The Spring 2003 issue of Ranger magazine summarized the event. Here are the participants' complete writeups:

Serious Games — Not Just for Kids Anymore

“This is the most eclectic group I have ever assembled,” said David Rejeski, director of the Foresight and Governance Project. In his late 40s and dressed in casual, yet suspiciously black business attire, David was the epitome of a man involved in serious play. Together with Kurt Squire, designer of the simulation “game” Virtual University, or “VU” to the gamer initiate, he was facing a group of around sixty professionals from hospitals, universities, public land trusts, and professional game companies. These last were people that not only play for a living, but design the engines rumbling under the hoods of the most complex and compelling virtual worlds commonly available for a discount at Costco or, in the case of VU, for free download on the Internet. The game world is an exploding subculture (where black attire seems to be de rigueur) that is intersecting the mainstream world, including public lands, in surprising and subtle ways.

More than once during the introduction, which was simulcast on the Internet, I shared confused glances with my cohorts from ANPR as it became clear that we were expected to develop a computer game based on public land management — preferably before dinner. Later, Mike McShaffry, a game designer and co-leader of the public lands breakout session, seemed bemused to discover that few, if any, of the public land managers he was tasked to bring into the digital 21st century had ever advanced much beyond the arcade game Asteroids, much less played the multilayered simulation games now installed on nearly every 10-year-old’s computer. Mike obviously considered these simulation games as common as beer at a barbecue and looked at us like a ranger considering high heels on the Bright Angel.

Theodore Roosevelt, debatably one of the patron saints of national parks, said, “when you play, play hard; when you work, don’t play at all.” These are the kinds of quotes chief rangers have tattooed places where the webbing harness won’t burn it off. This is the attitude not only of many rangers, but also the majority of people born before OPEC became a household name. Yet according to Kurt’s data, by 2005 the gaming industry will be pulling in as much revenue as the motion picture industry. By sometime around 2025, the President of the United States will have grown up with interactive games and integrated them into her personal gestalt. If Kurt is right, then in anyone’s book (or “Powerbook” as the case may be), this is not just playing around anymore.

But what does it mean to park professionals who, depending on their agility with PMIS, AFSIII and MAXIMO, may or may not still have a 386 turning into oil reserves on their desk?

In an album featuring pictures of Joshua Trees, folk singer Victoria Williams sang, “games turn into life.” Author Tom Robbins advanced this theory (with a lot more words since he is a best-selling author) by saying, “humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature.” As custodians of America’s playgrounds, it means, at the very least, we have to pay attention to the play habits of our constituents. As managers, it may mean we have a new toy that lets us fire all our employees, sell our collections on e-bay and stock the maintenance yard with Hummers—all without losing our jobs or ending up in snugly tailored white suits with long straps.

The conference was designed specifically to explore the utility (and marketability) of creating simulation games like Sim Earth and Virtual University based on parkland management. The basic, technical framework already exists in the underpinnings of these other, wildly successful games. The audience appears to be built-in (300 million national park visitors, each with their own ideas on how to run Yellowstone). The only question to answer is, “why.”

There is great power in simulation games. The U.S. Army has been calling them “War Games” with a straight face for years. Properly researched and designed, the parameters that make Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, The USS Arizona Memorial and Bent’s Old Fort unique can all be quantified and placed in an interactive matrix. Actual or wannabe managers can then work in real or accelerated time, dealing with prosaic issues of budget and staffing juxtaposed with random or staged incidents of fire, flood, congressional visits and aliens (both domestic and astral). New ideas can be modeled into experiments that won’t cause mutinies by their real staff and won’t risk the very resources managers are trying to protect. Park staff can “play” manager and discover the complex and sometimes painful world of compromises and trade-offs that drive land managers. Special interest groups and political staffers could be handed GMP alternatives and watch them unfold in 3-D graphics over the next 20 years. Visitors could “visit” the park in new and previously unimagined ways, inadvertently becoming possessive supporters of “their” park, e-mailing creative solutions to existing problems that can be studied by actual managers. Staffing recruiters could reach underrepresented ethnic groups and expose them to the world of public land management by letting them become virtual rangers first.

Science fiction? Yes, but so was Orville’s dalliance with the wind. A hundred years ago Orville and Wilber were racing other inventors because they knew, eventually, we were going to fly. Kurt Squire maintains that soon we are going to live in virtual worlds, that many of us already are.

Of course there are limits. Any simulation of Yellowstone will probably not be robust enough for current managers to use for real decision making. Even if this were not true (and it won’t always be true) current managers are not gamers and don’t have time for these toys. But future managers will.

