Gaming and gamification

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

The software games business is growing fast. Its technological and methodological underpinnings have been laid down in years of research and development. At a significantly lower scale, they are now finding their way into non-entertainment contexts, helping deliver substantial benefits, particularly in education, training, research and health. Recent European research projects have identified comprehensive roadmaps and are creating resources and state-of-the-art knowledge for European players to develop applied games more easily, faster and more cost-effectively. The challenge is to mainstream the application of gaming technologies, design and aesthetics to non-leisure contexts, for social and economic benefits. Supporting the expansion of applied gaming and gamification will not only create new solutions and methodologies to address societal issues, but it will also help SMEs to seize new business opportunities.

Technology transfer through small scale experiments on developing and validating open gaming technologies and mechanics including from sectors other than the gaming industry into non-leisure situations and scenarios for training and motivational purposes. Actions shall integrate contributions from game developers, researchers from social science disciplines and the humanities, publishers, educational intermediaries and end-users. Activities shall include work on gaming technologies (augmented and mixed reality, 3D audio and video, virtual worlds, interactive storytelling, narratives, modelling and data, etc.), learning and behavioural triggers (pedagogical effectiveness, engagement, creativity, collaborative behaviours, proactive) and social science aspects (potential risks and challenges, privacy, gender and ethical issues etc.).

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of about EUR 1 million would allow this area to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Increased take up of gaming technologies in non-leisure contexts – and specifically in education and for social inclusion, measured by the number of new businesses and applications generated by the action.

Socio-economic science and humanities
Gender