Digital Humanities – Spring 2018

If I had unlimited time and resources to create a game based off of one thing we have learned this semester, I would create a virtual reality museum of the Museum of Sex. This is by far my favorite museum that I have been to, but unfortunately I have only been able to go once because I live two hours away from it. Creating a digital museum will allow people like me, who are unable to go to this museum as often as they would like to, to see all of the features of the museum in the whenever and wherever they would like. To add more of a gaming aspect to the museum, I would include stopping points on every floor where participants can play VR mini-games much like the aspects of the museum, such as the “Jump for Joy” trampoline, “Celestial Bodies: The VR Experience,” and the “F*CK ART” spray paint exhibit. I love the concept of virtual reality museums, and would live to bring the Museum of Sex alive to any and all people.

If I were to create my own video game, it would probably be an interactive snowboarding game. I would like to create my game so that it could be used on the xbox kinnect. I would like for there to be a sort of yoga-mat connected to the game with spots for your feet that transfer your actions into the game. The kinnect camera would pick up your upper body movements and the mat would pick up your foot movement and balance. The game would allow you to choose between racing, slopestyle, and free riding. You would be able to pick from real mountains that exist in the real world or build your own. There would be music playing in the background like Sublime and Third Eye Blind. There would be graffiti on the walls of building you can jump from. There would be different point systems for the different types of gameplay. Slopestyle would be based on tricks and racing would obviously be based on what place you come in. Free ride is for practicing. This game would be one to get players moving and acting out what they are doing rather then pressing buttons on a controller.

If I was able to create a video game with unlimited resources, money, and time based on something we have done in class I would do it on the Cortland Fire of 1919. It would be virtual reality game where the player explores the building when it was in its best condition and progressively throughout the game the player goes through a series of challenges to find out what the issue behind the building is. Suddenly, the building is set on fire while the player is inside so the goal is to make it out alive. Once the player makes it out alive, the goal is to find out who did it and why. It would be based on the history of the fire, but also a little Hollywood for public appeal. Furthermore, while having an unlimited budget and resources, the developers would be working on a new technology that allows the player to feel certain aspects of the game for example, the heat from the fire. While, this would be fun it can also be educational for students doing public history research, in addition, it could be a starting point for other educational games to come in the future.

-JP Ospina

If I could make a dream video game with unlimited time, money and resources based on something we have learned in class, I would make a VR game loosely based on Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. I would set the game in Medieval England in the 14th century as the story is set, and attempt to model the scenery after the architecture from the time, and set a list of characters you can begin the game as. I would sort of aim to model the game after Fable, and present the player with a series of decisions to be made that will ultimately determine the overall outcome of their gaming experience. In this fashion, the game would be highly interactive and would allow the player to determine their own destiny by making their own decisions rather than being guided by a unilinear storyline. I would include characters such as the miller, the knight, the pardoner, the priestess, etc. The individual storylines for each character would be as close to the plot of the story as possible, with maybe a few additions to make the game a little more entertaining or possibly add some action to it. I think this game would help people learn about history while also getting to know a very famous story from Chaucer, a highly canonized author. The game would hopefully be entertaining and aesthetically pleasing as well.

-Peter McKasty

If I had the budget of millions of dollars and a team that would help create a game of whatever I wanted, I would make a video game about soccer. More specifically, the life of a professional soccer player from the young age of 16 until retirement. The game would start by you creating your own person about what they look like, where they live and other physical traits. Picking a country and a professional soccer club’s youth academy to play in while at a young while playing to try to get a professional contract and play in the main squad of players. The game would then take off when you play against other youth teams around your country of choice and then as you get older, your skills will improve. Your skills will improve faster if you play well in the games. Eventually you will reach the main team with all of the biggest players around the world, for example, if you chose Spain and chose the club of Barcelona. You would eventually play with Messi on your team. Then after all of the seasons of playing you will retire and can become a manager. With the manager stage you can buy and sell players as you like and create a team of your liking.

FIFA does this well in their video game but doesn’t go into as much detail as I would like to go. I chose soccer as the game i would make because I’ve played soccer my whole life and still do to this day. Obviously I’m not going to reach the professional level as most people don’t but it would be cool to play and choose how you reach the top if you did make it.