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This document provides guidance for launching and performing the initial operations of the RAGE Foundation (RF), legally established in October 2018 to serve as the RAGE Ecosystem Authority. The document contains the proposal of lines of actions and specific activities to be undertaken by the RF to pursue its mission and, more specifically, to implement the successive stages of the RAGE Exploitation Plan. These proposals are to be discussed and agreed upon by the RF Board in its intial meetings, to be implemented as soon as it becomes feasible along the 2019-2021 period. This full document has been discussed and approved in the final RAGE consortium meeting in Amsterdam, January 29, 2019. Given the nature and aims of this document, its priority 1 readers are the full members of the RF and especially its Board and Executive Committee.

The focus of this deliverable in conjunction with parallel activities highlighted in D9.6, the Exploitation Plan, is the development of a sustainable, viable ecosystem with emphasis and focus on the long-term sustainability of the platform, community and project outputs beyond the current project funding ending in early 2019. The purpose of this deliverable is to provide detailed feedback, analysis and a summary of the rationale in support of the recommendation to adopt the hybrid product solution and matchmaking business model as previously identified as a candidate model presented (In deliverable D7.3) for the RAGE Ecosystem. The model will enhance the likelihood of the long-term sustainability of the RAGE product and service outcomes beyond the lifecycle of the current EU funding model.

The Exploitation Plan supports consortium partners in defining how the RAGE Ecosystem will operate once our H2020 project ends. This version 2 of 3 builds on top of the overall design described in version 1 (Deliverable D9.5), and it is mainly devoted to: i. Describing how the different elements of the initial Business Model will be implemented, how the activities of the Ecosystem will be supported and the kind of resources and actions needed to launch and operate it within the space of the Applied Gaming industry. ii. Providing additional definitions, proposals and insights to guide discussions with the Gaming industry (in the wider sense) stakeholders and market players, aimed at refining and validating the best possible structure, the most effective operations of the Ecosystem and the critical success factors for its actual launching.

This deliverable deals with the asset integration methodology employed in the RAGE project. A considerable amount of the effort of the RAGE project has been directed towards addressing the technical challenges of asset integration and interoperability. All RAGE partners engaged in asset development adopted a pragmatic approach to integration and interoperability and where practical adopted the use of Open Standards and Specifications supported by a defined project architecture. Asset developers adopted a consistent approach to development languages. The four RAGE Game development partners each included a number of assets within their development processes and in producing the RAGE pilot Games. Their experience of the asset-based development methodology is detailed in this deliverable. Where potential gaps in the interoperability integration activity were identified, specifically in interoperability between the output of games data and Learning Management systems, the project undertook specific “proof of concept” work to address this. Where proposed activity was identified by the development community or through consultation as being problematic or as a potential barrier to adoption, for example the case of a formal nomenclature, effort was directed to more productive activity. This approach unearthed technical challenges, which were managed by the RAGE project Integration and interoperability group All issues were successfully resolved during the research and development phase of the project. Ultimately only minor integration problems occurred and these are documented within the Game development partners input into this deliverable. The RAGE project’s pragmatic approach to integration and interoperability has been very well received by those engaging with the project also serving to “cross the chasm” from both technical and philosophical perspectives and between academia and Industry. In doing so the project has achieved a number of the key primary objectives. Conceptually, from a technical perspective, the RAGE asset-based approach to Applied Game development has been validated.

This document presents the results of the RAGE evaluation and validation studies conducted so far, their methods and their outcomes. Formative and preliminary summative evaluations of the RAGE assets, the ecosystem services and processes, and empirical findings of the first round of game pilots with end-users are reported.

The purpose of the deliverable is to identify and present potential business models for the Rage Eco-system. This report builds on the previous deliverables within Work-Package 7(WP7) which provided a summary of business models historically operated within the Leisure and Applied Games (D7.1) a Value chain analysis (D7.2) and an outline of the stakeholder consultation process (D7.3). The report has been developed alongside the WP8 dealing with evaluation, and WP9 dealing with the exploitation plan. The report provides descriptions of four potential business models and these are distilled to three final candidate business models for the RAGE Eco-system; the first being a multi sided matchmaking model, the second a product model and finally a hybrid model which combines a product, solutions and matchmaking model. Informed by consultation, a firm recommendation is made, together with a supporting rationale, that the RAGE Eco-system portal adopts the hybrid product, solutions and matchmaking model. In making this recommendation the report also highlights the likely requirement to develop an interim transitional model whilst the portal becomes established.

