BaltimoreGamer Podcast: Interview with “Let Me Think LLC”

(((Click for full audio interview here)))

Brian Doyle, Daniel Batson and Julia Lemich sit down with Gabriel Pendleton at Betascape to talk about thier game “My Own Biome” Betascape, and their company.

A primary goal of My Own Biome is to educate its players about ecology and the management of natural resources. As an educational tool, My Own Biome can be an integral part of an Earth Science curriculum.

Through playing this simulation game, players learn about organisms on the species level as well as the population level as they manage the living resources of each biome. In addition, each player must decide when and how to build recreational facilities in order to earn money to sustain his or her biome economically. In particular, it will help teach:

• The names, types and nature of plants and animals found in each of the ten biomes.
• The effect that the introduction of humans can have on an ecosystem.
• Techniques used in wildlife and ecosystem management.
• The damage caused by invasive species as well as the dangers in attempts to control them.
• The importance of biodiversity.
• The consequences of the extinction of a species.
• Some of the political elements involved in ecosystem management.
• The food web.

It is a simplified version of real-life environmental management, but My Own Biome gives its audience a chance to impact the livelihood of one or more biomes. This tool is perfectly tailored to the needs of today’s students. It will allow them to interactively experience the material and encourage a fun learning environment. Through the challenge, players will see how the dynamics of a plant or animal population impacts the availability of other species, and ultimately understand the relationships we have with our natural resources.