Forget "Super Mario Brothers" and "Grand Theft Auto."
An MSU graduate student is working to create an online text-based video game called "Ink" for student writers to compete against one another.
Kym Buchanan presented his educational version of "You Got Served" to MSU's Writing Center and Writing In Digital Environments Research Center, or WIDE, in the spring after using the game's format for a telecommunications course's final project.
Both organizations are now sponsoring the game's creation and production.
Ink is a different learning environment than usual, said Professor Bill Hart-Davidson, one of three co-directors of WIDE.
"The purpose of this game is to replace the fighting element (of typical games) with writing," he said. "The key to building status in this game would be to challenge someone to a writing duel."
Players can also gain status and points toward saving the world in the game by assisting other players with writing pieces, such as posting instructions to essay formats for other players, Hart-Davidson said, adding that points can be attained by judging the writing duels.
"One of the things we have as a goal is to support people doing innovative work and research that advances our knowledge in writing in digital environments," he said. "The idea is to build an incentive to help other people learn."
In an attempt to make the game more intriguing and eye-popping, Buchanan said he hopes to include images and sound, but that will only happen where the game warrants it.
"A good amount of it is words and text," Buchanan said. "People will have to read and write."
This game is unique because it's on a level students can relate to, said Writing Center Director Janet Swenson.
"This is a medium that a lot of students know a great deal about," she said. "But some adults are reluctant to take it seriously. Some teachers have writing assignments that are not parallel to students lives."
She said, even though some teachers are diversifying their course work, the online game has great potential to help students understand the process of writing.
Students who are interested in using the game as an educational tool will enhance their writing skills in various writing courses, she said.
The game is anticipated to be completed by spring 2006, said project manager David Sheridan.
Swenson couldn't confirm whether or not students who go to the Writing Center for help would receive encouragement from the staff to play the game but said the idea is worth consideration.
The game will not be targeted to students only, she said.
"We want a really rich mix," Swenson said, adding that incoming students, faculty members and everyday people will be encouraged to play the game.
