For next week I intend to develop the following game in Flash for the kids at Seton.
Introduction
The Tamagotchi game consists of some sort of a virtual pet that requires the user to interact with it in order to keep it happy, entertained or sometimes alive. The user can feed it, pet it, play with it and do anything else the pet allows it to do.
The idea for an Inclusive Tamagotchi pet is that with a simple switch, the users can interact with the virtual pet in a simple and effective manner. The game would be simplified so that the pet never dies and that a single interaction with it produces great and very visible results.
The game will allow the OT to create separate Tamagotchis for each kid so that each kid has their own pet and that the interaction with the pet is a cumulative experience and does not have to be rest each time the game starts. The kids will be able to customize the Tamagotchi’s color and even look and feel.
Objectives
For the kids at Seton, I believe such a game could achieve the following objectives:
• Create a connection between a physical object and the on-screen pet
• Demonstrate causality of action/reaction
• Give the kids something they will feel that they own and that grows with them
• Stimulate the curiosity for computer games
• Have fun!
Proposal
The game will be built using Flash and will use a keyboard emulator to enable the connection of any switch to control the game.
A settings menu will be presented at the start with the list of existing Tamagotchi pets created and the option to create a new one.
Within a Tamagotchi, you can customize its character (3 different pets available) and the general color scheme of the pet and the environment in which he lives in.
The Tamagotchi will always be moving on the screen attempting to grab the user’s attention.
The interactions with the Tamagotchi will be limited to eating, playing, and resting. An on screen button for each option will be presented using the scanning method for selection. Alternatively, the user could be presented with three switches – each representing one of the actions.
Points will be awarded for every interaction the user has with the Tamagotchi. The “age” of the Tamagotchi will also be maintained so that the users can compare which Tamagotchi has been played with for the longest time.