boys who witness their fathers' violence are 10 times more
likely to engage in spouse abuse in later adulthood.
Africa: more than 90 million women & girls are victims of female
circumcision or other forms of genital mutilation.
US: 63.84% of women who reported being abused since age 18 were
victims of a husband, cohabiting partner, boyfriend, or date.

54. Rape
US: Every two minutes someone is sexually assaulted.
US: 1/5 of women have been sexually assaulted.
US: 50% of female victims are girls under the age of 18.
US:Young women ages 12 to 24 are at the greatest risk for sexual
assault.
US: yearly 10% of high school students are victims of dating
violence.
US: Approximately 1 in 5 college women are sexually assaulted.
US: Almost 2/3 of all rapes are committed by someone known to
the victim.
http://www.feminist.com/antiviolence/facts.html

55. Miranda Pakozdi: sexual harrassment in video game tournament
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/us/sexual-harassment-in-online-gaming-stirs-anger.html?emc=eta1

56. Backlash: Beat up Anita Sarkeesian game
http://gamepolitics.com/2012/07/12/too-much-hate-anita-sarkeesian#.UHsDbo5xtU0

57. Transformative game
principles:
The Power of the Mind

59. • Identification with characters
• Role playing
• Active decision making = critical thinking
• Reflection & storytelling

61. • Mirror Neurons
• Dopamine Reward Centers

62. • Mirror Neurons

63. • Power of Presence

64. • Power of Presence

65. • Dopamine Reward Centers

69. http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?s=6820063

70. http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?s=6820063

72. Companions &
Mentors

83. Transformative game
principles II:
The Player as Hero

85. “The one who enters the temple compound &
proceeds to the sanctuary is imitating the deed of
the original hero.”
—Joseph Campbell, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”

87. The Magic Circle
Johan Huizinga (1872–1945).
"Homo Ludens: A Study of the
Play-Element in Culture

88. The Magic Circle
Johan Huizinga (1872–1945).
"Homo Ludens: A Study of the
Play-Element in Culture
Boundaries

89. The Magic Circle
Johan Huizinga (1872–1945).
"Homo Ludens: A Study of the
Play-Element in Culture
Choice
Rules
Pathway
Feedback
Boundaries

90. Flow
Proposed by Mihály
Csíkszentmihályi
• Exploratory & experiential
The mental state of
operation in which a person
• Try on differing roles
in an activity is fully • Creative expression
immersed in a feeling of
energized focus, full
• Borderless community
involvement, and success in • Well ordered problems
the process of the activity. • Cause and effect
• Cycle of expertise/mastery
• No failure
• Player has a story to tell
• On demand & in-time learning
• Cause & effect
• Power of presence

91. The Magic Circle & Flow
Choice
• Exploratory & experiential
• Try on differing roles
• Creative expression
• Borderless community
Rules
• Well ordered problems
Empowerment • Cause and effect
Pathways
• Cycle of expertise/mastery
• No failure
• Player has a story to tell
Feedback
• On demand & in-time learning
• Cause & effect
• Power of presence

93. Player Goals Reach Beyond the Magic Circle
1. Awareness
2. Personal Accountability
3. Attitude & Behavior Change
4. Champion for Change

95. Sabido Methodology

96. Sabido Methodology
• Entertainment Education — wins over audiences
• Imparts prosocial values for positive change
• Role Modeling:
• Positive
• Negative
• Transitional
• Narrative 70/30 rule

97. • Player becomes the Transitional Character.
• Interactivity leads to decision-making.
• Player experiences cause and effect.

98. Challenges: a World Audience
• Technology—delivery system
• Universal story—theme
• Setting—could this be every boy’s home turf?
• Ethnicity — stereotypes
• Clothing — religion—cool factor
• No romantic or sexual implications
• Portrayal of girls
• No portrayal of violent actions
• Language & localization
• No PR partner
• Funding gaps

101. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-4m11a4uCs

102. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-4m11a4uCs

103. Top 20 Countries:
US
UK
Canada
American Samoa
Albania & India (tied)
Algeria
Brazil
Australia, France & Pakistan (tied)
Malaysia
Spain
Philippines
Morocco & South Africa (tied)
Iran
Japan
Mexico
Indonesia

104. On the ground partnerships:
• City of Hebron, Palestine
• Fundacion Privada Samuel Eto’o
• Grassroots Soccer
• Ikamva Youth
• ManUp Campaign
• Streetfootballworld
• Restless Development
• Sinethemba Secondary School
• Bishop’s Preparatory School

106. The Hero’s Return

109. The shooting of 14-year-old Pakistani Malala Yousufzai
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/11/opinion/buffett-girls-safety/index.html

116. Reach Beyond the Magic Circle
1. Awareness
2. Personal Accountability
3. Attitude & Behavior Change
4. Champion for Change

117. Reach Beyond the Magic Circle
1. Awareness
2. Personal Accountability
3. Attitude & Behavior Change
4. Champion for Change
https://secure.champlain.edu/breakaway/

118. Reach Beyond the Magic Circle
1. Awareness
2. Personal Accountability
3. Attitude & Behavior Change
4. Champion for Change
https://secure.champlain.edu/breakaway/
http://www.breakawaygame.com
https://www.facebook.com/breakawaygame

119. “It has shown me that it is not about how good
your soccer skills are. It is about attitude,
teamwork and determination. What you do when
you are not on the pitch is important as well.”
—Foluso, age 13, England

120. “It has shown me that it is not about how good
your soccer skills are. It is about attitude,
teamwork and determination. What you do when
you are not on the pitch is important as well.”
—Foluso, age 13, England
“I told my friends about how great this game is and
I shared with them that violence against women is
negative and how to make right decisions.”
—Nairoukh, age 12, Hebron

121. Hero’s Journey
• Transformation through the journey
• 20-something heroes tackle wicked problems
• Companions and mentors
• Transformative game principles:
• The power of the mind: empathy & rewards
• The player as hero: match players’ goals to mechanics
• Hero’s return: supporting behavior change

122. “It has always been the prime function of mythology &
rite to supply the symbols that carry the human spirit
forward, in counteraction to those other constant
fantasies that tend to tie it back.”
— Joseph Campbell, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”
demarle@champlain.edu