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GAMEFUL CHALLENGE #7: Socks For Change

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Help a factory full of sock puppets make a difference. Socks Incorporated is a fictional world that combines craft making, digital storytelling, and make-believe to create a casual family-friendly game. The [...]

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Help a factory full of sock puppets make a difference.

Socks Incorporated is a fictional world that combines craft making, digital storytelling, and make-believe to create a casual family-friendly game. The game’s online platform is a portal into a world filled with sock puppets who all work in a factory – the Socks Incorporated factory. Each department in the Socks, Inc. factory contains its own adventurous plot. Players learn of these stories through a series of short videos. Each of these videos ends with a mission, or a call to action for the player, to create a piece of storytelling multimedia content with their puppet. When they upload their video or image, they unlock what happens next in that story and, eventually, in the main story.

Socks Incorporated and Gameful are challenging YOU to design a new department that offers a direct positive impact to its players. This is a link to the Socks, Inc. designer deck, which is given to all potential department designers. It describes the story world to the uninitiated and defines what a department is and how to make one. Want to check out some of the other departments? Go here and try playing one!

Your challenge response should include:
• The name of your department
• It’s intended positive impact
• An outline and treatment of the story progression across 6 short videos
• A description of the corresponding 5 missions
• A pilot of your first video clip and mission

Submissions will be judged on how the game design matches the described positive impact that the department should have. You can use humor, adventure, aesthetics or other characteristics you believe will make that impact, but be sure to articulate it in your challenge response.

Rules:
• ALL genres are eligible, as long as it follows the guidelines.
• Original and PG content only, please.
• All games MUST be playable. Give us a way to download or view your pilot online.
• All team members must be Gameful members!

Rewards:
• 1 HD Video Camera for the favorite department design chosen by this challenge’s Gameful Fairy, Jim Babb (@jimbabb) and Awkward Hug (@awkward_hug). The winner will also have the option to create the department they have designed with a $250 budget (plenty of cheddar to make sock puppets with).
• 1 HD Video Camera for the favorite department design chosen by our own Gameful community.
• Official Socks, Inc. Merit Badge and Map of Socksburg for all Gameful members that complete the challenge.

To Play:
1. Join the Socks Inc. challenge group.
2. Discuss what you’re up to. TIP: Gameful members can help each other develop stories and design missions that are relevant and fun!
3. When you’re ready, but BEFORE September 23, 2011, start a new forum topic for YOUR entry. (The forum topic is the easiest way for judges and contestants to see all entries in one place.) Describe what you’ve created. Include a link to your pilot, or a way to download it.
4. When you’re ready to officially submit your game, fill out this form.
5. Await game-tastic feedback from your fellow Gameful monsters.
6. Winners will be announced by October 23, 2011.

Tags: challenge
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”It’s Alive” Grumpy Science Department / Project May-Hem / Get Stiched Quick (6 posts)

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  • Avatar Image Joe, a level 1 monster with 4 posts — 7 months, 2 weeks ago:

    Titles fall under the same department concept helping other people build their own sock puppets.
    • The name of your department
    Grumpy Science Department / New Sock Order Department / Get Stiched Quick
    • It’s intended positive impact
    Titles fall under the same department concept helping other people build their own sock puppets. (I recently hosted a let’s make a sock puppet party with the kit I got from Awkward Hug and it was a blast) This not only brings new people to the game but it brings communities to the game. There is also the chance that they could see someone progress through a set of missions before they play therefore they won’t be unfamiliar with the process.
    • An outline and treatment of the story progression across 6 short videos
    Grumpy Science/ Project MayHem / Get Stiched Quick

