Gamifying The Classics

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SecretBuilders is one of those online virtual worlds where kids can go create an avatar, buy clothing and personal items for it, and generate online currency by playing games.  In SecretBuilders in particular there is a heavy educational element, and they’re about to take it to the next level with the help of Oxford University Press.

The SecretBuilders’ “50 Great Reads Before 15” initiative will gamify such classics as Alice in Wonderland, Macbeth, Arabian Nights, Pride & Prejudice, and Don Quixote as mobile and social games.

“When it comes to mobile or social games, the only choices for kids are either chocolate fudge or chocolate-covered broccoli! We want to create games that are strawberries – experiences that are both delicious and nutritious,” said Bob Brattesani, Chief Creative Officer at SecretBuilders.

 (See Macbeth in there?  I don’t know whether that’s the only Shakespeare in the mix.)

I don’t have technical details about what they’re planning, although the press release goes on to mention a “spot the differences” game based on Alice in Wonderland.  That’s probably the bulk of the project — using the *content* from the classics, and applying it into traditional games.

They appear to be aiming big, though, with the suggestion that these new gamified classics will be available on “NOOK® by Barnes & Noble, iTunes, GooglePlay, Kindle, Blackberry AppWorld and other app stores.”  In other words, everything.  Now, see, the developer in me sees this and immediately thinks “They’ve grabbed onto one of those pre-existing frameworks that works on all platforms, and they’re just going to jam their content into it.”  Phonegap, maybe? Appcelerator?


What do you think?  Intrigued?  I’m always optimistic about this stuff, but I have to be realistic as well. I’ve covered lots and lots and lots of Shakespeare games here over the years.  Most often with fewer press releases and buzzwords.  Normally a game comes out and we play it and then we decide.  I do not let my kids use such online services yet, so I can’t use them as my test audience.  I think I’m going to wait and see on this one and hope that I scan score some preview copies once they start churning out actual apps.
Disclosure – Greg Titus, one of the investors in SecretBuilders, is a friend of mine. Although he forwarded me the press release, he has no knowledge of anything that I’m writing here.  Once I post this I do plan on pestering him to see whether I can get any sort of inside scoop or maybe even an interview.

Al Pacino on Meryl Streep

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How’s that for a title?

Actually, Mr. Pacino is talking about Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline doing a read-through of Romeo and Juliet this past week.  It’s actually a pretty cool idea when you think about it – can a 62yr old actress play a 13yr old girl?  Absolutely.

Pacino was in the headlines again talking about Free Shakespeare  and how, “When I couldn’t afford
anything, I was sitting there seeing George C. Scott in ‘The Merchant of Venice,’” he told Speakeasy on the lawn outside the Delacorte. “It’s Joe Papp. He was a radical and he was a visionary, and I loved him so much. It was just great being around him. You could see 50 years later, it’s still going on.”

Go read that second article in particular (it has more Pacino), and try to do it *not* in Pacino’s famous growly voice. It’s so much more entertaining if you read it in character. Random shouts of HOO-AH! are not required.

I Have A Question

~ duane ~ 8 Comments

A question this morning from the peanut gallery:

If you were to direct a Shakespeare play, which, where, and why?  Which play would you direct?  Where would you set it?  And why would you set it there?

My initial response to this, knowing my audience, was “I have a bunch of people who have directed a bunch of plays, so we’ll hear about what choices they made in the past.”

Hence, we’re cutting that off at the pass.  This question must be answered in the conditional / future tense.  Which play would you direct, where would you set it, and why would you set it there?

(That word has now lost all meaning to me.  Would would would.  I hate when that happens.  Looks like mould now.)

Sir Kenneth!

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Sir Laurence Olivier. 

Sir Ian McKellen. 

Sir Patrick Stewart. 

Kenneth Branagh.

One of these things is not like the others…..
BUT WAIT!
As part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, Mr. Branagh can now count himself among that pantheon of Shakespearean gods – he, too, has been knighted and shall now be Sir Kenneth.
I could swear that we’d had a discussion about his lack of Sir awhile back, and I’d gone googling for whether he was or was not in fact knighted.  But now I can’t find it.  So it was a bit of a surprise to me to learn that yes it is finally official, but that it only just happened within the last couple of days.
Congratulations, Sir Kenneth!

Digging Up The Curtain Theatre

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I know I’m a bit behind on some stories.  Bear with me while I play catch-up?  You’re the best.

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of the Bard’s old stomping grounds — ruins of a famous 16th-century theater, buried below the streets of modern London. Known in its heyday as the Curtain Theatre, it’s often been eclipsed by its more famous younger sibling, the Globe.

I saw a whole bunch of links about this one but I’m going to go with the NPR story because you can get the story in whatever way work best for you – audio or transcript, with lots of pictures.

On the one hand I agree that it is cool to have this piece of history.  But I just have to admit, archaeology is not my thing.  They mention “one of the nicest things they found” was a bit of a pot being used as a mousetrap.

…

Umm…..oh.  Yay?  I guess if you can’t draw a straight line between a thing and Shakespeare (and his works), it’s just not my cup of tea.  Your mileage may vary.