In the initial request for proposal and the latter following communication, we understand that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is commissioning a game to educate passengers, ultimately to stop them from breaking the order in the subway. Therefore, the MTA wants the game to be for all riders and to reach as many players as possible, ideally playable while in a station or train, and includes additional means for funding. SimTrain, the subway building simulation game that the MTA believes is what fits their vision the most, and is also what is presented in this concept document. To address the request, we have identified the following constraints. We will have these considerations in mind as the game design process moves forward.
With just a brief skim on the internet, it is not hard to conclude that MTA riders make up a wide range of economical conditions, educational level, family background, professional status, etc. As SimTrain should reach as large of an audience as possible, the game’s main goal is to be inclusive for players from any background. SimTrain needs to be friendly and attractive for players with little to no gaming experience, but also exciting and appealing for experienced gamers. As a result, SimTrain’s main game loop should be simple so that even just mindless clicking will allow the player to progress, but with a variety of optional optimization and tasks to achieve a better score.
Consider the genre of mobile games for passengers riding with the MTA, they may not have large blocks of time or sufficient patience to learn the game play. Since the MTA wants the game to reach as many players as possible and to retain a stickiness for the players to come back, SimTrain’s first minutes of gameplay should be quick, fast, and fun. A steep learning curve is not suitable for SimTrain, nor is a complicated control scheme. The game should emphasis on substantial simulations, such as instantaneous in-game rewards and dramatic visual effects, to excite the player to continue playing.
For the game to be playable onboard, SimTrain needs to be playable offline but allows for social sharing. The offline capability ensures the player can continue playing even without accessible internet when the train is inside tunnels, and the social sharing function supports the potential to spread the game to a larger range of players through social media. Ideally, some players may even play the game on their own outside of the station or train, for they find the game fun.
SimTrain should also be easily playable with thumbs, holding the phone in an horizontal direction. A complicated control system is not suitable for a mobile game targeted to commuters. The clicks required for each action should also be minimal to provide convenience for players catching the train during a rush hour.
By collaborating with the MTA and understanding the needs and challenges, we hope to eventually mitigate the passenger misconduct with our creative power. The intended outcome of the game is as following:
The main intended impact for SimTrain is for the players to understand the difficulty of maintaining a huge metro system running, nevertheless reacts to all the daily emergencies in the game. With proper prompting, name associations, or simply being physically present in train stations, we hope the player will understand that these in game situations they are dealing with are actual real life tasks that the MTA staff solves. SimTrain is designed for players to better understand the MTA staff, and the hard work they put in maintaining the metro daily. We hope the passengers will reflect on themselves and realize some behaviors they have while riding the train is causing an inconvenience and troubling everyone, or they are simply more aware of the importance of obeying the rules in order for the MTA to operate successfully. In either case, SimTrain will reduce and prevents the cases of breaking rules, including but not limited to disrespecting the staffs and other commuters, skipping the fares, etc.
The MTA has a long and rich history. With the first operation beginning in 1904, the MTA has been running over a century. Several sites have therefore written stories on the MTA’s history, for example New York Times' interactive story on subway map, the New Yorker’s article on the signage, and Library of Congress’ blog on the elevated rail and subway lines history. The whole MTA narrative will be utilized and incorporated in SimTrain’s narrative to give players an additional layer of context in the game. The player will learn about the MTA map and history through hints in game, descriptions for different construction options, etc. An integration of the MTA transit museum promotion in the game may also help more New Yorkers to visit the museum, seeing the old MTA trains and learning the MTA story. In addition, the museum also features a merch store, potentially bringing new revenue. New merch could also be designed in conjunction with the game. We hope the game can allow the player to not only see the MTA as a functional transportation system, but also as an organization with its own narrative and history, growing along the Big Apple.
With an new view of the MTA system, we hope our players can see why is operating the MTA is a tremendously difficult task, and therefore they regulate their behaviors in the station and on the train.
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