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The Unseen Introduction

I. General Research

A] Psychology and Perception

• Anthropology

- Sociocultural anthropology

- Media Anthropology and Visual anthropology

- Psychological anthropology

- Cognitive anthropology

- Digital anthropology

• Psychology

- Cognitive psychology

- Behavioural psychology

- Photo psychology

- Social Psychology

- Perceptual psychology

• Classical Conditioning

• Learnt Helplessness

• Positivism

• Direct and indirect realism

• Consciousness

• Cultural relativism

• Theory of Variation

• Cryptography

• Perception

• Stimulus

- How entertainment affects the population

- How it has affected the Lebanese population

B] Lebanon

• A rich culture

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• Communication about Lebanon

C] Image / Photography

• Types of Photography

- Street Photography

- Documentary/Social documentary Photography

- Photojournalism

• Different Photographers and their points of views: - Sean O’Hagan

- Henri Cartier-Bresson

- Stephen Shore

- Alain Joannes

- Lewis Hine

D] Interpretation

• Aesthetics

• How to interpret – What questions to ask

• Reading a photograph

E] The Gaming Industry

• Definition of Video Games

• Genres v Popular Genres

v Games with a purpose

• Benefits v On the mind

v On the body

• Serious Games v Cicada 3301

v Inside Disaster

v Syrian Journey

v Teen Pregnancy

v Sorted! Outsmart your Garbage

• Transmedia Games and Projects

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v Le Judas

v Half The Sky

v SOS Slaves

v Defiance

II. A Game in Lebanon

A] Interaction between Lebanese and technology

B] The inspirational Lebanese

• Inspiration for the project

• Examples of target audience

• Movements with purposes

III. The Project

A. Description

B. Client Brief

C. Target audience

D. Competition

E. Creative Strategy a. How?

b. Format

c. Support

d. Creative Brief

e. Project Constraints F. Communication Strategy

Conclusion

Bibliography

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The Unseen

Lebanon is a beautiful place. When we go abroad, we all talk about

Lebanon like this magical country that is misunderstood. “You can ski in the

morning and go down the beach for a swim in the afternoon” is a phrase we say to

every foreigner that crosses our path.

But in reality, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who’s done that. And to be

frank, I don’t think I’ve met that many Lebanese who have been in a quarter of

the areas of Lebanon.

With the garbage crisis, the political crisis, the lack of respect for the law,

Lebanese people have taken the liberty to diss and insult Lebanon with more ease.

We are bribed into keeping the wrong men in power because of the thirst for

money, while the entire country suffers from this greed and plunges deeper and

deeper into poverty and unemployment. With more and more businesses going

bankrupt, a part of the Lebanese youth has given up hope and flees the country the

moment they turn of age.

But that’s not all that the country is made of. Lebanon is one of the smallest

countries in the Middle East, and yet it is the one with the most diverse cultures. It

has been said that Lebanon is the Switzerland of the Middle East. In fact, Lebanon

is a melting pot of many different cultures: the city of Byblos itself has housed

around 17 different civilisations throughout History; the Lebanese population is

comprised of Druze, Catholics, Protestants, Shiia, Sunna (to name a few); Syrian,

Egyptian and Palestinian immigrants all from different social statuses; there are

Ethiopian churches being built for the many live-in workers who become a part of

the family. The Lebanese society has become used to diversity, and have adopted

the different mentalities of other cultures and personalised them as their own.

There are still many who think in a racist way, but in general much of the younger

generation is used to this diversity and are more open to changes. They think

more clearly thanks to the unlimited internet access showing them a world

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different than their own, and are full of enthusiasm towards changing Lebanon for

the better.

But just like there are believers in change and a better environment for future

generations, there are also those who have a longing to be Seen and seek constant

approval from society, removing all signs of originality and atypical thinking. For

some, getting into university isn’t about getting a proper education and

broadening your knowledge, but more of a chance to get the right connections and

–if you’re lucky- a proper life partner to spend the rest of your [barely] adult life

with. This type of Lebanese has the means, the time and the opportunities for

ameliorating Lebanon, but instead divert from all the gems we possess and instead

focus on being accepted by the small minded community who, unfortunately, are

only interested in the mainstream.

But those with the capacity to think in an innovative way lack only the

perspective of what their actions are capable of.

Is it possible to repair the Lebanese’s perception of Lebanon thru Transmedia

representations in a game? And if so, how?

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I. General Research In order to find an ingenious and camouflaged way of showing Lebanese the

potential of their country and what they can offer it, I first had to understand why

they are the way they are, and what makes Humans have a certain perspective on

their environment. There are a number of factual reasons we act the way we do,

engraved deep in our psychology and our heritage based on a number of stimuli.