Mike McShaffry said it will take maybe two years and $1.5 million dollars to create a land management simulation game. There are unique challenges (it might be the only such game that has the option of removing all the “Sims,” or people, from the game world and just letting the world run). Who’s going to pay for such a project? Who should pay to develop what could simply turn out to be a commercial toy or at best a casual training tool? The gaming world is wary of government funding, afraid of slow production schedules and heavy-handed involvement in the creative process.

While the potential for a land management simulation game is astounding, there are many unanswered questions and a panoply of failed projects that raise the hackles of game designers. Still, ANPR should explore this burgeoning world of serious games. At a minimum, there are short-term revenue possibilities for our cooperating associations. There are also long-term training utilities that could be realized. But mostly, like flight a hundred years ago, these games will become a reality and with them park simulation games. Visitors and managers will play them. If left to the private sector alone, there will be too many rampaging Godzilla options in these games to make them useful as real tools. They’ll just be for kids.

“Of course the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you. If you don’t play, you can’t win.” — Robert Heinlein

Kendell Thompson is the site manager at Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial.

Understanding Parks through Computer Simulations

Computer game technology holds potential for educating park visitors and staff

By David Guiney

In 2002, the Foresight and Governance Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars launched the Serious Games initiative. The goal of this initiative is to advance the application of game-based learning and teaching tools to public policy and management challenges. The initiative addresses three interrelated questions:

• What public policy issues and challenges are most amenable to computer-based gaming techniques?
• What existing and emerging game technologies (such as multi-user, virtual environments) might be particularly useful when applied to policy issues?
• How can we quickly expand the application of computer-based games to a much wider range of key challenges facing our government?

Serious Games Workshop

The Woodrow Wilson Center hosted a Serious Games Workshop Feb. 5-6, 2003, in Washington, D.C., to explore these questions; to study the feasibility of creating simulations for parks, schools, and hospitals; and to begin developing a model project. Teams consisted of representatives from the various professions and game developers. David Guiney represented Harpers Ferry Center on the "Parks" team.

Simulations as Learning Experiences

Presentations by leading games experts revealed some interesting facts. Young people use computers to learn, communicate, and innovate. The core age group for computer games is 18-35, but includes many from other age groups. The U.S. military has demonstrated that computer simulations and games can be extraordinary learning tools. In virtual experiences, it is possible to fail safely-something that is not possible in real life. People can gain much experience in critical decision making, and see the consequences of their decisions-yet not be at risk. Also, the cost of inaction is demonstrated in simulation scenarios. Game developer Ben Sawyer of DigitalMill referred to games as "learning opportunities."

Sawyer helped develop Virtual-U, a simulation game based on the management of a university. Quoting its website, "It provides students, teachers, and parents the unique opportunity to step into the decision-making shoes of a university president." This game was presented as a model on which a game for schools, hospitals, or parks could be based.

Computer simulations like SimCity, Railroad Tycoon, and Virtual-U, give participants a top-down view of complex developments and interrelationships. The connection between geography and politics becomes more visible, a definite benefit in terms of park simulations. Many hypotheses can be tested in simulation experiences. For example, what happens in the subalpine zone when you allow four-wheelers unlimited access? The game will graphically display the results and statistics.

Changing Thought and Behavior Related to Parks

The group discussed the role of games in ethical issues. It was stated that communities of practice determine "truths." Simulations help reveal the contradictions in our society. Games must reveal realities to participants, but should not become mere propaganda. Objectivity must be built into the game architecture.

Pre-existing beliefs color the perceptions of park visitors and staff. Learning occurs when ideas can be tested. The game developers noted that their own beliefs changed when they tested them in games. An example was an early game on nuclear war. By blowing away the opponent and winning "complete nuclear victory," the winner discovered he had lost all respect in the world.

Serious games can pull people out of the action to think about what they are doing. Transgressive behavior in games-cheating, sabotaging, or destroying-can allow participants to see what happens when rules are violated. Cheating was described by one participant as "selective integrity." The National Park Service has always wanted to explain its rules to the public, but the complexity of park interrelationships can be difficult to comprehend. Games, with their top down viewpoint, can be great teachers. But, it was pointed out, they would not replace the traditional media-publications, films, websites and classes.

Game editor and writer Johnny Wilson noted that games emulate real life, and that they are overtaking film which is essentially a passive experience. Games stimulate interaction, and the younger generations are growing up with the experience and expectation of interaction. Simulations allow users to see the ripple effects of decisions. They can evaluate the balance between risk and reward. They also gain familiarity with subject content and lexicons. For example, in a park game they would learn the definition of "wilderness" and the policies that govern it.

