Kennesaw State Uses KSU Game Studio To Release Its First Video Game
Friday saw the release of the video game Corporation, Inc. by Kennesaw State University, which is the first title released by the KSU Game Studio. With a protagonist who recently immigrated from Colombia, Assistant Professor of Game
Narrative Victoria Lagrange created the game with the intention of fostering empathy for underprivileged communities. Along with carrying out the character’s job responsibilities, users must deal with various sorts of discrimination.
According to Lagrange, the goal is for participants to understand what it’s like to be a freshly immigrated lady who finds employment and faces discrimination while under a lot of pressure to make moral decisions. “Our goal is for people to truly experience that when they play the game, and it will subsequently alter their perception of those around them.” Therefore, it’s possible that people will think back on their gaming experience when they see an immigrant
Corporation Inc. tracks Maria, the main character, as she starts a new career as a hiring manager. As they select from several prompts in each scenario, users can influence Maria’s life through routine duties like organizing resumes and communicating with coworkers.
The game’s plot was designed to measure the impact of video game narratives on society and individual behavior.
“Is it possible to play a game, feel empathy for the character, and then change your behavior in real life?” is the central question. stated Lagrange. “I just played a game by Quantic Dream called Beyond Two Souls, in which you take on the role of a homeless guy at one point. Then I realized that after that, my viewpoint had evolved. I therefore want to find out if it can be replicated, for what length of time, and whether using video games can improve the world.
Students were instrumental in the development of the game’s back end, graphics, and story at Lagrange’s Game story Lab, which is housed under the Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Senior interaction design major Cole Andrews contributed to the story’s development by drafting, revising, and offering advice on character development in scripts
Rather than playing video games, Andrews claimed he was more inspired by his experiences reading books
“I was greatly inspired by reading books like The Inheritance Cycle, which is the collection of Eragon novels, and The Lord of the Rings.” Naturally, Harry Potter,” Andrews remarked. “I read these 200-300 page books in a single day and thought, ‘This is amazing.'” What genuinely intrigued me was losing myself in a universe and enabling other people to go through the same thing—that is, an interactive experience in which you’re not just When you read a book, you have an impact on the plot. You’re having an impact on these characters that, if the game was well-designed, should matter.
Corporation, Inc. has emerged victorious in the yearly Life. Love Game Design Challenge, an initiative organized by Jennifer Ann’s Group that highlights the potential of deliberate game design to encourage critical thinking and peaceful participation among youth.
In honor of Jennifer Ann Crecente, Jennifer Ann’s Group is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with headquarters in Atlanta that was established in 2006 with a primary mission of preventing underage dating violence. Jennifer Ann’s Group is uplifting teenagers, supporting parents and educators, addressing the underlying causes of violence, and advocating for nonviolent solutions through its ground-breaking Gaming Against Violence curriculum and community outreach activities. Jennifer Ann’s Group thinks that by preventing violence from all angles, young people everywhere would live in a safer environment.
Examining how people relate to violent characters—more especially Alex, the protagonist of A Clockwork Orange—and how it affects people’s enjoyment of the narrative sparked Lagrange’s interest in the subject.
Lagrange continued, “And so that eventually led me to video games.” “And the one aspect of video games that really piqued my interest was the ability to make decisions within the narrative that alter its course and impact your bond with the player character, whom you assume in order to make decisions.”
The Game Narrative Lab is working on a new game called AlleyCat, which likewise seeks to promote empathy, and will present Corporation Inc. at DreamHack Atlanta in October.