The first part of my research circles around the things that makes us Human, what

makes us Lebanese, as well as general research about photography, interpretation,

and the Gaming World.

A] Psychology and Perception

Perception is the process of recognizing and interpreting sensory stimuli. It’s not

as simple as just seeing an object with your eyes. Perception is the ability to be

aware of the object, its’ purpose, its’ characteristics, and its’ differentiation from

other objects that might appear similar. An example I especially like to use is the

scene of The Little Mermaid where Ariel (the mermaid) brushes her hair with a

fork. It’s not out of stupidity, on the contrary; she was simply unaware of the use

humans attributed to it and gave it the closest possible interpretation she could

think of.

A person’s mind fills up with data about everything that’s around them thru their

5 senses, that each react to different stimuli. But to be able to understand how the

latter is involved with the former, there were several subjects that had to be

looked up:

• Anthropology Anthropology is the study of humans and their societies in the past and present.

Psychology, which speaks of the soul, is considered part of Anthropology.

Anthropology is divided into several sub-categories that tackle different aspects of

humans and their connections to the world.

- Sociocultural anthropology

Cultural anthropology is the study of how one’s culture by looking into customs,

institutions and general knowledge, which helps understand people make sense of

the world around them, while social anthropology is the study of

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the relationships of the whole amongst each other, meaning a closer look at

sociology and history. Meaning, just like Anthropology is the study of societies of

the past and present, sociocultural anthropology is a mixture of both the society

and the culture of each civilization.

- Media Anthropology and Visual Anthropology

The goal in Media Anthropology - the anthropology of mass media – is to

understand every aspect of mass media, ranging from media production

(producers) down to media reception (audiences). It is therefore important to

follow audiences in their everyday responses to media.

With the help of a study about Media Anthropology, we can better understand

how Serious Games are created and how to attain to the target audience.

Similar to the former, visual anthropology also includes visual representations

including performances, museums and art.

- Psychological anthropology

This field studies the development of humans in a specific cultural group, taking

into consideration its’ history, language, and practices focusing on the human

cognition, emotion, perception, motivation and mental health. By studying the

psychological anthropology of Lebanese, we can further understand their attitude

towards their environment.

- Cognitive anthropology

Cognitive anthropology takes into consideration patterns of shared knowledge,

cultural innovation, and transmission over time and space to description

and interpretation of cultural forms. It is concerned with what people from

different groups (or cultures) know and how that implicit knowledge changes the

way people perceive and relate to the world around them. Which would explain

the change in Lebanese attitude into a more occidental mentality, following the

American Dream.

- Digital anthropology

Digital anthropology is the study of the relationship between humans and digital-

era technology. It is sometimes grouped with sociocultural anthropology. It is also

known as virtual anthropology. Understanding the relationship between Lebanese

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and Social Media is critical in order to understand how best to motivate them in

participation.

• Psychology

- Cognitive psychology

This section of psychology studies the topics that permit people to understand the

world around them; which are memory, problem solving, learning, and attention.

Cognitive psychology focuses on how the human mind interprets stimuli from our

senses and how we come to behave when exposed to said interpretations.

- Behavioural psychology

Our behaviours towards our surrounding stimuli come from a number of factors

that we have been subjected to at a young age, whether personal or environmental

factors. Behavioural psychology analyses the way we behave in order to

understand our actions. Behaviourists believe in the importance role that a

person’s inheritance plays, including what we have been praised and punished for

our entire lives.

- Photo psychology

Photo psychology is best described as Reading Pictures—a profound new way of

looking and thinking about photographs. (To understand more, see section D in

General Research)

- Social Psychology

Social psychology often employs that we are prone to social influence even when

no other people are present, such as when watching television, or following

internalized cultural norms. Social psychologists typically explain human

behaviour as a result of the interaction of mental states and immediate

social situations.

- Perceptual psychology

Perceptual psychology is related to cognitive psychology that is concerned

specifically with perception. Any time we problem-solve, make a decision or

make a memory, we are using an example of perceptual psychology. Gerard

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Egan and Robert Bolton believed that we act in accordance with our perception of

a given situation.

And while nativists believe we are born with perceptual abilities, empiricists

believe that we are not born with perceptual abilities but instead that we learn

them, then it’s not too late for any Lebanese to learn how to perceive in a new

way.

• Classical Conditioning

Classical Conditioning is a learning process used primarily to train animals, but

can be applied on humans just as well. It is the learning process of subjecting an

individual to a neutral stimulus and then exposing them to a conditioned stimulus.

Therefore, we become unconsciously trained to respond in a certain way.

