After exploring other interactive avenues that I can add to the Americana website, which was a resource for learning American history (with the use of API and Openframeworks to gather information).  It came down to two additional interactive pieces to push this project further than just another website.  A game and an interactive installation piece in a museum.

Found out early this week that a similar project has been of an interest from one of the graduate students in another class, except his was going to be solely on the interaction installation piece for a museum.  We agreed to have him do that and I focus on the game + website.  We plan on collaborating as well.

Research began in acquiring new knowledge of educational games for U.S. History.  How should I position my version and how should I compete from the rest.

There’s been lots of puzzles and emotive novelettes for young girls.  I found these in Scholastic, one of the top publishers for educational books, games and activities in the U.S.

Nothing exciting.

Until someone mentioned to me Sid Meir’s Civilization Game.  This by far is the most interesting, close to my idea and the most dynamic.  It gives a player the chance to play a role of an important historical figure.  The way it’s been built and created with mind blowing effects is absolutely stunning:

http://www.civilization.com/

BUT— according to a game designer professional, as is with all historical games, the main challenge is in participatory, but more so trying to access the knowledge that the participant has received or gained after playing.

I think I get inspired by this video..

Make The Line Dance

Please find two proposals attached.

http://interface2011.coin-operated.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Cafe-Due.pdf

http://interface2011.coin-operated.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Conflict-room.pdf

For my final project, what I wanna do is to make a public, real-time, interactive music instrument, that people could use their body gestures to make their own music.

The problem I found that is : nowadays, more and more musicians and music producers tend to pay too much attention on the skills and technic part of making music. It seems that you have to have enough skills to make music. They make music just depends on their skills. They might forgot a very important thing of making music—Passion and happiness. Music is not a industry , it’s a part of life.

Why I wanna do this? Because I want to make more and more people interested and participate in making music. In my opinion, music is a happy thing, the process of making music, the interaction with music should be funny and interesting. You don’t need to be professional, making music is not just for musicians or someone professional. I want people to enjoy the process of making music.

So I wanna make this kind of real-time interactive instrument that could let everyone interested in making music and make their own music and real-time live performance by their body gestures. The process should be funny and interesting, to remind people of the passion and fun in making music. You don’t need to know how to play piano, guitar, drum or any kind of instruments. You just need to do some simple body gestures. Maybe we can not use this interactive instrument to make a real song or even a melody, but we can use it to make some sound by ourselves, we can make our own sound and real-time performance. The process should be funny and interesting.

Final Presentation PDF 

Final Video: please looks at Tian’s post! Thank you.