| Good moods: outlook, affect and mood in dynemotion and the mind module | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 1-8 | |
| Mirjam Palosaari Eladhari; Michael Sellers | |||
| In this paper we describe two systems for autonomous characters intended to
simulate the minds of characters in virtual game worlds. These systems, the
Dynemotion People Engine (DPE) and the Mind Module (MM), are here presented
with special focus placed on the design and implementation of the parts of the
architecture that simulate what is colloquially called mood. The mood feature
is presented to the user in both applications as a fine-grained matrix that
summarizes the character's state of mind, typically a complex state. Thus in
both systems the mood feature functions as a qualitative guide describing the
affordances for the interaction with one's own avatar or another character at a
given moment. This simplifies the design and balancing of game design in terms
of authorial affordances and provides a more familiar context for
user-character interactions. Keywords: affect, character, mood, multiplayer, personality, trait | |||
| Combining heuristic and landmark search for path planning | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 9-16 | |
| Kevin Grant; David Mould | |||
| We propose a hybridization of heuristic search and the LPI algorithm. Our
approach uses heuristic search to find paths to landmarks, and employs a small
amount of landmark information to correct itself when the heuristic search
deviates from the shortest path. The use of the heuristic allows lower memory
usage than LPI, while the use of the landmarks permits the algorithm to operate
effectively even with a poor heuristic. When the heuristic accuracy is very
high, the algorithm tends towards greedy search; when the heuristic accuracy is
low, the algorithm tends towards LPI. Experiments show that the memory usage of
LPI can be reduced by more than half while preserving the accuracy of the
solutions. Keywords: LPI, Path planning, heuristics, precomputation | |||
| An emergent framework for realistic psychosocial behaviour in non player characters | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 17-24 | |
| Christine Bailey; Michael Katchabaw | |||
| This paper introduces a framework for emergent psychosocial behaviour in non
player characters in video games. This framework uses concepts behind emergent
gameplay to support the mechanics of designer-defined psychological and social
concepts, undefined circumstances, and emergence. Based on this framework, a
prototype system has been developed. This prototype has been evaluated for
realistic emergent behaviour, and has been shown through experimentation to
succeed in supporting emergent psychosocial behaviour. The work to date on the
framework is encouraging and quite promising for continued work in this area in
the future. Keywords: emergent gameplay, non player character behaviour, psychosocial behaviour,
realistic behaviour, stimulus-response systems | |||
| The game studies practicum: applying situated learning to teach professional practices | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 25-32 | |
| Clara Fernández-Vara; Philip Tan | |||
| The inclusion of a practicum is one of the main challenges in the game
studies curriculum, especially when it comes to teaching professional practices
to students. This paper presents how professional management methodologies
(Scrum, in this case) can be related to models of Situated Learning, as we
demonstrate through our case study, the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab. Being
aware of the connections and the pedagogical potential of professional
practices can improve both how we teach and how our students learn how game
development works. In our case study we also propose ways in which the
practicum can be related to research in videogames. Keywords: Scrum, cognitive apprenticeship, curriculum, education, game studies,
learning, legitimate peripheral participation, practicum, situated learning,
teaching, videogames | |||
| A framework for games literacy and understanding games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 33-40 | |
| José P. Zagal | |||
| Based on research that studied the challenges and difficulties faced by
students taking games studies and game design courses, we propose that, while
many students enrolled in games education programs are adept at playing games,
they are usually neither games literate nor do they have a deep understanding
of games. In this article we provide a framework that can be used to evaluate
and assess games literacy. Using Gee's notion of literacy, we propose that a
deep understanding of games involves having the ability to explain, discuss,
describe, frame, situate, interpret, and/or position games (1) in the context
of human culture (games as a cultural artifacts), (2) in the context of other
games, (3) in the context of the technological platform on which they are
executed, (4) and by deconstructing them and understanding their components,
how they interact, and how they facilitate certain experiences in players. We
describe each of these aspects and also discuss two educational lenses that can
be used to help contextualize what it means to understand and learn about games
as well as support games literacy in students. Keywords: games education, games literacy, understanding games | |||
| Understanding game design for affective learning | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 41-48 | |
| Claire Dormann; Robert Biddle | |||
| Affective learning is an important aspect of education that can be supported
through games. This paper focuses on how games can and do address affective
learning, especially in light of the growing trend of educational and serious
games aiming at changing behavior and attitudes. To support affective learning
though games, player emotions need to be recognized and interpreted, and an
emotional experience needs to be created that motivates players and deepens
learning. Moreover, there is also a need to understand affective
representations and mechanisms that games support. The paper begins with a
presentation of the different perspectives on affective learning, and then
takes a focus on the socio-emotional component of the affective domain. An
"affective walkthrough" technique is then introduced to understand and analyze
affective strategies in games. This technique is then applied to the game Ico,
showing its affective strategies and how these strategies can be leveraged for
designing socio-emotional learning. The paper is concluded with an outline of
an approach to designing games especially for affective learning, by
identifying the key principles, creating a repertory of affective learning game
patterns, and using methods to contextualize gameplay and facilitate learning. Keywords: affective development, game design | |||
| Collaboration in serious game development: a case study | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 49-56 | |
| Minh Quang Tran; Robert Biddle | |||
| This paper presents an ethnographic study of the development practices at a
small but successful company that develops serious games for industry training.