The developers noted that game development projects need champions in the subject fields. Without these discipline-based supporters, it would be difficult to build and market a simulation.

In order to succeed as learning opportunities, games must find the balance between the complexities of real life and the simplicity needed to enjoy and understand basic concepts. They try to capture the essence of the real, without all the detail. This requires a simplification process that might not mirror the truth in all respects. For example, a game might not distinguish between interpreters, law enforcement officers, and search and rescue specialists, but might depict them simply as "rangers."

A Park Simulation Game

In initial discussions the target audience for a game on parks was park managers and those who would like to play that virtual role. Later there was more interest in a game that would appeal to park visitors and all who had interest in parks. This larger audience could help generate more revenue if the game were offered for sale versus free distribution.

Similarly, two versions of the simulation experience were discussed. The first saw the player in the role of park superintendent or manager. In this role, the player could start with nothing and create a park from scratch, or begin with a template of a known park. The workshop considered "parks" broadly, including National Parks, state and local parks, and other protected areas such as refuges, forests, and zoos. A second scenario, suggested by David Guiney, saw the player in the role of the park visitor with the ability to explore the full range of park experiences. A hybrid concept would allow players to take many roles-park staff, ranger, concessioner, park neighbor, politician and more.

Funding Game Development

The group considered funding options. A low end game could cost $500,000 to develop, excluding production and distribution. A big name game could go as high as $20 million. The park-based simulation envisioned might be $1.5 to 2 million. A game targeted for park staff and used for training might need to be funded through grants. A game for a larger audience might be sold for $30 a copy and pay for some of its costs. Sales could be 50,000 to 100,000 units.

It was interesting to note that the game developers did not think highly of our three-phase media evaluation process-front-end, formative, and summative. They claimed it failed in their work; they recommend only summative evaluation.

The Woodrow Wilson Center would like to build a network of teachers, researchers, and developers to bring the power of simulations to parks.

The Serious Games Workshop was funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Participants representing the interests of National Parks included Dwight Rettie, author of "Our National Park System"; Destry Jarvis, former president of the National Recreation and Park Association; Kendell Thompson, site manager at Arlington House; Sean McGuinness, National Park Ranger Liaison to the Department of the Interior; and Jeff McFarland, executive director, Association of National Park Rangers. David Guiney was invited to the workshop by ANPR at the recommendation of Sylvia Frye, HFC Media Assets. Frye and Guiney are members of ANPR.

Web References

Serious Games Project website: www.seriousgames.org

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Foresight and Governance Project: wwics.si.edu/foresight

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation: www.sloan.org/main.shtml

Virtual-U simulation game site: www.virtual-u.org/index.php

David Guiney is the director of the Interpretive Media Institute, Harpers Ferry Center.

Exploring New Ground

By Sean McGuinness

This workshop, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the International Game Developers Association, is part of a Serious Games Initiative that explores the application of computer-based games to public policy and administrative challenges. The goal of the workshop was to brainstorm ideas to create games that would virtually simulate hospitals, high schools or parks. In addition to the three ANPR members, there were 14 other workshop members from various park partners and related organizations.

The group focused on how a computer game would be set up to simulate managing and enjoying a park. The game could be used as an instructional tool for park managers and employees or it could be used for pure enjoyment as the player would navigate through a park doing all types of recreational activities. The game would be set up so all players would experience problems they needed to solve, or decision making for using or managing parks themselves. The game then would teach all players about conservation and preservation of all park resources and the values that parks offer to American society. It could also help change peoples behavior on use of the parks.

The parks group also discussed how a game might function; how it could change the way America uses or thinks about parks; and how park managers could use the game to simulate management problems and try different solutions in different ways to solve problems.

On the second day of the workshop we discussed how to get the game used by a target market, fund raising and corporate support for development of the game, estimated at $1 million to $1.5 million.

It was a rewarding experience. Each of the three games groups -- parks, hospitals and high schools -- described to the entire group their game concepts and how, if used properly, the games could improve public sector policies and management, vision, critical thinking and problem solving skills in government. The parks game could be marketed as a virtual big, natural and cultural park and possibly be supported, funded and sold in parks, outdoors stores, through conservation catalogs and through the gaming outlets.

As a person who only thought of computer games as a mindless activity that instilled violence and lethargy in young people, I was enlightened on the broad application games have for changing or molding human behavior. The developers of games include educational materials, ethics and moral decision making between right and wrong. I am encouraged by the opportunities that a park game would provide and look forward to spending hours in front of the glowing screen.

Sean McGuinness is the park ranger liaison to the Department of the Interior Law Enforcement Office.