SlideShare a Scribd company logo
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Building Better Worlds through
Game Culturalization
Kate Edwards
Executive Director, Global Game Jam
Geographer & CEO, Geogrify
kate@geogrify.com | @geogrify
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Note: This copy of my lecture is provided strictly for personal
reference. It is not to be replicated, reposted, or distributed in
any format or medium without written permission of the
author. Any referencing of this work should include explicit
attribution to the author. Thank you!
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
▪ Adapting content for local audiences (localization)
will always remain important for revenue streams.
▪ Designing content for local and global audiences
(culturalization) is critical to expanding existing
markets and tap new types of consumers.
Localization & Culturalization
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Culturalized Content
Zone of
In/Compatibility of
Content Assets
Game Worlds Local Worldviews
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Multiple Considerations
▪ High-level company values/goals
▪ Context in which content is generated
▪ Business strategy for the vertical (e.g., games)
▪ Market strategy for the locale (e.g., China)
▪ Market strategy for the specific game (e.g. WoW)
▪ Changing Geopolitical/Cultural/Ethical factors
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Core Aspects of World Building
1. Context: Real World vs. Fictional World
2. Complexity: Degree of Realization
3. Intent: Layers of Thematic Content
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Zone of
Potential Overlap &
Interaction
Real
World
(RW)
Fictional
World
(FW)
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Realization
Realism
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
= Realization Goals
Narrative Goals
+ Experience Goals
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Essential Tools for Realizing Worlds
▪ Creating Cultural Evidence
▪ Implying Complex Systems (with Topology)
▪ Ensuring Logical Consistency
▪ Building Structure (with Thematic Layers)
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Logical Consistency
▪ Logical rules exist and are applied to space,
time, and all elements within the game world
▪ The world’s systems makes sense for the game’s
intended narrative
▪ Lack of conflict between content assets and the
intent of the world
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
▪ Geographers are ideal for world
building because we deconstruct
the “real world”
▪ Cartography is about world
re-building
▪ The world is viewed as thematic
layers of information within
Geographic Information Systems
(G.I.S.).
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
▪ Climatology & Atmosphere
▪ Geophysical
o Geomorphology, Hydrology, Tectonics, Gravity, etc.
▪ Biosphere
▪ Demographics
o Species, Genders, Ages, Ethnicities, etc.
▪ Cultural Identities
o Language, History/Lore, Symbology, etc.
▪ Cultural Systems
o Faith, Politics, Economy, Transportation
Potential Thematic Layers of a World
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Five Most Sensitive Thematic Layers
▪ History
▪ Faith
▪ Inclusion vs. Exclusion
▪ Intercultural Tension
▪ Geopolitical Imaginations
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
History
Historical memory is persistent.
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Age of Empires
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Faith
Cultures maintain expectations that may
originate in religious beliefs.
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Fallout 3
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Source: Microsoft Corp. Source: Sony Computer Ent.
Kakuto Chojin & Little Big Planet
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Inclusion vs. Exclusion
Perceived inequitable treatment of a specific
culture, ethnicity, nationality, gender, etc.
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Resident Evil 5
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Pocket God
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Intercultural Tension
General friction between cultures and
nationalities for a wide variety of reasons.
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Age of Empires II
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Dance Central
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Geopolitical Imaginations
Government reinforcement of national
sovereignty and territorial integrity.
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Ninja Gaiden
Country/Region Taiwan
Sets the player’s country/region of residence.
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Domain Tailoring (Google Maps)
U.S./Global Locale India Locale
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Distribution in the Content Cloud
▪ Speed: Instant exposure and reaction
▪ Global ubiquity: Broad multicultural audience
▪ Community: Activism at every level; support and
backlash against anything, from games to national
governments.
▪ Mindshare: Governments and Cultural Institutions
are fiercely competing for public mindshare; i.e., who
will define the local cultural narrative?
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
▪ Exercise your creative vision, but don’t expect that
vision to align with expectations in other cultures.
▪ Developers must be extremely conscious of all
creative decisions during the world-building process.
Freedom of Creativity
Maximize
Revenue
Artistic
Freedom
Fulcrum of Compromise
© 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
Thank you!
kate@geogrify.com
@geogrify

More Related Content

PPTX
Discursive Game Design or: Game Design as Cultural Practice
PPT
Ahlqvist gls11
PDF
History skills for game developers
PPTX
Higgins defense slides
PDF
Higgins Thesis Postmortem
PDF
Ch7 cultural geography
PPTX
The spirit of digital place - game worlds and architectural phenomenology
Discursive Game Design or: Game Design as Cultural Practice
Ahlqvist gls11
History skills for game developers
Higgins defense slides
Higgins Thesis Postmortem
Ch7 cultural geography
The spirit of digital place - game worlds and architectural phenomenology