We concentrated on the day-to-day collaboration of the studio team responsible
for the game content and software, and used qualitative research methods,
including field observations, contextual interviews and conversation analysis.
This paper reports our findings, emphasizing a holistic perspective
encompassing social and technical factors influencing collaboration in serious
game development. In particular, we report on how co-location and a positive
social environment work together with the technical tools and infrastructure to
provide an environment that facilitates full participation of professionals
with differing disciplinary perspectives, and contributes to iterative
development and refinement of the game. Keywords: collaboration, ethnography, grounded theory, serious games development | |||
| Motivations for play in computer role-playing games | | BIBA | Full-Text | 57-64 | |
| Anders Tychsen; Michael Hitchens; Thea Brolund | |||
| In this paper the motivations for play in the context of single- and multi-player digital Role-Playing Games (RPGs) are examined. Survey data were drawn from respondents online and participants in a related experimental study. The results indicate that motivations for play are not simple constructs, but rather composed of multiple motivational drivers that are heavily interrelated and act in concert. Character uniqueness and Discovery & Immersion were the highest ranked motivational categories. Different levels of detail in motivations for playing single-/multi-Player RPGs were located, with mechanistic/tactical play and character-based/social play being the two overall motivational factors. | |||
| Using conflict theory to model complex societal interactions | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 65-72 | |
| Ben Medler; Joe Fitzgerald; Brian Magerko | |||
| Conflict theory can be used to explain the interactions between societies
during times of turmoil and change (i.e. revolutions, strikes or everyday
debates). Games have been produced that make use of different aspects of
conflict theory; however a common framework for organizing a system to produce
realistic conflicts has not been created. This paper presents one such
framework, based upon principles of conflict theory, which describe a
generalized way of organizing a system to produce realistic conflict situations
among societies. With our framework, we present how current commercial games
represent conflict and how our framework can be implemented by these games in
order to increase the system's flexibility and accuracy in representing
conflict. Keywords: conflict theory, digital games, social modeling | |||
| Defining personas in games using metrics | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 73-80 | |
| Anders Tychsen; Alessandro Canossa | |||
| Game metrical data are increasingly being used to enhance game testing and
to inform game design. There are different approaches and techniques to gather
the metrics data; however there seems to be a lack of frameworks to read and
make sense of it. In this paper, the concept of play-persona is applied to game
metrics, in the specific case of character-based computer games, where the
player controls a single protagonist, around whom the gameplay and -- story
evolves. A case is presented for Hitman: Blood Money (IO Interactive, 2007).
Player-controlled game characters can be deconstructed into a range of
components and these expressed as monitored game metrics. These metrics can
subsequently be utilized to discover patterns of play by building
play-personas: Modeled representations of how players interact with the game.
This process can also be useful to assist game design, by informing whether the
game facilitates the specific play patterns implied by theoretical
play-personas. Keywords: character, game design, instrumentation, metrics, persona | |||
| Flow and immersion in first-person shooters: measuring the player's gameplay experience | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 81-88 | |
| Lennart Nacke; Craig A. Lindley | |||
| Researching experiential phenomena is a challenging undertaking, given the
sheer variety of experiences that are described by gamers and missing a formal
taxonomy: flow, immersion, boredom, excitement, challenge, and fun. These
informal terms require scientific explanation, which amounts to providing
measurable criteria for different experiential states. This paper reports the
results of an experimental psychophysiological study investigating different
traits of gameplay experience using subjective and objective measures.
Participants played three Half-Life 2 game modifications while being measured
with electroencephalography, electrocardiography, electromyography, galvanic
skin response and eye tracking equipment. In addition, questionnaire responses
were collected after each play session. A level designed for combat-oriented
flow experience demonstrated measurable high-arousal positive affect emotions.