• Learnt Helplessness

Learned Helplessness is a behaviour typical of an individual (more commonly

seen with abused animals or a person suffering from any type of abuse) that has

constantly endured repeated abusive stimuli and is unable to escape or avoid, after

which the individual learns that it is helpless, has lost control over the situation,

and gives up trying.

• Positivism Positivism is best described with the phrase “Seeing is believing”. We use our

sensory experiences; interpret them through logic and reason to form affirmative

knowledge. Society, based on Positivism, operates according to general laws.

Therefore, by allowing the target audience to participate in an experience, there is

a higher chance of a change in their perception.

• Direct and indirect realism Direct realism is the belief that, just like Positivism, the experiences we live are

facts and are independent from our perceptions and our beliefs. Therefore, we

sense the world mostly as it is.

Indirect realism is the belief that we can only perceive the external world as we

see it based on our interpretations and our ideas, therefore a ‘representation’ of

what we believe the real world to be. Our ideas of the world are interpretations of

sensory input derived from an external world that is real.

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• Consciousness

Consciousness is the fact of being. Conscious is also being aware of something

within oneself, such as ideas and thoughts. It is defined

as: awareness, subjectivity, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness,

having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind. Max

Velmans and Susan Schneider wrote: "Anything that we are aware of at a given

moment forms part of our consciousness, making conscious experience at once

the most familiar and most mysterious aspect of our lives."

• Cultural relativism

Cultural relativism is the principle that an individual person's beliefs and activities

should be understood by others in terms of that individual's own culture.

Immanuel Kant believed that all of our experiences of the world are mediated

through the human mind, which structures perceptions according to concepts of

time and space, whereas William Graham Sumner called attention to the fact that

one's culture can limit one's perceptions.

• Theory of Variation

Variation is the theory of learning and experience that explains how a learner

might come to see, understand, or experience a given phenomenon in a certain

way. There are critical aspects of a phenomenon that learners must simultaneously

be aware of and focus on in order to experience that phenomenon in a particular

way.

• Cryptography Cryptography is the use of a secure technique of communication in the presence

of outsiders. When reading cryptography, the unfamiliar user reads apparent

nonsense. The use of this technique will be beneficial during the revelation of

different clues that the players must decipher.

• Perception Everything we perceive around us is registered thru our senses. We all have the

same basic definitions of objects, but not all of us visualize the same images in

our minds. We feel a different rush based on our interpretation of the objects

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around us, in particular how they relate to our beliefs or knowledge of the world.

So it is possible to misinterpret objects even when 100% functional.

• Stimulus

The main senses of the body (sight, touch, smell, auditory, and taste) are what

generally are considered stimulus in order to understand perception. A stimulus

does not reach its’ absolute threshold if it doesn’t warrant a strong enough

response with the person in question and the body does not react. But the body

will integrate information and react appropriately if the stimulus is strong enough.

- How entertainment affects the population

We live in a world surrounded by means of entertainment, whether it’s movies,

games, books, series, etc… Each form of entertainment tells us a story, and

reveals a little about ourselves. We relate to the music we hear; we relate to

anything that crosses our path.

Violence in entertainment for example is viewed as placing violent thoughts in

those subjected to it. But the human mind is capable of differentiating right from

wrong. Parents would be afraid of letting their children play shooting games by

fear of making their children more aggressive. But from research, the fact that

children were able to experience simulations of these violent acts was enough to

push them as far away from these violent acts as much as possible.

Reality TV shows are also a factor that has led to a decrease in serious societal

issues like teen pregnancy: the amount of Pregnancy in Teens has been on a

decline for a long period of time, and some believe the fact that there are so many

TV shows about teen pregnancy has caused teens to become more careful because

they are aware of the struggles and consequences of their careless actions.

The amount of different means of entertainment also has educational purposes to

a certain extent. Society learns facts from constant exposure towards them. For

example, the Series “Suits”, a series about characters working in a law firm has

educated society of very valuable vocabulary as well as pushed them to learn

more about a line of work that doesn’t necessarily concern them.

- How it has affected the Lebanese population

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In comparison to the rest of the Arab world, Lebanon is one of the most open-

minded countries of the Middle East. We are more westernised, we are different.

A growing number of the newer generation don’t believe in the restrictions of

religion and old values that their parents have. In fact, a big number of the 1990s

kids that I know disagree with their parents. They’ve pushed their families to

adapt to their own changes. It wasn’t thru ease, but with years and generations of

struggle. (To understand more, see Cultural Relativism)

A great example would be a Lebanese band called “Who Killed Bruce Lee”.

