Reading, writing and playing - Rochester Institute of Technology

Reading, writing & playing: STORewORLD
An example of the stylish avatars in the online retail game StoreWorld. Students in the College of Imaging Arts and
Sciences designed all of the artwork, including the avatars, their outfits and the accessories.
StoreWorld
Game teaches
business
concepts
David Schwartz purchased displays,
clothing and décor and created his
virtual store.
Soon customers began shopping. On
this particular day, jeans were a big seller
and Schwartz, an associate professor of
interactive games and media, couldn’t help
but get a little excited when the stylish
avatars bought his products.
Welcome to StoreWorld, an online
retail game on Facebook that is designed to
teach students the fundamentals of running
a business.
The multi-disciplinary project involves
students from the E. Philip Saunders College
of Business, College of Imaging Arts and
Sciences and B. Thomas Golisano College of
Computing and Information Sciences.
“It is intended to introduce people to the
importance of business and the excitement
of business,” says Ashok Rao, Saunders
College dean.
The premise is that a player owns a
clothing and accessories store and has to
learn how to advertise, operate, manage
and compete against other retail shops and
their owners.
The game has built-in players with different
fashion tastes. Store owners have to figure
out what these characters, as well as other
store owners, want to buy and how much
they’ll pay for the product. Players also can
work in other people’s stores and there’s a
plaza where owners can show off products
to friends.
Players learn about advertising, price, location,
product selection, customer service and
the general costs of doing business.
CIAS students designed all of the artwork,
including the avatars, their outfits and the
accessories. Business students are working
on the business concepts, which will include
mini-games to teach players about specific
business principles. Golisano College students
are doing the programming.
The goal is to have a workable game for
the Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity
Festival May 5 and to use it in introductory
business classes next fall, Rao says. Schwartz,
who works with the students as the game’s
producer, says the game could also be used as
a recruitment tool for high school students.
“Eventually I want people to use it on their
cell phones and play the game across campus
and beyond campus,” says Rao, adding that
players will be able to invite friends to the
game. “It’s an interesting and exciting educational
experience.”
Mindy Mozer
Players in StoreWorld own a clothing and accessories store like the one above. They have to learn how to advertise,
operate, manage and compete against other retail shops.
SPRING 2012 | 29