Aardman Animations, creator of Shaun the Sheep and Wallace and Gromit, has developed a new online game in partnership with National Museums Scotland – the body that oversees the country’s most significant museums and their collections.
The game encourages players to look after a digital character called ‘Gen’ using real objects from the National Museum of Scotland’s biomedical collections.
“This is one of a number of fun ways we’re using to introduce some fairly complex ideas of medical science to a wider audience. It’s been exciting to work with Aardman to bring Gen and our objects to life, ” explained Sophie Goggins, Assistant Curator, Biomedicine at National Museums Scotland.
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The launch of the fast-paced, strategy game coincides with the culmination of a £14.1m project that has seen the creation of 10 new galleries devoted to applied art, design, fashion, science and technology.
“Gen is a truly unique game featuring a new, loveable Aardman character, " commented Laura Chilcott, Senior Digital Producer at Aardman. "This successful and enjoyable partnership with National Museums Scotland has been a great opportunity for us to use our skills both to educate a new audience, and also to enhance the museum’s biomedical displays.
"It also serves to further our work with the museums sector, where we have seen our technical and creative skills being a great fit!”
Thanks to the project's innovative use of technology, the game is playable without the need to download an app, making it instantly accessible to all ages. Both fun and educational, players respond to Gen’s various ailments by choosing the correct medical object to make him better. In the process, they learn about items from the museum’s collection including wooden stethoscopes and early X-ray machines as well as the latest cutting-edge medical technologies.
"Everyone loves the Gen character and we’ve enjoyed the technical challenge of making the game playable across all devices, ” added Rob Cawston, Digital Manager at National Museums Scotland.
