I'm at the Games for Change conference in New York.  The conference brings together people from nonprofits and the private sector to discuss the future of serious or educational games.

Most of the discussion boil down to how twitter or social networking are changing "the digital landscape" but there have been some interesting talks about how best to have more user interaction with games. 

So there are three basic models; the first are social playgrounds, which setup a space where people can do what they like.  Games like Sim City or even Second Life fall into this model.  The game developer create a basic framework and people 'build' the rest.  The second model is a linear game which allows you go along a specified path.  These are like Half Life, Sonic the Hedgehog etc. 

The last model, which is the most relevant to those creating games for the developing world is a hybrid model of the two.  Hybrid models present basic gameplay but allow users some level of adaptability. 

In terms of developing games for some of the emerging low-cost laptops like the $100 laptops, its very appealing to look at a hybrid model of gameplay.  When we're talking about young people who have never seen a computer before, asking them to create their own game or just putting them into a social playground might be a risky proposition.  However, if you're able to present a familiar gameplay, like playing a game of cricket or football, and then allow users to make small adaptations to the game; changing the way an avatar looks, having a chicken instead of a cricket bat etc.,  you allow that level of user modification without asking too much of someone new to gaming.

My battery is almost dead, more later.

Amil

Amil Husain is the Global Youth Coordinator for the UN Millennium Campaign.