The positive correlation between subjective and objective indicators of
gameplay experience shows the great potential of the method presented here for
providing real-time emotional profiles of gameplay that may be correlated with
self-reported subjective descriptions. Keywords: flow, game design, gameplay experience, immersion, psychophysiology | |||
| Critical skills for game developers: an analysis of skills sought by industry | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 89-96 | |
| Monica McGill | |||
| With electronic gaming on the rise, several major universities involved in
game development research have implemented curricula specifically for future
game developers. Gaming curricula are now being offered in smaller
universities, colleges, and other educational institutions, with other
departments wondering if they should follow suit and what content should be
covered. For this quantitative research, the author performed a content
analysis on posted job advertisements for game developer positions, to
determine qualities the gaming industry desires when seeking game developer
employees. A categorization of qualities was performed after reviewing each job
ad and five categories for qualifications were developed: Experience,
Education, Interpersonal & Personal Abilities, Technical Skills, and
Supporting Knowledge and a frequency distribution of the qualities in each ad
was performed. The results show that there are education and experience levels,
skills, abilities, and knowledge that are clearly sought by industry and
certain qualities are sought with more frequency than others. Keywords: game concentration, game curriculum, game developer, game education, game
industry, required skills, skills, software developer | |||
| It's all Greek to me: a case for the classics in game development education | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 97-104 | |
| Fred Sebastian; Anthony Whitehead | |||
| This article provides an overview of Classical Greek literature as a
parallel for the game development industry: we outline how the historical
developments of Greek storytelling and literature inform the developmental
history of video games. As the Greek storytelling medium evolved, the sense of
the tragic hero and narrative complexity evolved. Similarly, as generations of
video game players evolve, their demand for more complex characters and more
fully developed storylines will also evolve. We attempt to provide a vantage
point that future game designers may consider during the design of future
game-based story elements. While we epitomize our case using Greek Literature,
the same elements and structure are found throughout the evolution of story
telling in many ancient civilizations. It is our assertion that good education
in game design and development requires a good technical background and a solid
foundation in narrative storytelling. As such, it is recommended that
game-oriented curriculum include the study of the Classics. Keywords: Aristotle, Greek literature, Homer, game curriculum, game design, game
design theory, game development, game-based education, philosophy, story,
storytelling | |||
| Baroque Baroque revolution: high culture gets game | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 105-112 | |
| Jennifer Jenson; Suzanne de Castell; Nicholas Taylor; Milena Droumeva | |||
| This paper documents the design and development of a Flashbased Baroque
music game, "Tafelkids: The Quest for Arundo Donax", focusing on the tension
between constructing an online resource that an audience aged 8-14 would find
fun and engaging, and the directive to include historical information and
facts, as well as convey some of the sounds, musical structures and conventions
of Baroque music, history and culture through play. We begin by contextualizing
the game as a collaboration between our team of university-based researchers
and the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, two groups with quite different histories
-- and understandings -- of educational media design. We introduce the problem
of how to go about creating a media artifact that would "make public", in a
compelling and playable way, key features of Baroque music. We then describe a
design process in which we tried to bridge the representation of "expert
knowledge" about Baroque music with some of the mechanics used in popular
music-based games. A discussion of these particular challenges in designing a
bridge from propositions to play, in effect digitally remediating, Baroque
music education, concludes by addressing the broader epistemological question
of what and how we may best learn, and learn best, from games and play. Keywords: Baroque music, design-based research, educational/serious games, flash, play
and learning | |||
| Game format effects on communication in multi-player games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 113-120 | |
| Anders Tychsen; Jonas Heide Smith | |||
| Communication is a vital component of multi-player game play, constituting a
large part of the player interaction in most game formats. In this article, the
structure and intensity of the verbal communication between players in three
different types of multiplayer role-playing games are analyzed. Data is drawn
from a series of empirical experiments covering: A) Console gaming; B) Multiple
players in a conventional LAN-setup, and: C) non-digital tabletop gaming. The
results indicate that there are distinct differences in the overall
communication pattern between the three game setups. When players share a
single screen they communicate more than when each person has their own
monitor, indicating a direct effect of the representation of the game medium on
player communication. Additionally, in the digital games, speech intensity
varies as a function of the game content: Players communicate the most during
non-stressful game segments, and the least during intensive combat scenes,
although the latter does require extensive coordination. The implication of
this result is that analysis of player communication has the potential to be
used as symptoms of boredom or excitement. Keywords: characters, communication, experimentation, human factors, interaction,
online communication, personality, player behavior, role playing games | |||
| Crafting game-models using reactive system design | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 121-128 | |
| David Harel; Itai Segall; Hillel Kugler; Yaki Setty | |||
| This paper presents a game-model of a gym training system, where the
behavior of the system is specified using languages developed originally for
reactive system design, which drive a game engine. The approach makes it
possible to describe behaviors of different parts of the system using different
reactive system design languages and tools. It thus provides a framework for
integrating the model behavior to obtain an executable game-model of the entire
system. Among the advantages of this approach is the ability to use existing
analysis tools to understand the game behavior at design time and run time, the
ability to easily modify the behavior, and the use of visual languages to allow
various stakeholders to be involved in early stages of building the game.
