BoomingBang, a RPG game, whose release is due till late OCTOBER 09. The BoomingBang project, started by me, Abhishek Indoria, initially, and a friend, was a small deployment. It was started in March 2009, when none of them (us, actually) have heard of OLPC. Back again, in June, 2 XO laptops were requested, and the project was started officially.
The basic mission of players is to eliminate all other players from the game in a funny way.
You control a team of creatures, be it a penguin or Pigeon or a bull. You try various methods, like dropping them into water by pushing them towards water from a hill, or hitting them with bat and send them flying, to give them a vomiting injection and you'll see them vomiting (Be careful, stand around the vomited surface too long and you will find yourself in grave), booming them with a funny bazooka and most funny of all, Removing the surface from beneath them, so...If they move...Bingo!
First, the deadline of the project was December 2010. But, after a long time of hardworking, which included as much as 5 hours a day programming, the project's alpha version is ready for testing, in case anyone approaches.
The team started with only two Indian volunteers, but now comprises of whole 20 people, mostly youth and under the age of 18. The team consists of members of all continents (usually), Asia, Africa, South America, Australia,Europe and such that.
The team is working on the BoomingBang project, along with the spreadsheet program, Spread-The-Sheet is intending to soon start working on some more projects, one of them may be an Operating System, named Aura. The team is aiming to complete 10 project till the end of 2010, and progressing at a fast rate.
The Aim of the Project, was to provide children a game, which is fascinating, funny and improves their skills. First, when I saw OLPC and XO, I knew instantly that there were games, many perfect games, but not a single funny and game like BoomingBang (RPG, Thinking Skills etc.)
The basic objective of BoomingBang is fun. Others fall afterward.
- BoomingBang helps players to think logically, like "What will happen if I do it? and Why should I do it?" Players just get deep down in the game.
- BoomingBangs allows players to take decisions within the time limit. Players can set the time limit according to them, for their convenience, but however, this makes players think reasonable and quickly, improving their decision making ability.
- One wrong decision and it'll be over. This is BoomingBang's speciality. Players' ability to think harder and quicker at each step is required
With the help of OLPC and its volunteers, the game is ready now, and its Alpha version will be released nearby Late October 2009/Early November.
It's hard to imagine gaming on the question of "what would it be like if I acted without moral restraint" would be beneficial in child development. Indeed, there have been many studies in negative impact of dress rehearsing sociopathy. The game, however seems an interesting practice field, if it were designed to creative solution of varying obstacles occurring because others are solving from their own vantage point, without the creative murder techniques scenario.
Kay,
I am not so sure if that kind of content would be beneficial for children (and OLPC's perceived reputation) at this point.
You are saying to put out Grand Theft Auto like content out there. But I am not too sure if that is necessary.
Children with XO can benefit more from wide variety of other genres of games before they can be exposed to such content in an "entertainment/edutainemnt" form. Especially considering for some countries, what we perceive as terrible act of violence is part of their everyday life experience...
I really don't think something that could be perceived as mature content is not needed for XO's app contents.
OUCH!
"basic mission of players is to eliminate all other players"
That won't do in Uruguay where they are actively trying to get boys away from games and girls away from fashion websites.
But even were your concept good, there is even better, take a look at this article:
http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/magazine/17-04/mf_settlers
"Instead of direct conflict, German-style games tend to let players win without having to undercut or destroy their friends. This keeps the game fun, even for those who eventually fall behind."
I know you have a dynamic team Abhishek, and I wish you well, and even more as you make your game be constructive rather than the alternative