Despite the impressive growth of the video game industry in Europe and a growing interest emerging in that industrial sector, there is still a knowledge deficiency in respect of its characteristics, and its contribution to urban and regional development. This paper explores the characteristics of the industry communities, location factors, types of games developed, tools used, marketing and sales channels and economic impact. This research is based on data collected in Portugal through a survey of 70 economic agents, under the auspices of the First Atlas of video games Industry in Portugal research project. The paper concludes with an elaboration of the opportunities and challenges associated with the industry and the potential role of public and institutional policies in supporting its development and sustainability., Apesar do grande crescimento do sector dos Videojogos no contexto europeu e do crescente interesse que tem despertado, pouco se sabe sobre as suas características e o seu contributo para o desenvolvimento de novos caminhos de crescimento urbano e regional. Este trabalho explora as características do seu tecido empresarial, os fatores de localização e as redes criadas, tipos de jogos desenvolvidos, ferramentas utilizadas, canais de marketing e vendas, e impacto económico. O artigo desenvolve-se a partir de dados recolhidos em Portugal através de um inquérito respondido por 70 agentes económicos, e resulta do trabalho desenvolvido no âmbito do projeto ‘Primeiro Atlas do Sector dos Videojogos em Portugal’. O artigo conclui com uma reflexão acerca das oportunidades e desafios associados ao sector dos Videojogos, bem como do papel que as políticas públicas podem ter no suporte a novos caminhos de desenvolvimento urbano e regional relacionados com este sector de atividade., This work has been partially supported by national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) with reference UID/CEC /50021/2013 and by the EC H2020 project RAGE (Realising an Applied Gaming Eco-System); http://www.rageproject.eu/; Grant agreement No 644187.

This paper describes the structural architecture of the RAGE repository, which is a unique and dedicated infrastructure that provides access to a wide variety of advanced technologies (RAGE software assets) for applied game development. These software assets are reusable across a wide diversity of game engines, game platforms and programming languages. The RAGE repository allows applied game developers and studios to search for software assets for inclusion in applied games. The repository is designed as an asset life-cycle management system for defining, publishing, updating, searching and packaging for distribution of these assets. The RAGE repository provides storage space for assets and their artefacts. It will be embedded in a social platform for networking among asset developers and other users. A dedicated Asset Repository Manager provides the main functionality of the repository and its integration with other systems. Tools supporting the Asset Manager are presented and discussed. When the RAGE repository is in full operation, applied game developers will be able to easily enhance the quality of their games by including advanced game technology assets.

Despite the impressive growth of the video game industry in Europe and a growing interest emerging in that industrial sector (e.g. from the European Commission), there is still a knowledge deficiency in respect of its characteristics and regional impact. By mapping the most relevant active agents participating in this economic activity in Portugal, this paper explores the characteristics the industry communities, types of games developed, tools used, marketing and sales channels and economic impact. This research is based on data collected in Portugal through a survey of 70 economic agents, under the auspices of the First Atlas of video games Industry in Portugal research project. The paper concludes with an elaboration of the opportunities and challenges associated with the industry and the potential role of public and institutional policies in supporting its development and sustainability.

This document describes the first bundle of core WP2 (user data analytics) serverside components, including their specifications, usecases, and working prototypes. Included assets contain a description of their current status, and links to their full designs and downloadable versions.

This deliverable (D1.4) is an intermediate document, expressly included to inform the first project review about RAGE’s methodology of software asset creation and management. The final version of the methodology description (D1.1) will be delivered in Month 29. The document explains how the RAGE project defines, develops, distributes and maintains a series of applied gaming software assets that it aims to make available. It describes a high-level methodology and infrastructure that are needed to support the work in the project as well as after the project has ended.

This report presents a summary of the RAGE Stakeholder consultation methodology, process, instruments and activities, which inform parallel work packages in the RAGE project; specifically workpackage 8 (responsible for development of the evaluation framework) and workpackage 9 (concerned with exploitation and sustainability).

The results presented in this deliverable depict relevant aspects of the EU based Applied Game industry and its competitive landscape. This preliminary overview of the primary target market for the RAGE ecosystem identifies some of the key issues to be further investigated by the RAGE WP7 team through stakeholders/market consultations commencing in year 2 of the project. These findings will form as an integral part of the baseline needed to formulate a sustainable exploitation strategy for the RAGE assets and ecosystem.