They spent their childhood growing up listening to Rock and learning how to play

classic western songs. They ended up forming a band inspired by foreign

movements, while still mixing in their Lebanese heritage, only to create their own

style of music pleasing millions of fans around the world. They are the type of

artists who pushed Lebanese even farther in evolution.

B] Lebanon

• A rich culture

Lebanon has come a long way since it took its independency from the French in

1943. Agreed, there is a lot more room for advancement, be it politically, socially,

and economically. The population is struggling with debts that are stacking up;

there is a slight overpopulation in the cities and not enough expansions in other

regions, as well as an apparent contrast between the educated dwellers of the city

and those of the countryside. But despite all it’s Cons, Lebanon isn’t simply the

birth place of Hummus, it’s also filled with History to be learnt, with Adventures

to be taken, with Success Stories to be told.

Here are a few of many examples: Tripoli, one of Lebanon’s major cities of the

north, is a rather politically unstable area. Not many dare to go so far. And yet

Tripoli is well known for its’ old souks. A little lower on the map, you will find

Batroun. Unlike Tripoli, many have no problem going on a road-trip from Beirut

to Batroun for an enjoyable day at one of the many beaches on the North Coast.

On the opposite side, on the South Coast, you will find the ancient city of Tyr.

Aside from the beautiful and long stretch of sandy beach, you can also find old

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ruins dating back to the Roman era. But don’t mistake Tyr for the only old ruins

can be found in Lebanon, because the country is filled with old ruins and artefacts

that would keep any historian busy. These are just a simple few examples of the

different cultures we have in our country.

As a matter of fact, culturally, Lebanon is quite interesting. Canaanites,

Phoenicians, Byzantines and many more were residents in Lebanon, and did many

advancements that benefited the rest of the world, like creating the first modern

alphabet, being the richest traders, creating the first Wooden boats (made of Cedar

trees). And if you stand in one of the old Souks in Tripoli, you will be standing

where the Ottomans once did long before you.

Historically full, naturally beautiful. If you move out of the busy cities, you will

find many spots ideal for camping and long hikes through the mountains. In fact,

it has become one of the Lebanese Youth’s favourite pastime to go camping when

they’re not busy going to the different nightclubs. With abundance in rivers,

forests, hiking trails, Lebanon would make any nature and adventure lover crazy.

- Food apps: Zomato, Just Eat, What’s up Lebanon, Onlivery, No

Garlic No Onion.

- Games: Sorted! Outsmart your garbage, Captain Oil, Planet

Namnam, Haram el Maarifa, Lebanon Monopoly, Escape Game Beirut.

- Other: Brilliant Beirut, Makhsoum, Beirut Electricity, Eyes of Leb,

Lebanon Movie Guide, Touch Lebanon, Speed Ticket Leb.

• Communication about Lebanon

- Art books inspired by Lebanon

v The Woman Artist in Lebanon by Helen Khal (Found in the ALBA library)

Providing knowledge and pushing the idea that woman artists in Lebanon

shouldn’t be afraid to express themselves, creating unity to all woman as much as

the Lebanese.

v Rise Above Lebanon by Christian Ghammachi

A photography book portraying the beauty and wealth of Lebanon from Above.

v Le Dictionnaire de la Peinture Libanaise (Found in the ALBA library)

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As the title states, it is a dictionary of Lebanese paintings.

- Movements in Lebanon

v Beirut Madinati, a volunteer-led campaign group aiming to elect a municipal

council of qualified, politically unaffiliated individuals.

v Teens Who Code, a coding school for young adults and teens in Lebanon.

They later grow up to be coders and developers.

v Startup Megaphone, a marketing engine that directs Lebanon start-up

ecosystems to the world. v FuckUp Nights, a global movement founded by Lebanese who share,

question and celebrate stories of failed businesses and projects.

v Arab Arcade, a gaming and game creation community based in Lebanon for

the Arab world wanting to grow the game development community in

Lebanon.

v Showbox productions, created by Maya Feghali Rahal and Corine Chaddad

Stephan to promote the educational French performances towards young

Lebanese scholars.

v JSBeirut, a developers group that talk about coding and offer other

developers’ help.

v Wixel Studios, a mobile-app developer company that aims to create

applications in Lebanon with a purpose.

v Spica Twins, a back to school program teaching children how to code.

v Play Hard, a gaming hub with a goal to bring likeminded game enthusiasts

together and offering gamers the chance to compete for world-class titles.

