This 1986 branching expert system was marketed as a game, and is a precursor to The Sims and other non-violent sociological games. I investigated it after reading about it in my history of computer games (citation needed) and saw especially that it purported to contain material from "Dr" Tim Leary.
it's a multichoice questionnaire which takes you through infancy,m childhood, adolescence etc, asking you how you would behave in certain situations - future situations are dictated by previous choices, thus allowing for statistics to be drawn up which in turn decide whether certain attempts (to chat up boys for an e.g.) are successful or not.
Despite being only text and radio buttons, the situations and responses are entertaining, penetrating and amusing, a sort of grown up Leisure Suit Larry.
you can play an online version here: http://www.playalterego.com/alterego
there's an interview with one of the contributors here: http://www.gnomeslair.com/2007/03/few-gnomish-questions-dr-peter-favaro.html
TIm Leary had nothing to do with Alter Ego. He did his own game for Electronic Arts called "Mind Mirror." Tim and I had many conversations. He didn't know a thing about technology, but loved being involved in it. He even died online.
ReplyDelete--Peter Favaro, Ph.D. (author and creator and programmer: Alter Ego)
Thanks Peter for the correction; I got this info from "High Score" by rusel demaria and johhny wilson.
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by how we could use the collective experience of gaming to "wake up" people who are unaware of their potential; how it could be used to re-energise group empathy and collective problem solving.
There's much to play and exploration; it helps us to practice scenarios before they crop up in real life.
My partner & I posited that a 2 player version of ALter EGo could allow for greater interaction; to see how relationships grow or change between people, as well as within.
Look 4wds to meeting in real life, Peter :)