How our game will work...
Gamification elements
Functionality of the game
The game will be based in a newsroom and the aim is to become the best news reporter in the world of media and journalism by reporting real news and not fake news. The game will begin with a small introduction about Fake News from an avatar like a journalist or news report detailing what fake news is and why it poses such an imminent threat alongside how the game will work. The story line of the game can be personalized throughout in order to help the players feel more engaged. They can choose where they work, the clothes they wear, what their office looks like and the genre of news the report on.
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For the actual game, two news items will appear on the screen. They will be two news stories. One will be real, and one will be fake, however it will be difficult to distinguish between the two stories. The player will have to decide which one is real, and which one is fake. You swipe right for real and left for fake, like tinder We will apply a similar function using two images, one being photo shopped and one real. Once you answer correctly you will move up a level or get promoted in the game.
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There will be a countdown and timer to create some pressure and excitement.
​
All the headlines will be real ones that were published. If you get one write or wrong, information will pop up explaining why you were wrong or write and will show you the real articles. Alongside this a new fact or tip will pop up on the screen giving you more advice on how to spot fake news.
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The game will feature videos and pictures to make the game more colorful, exciting and intriguing. These will pop up between the answers you give.
As you progress through all the levels the stories and images presented will become harder to decipher which is real and which is fake. You will play and compete against other people.
To add a more gamified element we have added a story line. You begin as a trainee journalist and the aim will be to become the CEO of your publishing company. As you progress through the levels you earn more money, get a better office, gain more followers etc.
Avatars
For the purpose of the gamification project characters are essential to keep the game interesting and also for to encourage the individual playing to become understanding of what “Fake News” ultimately looks like. The addition of Avatars from a range of ages, ethnicity etc. will create relatability to the player involved in the game, and will interest the players more as they’ll want to receive the best possible outcome (points/cash) for their avatar. Each Player enters their own name for their desired Avatar before continuing to the game.
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Character 1
Avatar 1 is a middle-aged person (35-50) with an awareness of fake news, understands the effects it has, but hasn’t always the capability to detect what news sources are reliable, hasn’t the ability to distinguish between the fake news articles that genuinely look reliable compared to those of a reputable source
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Character 2
Avatar 2 is a person of a much older age, who subsequently has very limited understanding regarding social media and online posting of news articles. This person normally uses tangible news sourcing i.e newspaper articles. Therefore has very little insight into fake news and the difficulties of spotting such articles if they were asked to distinguish certain news pieces.
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Character 3
Avatar 3 would be a suitable character for people in their late teens/20s who use social media religiously on a daily basis but still don’t fully have a true understanding in relation to spotting fake news articles. The younger generation evidently consume a lot of their time reading articles on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc. but are never questioning the source resulting misinformation in particular headlining or smaller topics resulting in a limited insight into certain discussions that are vitally important to know about. Overall this avatar although spending their majority of time online, hasn’t always the ability to distinguish between reliable and unreliable news sourcing.
Each Avatar has both a male and female version to which is important to keep everyone wanting to engage with the Game. As well as gender option, there’ll be an inclusion of certain ethnicity types and races to further widen the gaming experience for everyone. The importance is simply to create an awareness of Fake News and to understand the importance of noticing such articles through playing the game, using your desired Avatar.
Leaderboards
Leader boards, Scoring System and Names of levels
Leader boards
I have figured out that the best leader board style to suit the style of game that we are edging towards is the old-style arcade games something that would show users the levels in which they have successfully managed to get to such as €20,000 €45,000 or €55,000etc…. Each level could be rewarded with a in game cash reward such as €500, €1,000 etc depending on the difficulty of the level. The leader board could also show the score in which users get after every game, this would be how far they got without using any of their hints and how they had a streak of getting all questions right. Players should be able to put themselves in contrast with their opposition.
Scoring Systems
The scoring system would be simple. Each level is rewarded with a in game monetary reward. Rewards will be rewarded upon difficulty of each level and upon the continuous correct answers in a row such as a chain multiplier. When a hint is used the amount of the reward could be halved or a fraction is taken away. Each player could be given a reward for each day they continue to play the game in a row. This would help with having a continuous stream of users on the game daily. This reward could be given in form of an emblem or as a monetary reward to unlock the next level in the game or to unlock a new avatar. With each new level and each new avatar, the points they score in the game will go up. Bonuses should be given to the players who save up their points and purchase new levels.
Name of levels
While players are being rewarded with in game money. The name of each levels could be based upon money for example rookie, novice, amateur, average, semi-pro and pro etc. The pro would be the highest level in a game a player could reach. Each level a player manages to come to, they would be rewarded with a badge, emblem or a sticker and this would appear beside their name on the leader boards, so all other players could see their achievements. This would allow people to compete against their friends in order to rank up the quickest while also learning the advantages of spotting fake news and how to avoid spreading it around.
Avatar
The Geek: Interested in science, computers and computer games. Would be the most difficult level to complete. Articles would include space stories, new technology advancements and scientific discoveries.
Real news:
https://news.sky.com/story/leaning-tower-of-pisa-very-slowly-reducing-its-lean-say-experts-11559863
https://news.sky.com/story/mamma-mia-tiny-italian-town-catches-58000-speeding-in-two-weeks-11558655
Fake news:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/simba-vegan-lion-king-remake/
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/machine-gun-kelly-death-hoax/
How our game will work...
Gamification elements
Functionality of the game
The game will be based in a newsroom and the aim is to become the best news reporter in the world of media and journalism by reporting real news and not fake news. The game will begin with a small introduction about Fake News from an avatar like a journalist or news report detailing what fake news is and why it poses such an imminent threat alongside how the game will work. The story line of the game can be personalized throughout in order to help the players feel more engaged. They can choose where they work, the clothes they wear, what their office looks like and the genre of news the report on.