Similar to Shift Remote: Game Dev - Building Better Worlds with Game Culturalization - Kate Edwards (Global Game Jam) (20)

PPTX
Game World
PDF
GamesAtelier @ Surfs Summerschool 09
PDF
7scenes - The (Urban) Landscape as A Learning Space
PPT
Ch01(10)
PPTX
What and where is an indie game workshop
PPTX
The Challenge of Locating ‘Culture’ in Location-Based Games
PDF
CFC Gaming Session - Lecture 01 Game Experience
PPTX
Regional analysis 12 dis 2015 1400
PPTX
Designing An Applied Game For Your Museum - Workshop
PPTX
Game prototyping workshop
PDF
Cultural Geography A Critical Dictionary Of Key Concepts International Librar...
PPTX
Videogames and museums: fields in convergence Amy Hondsmerk, Nottingham Trent...
KEY
Big Games and Hipsters: Cool Capital in Pervasive Gaming Festivals
PDF
Gaming the-city: Telephone City and Social Spaces of Transformation
PPTX
mindful xp Video Postmortem
PPTX
xm:lab 130505 jansen game lounge
PPT
Human geography1
PPTX
Games and persuasion: changing people’s behaviour for good?
PPTX
Joost raessens creative territories pres
PDF
Where the logics of political economy and exhibition meet: Towards an explana...
Game World
GamesAtelier @ Surfs Summerschool 09
7scenes - The (Urban) Landscape as A Learning Space
Ch01(10)
What and where is an indie game workshop
The Challenge of Locating ‘Culture’ in Location-Based Games
CFC Gaming Session - Lecture 01 Game Experience
Regional analysis 12 dis 2015 1400
Designing An Applied Game For Your Museum - Workshop
Game prototyping workshop
Cultural Geography A Critical Dictionary Of Key Concepts International Librar...
Videogames and museums: fields in convergence Amy Hondsmerk, Nottingham Trent...
Big Games and Hipsters: Cool Capital in Pervasive Gaming Festivals
Gaming the-city: Telephone City and Social Spaces of Transformation
mindful xp Video Postmortem
xm:lab 130505 jansen game lounge
Human geography1
Games and persuasion: changing people’s behaviour for good?
Joost raessens creative territories pres
Where the logics of political economy and exhibition meet: Towards an explana...
Ad

More from Shift Conference (20)

PDF
Shift Remote: AI: How Does Face Recognition Work (ars futura)
PDF
Shift Remote: AI: Behind the scenes development in an AI company - Matija Ili...
PDF
Shift Remote: AI: Smarter AI with analytical graph databases - Victor Lee (Ti...
PDF
Shift Remote: DevOps: Devops with Azure Devops and Github - Juarez Junior (Mi...
PDF
Shift Remote: DevOps: Autodesks research into digital twins for AEC - Kean W...
PPTX
Shift Remote: DevOps: When metrics are not enough, and everyone is on-call - ...
PDF
Shift Remote: DevOps: Modern incident management with opsgenie - Kristijan L...
PDF
Shift Remote: DevOps: Gitlab ci hands-on experience - Ivan Rimac (Barrage)
PDF
Shift Remote: DevOps: DevOps Heroes - Adding Advanced Automation to your Tool...
PDF
Shift Remote: DevOps: An (Un)expected Journey - Zeljko Margeta (RBA)
PDF
Shift Remote: Game Dev - Localising Mobile Games - Marta Kunic (Nanobit)
PDF
Shift Remote: Game Dev - Challenges Introducing Open Source to the Games Indu...
PDF
Shift Remote: Game Dev - Ghost in the Machine: Authorial Voice in System Desi...
PPTX
Shift Remote: Game Dev - Open Match: An Open Source Matchmaking Framework - J...
PDF
Shift Remote: Game Dev - Designing Inside the Box - Fernando Reyes Medina (34...
PDF
Shift Remote: Mobile - Efficiently Building Native Frameworks for Multiple Pl...
PDF
Shift Remote: Mobile - Introduction to MotionLayout on Android - Denis Fodor ...
PDF
Shift Remote: Mobile - Devops-ify your life with Github Actions - Nicola Cort...
PPTX
Shift Remote: WEB - GraphQL and React – Quick Start - Dubravko Bogovic (Infobip)
PDF
Shift Remote: WEB - The Features of WebXR Beyond Virtual Reality - Ada Rose C...
Shift Remote: AI: How Does Face Recognition Work (ars futura)
Shift Remote: AI: Behind the scenes development in an AI company - Matija Ili...
Shift Remote: AI: Smarter AI with analytical graph databases - Victor Lee (Ti...
Shift Remote: DevOps: Devops with Azure Devops and Github - Juarez Junior (Mi...
Shift Remote: DevOps: Autodesks research into digital twins for AEC - Kean W...
Shift Remote: DevOps: When metrics are not enough, and everyone is on-call - ...
Shift Remote: DevOps: Modern incident management with opsgenie - Kristijan L...
Shift Remote: DevOps: Gitlab ci hands-on experience - Ivan Rimac (Barrage)
Shift Remote: DevOps: DevOps Heroes - Adding Advanced Automation to your Tool...
Shift Remote: DevOps: An (Un)expected Journey - Zeljko Margeta (RBA)
Shift Remote: Game Dev - Localising Mobile Games - Marta Kunic (Nanobit)
Shift Remote: Game Dev - Challenges Introducing Open Source to the Games Indu...
Shift Remote: Game Dev - Ghost in the Machine: Authorial Voice in System Desi...
Shift Remote: Game Dev - Open Match: An Open Source Matchmaking Framework - J...
Shift Remote: Game Dev - Designing Inside the Box - Fernando Reyes Medina (34...
Shift Remote: Mobile - Efficiently Building Native Frameworks for Multiple Pl...
Shift Remote: Mobile - Introduction to MotionLayout on Android - Denis Fodor ...
Shift Remote: Mobile - Devops-ify your life with Github Actions - Nicola Cort...
Shift Remote: WEB - GraphQL and React – Quick Start - Dubravko Bogovic (Infobip)
Shift Remote: WEB - The Features of WebXR Beyond Virtual Reality - Ada Rose C...
Ad

