March 15, 2018

Approach 1—ElizabethD

Abstract

One of the most commonly asked questions is how to make people passionate about a movement? I think that video games are truly an art that users get close to, and I would like to build one that tackles the issue of prison reform in the United States. After finishing the game, the user is given links to different movements as well as helpful infographics about the issue.

Background

I really think that people do not care as much about prison reform in the Unites States as they should. Currently the U.S. claims to be free, but we have the highest incarceration rate of all of the free countries. On top of that, we have amoung the highest rate for repeat offenders. The prison system does not focus as much on reintegration into society as it should, as it also does not focus very much on the mental health of inmates. On top of this, employers, housing, etc. are all extremely strict and will make finding honest work another tough obstacle for the ex-convict to hurdle. I find that a lot of people do not really pay attention to movements or campaigns unless they are already swayed in that direction. I do not think that posters or ads are the way to reach people, but I do think that a video game is a great way to reach a broad audience. Many Steam users download free-to-play games just to pass time, just diving into the content and not really knowing what to expect. I think that if the game were advertised as maybe a Grand Theft Auto type of game, or a choose-your-own-adventure game, it would draw a wide audience.

Explanation

The game would have a few different preferences, like the state your character lives in, their race or religion, as well as their gender. These preferences, while it seems as though you are just building a character (which is a very personal thing for most gamers), will affect the statistics in the game, as well as the difficulty of the game, and the different outcomes that you can have (for example, if living in Texas, the game could end with the death penalty). At some point, after making a path for the character to follow, they will have to make a decision that ultimately land them in prison. In prison, you will make a few choices, such as participating in a work study, or getting a GED. While in prison you will gain skill sets that are related to what you have done while there. After being released, you will try to rebuild your life again, but the difficulty will be raised. You will be restrained to living in certain housing situation, and most jobs will be off the market. Depending on how desperate the player is, they might have to commit another crime just to keep themselves off of the streets, or even to protect themselves. They might end up back in jail, die during a crime spree, or just live a miserable life. This game is supposed to seem extremely unfair to the player. After the game has been finished, a new menu will pop up on the main screen that provides the player with useful infographics and links to petitions to sign or different movements for prison reform.

Budget / Resources

This could all be created for free in Unity. This could be a one-person job, but with this complexity, it might take up to a year to complete. With a full team of a programmer, modeller, sound designer, and advertiser, it might only take up to 6 months for a decent game. We would need a computer as well as a space to work on the project. The only thing that would really take this to the next level is maybe purchasing advertisements for the game.

Unity/Unreal Engine : $0

Hourly Wages: $20

Estimated Number of Hours to Complete: 200

Estimated total cost: $4000