Game Information
| Title | Saving Magic |
| Presenter(s) | Brian Winn, Justin Girard, Liang Cui, David Ward, Vitor Matayoshi, Evan Cox, Loralee Pearman, and Katie Pastor |
| Session | Conference Reception, Game Exhibition, and Poster Session |
| Time | Thursday, October 16, 7:00p-10:00p |
| Location | Ballroom |
| Format | Game Exhibition |
| Description | The challenge of learning how to properly handle ones finances is that mistakes in real-life during the learning process can have serious and long-term consequences. Therefore, financial literacy is an important life skill for individuals to learn early in life. Unfortunately, it is not a topic that generates excitement in our youth. Saving Magic is an action-adventure game developed by the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab at Michigan State University to help address this issue.
In Saving Magic, dragons are stealing magic from the world. The player's ultimate goal is to defeat the dragons and free magic back into the world, thereby saving magic. To achieve this goal, the player must climb a series of towers, using the accelerometer of the mobile device to steer. As the player plays, he or she earns coins. These coins can be used in the in-game store to purchase additional spells, potions, as well as to customize the character. Saving Magic includes a feature-rich financial system. To 'save magic', the player must earn, save, and spend money wisely across the 16 levels of the game. The coins that are saved earn interest, even while not playing. The money earned can be put to good use to upgrade the character with new spells and abilities, as well as customize the character with new attire. The stealth goal of the game is to teach lessons that transcend the game, most notably the concept of savings accounts, spending and saving wisely, and managing resources. |