​
For the actual game, two news items will appear on the screen. They will be two news stories. One will be real, and one will be fake, however it will be difficult to distinguish between the two stories. The player will have to decide which one is real, and which one is fake. You swipe right for real and left for fake, like tinder We will apply a similar function using two images, one being photo shopped and one real. Once you answer correctly you will move up a level or get promoted in the game.
​
There will be a countdown and timer to create some pressure and excitement.
​
All the headlines will be real ones that were published. If you get one write or wrong, information will pop up explaining why you were wrong or write and will show you the real articles. Alongside this a new fact or tip will pop up on the screen giving you more advice on how to spot fake news.
​
The game will feature videos and pictures to make the game more colorful, exciting and intriguing. These will pop up between the answers you give.
As you progress through all the levels the stories and images presented will become harder to decipher which is real and which is fake. You will play and compete against other people.
To add a more gamified element we have added a story line. You begin as a trainee journalist and the aim will be to become the CEO of your publishing company. As you progress through the levels you earn more money, get a better office, gain more followers etc.
Avatars
For the purpose of the gamification project characters are essential to keep the game interesting and also for to encourage the individual playing to become understanding of what “Fake News” ultimately looks like. The addition of Avatars from a range of ages, ethnicity etc. will create relatability to the player involved in the game, and will interest the players more as they’ll want to receive the best possible outcome (points/cash) for their avatar. Each Player enters their own name for their desired Avatar before continuing to the game.
Character 1
Avatar 1 is a middle-aged person (35-50) with an awareness of fake news, understands the effects it has, but hasn’t always the capability to detect what news sources are reliable, hasn’t the ability to distinguish between the fake news articles that genuinely look reliable compared to those of a reputable source
Character 2
Avatar 2 is a person of a much older age, who subsequently has very limited understanding regarding social media and online posting of news articles. This person normally uses tangible news sourcing i.e newspaper articles. Therefore has very little insight into fake news and the difficulties of spotting such articles if they were asked to distinguish certain news pieces.
Character 3
Avatar 3 would be a suitable character for people in their late teens/20s who use social media religiously on a daily basis but still don’t fully have a true understanding in relation to spotting fake news articles. The younger generation evidently consume a lot of their time reading articles on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc. but are never questioning the source resulting misinformation in particular headlining or smaller topics resulting in a limited insight into certain discussions that are vitally important to know about. Overall this avatar although spending their majority of time online, hasn’t always the ability to distinguish between reliable and unreliable news sourcing.
Each Avatar has both a male and female version to which is important to keep everyone wanting to engage with the Game. As well as gender option, there’ll be an inclusion of certain ethnicity types and races to further widen the gaming experience for everyone. The importance is simply to create an awareness of Fake News and to understand the importance of noticing such articles through playing the game, using your desired Avatar.
​
The avatars will be connected to the level of difficulty for which you play the game at. The avatars will range from journalists to news reporters
Leader boards and Scoring systems
Leader boards, Scoring System and Names of levels
Leader boards
I have figured out that the best leader board style to suit the style of game that we are edging towards is the old-style arcade games something that would show users the levels in which they have successfully managed to get to such as €20,000 €45,000 or €55,000etc…. Each level could be rewarded with a in game cash reward such as €500, €1,000 etc depending on the difficulty of the level. The leader board could also show the score in which users get after every game, this would be how far they got without using any of their hints and how they had a streak of getting all questions right. Players should be able to put themselves in contrast with their opposition.
Scoring Systems
The scoring system would be simple. Each level is rewarded with a in game monetary reward. Rewards will be rewarded upon difficulty of each level and upon the continuous correct answers in a row such as a chain multiplier. When a hint is used the amount of the reward could be halved or a fraction is taken away. Each player could be given a reward for each day they continue to play the game in a row. This would help with having a continuous stream of users on the game daily. This reward could be given in form of an emblem or as a monetary reward to unlock the next level in the game or to unlock a new avatar. With each new level and each new avatar, the points they score in the game will go up. Bonuses should be given to the players who save up their points and purchase new levels.
Name of levels
While players are being rewarded with in game money. The name of each levels could be based upon money for example rookie, novice, amateur, average, semi-pro and pro etc. The pro would be the highest level in a game a player could reach. Each level a player manages to come to, they would be rewarded with a badge, emblem or a sticker and this would appear beside their name on the leader boards, so all other players could see their achievements. This would allow people to compete against their friends in order to rank up the quickest while also learning the advantages of spotting fake news and how to avoid spreading it around.
​
The science, computers and computer topics would be the most difficult level to complete. Articles would include space stories, new technology advancements and scientific discoveries.
Real news:
https://news.sky.com/story/leaning-tower-of-pisa-very-slowly-reducing-its-lean-say-experts-11559863
https://news.sky.com/story/mamma-mia-tiny-italian-town-catches-58000-speeding-in-two-weeks-11558655
Fake news:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/simba-vegan-lion-king-remake/
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/machine-gun-kelly-death-hoax/
Who can play? Anyone! However we will market this game specifically towards the older generation who have had less experience dealing with social media and the spread of fake news.
Where can they play? This game will be available as an app but can also be played online.
Why they should play? We have created this game to make people aware of how easily and quickly fake news can be spread and how easily it can be stopped if people are made aware of it. Our aim is to educate people on fake news and to provide them with some tips and tricks to filter out what is real and what is not!