record – LABS

Thesis Info

Thesis Title: Nuclear Tycoon: Designing Simulation Rhetoric for a Persuasive Game

Keywords: persuasive games, serious games, game rhetoric, simulation, game system, game design, persuasion, rhetoric

Abstract: 200-500 words: Nuclear Tycoon is a persuasive game about nuclear power. The purpose of the game is to persuade the players to adopt negative attitudes towards the nuclear industry, with the method of demonstrating the problems of nuclear power and the consequences of the problems by means of simulation. The design of the game and the development of the game prototype together form the production part of the thesis. The written part of the thesis presents theoretical studies with practical applications for game design in the fields of persuasion and game rhetoric. Especially the role of simulation and the use of simulation rhetoric in games are emphasized in the presentation. The most relevant design solutions in terms of persuasion are reviewed in the contexts of game concept design and game system design of Nuclear Tycoon, including analysis on the rhetorical means used in the solutions. In addition, the contents of the game prototype are described in relation to the design, and the planned further development of the prototype is presented. Finally, the feasibility of the design solutions is evaluated by comparing the solutions to recommendations derived from the theoretical studies, as well as on the basis of a small-scale play test. Materials Game prototype CD-ROM Keywords persuasive games, serious games, game rhetoric, simulation, game system, game design, persuasion, rhetoric