Finally, we suggest integrating future games and game design methods into the
emerging field of biological modeling, to which reactive system design has
recently been successfully applied. Keywords: game design, live sequence charts, simulators, statecharts, systems biology | |||
| Using genres to customize usability evaluations of video games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 129-136 | |
| David Pinelle; Nelson Wong; Tadeusz Stach | |||
| Video games are varied, with vastly different visual layouts and interaction
styles; however, most games that share a common genre still have many user
interface similarities. These similarities suggest that genres can be used as a
conceptual framework for examining design issues in video games, and for
developing a deeper understanding of how the design process can be specialized
for specific types of games. In this paper, we consider how genre relates to
one aspect of design -- the usability of games, which deals with players'
ability to learn, control, and understand a game interface. We report results
from a study where we coded usability problems in reviews of 108 commercial
video games. The review set included 18 games from each of six major game
genres. We statistically analyzed the problems from each genre, and found
significant differences between many of the genres. We present usability
profiles for each genre based on the problem distributions that we found. The
profiles describe both common and infrequent problems in each genre and provide
details on how they commonly occur in games. The profiles can be used to
specialize usability evaluations by helping designers focus on common problems
seen in games from each genre. Keywords: game genres, heuristic evaluation, usability evaluation, video games | |||
| Designing game idea generation games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 137-144 | |
| Annakaisa Kultima; Johannes Niemelä; Janne Paavilainen; Hannamari Saarenpää | |||
| This paper introduces idea generation games designed for the use of game
designers. Three games designed especially for generating new game ideas were
developed in the GameSpace project that studies methods for design and
evaluation of casual mobile multiplayer games. GameSpace idea generation games
have been developed through an iterative process and in close cooperation with
the end users, game industry professionals. According to our workshop
experiences and tentative results from a pilot study, idea generation games can
be successful devices for creative work of game designers. Game-based idea
generation techniques provide an easily facilitated, focused but playful
setting for coming up with new ideas. However, our experiences indicate that
idea generation games feature special challenges which must be taken into
consideration when designing such games. Keywords: brainstorming, creativity, design games, game design, games for production,
idea generation, idea generation games, serious games | |||
| A low-cost infrastructure for tabletop games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 145-151 | |
| Christopher Wolfe; J. David Smith; T. C. Nicholas Graham | |||
| Tabletop games provide an intimate gaming experience where groups of friends
can interact in a shared space using shared physical props. Digital tabletop
games show great promise in bringing this experience to video game players.
However the cost of developing tabletop games is high due to the need for
expensive hardware and complex software. In this paper, we introduce EquisFTIR,
a low-cost hardware and software infrastructure for digital tabletop gaming. We
illustrate the infrastructure through Asterocks, a novel tabletop game. Keywords: FTIR, computer games, frustrated total internal reflection, tabletop games | |||
| Content scheduling in multimedia interactive mobile games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 152-159 | |
| M. Mohsin Saleemi; Kristian Nybom; Johan Lilius; Jerker Björkqvist | |||
| In this paper, we study how to implement interactive multimedia services
using a DVB-H broadcast channel combined with a point-to-point channel, such as
3G or GPRS. We study the problem in the context of a location-based interactive
mobile game. The technical challenge is to schedule the sending of data over
the broadcast channel while maintaining Quality-of-Service, that is, sending
the right data to the right user at the right time to provide a seamless
interactive experience. We explore design issues and problems related to the
scheduling of content in the game, present a usecase study to describe
scheduling problems and propose a content scheduling algorithm to solve these
problems. Moreover, we provide a simulation of the system and the experimental
results to show how different game parameters influence the in-time delivery of
the multimedia content to the players. We conclude that most of the problems
involved with our approach can be expressed as the problem of defining delivery
deadlines for a scheduling algorithm. Keywords: algorithm, content scheduling, interactive applications, location-based
game, multimedia | |||
| Experiments in the use of game technology for pre-visualization | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 160-165 | |
| Michael Nitsche | |||
| This overview paper outlines the value of real-time 3D engines for
pre-visualization. Pre-visualization is a standard tool during pre-production
of many modern film productions. First, the parallels between the two
increasingly digitized technologies are discussed. Second, the paper outlines
the special needs and problems posed by pre-visualization. It argues that
animation control and camera control are the two main areas that need to be
addressed. Finally, it presents a range of experiments that provide different
practical approaches to these two core questions and utilize available game
technology. The approach of these tests was to keep the rendering real-time --
"liquid" -- as long as possible. This follows original machinima-like
production pipelines. Ultimately, the here presented prototypes illustrate the
value of real-time game engines for pre-visualization as well as still
prevailing limitations. Keywords: film, game, machinima, pre-visualization, real-time 3D | |||
| Spatial sound for video games and virtual environments utilizing real-time GPU-based convolution | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 166-172 | |
| Brent Cowan; Bill Kapralos | |||
| The generation of spatial audio is computationally very demanding and
therefore, accurate spatial audio is typically overlooked in games and virtual
environments applications thus leading to a decrease in both performance and
the user's sense of presence or immersion. Driven by the gaming industry and
the great emphasis placed on the visual sense, consumer computer graphics
hardware (and the graphics processing unit in particular), has greatly advanced
in recent years, even outperforming the computational capacity of CPUs. This
has allowed for real-time, interactive realistic graphics-based applications on
typical consumer-level PCs. Despite the many similarities between the fields of
spatial audio and computer graphics, computer graphics and image synthesis in
particular, has advanced far beyond spatial audio given the emphasis placed on
the generation of believable visual cues over other perceptual cues including
auditory. Given the widespread use and availability of computer graphics
hardware as well as the similarities that exist between the fields of spatial
audio and image synthesis, this work investigates the application of graphics
processing units for the computationally efficient generation of spatial audio
for dynamic and interactive games and virtual environments. Here we present a
real-time GPU-based convolution method and illustrate its superior efficiency
to conventional, software-based, time-domain convolution. Keywords: 3D sound, GPU, convolution, game audio, real-time | |||
| Guidelines for designing augmented reality games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 173-180 | |
| Richard Wetzel; Rod McCall; Anne-Kathrin Braun; Wolfgang Broll | |||
| The growing popularity of augmented reality (AR) games in both a research
and more recently commercial context has led for a need to take a closer look
at design related issues which impact on player experience. While issues
relating to this area have been considered, to date most of the emphasis has
been on the technology aspects. Furthermore it is almost always assumed that
the augmented reality element in itself will provide a sufficient experience
for the player. This has led to a need to evaluate what makes a successful
augmented reality game.
