Video+Game+Critique

//Overview // |||||| //Description // || Title |||||| www.smartstocks.com  || Concept |||||| //What is the overall goal of the game? What does the player have to do to succeed? To Win/lose? // Overall goal is to make as much money as possible. Player takes $1,000,000 of game money and buys and then sells stocks. Game handles all the buying and selling and uses actual market prices. Top 100 players are listed as well as bottom 100 along with their % gain or loss. Game simulates actual buying and selling of stocks using real-time market data. Teams can be formed to compete against each other for the best return on investment. || Learning Objectives //(explicit or implicit)// |||||| 1) To demonstrate workings of stock market; 2) To demonstrate how people make money with stocks 3) To increase knowledge and acceptance of the stock market among young people 4) To increase knowledge and appreciation of business methods and practices  || Assessment //(explicit or implicit)// |||||| Game emphasizes higher-level thinking and evaluation skills and gives the student a forum or reason to study business and business method. Students do not have screen action but the game holds their interest as they make money. The competition between groups can cause intense study of different companies as each group tries to find the best investment strategy.  || Content //(explicit or implicit)// |||||| <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">How stocks are bought and sold, How companies use stocks to raise money, How good business practices increase stock value and company value, How people make and loose money in the stock market. || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Values & Skills //(explicit or implicit)// <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> |||||| <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Skills – knowledge of business, researching companies for stock value, strategies to decrease risk and increase return on investment, knowledge of stock market <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Values – Leadership, group participation, selling (convincing other group members value of your ideas), positive rewards from good business practices || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Game Method/Style |||||| <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Game is a simulation where player has an account valued at $1,000,000 and they try to increase their money through buying and selling stock. Player can utilize web based research tools to improve their return on investment by finding stocks that increase in value. Player enters buy/sell trades and the game web site executes each trade based on current stock values. Players portfolio value and trade history is shown upon demand. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Audience |||||| <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">All ages have found game to be worthwhile. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Platform |||||| <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Web based || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Publisher |||||| <span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">[|www.smartstocks.com] <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> –  || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Developer |||||| <span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">[|www.smartstocks.com] <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Release Date |||||| <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2008 (approx) || //<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Design Aspects // || //<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">High // || //<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Average // || //<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Low // || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Graphics & Sound || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">NA – Game is not meant for graphics and has no sound || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Playability || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">X – Many students will check up on their portfolio daily and sometimes hourly. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Entertainment || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Not seen as “entertainment” like PS3 game but holds interest and captures mindshare of its players. || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Replay Value || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Game never really ends as you can always make more money <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> || <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The above criteria were adapted from: Rice, 2007; Oblinger, 2006, and Game Informer Magazine
 * <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Game Critique Template **