Boy Scouts of America introduce game design merit badge (Quiz inside!)

[Syt]

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boy-scouts-of-america-introduces-game-design-merit-badge-195845361.html

DALLAS, March 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Games are an important element in every culture around the globe. Simple games give structure to children's playtime and help enforce basic social skills like courtesy, sharing, and taking turns, and more intricate games can help children hone their logic, strategy, and even mathematics skills. Through Game Design, its newest merit badge, the Boy Scouts of America is opening the door for Scouts to put their creativity to the test. BSA representatives will introduce the new title at the SXSW Gaming Expo in Austin, Texas—a three-day event that provides gamers and game designers alike an opportunity to interact and learn from one another.

Whether it's soccer, a family night board game, or a handheld electronic device—playing challenges us to overcome long odds, tell compelling stories, and work with or against one another. Games motivate both young and old to find creative solutions, practice new skills, and keep their brains active. Scouts who work on the Game Design merit badge will likely look at the games they play differently and with a new level of appreciation. To earn this merit badge, a Scout is required to analyze different types of games; describe play value, content, and theme; and understand the significance of intellectual property as it relates to the game industry.

Over a two-year period, volunteers from the game industry and game enthusiasts across the country created and tested the merit badge requirements and accompanying pamphlet text to ensure the merit badge pamphlet held the young person's interest, was challenging and fun, and required minimal out-of-pocket expense to complete.

The Scout puts his newfound knowledge to use by designing a game and creating a design notebook for this project. In his notebook, the Scout must demonstrate an initial concept, multiple design iterations based on initial testing, and feedback from blind testing. Once his concept is approved, the Scout can begin to build a prototype of his game. Testing of a Scout's game can be done at Scouting functions such as camp outings. For his game design, he can choose from a wide range of media, from cards to boards, dice, and even designing a smartphone application.

Test Your Game Knowledge

1. Egyptian hieroglyphs dating to 5200 B.C. depict a rock-throwing game that we now know as what?
2. These randomizing tools were first made of sheep knuckle bones. What are they?
3. What horse riding game did the Persians developed to train their cavalry?
4. The Scottish parliament banned this game to keep troops from getting distracted during archery practice. What is it?
5. The first known American reference to what many recognize as our national pastime baseball happened in what year?
6. This sport was developed in 1891 to provide indoor physical activity for the boys in a teacher's gym class. What is it?
7. What 19th century novel first described Charades, the party game of acting and guessing?
8. The Landlord's Game of the early 1900s is now known as what?
9. This table tennis simulation was originally meant to be a training project for a new engineer at Atari. What is it?
10. The first iconic video game character was also the highest-earning arcade game in history. What is it?
11. With more than a billion downloads, this puzzle game has redefined the way people interact with phones and other mobile electronic devices. What is it?

Answers:
[spoiler]
1. Bowling   2. Dice   3. Polo   4. Golf   5. 1791   6. Basketball   7. Vanity Fair   8. Monopoly   9. Pong   10. Pac-Man 11. Angry Birds[/spoiler]

[Ed Anger]

 

[Caliga]

Let's just go ahead and rename it 'The Tim Scouts'.

[garbon]

I love #7

[Syt]

If they have badges for landscape architecture, stamp collecting, robotics and space exploration, I don't see why game design gets people annoyed.

Also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merit_badge_(Boy_Scouts_of_America)#Upcoming_merit_badges

The BSA has announced these new merit badges:[3]
Digital Technology (2013, to replace Computer merit badge)
Game Design (March 2013)
Programming (2013 Jamboree)
Sustainability (2013 Jamboree; Eagle required: alternative to Environmental Science merit badge)
Animation (2014)
Multi-Media (2014)
Signs, Signals, and Codes (2014)
Advanced Computing (2014-2015)
Computer-Aided Design (2014-2015)

[Caliga]

My main problem with this is that Boy Scout merit badges are supposed to really teach three things:

a) basic life skills that everyone should have (first aid, good citizenship, personal finance)
b) 'outdoorsmanship' (orienteering, shooting, camping, wilderness survival, knots)
c) career development (computers, farming, beekeeping, economics, aviation, etc.)

'Game design' is the kind of thing that's going to encourage nerd Boy Scouts to think that's viable career path for them, which is usually only the case if you happen to live in Silicon Valley, LA, Vancouver, etc.

When I was a recruiter I used to meet clueless nerds who lived in Louisville but 'LOL I WANT TO DESIGN VIDEO GAMEZ!!!!11111'.  Since there are zero gaming firms here, I used to advise them to move (hold the jokes, garbon).

[Barrister]

Isn't this the "golden age" of indie game developers though?  All you need is an idea an an iOS SDK...

[mongers]

Isn't this the "golden age" of indie game developers though?  All you need is an idea an an iOS SDK...

Depends if you believe in short or long tails.

[Syt]

'Game design' is the kind of thing that's going to encourage nerd Boy Scouts to think that's viable career path for them, which is usually only the case if you happen to live in Silicon Valley, LA, Vancouver, etc.

It's not only focused on video games, though, but also on other games, including board games. And designing the latter so they're fun, engaging and balanced is no mean feat.

[Josquius]

My main problem with this is that Boy Scout merit badges are supposed to really teach three things:

a) basic life skills that everyone should have (first aid, good citizenship, personal finance)
b) 'outdoorsmanship' (orienteering, shooting, camping, wilderness survival, knots)
c) career development (computers, farming, beekeeping, economics, aviation, etc.)

'Game design' is the kind of thing that's going to encourage nerd Boy Scouts to think that's viable career path for them, which is usually only the case if you happen to live in Silicon Valley, LA, Vancouver, etc.

When I was a recruiter I used to meet clueless nerds who lived in Louisville but 'LOL I WANT TO DESIGN VIDEO GAMEZ!!!!11111'.  Since there are zero gaming firms here, I used to advise them to move (hold the jokes, garbon).

It is true that there are a lot of clueless kids (and adults who act like kids) who think they can suddenly become Miyamoto or some crap without any actual skills. Though since this is kids we're dealing with it could be a pretty good entryway into them getting interested in learning practical creative IT skills whether it be in coding or photoshopping or whatever.

[The Brain]

Do the games have Jew counters that need to be Strategically Redeployed to Poland and spend a full turn there to generate VPs?

[Ed Anger]

Do the games have Jew counters that need to be Strategically Redeployed to Poland and spend a full turn there to generate VPs?

I'd buy that game.

[PDH]

Do the games have Jew counters that need to be Strategically Redeployed to Poland and spend a full turn there to generate VPs?

I'd buy that game.

Train games are boring.

[11B4V]

Do the games have Jew counters that need to be Strategically Redeployed to Poland and spend a full turn there to generate VPs?

I'd buy that game.

Train games are boring.

Depends on the "Train" game.