Letter

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Dear Future Business Partner,

     Through the Experimental Game Design class offered at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, we have developed a game over the course of this semester titled "Activating Play." Taught by Kathleen Ruiz, the class is studio based and forms many of its successes based on the creation of interdisciplinary teams. Our group consists of computer science majors, math majors, electronic arts students, as well as an architecture student. Through this collaboration, we have been able to successfully achieve our goal in developing a conceptual idea and producing a game design document which includes a trailer and demo of the game.

     "Activating Play" is a computer based game which blurs the boundary between virtual and real play as it carries its play into the real world. As a character who is running for mayor, your job is to navigate the city in the virtual world and stop to play games along the way in order to progress the plot. As you walk about the virtual city, it is apparent that not all buildings are "active," and some look unreal. In the beginning, only a small portion of the city appears real, and those are the buildings which contain the games, or 'mini-missions' that are open to play. By visiting many of these locations, not only do you increase your public approval rating, but your success "activates" other buildings, and thus game play in the virtual world progresses.

     As in real life, there will be some places that you can't enter without certain information (a key, password, security code etc.) If you try to enter an active building and are told you do not have access, you will be told that you can "meet someone" in your real city to receive the necessary information to proceed. "Activating Play" uses the latest in GPS and cell phone technology in order to tie the physical world to the virtual world. Upon reaching the destination you were told to go, you will receive a text message on your phone which will tell you the information you need in order to continue. This interaction between the player and his/her physical movement through the city can also happen without the player necessarily trying. Once he/she is involved in the game play, there is possibility that "Activating Play" will have relationships with several businesses/restaurants in the city, such that when a player physically passes one of those locations, he/she will receive an alert on the cell phone, announcing that as a result of that interaction, new games have been activated in the virtual world. These corporate tie-ins will reward players in both the physical and virtual world, as their successes in that game will activate more, and in this case give the player a discount, coupon, or free offer at the physical business.

     As "Activating Play" strives to be on the cutting edge of technology, we wish to keep the players interest in the game fresh, and have a continuing reason for them to keep returning to the game. As we have developed the infrastructure for this game, we are interested in hosting demo games and essentially renting out virtual real estate for the mini-missions. Within the infrastructure of "Activating Play," different companies will submit their demo games as trials and for testing before they go out on the market. The length of time that these demo games will be active will be decided by the individual sponsors, and will thus have to keep players constantly returning and playing so they don't miss any limited time offered games.

     We hope that you will be interested in developing a working relationship with us, and with "Activating Play," as its potentials are endless.