Marine ecosystems are a delicate balancing act between thousands of mutually dependent species. Even a small disruption in one of these species can have far reaching, catastrophic consequences for all the others. Although most ecosystems have evolved to an equilibrium, human influence can upset the balance, ultimately reducing biodiversity and destroying one of nature’s most beautiful systems. Human impacts are varied, but one of the most preventable issues is overfishing.
Overfishing will damage both the economy and the environment. Overfishing can lead to the decline of fish populations, which in turn can impact the fishing industry and the communities that rely on it for their livelihood. In addition to economic effects, overfishing can also disrupt the delicate balance of marine ecosystems and result in negative ecological consequences, including the loss of biodiversity, changes in food webs, and the degradation of habitat.
If you are interested in learning more about overfishing, check these links out:
https://earth.org/facts-overfishing/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/critical-issues-overfishing
https://www.livescience.com/5445-overfishing-centuries-log-books-reveal.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoc_pu9Tt2Y
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/aqc.3270050305
Games appeal to a broad, casual audience, so we can communicate our message to many people who may otherwise not be interested in this issue. On top of that, neo-medievalism is a hugely successful genre within games, so our game will be able to reach as large an audience as possible. The main focus of our audience is that of college age and young adults because this will be the next generation that will be able to implement new policies and act on the issue of overfishing in the future.
Since this game is primarily directed to be played by teenagers and students in college, they would be more likely to have the time and interest to play our game as well as have the ability to create change in the future in both governments and innovation. This demographic can be politically active thus they can join initiatives in school to spread awareness and to promote the environment. They can also be inspired by Sorlia to, for example, invite themselves in sustainability research in high school or in college. When deciding on the audience we thought about how an older audience that is more ‘settled in’ with life is likely to remain apathetic or unchanged. This is causing us to make the game more directed towards younger players.
Our game is designed to evoke emotions about overfishing while also allowing the user to realize that fishing is not only important for food and resources but it also plays a large role in the economy. Our game is not trying to make fishing as an industry stop, but instead we are trying to bring change and innovation to the industry that will allow the Earth’s ecosystem to remain intact for future generations. We hope to promote discussion among players about, and to hopefully spark inspiration among players to learn or get involved with overfishing.
End of The Line game is set in an alternate version of Earth and takes place in a sprawling coastal region. This region is run by a kingdom that is completely cut off from the rest of the world due to the harsh mountainous terrain on one side and a vast ocean on the other. Within this kingdom, each player controls a fishing company, whose purpose is to generate income by harvesting fish.
The objective of our game is simple: stay in business. However, throughout the game, fishing families will encounter random and uncontrollable events that cause great financial strain. his will incentivize, really almost force them, to harvest fish for money, even if doing so may damage the population of fish. Our world is, by design, supposed to bring attention to the tragedy of the commons that is fishing. Players will struggle to stay in business while also not damaging ecosystem.
Ultimately, fishing is an activity that millions of people -- especially those in poorer, costal communities -- rely on as a source of income and sustenance. For this reason, preventing overfishing is not as simple as 'stop fishing'. People who play End of the Line will quickly learn this. In order to succeed in End of The Line, players will have to think of creative solutions that ensure that everyone stays in business and the ecosystem remains intact. In the real world, creative solutions are needed to address the complex factors driving overfishing, including unsustainable fishing practices, weak governance and enforcement, and global market pressures. We hope that players can extend what they learn in End of the Line to the real world. Our game would be successful if, for example, we inspire players to get involved with environmental organizations, political campaigns, or get involved with sustainability research at a university.
Along with those topics, our game will be online and free to use but there will be in-game purchases and we will sell ads, all the extra money that is made will go towards funding research at places like Georgia Tech and NOAA to work on finding a solution that is sustainable in the long run both economically and environmentally. We will also take some of that money to raise awareness and publicity for the issue of overfishing by placing it in ads, billboards, and other places that are widespread and popular. We think that overfishing is a significant issue currently in our world that does not get enough publicity and if we can gain enough traction to get it the publicity it needs then we are on the right track to finding a sustainable solution!