In this paper we present a set of design guidelines which are drawn from experiences of three mixed reality games. The guidelines provide specific guidance on relationships between real and virtual space, social interaction, use of AR technologies, maintaining consistent themes and implicitly address higher level aspects such as presence within a particular augmented reality place. Keywords: augmented reality, augmented reality games, game design, game design
guidelines | |||
| Urban traffic simulation for games: a general approach for simulation of urban actors | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 181-184 | |
| Michael Kutz; Rainer Herpers | |||
| Many modern computer games take place in urban environments. One important
fact about such environments is that there are plenty of other people around
who might react to whatever the user does. For example in the "FIVIS" project a
bicycle simulator is developed that will serve (beside other applications) as
an instrument for traffic education which strongly requires other traffic
participants reacting to the users actions (see http://www.fivis.eu and [7]).
This contribution describes our current work on a general approach for an interactive agent system for urban environments. Keywords: agent-based simulation, interactive simulation, microscopic traffic
simulation, urban traffic simulation | |||
| Scripted smarts in an intelligent virtual environment: behaviour definition using a simple entity annotation language | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 185-188 | |
| Eike Falk Anderson | |||
| We present a Simple Entity Annotation Language (SEAL) for the definition of
believably intelligent game character behaviour. The SEAL system provides
mechanisms that allow entity behaviour definition through the creation of an
annotated world. Thus, by combining rule-based systems with affordance theory,
this C-like scripting language provides a unified approach to the definition of
virtual entities as well as the "smart" objects that the entities can interact
with in the virtual game world within one behaviour definition language for
virtual entities. Keywords: behaviour definition (programming) language, game AI, smart terrain | |||
| Synthesizing neural networks for learning in games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 189-191 | |
| Robert G. Price; Scott D. Goodwin | |||
| Many games have started to employ learning techniques to make them more
realistic or interesting. Usually though, this learning is done before the game
ships, and it cannot compensate for any exploits a character discovers. One
reason for this is that game publishers do not want to risk having the
non-player characters making odd decisions in games that learn. In this paper
we propose an approach that can be used to quickly jump-start the learning
process in a game that uses a neural network to learn. We create different
environments that might occur in a game, analyse them and come up with a
starting point that allows the agents to quickly be able to accomplish their
goals, which in our case is navigating through a random board. Keywords: games, learning, neural networks, rtNEAT | |||
| How to embed a game engineering course into a computer science curriculum | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 192-195 | |
| Daniel Volk | |||
| In recent years computer games have grown to the size of multimillion dollar
projects that are driven by a creative vision of game design and include a vast
spectrum of different fields of application. Due to these characteristics, a
software engineering approach on game development is absolutely critical for
project success nowadays. This consequently renders software engineering an
integral part of any forward-looking game development curriculum. The paper at
hand covers a kind of game engineering course that has been integrated into an
existing computer science curriculum. In this paper, the course's concept and
setting are discussed and the lessons learned are presented. Keywords: computer science education, curriculum, game development education, game
engineering, software engineering | |||
| Using video games to enhance learning in digital systems | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 196-199 | |
| Vinod Srinivasan; Karen Butler-Purry; Susan Pedersen | |||
| Recent studies indicate that traditional instructional methods may not be as
effective for the current and future generation of learners. Given the
increasing amounts of time that students spend playing video games, educators
have been looking at using games to enhance teaching and learning. Research
indicates that games have the potential to improve learning. However there is
lack of empirical data on their effectiveness, particularly in a formal
educational setting at the college level. In this paper we present preliminary
results from a pilot project to develop an educational game prototype on the
subject of basic digital design, to be used in various digital systems courses
at the undergraduate level. Our findings indicate that the game has the
potential to improve student learning in and attitude toward digital design and
electrical engineering. Further development of the game and additional studies
are planned to obtain more conclusive results. Keywords: digital systems, educational games, serious games | |||
| Intelligent adaptation of digital game-based learning | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 200-203 | |
| Brian Magerko; Carrie Heeter; Joe Fitzgerald; Ben Medler | |||
| Games for learning cannot take the same design approach as games when
targeting audiences. While players of entertainment games have the luxury of
choosing games that suit them, students using digital games for learning
typically have a single game for them to learn from, regardless of whether or
not it fits their playing style or learning needs. We contend that this problem
can be addressed by creating games that identify the kind of player-learner
using the game and adapts itself to best fit that individual. These adaptive
games can specialize themselves according to a student's learning needs,
gameplay preferences, and learning style. We present a prototype mini-game,
called S.C.R.U.B., which employs this method for teaching microbiology
