Social Bomb
Social Bomb is a game about social circles and quantified reputation scores. The current version is designed to accommodate 15-20 players. Each player is awarded points for being near players with higher reputations, and penalized for being near players with lower reputations. Bonuses and penalties are applied according to overall social promiscuity and status. The player with the worst reputation score is the 'Social Bomb.' Their score will have the most negative impact on a social circle.
Social Bomb is designed to be played in real-world social environments. Players are given small devices that house a microcontroller, a radio transceiver, and a numeric display. When two players come within conversation distance, their scores are slowly averaged. This is reflected on the numeric displays, which serve as a constant reminder of who outranks who and what effect players will have on each others' score. The algorithms that determine the score are not simple, however - interactions involving multiple players are reflective of the group average. Longer conversations are worth bonus points, and superior social networking skills can reap exponential rewards down the line by increasing a player's social momentum. Conversely, if a player is anti-social and aloof, they will soon begin losing points. If they're not careful, they can become the 'Social Bomb,' and will have great difficulty finding receptive companionship in the game.
In addition to the score displayed on the players' device - recent scores, bonuses, and penalties are visible on a public leader board. This hub provides a public record of interaction data. Players can check their overall game standing and strategize to improve their social rank by seeking out the most popular players in the game.
Social Bomb was created by Adam Simon, Michael Dory, and Scott Varland at NYU's Interactive Telecommunication Program (ITP).