Recently uploaded (20)

PDF
APNIC Update, presented at PHNOG 2025 by Shane Hermoso
PPTX
Introuction about WHO-FIC in ICD-10.pptx
PDF
Best Practices for Testing and Debugging Shopify Third-Party API Integrations...
PDF
Slides PDF The World Game (s) Eco Economic Epochs.pdf
PPTX
Internet___Basics___Styled_ presentation
PPT
tcp ip networks nd ip layering assotred slides
PPTX
Job_Card_System_Styled_lorem_ipsum_.pptx
PPTX
Slides PPTX World Game (s) Eco Economic Epochs.pptx
PDF
Unit-1 introduction to cyber security discuss about how to secure a system
PDF
An introduction to the IFRS (ISSB) Stndards.pdf
PPT
isotopes_sddsadsaadasdasdasdasdsa1213.ppt
PDF
Sims 4 Historia para lo sims 4 para jugar
PDF
Tenda Login Guide: Access Your Router in 5 Easy Steps
PDF
Cloud-Scale Log Monitoring _ Datadog.pdf
PDF
Vigrab.top – Online Tool for Downloading and Converting Social Media Videos a...
PPTX
INTERNET------BASICS-------UPDATED PPT PRESENTATION
PDF
Testing WebRTC applications at scale.pdf
PDF
The Internet -By the Numbers, Sri Lanka Edition
PPTX
522797556-Unit-2-Temperature-measurement-1-1.pptx
PDF
SASE Traffic Flow - ZTNA Connector-1.pdf
APNIC Update, presented at PHNOG 2025 by Shane Hermoso
Introuction about WHO-FIC in ICD-10.pptx
Best Practices for Testing and Debugging Shopify Third-Party API Integrations...
Slides PDF The World Game (s) Eco Economic Epochs.pdf
Internet___Basics___Styled_ presentation
tcp ip networks nd ip layering assotred slides
Job_Card_System_Styled_lorem_ipsum_.pptx
Slides PPTX World Game (s) Eco Economic Epochs.pptx
Unit-1 introduction to cyber security discuss about how to secure a system
An introduction to the IFRS (ISSB) Stndards.pdf
isotopes_sddsadsaadasdasdasdasdsa1213.ppt
Sims 4 Historia para lo sims 4 para jugar
Tenda Login Guide: Access Your Router in 5 Easy Steps
Cloud-Scale Log Monitoring _ Datadog.pdf
Vigrab.top – Online Tool for Downloading and Converting Social Media Videos a...
INTERNET------BASICS-------UPDATED PPT PRESENTATION
Testing WebRTC applications at scale.pdf
The Internet -By the Numbers, Sri Lanka Edition
522797556-Unit-2-Temperature-measurement-1-1.pptx
SASE Traffic Flow - ZTNA Connector-1.pdf