- Blogs and websites

v Blog 961, Blog about tourisme, food, outings in Lebanon

v L’Hote Libanais, Guest houses and places to stay in Lebanon

v GO RURAL Lebanon, Rural events in Lebanon

v Lebtivity, platform with all the current events posted

v ABCycling Beirut, showing Lebanese where to cycle v Gino’s Blog, Blog about anything in Lebanon

- Magazines and articles

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v Lebanon Traveller, Secrets of Lebanon, Guide magazine

v Libnan News, virtual newspaper about what’s happening in Lebanon

v Agenda culturel, cultural events happening in Lebanon

v Positive Lebanon, highlighting the positive initiatives in Lebanon v Recycle Lebanon, initiative concerning sustainability in Lebanon

- Lebanese based events

v Lebanese Film Festival, event promoting Lebanese artists

v Ashrafieh 2020, event promoting car-free roads in Beirut v Live Love Lebanon events all across Lebanon to promote the different areas

The Lebanese know they live in a beautiful country. Some have Instagram

accounts are filled with eye-pleasing pictures of mountains, woods, lakes and

rivers. But what started out, as a way of showing the pleasant sceneries has

become a competition to “who can get the most likes and followers”. Because the

same people posting these beauty shots are the same people saying there is “no

hope for change”. But if they truly believed that statement, they wouldn’t have

made the effort to such captivating images of Lebanon all year-round.

C] Image / Photography

The word “Image” can be used in several contexts:

1- A visual obtained by a camera;

2- A mental representation or idea;

3- An impression that a person presents to others.

Just like the word itself, an image - or “photograph” - can also be taken as a

mental representation of the photographer’s point of view in order to show an

impression that resides in his mind. One photograph can have different meanings,

different interpretations. In fact, a photograph is a strong way of communicating

information, and can very easily be misunderstood. It’s up to the viewer to try to

understand what message the photographer wants to transfer thru their art.

There are many ways photographers get their message across thru different types

of photography, different types of expression.

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• Types of Photography

- Street Photography

Street photography is photography featuring unplanned encounters and random

incidents in a public space. It is mostly conducted for art. Street photography can

be absent of people, with environments or objects that project human character

aesthetically.

- Documentary/Social Documentary Photography

Documentary photography is photography used to chronicle events or

environments both significant and relevant to history and historical events and

everyday life with the goal being to accurately describe forbidden, unknown,

hidden, difficult to access places. Similarly, social documentary records what the

world looks like while focusing on either society or the environment.

Documentary photography is also associated with the desire for political and

social change, an important association when it comes to a country like Lebanon.

- Photojournalism

Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism that employs images in order to

tell a news story that demands honest and impartial work comprised of strictly

journalistic terms. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images.

Photojournalists create pictures that contribute to the news media.

Social media are playing a big part in revealing world events to a vast audience,

making platforms like Instagram one of the most popular Photojournalistic

applications of today.

• Different Photographers and their points of views

v Sean O’Hagan remarked that technology can never replace the “way of

seeing”.

v Henri Cartier-Bresson was a painter who took up photography after seeing

the “Three Boys at Lake Tanganyika” picture. He explained that photographs

could fix eternity in an instant. His first projects was of a coronation, but

turned his focus on the adoring subjects. His work shows the importance of

turning our attention away from what everyone else is focused on, and instead

look at our surroundings from a new perspective.

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v Stephen Shore believes that photography is a physical means of

communication at what the world resembles when you look at it from a

watchful perspective.

v Alain Joannes believes that images that “touch us”, pleasant or otherwise, are

those who leave a trace in our minds, unlike those who catch our eyes only for

a moment. It is those images that stay with us for the rest of our lives.

v Lewis Hine said in an interview that if a story could be told in words, then a

photographer wouldn’t need to carry around a camera, proving that

photography is just as critical to storytelling as the story itself.

D] Interpretation

• Aesthetics

Aesthetics is interpreting works of art and art movements., It is the study of

beauty and taste, or more simply, the philosophy of art. The word is derived

from Ancient Greek, meaning, "I perceive, feel, sense". Aesthetics, just like any

type of interpretation when it comes to art, is subjective, relative only to the

viewer.

• How to interpret – What questions to ask

In order to understand what a photograph is trying to communicate, a viewer must

complete a unique set of challenges in order to properly read a photograph. In

order to correctly interpret an image, there are five "W" questions: who, what,

where, when and why? v Who or what do you see?

v When was this photograph taken — what is happening in the photograph? v Where was this photograph taken?

v Why did the photographer select these particular elements to include in the

photograph? What don’t you see? v Why did the photographer emphasize certain elements and not others? What’s

in focus? Is only one person or element in focus, or are many elements in

focus?

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v Why did the photographer take the picture at this moment? What happened

before or after this picture was taken? v Why did the photographer take the picture from this angle? What might the

scene have looked like from another vantage point — from left, right, behind,

above, or below?”