concepts. Keywords: adaptive games, player types, user modeling | |||
| A secure digital asset managment network for game development and education | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 204-207 | |
| Mike Pattrick; Andrew Hogue; Khalil El-Khatib | |||
| The lack of freely available high-quality game development assets is an
issue that affects instructors of courses in game development. When purchasing
commercial assets for use in independent games, restrictive license agreements
must be agreed to which prohibit the re-distribution of the model data and
typically limiting the number of uses to a single project or developer --
licensing the models on a per student basis can become prohibitively expensive.
Re-distribution of the asset data is however possible as long as the data is
compiled into the executable providing a security through obscurity copy
protection scheme. This paper focuses on developing a secure method for
distribution of digital assets suitable for educational models of development,
i.e. classroom or lab settings. We propose the development of a Secure Digital
Rights Management Network that enables flexibility in the use of secured assets
while maintaining security and limiting their re-distribution. The application
of such a system is to be incorporated into an educational setting where
students can use the secure assets during the development of class projects
while preventing the re-distribution of the copyrighted data. Keywords: 3D model, DRM, digital rights management, education, games, security | |||
| Examining the relationship between game type, player disposition and aggression | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 208-211 | |
| Robert W. A. Rawn; David R. Brodbeck | |||
| As technology advances the need for more comprehensive analyses of the
relationship between human aggression and gaming increases. First Person
Shooter gaming environments provide realistic opportunities for many
interactions between players. Violent and aggressive video games have been
blamed for many aggressive acts. Early meta-analyses of gaming and aggression
concluded that gaming does increase aggression, although at levels lower than
that of television and other media. More recent meta-analyses claim that there
is no correlation between gaming and aggression. However, previous studies do
not consider the possible effect of a live opponent on player aggression and
therefore the current study includes this as a putative factor in gaming and
aggression. Results indicate that neither the disposition of the opponent
(confederate) nor the aggressive level of the game type affected participant
aggression. Keywords: gaming and aggression, violent video games | |||
| What you can't see is what you don't get: paradigms of game world visualization | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 212-215 | |
| Jaroslav Svelch | |||
| This paper tries to analyze the modes of visual representation in digital
games and introduces the idea of illusionism, a rhetorical position in a game
text that asserts that there is nothing more to the fictional game world than a
player can see. This is contrasted by illustrationism, an approach that lays
bare the fact that the game world is not shown in its entirety. Based on this
distinction, I present ways of partial and multi-modal representation of game
worlds that have been and can be used to bypass the urge for unconditional
illusionism. The article also makes point about the power of written or spoken
language as a code underutilized in contemporary digital games. Keywords: game design, game world, graphics, illusion, illustration, realism,
representation | |||
| A semantic model for reactive entities to support collaborative game design | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 216-219 | |
| Alejandro Catalá; Javier Jaen | |||
| Commercial games for learning purposes have been widely used with relative
success. However, very often game content hardly fits to the curriculum
content, players lack direct communication, and the focus is only on learning
by playing. In this paper we argue that a more interesting approach for
learning is to involve players in the design process of the game in a way in
which the rules governing the game, the participating virtual entities and the
design of the game environment are defined and created by the players
themselves. In this respect, keeping in mind that learning environments need to
be spaces for discussion, experimentation and reflection, we discuss in this
paper one of the many issues that have to be addressed to provide tools for
learners to create in a collaborative way their own games. Particularly, we
discuss how reactive entities that respond to events that are defined during
the creation process can be modeled in a collaborative way. We propose a
conceptual model for supporting such a tool for the creation of interactive and
reactive environments. Keywords: education, learning, semantic events, serious games design | |||
| Neo-immersion: awareness and engagement in gameplay | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 220-223 | |
| Jennifer Whitson; Chris Eaket; Brian Greenspan; Minh Quang Tran; Natalie King | |||
| This paper provides a conceptual framework that explains how people's
engagement with games is changing as a result of new types of interfaces,
hardware, and games. Neo-immersive games move gaming out of the box and into
the real world by creating engaging new interfaces and controllers, while at
the same time creating games well suited to the casual user. It expands what it
means to "play the game" or "be in the game." This subtle shift of perspective
allows us to explain the success of recent game titles such as Guitar Hero and
the Wii platform. Keywords: awareness, immersion, video games | |||
| Facilitating language-oriented game development by the help of language workbenches | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 224-227 | |
| Sonja Maier; Daniel Volk | |||
| In recent years, a strong tendency towards language-oriented engineering
became visible within game development projects. This approach is typically
based on data-driven game engines and scripting languages resp. editing tools
alike and already provided a great deal of overall productivity improvements.