Shift Remote: Game Dev - Building Better Worlds with Game Culturalization - Kate Edwards (Global Game Jam)

  • 1. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Building Better Worlds through Game Culturalization Kate Edwards Executive Director, Global Game Jam Geographer & CEO, Geogrify kate@geogrify.com | @geogrify
  • 2. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Note: This copy of my lecture is provided strictly for personal reference. It is not to be replicated, reposted, or distributed in any format or medium without written permission of the author. Any referencing of this work should include explicit attribution to the author. Thank you!
  • 3. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
  • 4. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
  • 5. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
  • 6. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
  • 7. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
  • 8. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
  • 9. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
  • 10. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 ▪ Adapting content for local audiences (localization) will always remain important for revenue streams. ▪ Designing content for local and global audiences (culturalization) is critical to expanding existing markets and tap new types of consumers. Localization & Culturalization
  • 11. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Culturalized Content Zone of In/Compatibility of Content Assets Game Worlds Local Worldviews
  • 12. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Multiple Considerations ▪ High-level company values/goals ▪ Context in which content is generated ▪ Business strategy for the vertical (e.g., games) ▪ Market strategy for the locale (e.g., China) ▪ Market strategy for the specific game (e.g. WoW) ▪ Changing Geopolitical/Cultural/Ethical factors
  • 13. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Core Aspects of World Building 1. Context: Real World vs. Fictional World 2. Complexity: Degree of Realization 3. Intent: Layers of Thematic Content
  • 14. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Zone of Potential Overlap & Interaction Real World (RW) Fictional World (FW)
  • 15. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Realization Realism
  • 16. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 = Realization Goals Narrative Goals + Experience Goals
  • 17. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Essential Tools for Realizing Worlds ▪ Creating Cultural Evidence ▪ Implying Complex Systems (with Topology) ▪ Ensuring Logical Consistency ▪ Building Structure (with Thematic Layers)
  • 18. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Logical Consistency ▪ Logical rules exist and are applied to space, time, and all elements within the game world ▪ The world’s systems makes sense for the game’s intended narrative ▪ Lack of conflict between content assets and the intent of the world
  • 19. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020
  • 20. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 ▪ Geographers are ideal for world building because we deconstruct the “real world” ▪ Cartography is about world re-building ▪ The world is viewed as thematic layers of information within Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S.).
  • 21. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 ▪ Climatology & Atmosphere ▪ Geophysical o Geomorphology, Hydrology, Tectonics, Gravity, etc. ▪ Biosphere ▪ Demographics o Species, Genders, Ages, Ethnicities, etc. ▪ Cultural Identities o Language, History/Lore, Symbology, etc. ▪ Cultural Systems o Faith, Politics, Economy, Transportation Potential Thematic Layers of a World
  • 22. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Five Most Sensitive Thematic Layers ▪ History ▪ Faith ▪ Inclusion vs. Exclusion ▪ Intercultural Tension ▪ Geopolitical Imaginations
  • 23. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 History Historical memory is persistent.
  • 24. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Age of Empires
  • 25. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Faith Cultures maintain expectations that may originate in religious beliefs.
  • 26. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Fallout 3
  • 27. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Source: Microsoft Corp. Source: Sony Computer Ent. Kakuto Chojin & Little Big Planet
  • 28. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Inclusion vs. Exclusion Perceived inequitable treatment of a specific culture, ethnicity, nationality, gender, etc.
  • 29. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Resident Evil 5
  • 30. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Pocket God
  • 31. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Intercultural Tension General friction between cultures and nationalities for a wide variety of reasons.
  • 32. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Age of Empires II
  • 33. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Dance Central
  • 34. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Geopolitical Imaginations Government reinforcement of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
  • 35. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Ninja Gaiden Country/Region Taiwan Sets the player’s country/region of residence.
  • 36. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Domain Tailoring (Google Maps) U.S./Global Locale India Locale
  • 37. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Distribution in the Content Cloud ▪ Speed: Instant exposure and reaction ▪ Global ubiquity: Broad multicultural audience ▪ Community: Activism at every level; support and backlash against anything, from games to national governments. ▪ Mindshare: Governments and Cultural Institutions are fiercely competing for public mindshare; i.e., who will define the local cultural narrative?
  • 38. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 ▪ Exercise your creative vision, but don’t expect that vision to align with expectations in other cultures. ▪ Developers must be extremely conscious of all creative decisions during the world-building process. Freedom of Creativity Maximize Revenue Artistic Freedom Fulcrum of Compromise
  • 39. © 2020 Geogrify LLCShift Remote – 22 September 2020 Thank you! kate@geogrify.com @geogrify