• Reading a photograph

There are some guidelines used as a basis of understanding how to see two-

dimensional representations of three-dimensional space. If looked at as a formula,

the guidelines would look like the following:

Subject Matter + Form + Medium + Context = Content

We can come to a conclusion about the content of a photograph based on these 4

elements, expressing in words the representation contained inside the image.

Using intuition to find the meaning of a photograph might not always be as

accurate as taking the time to read what the photographer is expressing.

D] The Gaming Industry As with any other form of entertainment, Games play a big role in our

psychological being, sometimes even changing our perceptions of different

elements. Rare are the people who don’t enjoy playing games, be it electronic,

social, political, economical or other. Our lives are filled with games constantly

being played. Games are a great tool for educational purposes as every game is

based on a minimal amount of truth, no matter how absurd. Some want to play a

role, others want to tease their brains, but we all want to be entertained, to

complete the goals we choose to fulfil. Games are a form of representation of the

reality we live in, making it a little easier to go about the world, feeling like we

are not alone.

• Definition of Video Games A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user

interface to generate visual feedback on a TV or computer screen. The

word video in video game implies any type of display device that can produce

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two- or three-dimensional images. Video games are sometimes believed to be

a form of art, but this designation is controversial.

• Different Genres of games

There are several popular and well known genres of games, including Action,

Adventure, Role-Playing, Simulations, Strategy, Sports, MMOs, Musical, Casual,

Party, Programming, Logic and Trivia.

• Video Game Genres with a Purpose v Advergame: Advergames are games made to advertise a product,

organization or point of view. Most advergames are usually simple and are

found online.

v Art game:Art games are used to put art on a spotlight or to understand and

study the effects of games on the audience. They tend to have a unique and

unusual look in order to stand out for its’ complexity or aesthetic design.

v Casual game:Casual games are usually games that need a small amount of

strategy and are pretty simple. They are games with a small amount of

commitment and the players don’t need special skills to play. They are low

cost games with the purpose to entertain and are more of a pastime.

v Educational game: Educational games are, like the name implies, used for

educational purposes. They are mostly targeted towards young children, but

there are more complex educational games for adults. An example would be

Duolingo, a language teaching game.

v Electronic sports: Electronic Sports games are usually directed to “hard-

core” audiences, played at a professional level. They require high reaction

speed and coordination, or a high level of macro and micro management to

reach success.

v Serious game: Serious games are games that promote education, science, and

social change, among other qualifications, intending to educate a player. Some

games don’t even have a goal or ending, instead choosing to teach players a

life lesson.

• Benefits - On the mind

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v Career Boost: Playing games encourage leadership traits because it fills the

players with motivation and a confidence boost. It also improves fast decision

making in the case an office crisis comes up.

v Learning: Some games are based on historical events as inspiration for their

stories, tickling a player’s (child or adult) curiosity in discovering more about

the story they’re immersed in. It often leads to a lifetime appreciation for the

subject they are into.

v Slow aging: The fact that a user uses their problem-solving skills, memory,

leads to an increase in cognitive functioning, especially with older players.

v Making new friends: Although people believe playing video games make a

person antisocial, playing a game online has become a new popular form of

socialising since players need to work together to solve problems.

v Faster Decisions: Since there is new information being displayed quickly

during play, players are forced to adapt, often darting their eyes all around the

screen to assess the situation. In fact, those who play fast-paced games tend to

make decisions much quicker than non-players.

v Less Bullies: When players have the possibility of assuming the role of both

the bad guy and the hero, this raises awareness to the wrongdoing resulting in

a greater sense of remorse over the actions taken.

- On the body

v Improving Vision: The assumption that playing too much video games hurts

your vision is true in the case where a player sits too close to the screen in a

dark room. Otherwise, with about 10 weeks of play, the ability to discern

between different shades of grey is increased.

v Making us more physical: Putting aside the games that demand whole-body

interaction, even sport games requiring simple handheld controllers can lead

children to participate in the same skills outdoors.

v Eases pain: Playing video games are a common way of distracting ourselves

from both physical and mental pain because we tend to pay attention to

something else. In fact, playing produces a painkiller response in our brain.

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v Cuts cravings: There is a reduction in desire for vices like overeating,

smoking or drinking after playing a game (24% to be exact based on one

study).

v Stress reduction: Most of the time, playing a game reduces heart rates and

adrenaline responses by around 50 percent.

