Lookup and discover Manchester’s beauty and history
Thursday 2 November 2017
A NEW game created by a University of Salford academic will allow players to learn the history of Manchester, get some exercise and even win prizes.
Lookup is a PokemonGo style game. To play users visit the specially created website to find hidden locations in the city centre. When they get to a location they will then be asked a question based on the information connected to the spot. For example, a player might be asked, “What theatre did Miss A.E.F. Horniman run at this location until 1921?” (The answer is “The Gaiety Theatre” now a series of retailers on Peter St).
If the player gets the question right then they get points. Players also get points for finding a total of seven locations quickly but click outside the boundaries of the game and there are also penalties. There will be prizes each day for the person who gets the most points and then a grand prize at the end of the week.
Dr Fletcher said: “I thought it would be a fun way for people to find out more about the city in which they live. People walk around Manchester every day but how many people just put their heads down and get to where they want to go as quickly as possible.
“I wanted to create something that would help people lookup more to appreciate the rich history of Manchester and if they get some exercise at the same time then so much the better.”
Some examples of locations in the game include many of the blue plaques that are in the city as well as buildings of interest and location of notable events, inventions or discoveries that helped to create the world we know today.
Dr Fletcher added: “The locations themselves will often include information to help answer the questions, if people just look in the right place.
“I really hope it helps people get out there and look up at their city and appreciate the story and the beauty of it. The good thing is that it’s not an app, you don’t need to download anything, just log on to the website and start playing.”
The game can be found at http://lookup.salfordbusiness.net/ and has over one hundred locations around the city and each location has multiple potential questions, meaning people can play many times and learn something new each time.
It’s all part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences, which runs from November 4-11.
Find out more
Sam Wood
0161 295 5361
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