Meet the SGS&C Committee

A Q&A with Ray Pursel, SGS&C Lead Service Rep

When asked which game character they’d be, Ray didn’t hesitate —

“Spider-Man. Obviously“

and he brings that same quick wit and insight to the Serious Games Showcase & Challenge. Get to know one of the minds behind SGS&C and what keeps them coming back for more (besides idle games and maybe a little bourbon).

What inspired you to get involved with the Serious Games Showcase & Challenge?
“I happened to hang out after the SGS&C awards ceremony in ’23 and got invited to the hotwash. When Jenn [McNamara] eventually turned to me and asked if I would join the team, I didn’t have a good reason to say no.

Less glibly, I really enjoy seeing game designers and developers — especially the younger teams — taking pride in and being fulfilled by doing what they love. Then realizing the levels of effect and impact of their serious projects beyond those of traditional games? That’s pretty incredible.”

What do you think makes a serious game stand out from the rest?
“Intent — or maybe additional intent. Many games are built around storytelling, world-building, or novelty. Serious games add a layer of intention over those traditional goals. The really good ones make that “serious” intent nearly undetectable, but still achieve their intended objectives.”

Why do you believe serious games are important?
“I’m not sure serious games are more or less important today than in the past. But with the ubiquity of devices — for computing, entertainment, learning, and even just keeping small children quiet (ew) — having more serious and positively impactful applications on those platforms might make serious game development more important, after all.”

If you could be a character in any game — serious or not — who would you be and why?
“Does Spider-Man count? He’s in a bunch of games and… come on, who doesn’t want to be Spider-Man?!”

What’s your favorite game (serious or commercial), and what do you love about it?
“I love idle mobile games a little too much; watching progress bars fill should not have entertainment value. Egg, Inc. is one example, and Zen Idle — balls drop from the top of the board and fall through different sections, each with a different type of obstacle.

I also love role-playing games like any D&D game from Pools of Radiance to Baldur’s Gate 3 — though I have great difficulty actually playing as any role other than myself. Somewhere between Neutral Good and Lawful Neutral is as wild as it gets. LOL.”