• Serious Games

As seen in its’ definition, most Serious Games have as a primary purpose to make

the users aware of what they are experiencing, as well as educating them. Even if

it doesn’t push them towards making any changes, it gets the message across

which a first step.

v Cicada 3301: A game rumoured to recruit intellectuals by having them

decipher the hidden cryptic messages.

v Inside disaster: Experience the Haiti Earthquake after chock as you play as an

aid worker, a survivor or a journalist.

v Syrian Journey: A simple 2-minute game highlighting the struggles of

refugees in the hopes of finding an escape to safe living.

v Teen Pregancy: A fun 30-second advergame demoting teen pregnancy.

v Sorted! Outsmart your garbage: A casual game launched by a group of

Lebanese inspired by the current garbage crisis in Lebanon with a goal to

educate Lebanese on how to sort their garbage properly.

v Aurora, Hope and Fun: A pending project created in the hope of raising

awareness and money for cancer children, with the hope of giving patients the

strength to keep up the battle.

v City Builder: An educational game aiming to teach children about urbanism

and letting them construct their ideal city.

• Transmedia Games

v Le Judas: A transmedia game composed of several episodes where the user

needs to crisscross thru several media in order to apprehend the culprit of the

murder. The top 10 players ended up featuring in the last episode.

22

v Half The Sky Movement: This movement promoting gender equality also

allows users to unlock different funds for donations. There is a book, a

documentary, short videos and Facebook and mobiles games.

v SOS Slaves: Accompanied by a documentary called “Sands of Silence”, this

game puts users on a journey as a victim of human trafficking.

v Defiance: A mixture of Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, this game aims

to progress hand in hand with a TV Show.

Games in Lebanon have reached a standstill; there are countless applications

being made every months, some with a deeper purpose like “Aurora, Hope and

Fun” aiming to give children the motivation to fight their cancer. But Lebanon is

facing a much bigger problem, the indifference of its’ population. And although a

Transmedia Game might not be the ultimate solution, it’s the best way to raise

awareness and educate the population by making them participate in the game

about their own country to let them see how much they don’t actually know.

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II. A Game in Lebanon Although not at the same speed as the western world, Lebanon is developing

pretty quickly when it comes to the technological world. There are applications

for food, outings, banks, delivery systems, reviews, movies, and games.

A] Interaction between Lebanese and Technology A number of gaming companies are opening left and right, trying to bring the

latest additions to the tech world from a Lebanese point of view.

Game Cooks, a mobile game studio, and aims to create a console game in the near

future. Wixel Studios have created several advergames with several satiric

messages tackling different issues in Lebanon. But none are strong enough to

attack the real issue at hand: Lebanese have lost faith in their country. With all the

applications, the installations, the publications, there is a link missing that should

be filled. They entertain, but not enough to cause action, merely distract.

There is a missing connection between the concepts created and what the users

are receiving from these said projects. Rise Above Lebanon, for example, uses

photography to show the beauty of Lebanon from a new percpective, but the only

interaction between him and his target audience are the amounts of likes received

on the Instagram page. There hasn’t been a rise in paragliding, or an increase in

campers discovering the country; instead, there is an increase in followers,

looking at the beauties of Lebanon from inside four walls.

B] The inspirational Lebanese

• Inspiration for the project Those who have decided to divert from the norm, those who try to see clearly the

faults we don’t correct, those who are willing to live in a better future, inspired

my project. They are people pushing towards change, the out-of-the-box thinkers.

They are the individuals who are ready to get lost and are willing to uncover what

has been right under their nose the whole time.

• Examples of target audience

Here are a few examples of acquaintances that have sparked an interest in this

project:

24

- Karl Viranian (26 Male) explores Lebanon with a group of campers and

uploads weekly Instagram posts, showing unseen areas;

- Ousama Khani (57 Female) takes her grandchildren, her nieces and nephews,

and any other family member’s children to different cultural activities every

Saturday afternoon, to keep them interested in their culture and heritage;

- Michael Najjar (27 Male) has created different public furniture so people can

be more comfortable walking around the streets of Beirut;

- Nay Nseir (23 Female) is against the mainstream Lebanese lifestyle, but

refuses to leave her country because she feels she can help it in the future;

- Raja Zakhour (24 Male) promotes Lebanese Architecture thru social media,

from different perspectives.

• What has already started Movements with Purposes

Lebanese entrepreneurs have already started to inspire change in the general

public. There have been countless protests in the past years tackling different

subjects such as the absence of a president or the continuous garbage crisis;

movements such as Live Love Beirut that try to show a new perspective through

social media; initiatives such as Ashrafieh 2020 promoting more car-free zones all

around the city of Beirut; and apolitical parties such as Beirut Madinati, who tried

to instate a group of people into the municipality of Beirut without any political

affiliations.