    I’ll paste these under the topic so they won’t get too long

    • A description of the corresponding 5 missions
    1 Your sock must find a “Dead Sock” / “Find a new Recruit” / “Find someone to tell about this amazing scheme!”
    (The first task will be finding someone and their blank sock)
    2 Your sock must find “Body Parts” / “Equip the Recruit” / “Dress them for success”
    (The Second task will be to find parts to make the features of the puppet)
    3 Your sock must “Practice Safe Science” / “Go through Training” / “accept the legal disclaimer”
    (The third task will be to show that they are practicing safe sock making)
    4 Your sock must “Assemble the Body” / “Put them through Bootcamp” / “Sell the scheme”
    (The 4th task will be to get them to show a photo of their friends assembled sock)
    5 Your sock must “Release their Creation” / “Put them in the field” / “Seal the Deal”
    (The 5th task will be to have your friend sign up, I imagine that this could be monitored using the tag system players will tag the profile of the sock that brought them to the game. If there is a referral option this could work too)
    • A pilot of your first video clip and mission
    (soon)

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  • Avatar Image Joe, a level 1 monster with 4 posts — 7 months, 2 weeks ago:

    Grumpy Science Department

    GS1 We are introduced to the Grumpy Scientist (Possible Catch Phrase “Great Sock”) and his plan to make his creations, he asks if you would like to follow along at home. He states that You’ll need a body someone willing to bring it to life with you -he’ll wait while you find one. When you find it take a photo of it and the hand that will bring it to life. “No human faces please! They scare me!”

    (You find a friend and a sock – post a picture of their hand and the sock)

    GS2 “That is a fine specimine you’ve found, do you want to trade? No? ok moving on” “Your creation will need some personality, you must find body parts that match their personality. :: Show sample materials that could be used to make puppet features:: “Now you may think hey I’ll just make it just like me! I must warn you about the dangers of clones they are bad news!” :: trouble with an evil clone -the gotee gives it away :: “go gather your parts and send me a photo for inspection”

    (You gather items which which to build your socks)

    GS3 “You are almost ready to begin but before you do the Socks Inc legal team say I have to show you this Safety Video” ::50′s style video or slide show about “lab safety rules” – these will be crafting safety rules w/ a dash of whimsy rules thrown in :: “ok upload a photo of this waiver saying you’ll practice safe science and meet me when you’re done”
    (Upload a photo of the waiver promising to be safe signed)

    GS4 “Now comes the fun part! We bring the new sock to life! ::gives some last minute pointers:: “Don’t forget all you’ve learned, if you need a little more help you can follow the links at the end of the video for some instructions from Corprate”

    (You help your friend build the sock puppet and post a photo of it)

    GS5 “Amazing You did it! Mine didn’t turn out too well, I think my yarn was expired. ::Cut to a mismashed sock :: “Now that you have brought your creation to life let’s put them to work! What did you think we were just doing this for fun? Naw we’ve been mandated to build up the Socks Inc Workforce! Go ahead help them sign up! ooh someone left me a piece of cake… yummy!”

    (The friend signs up)

    GS6 A sock that looks like the Grumpy Scientist except with a gotee greets the player “Ah… What was you’re name again? oh yes right… HR has informed me that your creation has come on the payroll… Excellent! Once I’ve submitted the story of MY successful experiment to All the major Science journals in the world they will all recognize my Genius! I will be sure to get that D.A.R.N.A. grant then!!!! Muahahahahahah!!!!!!

    (The clone could be setting things up through the whole process)

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  • Avatar Image sparkle-tronica, a level 6 monster with 12 posts — 7 months ago:

    Thumbs up!

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  • Avatar Image Joe, a level 1 monster with 4 posts — 5 months ago:

    Link to the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tYuMaue8pc

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  • Avatar Image jimbabb, a level 0 monster with 3 posts — 4 months, 2 weeks ago:

    Human faces creep me out too! Great job, thanks Joe. I love the lab safety video with “whimsy rules”.

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  • Avatar Image Joe, a level 1 monster with 4 posts — 4 months, 2 weeks ago:

    @jimbabb Thanks, it is a very fun world to play in!

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