This document presents the RAGE evaluation methodology. It provides the framework and accompanying guidelines for the evaluation and validation of the quality and effectiveness of the project outputs. Formative and summative evaluations of the different RAGE technologies and their underlying methodologies – the assets, the Ecosystem, and the applied games – will be carried out on the basis of this common framework.

This report provides a comparative analysis of the existing and emergent Business models currently employed in the Entertainment digital game industry (referred to in this report as the Leisure industry) and the “serious”, or in the context of the RAGE project and this report, the Applied Games industry. In conjunction with the accompanying WP 7.2 report providing a value chain analysis this report will inform the development of a business mode or models for the proposed RAGE ecosystem.

Paper presented at the 11th European Conference on Games-based Learning (ECGBL), October 5 – 6, 2017, Graz

The established (digital) leisure game industry is historically one dominated by large international hardware vendors (e.g. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo), major publishers and supported by a complex network of development studios, distributors and retailers. New modes of digital distribution and development practice are challenging this business model and the leisure games industry landscape is one experiencing rapid change. The established (digital) leisure games industry, at least anecdotally, appears reluctant to participate actively in the applied games sector (Stewart et al., 2013). There are a number of potential explanations as to why this may indeed be the case including ; A concentration on large-scale consolidation of their (proprietary) platforms, content, entertainment brand and credibility which arguably could be weakened by association with the conflicting notion of purposefulness (in applied games) in market niches without clear business models or quantifiable returns on investment. In contrast, the applied games industry exhibits the characteristics of an emerging, immature industry namely: weak interconnectedness, limited knowledge exchange, an absence of harmonising standards, limited specialisations, limited division of labour and arguably insufficient evidence of the products efficacies (Stewart et al., 2013; Garcia Sanchez, 2013) and could, arguably, be characterised as a dysfunctional market. To test these assertions the Realising an Applied Gaming Ecosystem (RAGE) project will develop a number of self contained gaming assets to be actively employed in the creation of a number of applied games to be implemented and evaluated as regional pilots across a variety of European educational, training and vocational contexts. RAGE is a European Commission Horizon 2020 project with twenty (pan European) partners from industry, research and education with the aim of developing, transforming and enriching advanced technologies from the leisure games industry into self-contained gaming assets (i.e. solutions showing economic value potential) that could support a variety of stakeholders including teachers, students, and, significantly, game studios interested in developing applied games. RAGE will provide these assets together with a large quantity of high-quality knowledge resources through a self-sustainable Ecosystem, a social space that connects research, the gaming industries, intermediaries, education providers, policy makers and end-users in order to stimulate the development and application of applied games in educational, training and vocational contexts. The authors identify barriers (real and perceived) and opportunities facing stakeholders in engaging, exploring new emergent business models ,developing, establishing and sustaining an applied gaming eco system in Europe.

Digital games constitute a major emerging technology that is expected to enter mainstream educational use within a few years. The highly engaging and motivating character of such games bears great potential to support immersive, meaningful, and situated learning experiences. To seize this potential, meaningful quality and impact measurements are indispensible. Although there is a growing body of evidence on the efficacy of games for learning, evaluation is often poorly designed, incomplete, biased, if not entirely absent. Well-designed evaluations demonstrating the educational effect as well as the return on investment of serious games may foster broader adoption by educational institutions and training providers, and support the development of the serious game industry. The European project RAGE introduces a comprehensive and multi-perspective framework for serious game evaluation, which is presented in this paper.

The JISC Observatory provides horizon-scanning of technological developments which may be of relevant for the UK’s higher and further education sectors.The JISC Observatory team has developed systematic processes for the scanning, sense-making and synthesis activities for the work. This paper summarises the JISC Observatory work and related activities carried out by the authors. The paper outlines how the processes can be applied in a local context to ensure that institutions are able to gather evidence in a systematic way and understand and address the limitations of evidence-gathering processes. The paper describes use of open processes for interpreting the evidence and suggests possible implications of the horizon-scanning activities for policy-making and informing operational practices.The paper concludes by encouraging take-up of open approaches in gathering and interpretation of evidence used to inform policy-making in an institutional context.