However, in its current form, potential benefits are not able to fully unfold
yet. This is due to a mostly manual tool development process, which provokes
substantial costs and lacks flexibility -- especially during prototyping phases
of development. Language workbenches seem to be a viable solution to this
problem as they promise the ability of (visual) language (re-)generation by
introducing a meta-level of development. This paper picks up that idea and
evaluates its application in the area of game development. In this particular
case, we discuss first findings of an ongoing case study, covering the
development of level editors for several classic games, which have been built
by the help of a language workbench. Keywords: (visual) domain-specific languages, game development, game prototyping,
language workbenches, model-driven development, software factories | |||
| The case for research in game engine architecture | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 228-231 | |
| Eike Falk Anderson; Steffen Engel; Peter Comninos; Leigh McLoughlin | |||
| This paper is a call for research in the field of game engine architecture
and design, a more comprehensive and thorough understanding of which we
consider to be essential for its development. We present a number of key
aspects that may help to define the problem space and provide a catalogue of
questions that we believe identify areas of interest for future investigation. Keywords: entertainment systems, game engine, game engine architecture | |||
| Towards 3D model interoperability in games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 232-235 | |
| Jia Sing Chen; Andrew Hogue | |||
| This paper presents an automatic method for enabling the interoperability of
3D models within different types of games. Character customization is an
increasingly popular ability in modern video games. For example, games built
for the Nintendo Wii™ may take advantage of the built-in avatar
customization (e.g. Mii avatars) yet few games to date have actually utilized
this ability. Game designers are hesitant to allow players total creative
freedom when customizing their avatars for fear of invalidating the intended
aesthetic gameplay experience. In this paper, we present a step forward in
character customization allowing the player creative freedom while not
sacrificing the intended aesthetics. This paper focuses on developing an
automatic method to blend multiple animated 3D meshes. Keywords: 3D model, distance field, graph embedding, interoperability, mesh blending | |||
| Experience in the design and development of a game based on head-tracking input | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 236-239 | |
| Jeffrey Yim; Eric Qiu; T. C. Nicholas Graham | |||
| Tracking technologies, such as eye and head-tracking, provide novel
techniques for interacting with video games. For instance, players can shoot
with their eyes in a first person shooter using gaze-based input. Head-tracking
systems allow players to look around a virtual cockpit by simply moving their
head.
However, tracking systems are typically based on expensive specialized equipment. The prohibitive costs of such systems have motivated the creation of low-cost head-tracking solutions using simple web cameras and infrared light detection. In this paper, we describe our experience developing a simple shooting game which incorporates such low-cost head-tracking technology. Keywords: game design, head tracking input | |||
| Exaggerated head motions for game viewpoint control | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 240-243 | |
| Robert J. Teather; Wolfgang Stuerzlinger | |||
| In this paper, we present an evaluation of exaggerated head-coupled camera
motions in a game-like 3D object movement. Three exaggeration levels were
compared to determine if the exaggeration was more beneficial than a realistic
1:1 mapping.
