Mashup #2: Global Game of Life

Precedents:

1. Educational games  centered around Global Issues

http://gamesined.wikispaces.com/Global+Issues

Ayiti

Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
•Use an online game to understand conditions in contemporary Haiti and how poverty is an obstacle to education.
• Develop problem-solving, critical thinking and such life skills as resource management, budgeting, and planning for the future.
•Learn about ways in which they can advocate for action to confront poverty and increase access to education in Haiti.

2. Eletronic Game Boards

Life Game: Twist and Turns

Electronic Board updated through the Life Pod in the center

3. Board Games based around a group dynamic

Lord of the Rings Board Game

Design:

Hopefully this could be an electronic screen gameboard, where the content could be updated through various news sources, so every time you open the board and plug it in the content is different and the game changes. I have come across alot of issues on how to structure this. If i want an economic range with real data, how would a salary of $700 a year compare to someone making $70,000 a year? Would the game still be fun this way where certain players could not afford alot? Another idea I had was to make the game more about “doing good” and contributing to society. Instead of the objective being to make the most money, it would be to contribute the most through good deeds (charity, volunteering, donating, helping different causes). With this idea it could possibly be a team game.  I am not sure how this would work yet.

Mashup #1: Software/Software – Mister Softee App

Google Maps API  +  Live GPS Tracker  +  Mobile/Web App

Background: Mister Softee has over 600 trucks and over 350 franchise dealers operating in 15 states plus China.  Mister Softee was founded in 1956 and has now become America’s most recognizable mobile ice cream vendor.

Concept: I have so many memories as a child waiting for Mr. Softee to come around to my block – but as soon as I would go inside to eat dinner, I would hear the famous Mr. Softee song. I would be playing at the park with the other kids who all wanted Mr. Softee, just to be disappointed when he never arrived.  I would be indoors at a friends’ house when we’d hear the truck, and run outside only to find out we were a minute too late. I’ve searched online and found there are other people who feel the same way as me – Mr. Softee needs a GPS tracker.

Precedents

Mister Softee himself, of course

Mobile Apps such as Street Eats also use Google Maps and GPS to track the location of food trucks. However, Mister Softee is not present on here. Another issue is that Street Eats only takes into account major cities (in New York, there is only an option for Manhattan). I would say Mister Softee may be more popular in more suburban areas – for instance near my house he is very popular because there are no other mobile food trucks in the area. He has been around long enough and has become popular enough to deserve his own app.

Objective:

• Make Mister Softee more readily available to his customers
• Maximize sales – less time driving around looking for business, more time actually getting business

The mobile/web app would basically do this by providing their customers with Mister Softee locations for when they want to go get Mister Softee. Additionally, you can request Mister Softee to come to you. The trucks can customize if they want to only receive requests from a group of 3 or more people, for instance, so they do not get a lot of requests for one person unless business is really slow.  This maximization of time and customers would definitely bring in more revenue for Mr. Softee, while additionally keeping their ice-cream lovin’ customers happy.