The information researched can explain my personal assessment of who Lebanese

are. Psychology helps understand why Lebanese think the way they think, Learnt

Helplessness has made it clear that Lebanese are at a stand-still and have given up

on a more positive change. Anthropology helped me realise the traditions

Lebanese still pass on to their young, both positive and negative. Classical

Conditioning shows that it in fact is possible to teach Lebanese to look from a

new perspective, while exposing them to Positivism. My target audience have

given me the hope that there are the elite few who choose a better lifestyle, and a

visual stimulus is the most used medium. Using a game adds a faster response rate

and more interaction between the public and the project.

25

III. The Project A. Description

The goal of this project is to annihilate the indifferent perceptions of the Lebanese

in the hopes of making them more active in their own country. The end result is to

make them look at their country as though they are visiting for the first time, like

tourists, but with the amazement of a child witnessing something new and

exciting.

B. Client Brief The client is the Ministry of Tourism of Lebanon who feel that in order to raise

the number of tourists, there must first be a positive word of mouth coming from

the proud Lebanese themselves. They will be expecting more participation from

the Lebanese towards the sights of Lebanon, with more personal coverage on

Social Media. I will be doing that thru a Transmedia Game about Lebanon.

C. Target audience This project has no strict audience; it is directed to any age group that feels drawn

to the purpose of the game. Age doesn’t reflect mentality, making this game open

to any participant. However, the primary target is the freshly graduated Lebanese

youth who have both the time and the imagination needed for the project to

succeed.

Primary audience: The unconventional thinkers who are interested in more

interaction with their country, who feel like there is more than one way of looking

at things; the out-of-the-norm thinkers (20-30)

Secondary audience: Family members who enjoy sharing their knowledge and

culture with their young. The mothers and fathers who take their children on

Sunday trips to new experiences. Those who immerse themselves and their circle

in new insight. (40-60)

General Audience: The curious Lebanese who are looking for more than the

perspectives they’ve been subjected to. They both feel and know that there is

more to the country that what they already know, they hang on to a hope and

refuse to give up on it.

26

D. Competition

• Defiance: A game and TV show series working the storyline in parallel. (See

more in Transmedia games)

• Le Judas (See more in Transmedia Games)

E. Creative Strategy

a. How? My target audience spends the time they aren’t doing activities on different Social

Media, an average of 65% of their time.

In those 65%, they spend about 20% on Snapchat, 40% on Instagram, 40% on

Facebook.

I choose to use more than 1 main social media platform, ranging from Snapchat

(that will post the top stories), Facebook (with a Facebook Page that will be

launched from the beginning with a teaser campaign), and an Instagram page

posting different teasers and clues. The users will also use an application they will

upload the clues on.

b. Format I chose to use a Transmedia Game as a platform, because based on my research,

Games are a fun way of learning, and the interactivity makes the players feel

concerned. There will be a big launching competition, and after the end of the

competition, any user can participate and upload their data if they choose to. They

will be using both technological tools and different materials.

c. Support I will be printing on flyers, on posters, a hot air balloon the players need to spot,

spots with radio hosts, a van they need to spot on the road, as well as bracelets

and small souvenirs with either the slogan, a clue, or simply the logo. They will

also be provided by an unusual map.

d. Creative Brief Promise: If you look closely, you will see more clearly the true Lebanon

Reason why: You will interact with Lebanon thru the game creating an

unforgettable perspective that you can use for the rest of your life.

27

Ton: Mysterious, Intriguing, Fun, Playful, Interactive, and Educational

(Sources of pictures: Taj Jammal)

28

e. Project Constraints I’m going to need a lot of sponsoring and funding from the Ministry; any

problems will be solved with the help of the Ministry of Tourism. I will also need

to ask for permission from all the participating municipalities of the cities I will

be working with (and promoting), and finally some sponsoring from RedBull.

F. Communication Strategy It is not clear now which medias will be used as a whole, there will be a micro site

that will be revealed in the beginning of the competition, the site itself needs to be

unlocked based on what the users complete of the missions. The users will hear

from it with a selection of “Chosen Ones” who will be entered in the competition

(if they choose to accept). At the starting of the competition date, the platforms

will be revealed to the public.

29

I am aware that drastic change is asking too much of Lebanon. Change is a

big word; it is an act that demands generations upon generations of time and

effort. But I do believe that with time, just as it has been thru the course of

mankind, a selection of great people created something that created change long

after they were gone. Lebanese people are peculiar people, they have what it takes

to be Great because of the harsh and uncomfortable environment they live in,

pushing them to create their own comfort. They can however achieve even greater

things; they simply need a push in the right direction and look at their

surroundings in a different perspective.

30

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