The results suggest that there is some user preference for this type of exaggeration; however, no significant differences by the experimental conditions were found, other than a learning effect. Keywords: head-coupled perspective, head-tracking amplification, motion exaggeration | |||
| FIVIS bicycle simulator: an immersive game platform for physical activities | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 244-247 | |
| R. Herpers; W. Heiden; M. Kutz; D. Scherfgen; U. Hartmann; J. Bongartz; O. Schulzyk | |||
| The objective of the FIVIS project is to develop a bicycle simulator which
is able to simulate real life bicycle ride situations as a virtual scenario
within an immersive environment. A sample test bicycle is mounted on a motion
platform to enable a close to reality simulation of turns and balance
situations. The visual field of the bike rider is enveloped within a
multi-screen visualization environment which provides visual data relative to
the motion and activity of the test bicycle. This implies the bike rider has to
pedal and steer the bicycle as they would a traditional bicycle, while forward
motion is recorded and processed to control the visualization. Furthermore, the
platform is fed with real forces and accelerations that have been logged by a
mobile data acquisition system during real bicycle test drives. Thus, using a
feedback system makes the movements of the platform reflect the virtual
environment and the reaction of the driver (e.g. steering angle, step rate). Keywords: bicycle simulator, game platform, immersive visualization environment,
virtual reality | |||
| Integrating cumulative context into computer games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 248-251 | |
| Kevin G. Stanley; David Pinelle; Alan Bandurka; David McDine; Regan L. Mandryk | |||
| In this paper, we describe a cumulative context computer game, where
accumulated contextual information of the players' activity levels, obtained
through mobile sensors, is used to modify game state. Our implementation used a
statistic-based, real-time version of the classic game of chess, where the
statistics of the pieces depended on the activity of the users and the
environment in which they performed the activity. Users found the game engaging
and fun, and almost all of the participants altered their behaviors to enhance
their performance in the game. This work provides a platform for further
research into meaningful integration of cumulative context in games. Keywords: chess, exertion interfaces, persuasive games, sensors, ubiquitous games | |||
| Camera selection using SCSPs | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 252-253 | |
| Michael Janzen; Michael Horsch; Eric Neufeld | |||
| An automated director is needed for sports video games to select between
multiple camera views. An SCSP approach enables setting preferences for views
that depend on the current situation. This approach is better than using a
classical CSP, or a finite state machine. Keywords: SCSP, camera | |||
| To grab or not to grab: a viable framework for physically based hand animation in game characters | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 254-255 | |
| Arun Somasekharan | |||
| In games, grasping or haptic interaction with game world objects is
underplayed and still relies on stored animation. With the advent of powerful
Graphics Processing Units (GPU) and physics middleware, it is possible to
explore the dynamic aspects of grasping. In the real-time scenario of games,
scope exists for procedural controller systems, which when coupled with AI and
physics simulation, would allow the birth of not only autonomous game
characters with the ability to interact with the game world realistically, but
also to bring about new types of game play. This paper is a brief look into an
ongoing research, proposing to conceptualize and create a new AI augmented
real-time physically based controller system for hand animation. Keywords: character animation, game characters, games, physically based animation
controllers, physics engines, real-time animation | |||
| The procedural planning system used in the agent architecture of games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 256-257 | |
| Yingying She; Peter Grogono | |||
| We discuss a procedural planning approach that automatically and dynamically
generates plans for game agents in real-time. This approach is applied to the
design of an agent architecture in our current research project, Gameme, a game
design application. This planning depends on offline goal design, the structure
of the agent architecture, and real-time planning mechanisms. The Procedural
Planning System (PPS) is capable of improving agents' control for real-time
goal processing in games. Keywords: agent, agent architecture, game, goal oriented design, planning, procedural
planning system | |||
| Interactive accounting simulation environment for accounting education and training | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 258-259 | |
| Andrew Milner; Andrew Hogue; Bill Kapralos; John Friedlan | |||
| In contrast to traditional teaching-and-learning environments whereby the
teacher controls the learning (e.g., teacher-centered), video games present a
learner-centered approach to learning whereby the student controls their
learning experience through interactivity. Despite the many benefits of a
learner-centered approach, the use of video game technology in business-related
curriculums and accounting in particular, has been sparse. By and large
accounting education has remained based on "paper and pen learning". This paper
describes an ongoing project that will see the development and evaluation of a
strategy-based, learner-centered, interactive accounting simulation environment
for undergraduate accounting curriculums. The interactive simulation is meant
to place accounting education in a "game" environment. Keywords: accounting, game-based learning, interactive learning environment, serious
games | |||
| Interprofessional care simulator for critical care education | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 260-261 | |
| Brent Cowan; Matthew Shelley; Hamed Sabri; Bill Kapralos; Andrew Hogue; Michelle Hogan; Michael Jenkin; Sandra Goldsworthy; Louise Rose; Adam Dubrowski | |||
| Interprofessional education is a pedagogical approach which allows health
care practitioners to develop a clear understanding and appreciation of the
roles, expertise, and unique contributions of their disciplines as well as
those of the other participating health care providers. It also helps build
effective team relationships which is essential for optimal health care
delivery. Interactive virtual simulation environments, such as serious games,
can be used to augment traditional classroom-based interprofessional teaching
methods as multiple team members may participate in the simulation
simultaneously regardless of their physical location or time of day. Here we
describe the Interprofessional Care Simulator for interprofessional education. Keywords: active learning, interprofessional education, serious games | |||
| Lessons from Brain Age on password memorability | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 262-263 | |
| Alain Forget; Sonia Chiasson; Robert Biddle | |||
| User authentication involves establishing a user's right to access a system.
Most user authentication is done with text passwords, which have advantages
over other approaches, but more secure passwords are often difficult to
remember. Nintendo's Brain Age games involve cognitive training which can
improve memory. We examined Brain Age in search of insights towards helping
users create and remember more secure passwords. Although Brain Age offers no
techniques for memorising specific information, we discovered ideas for a new
type of serious game that may help with password memorisation: Password
Rehearsal Games. Keywords: memory, passwords, serious games, usable security | |||
| World of Warcraft as a ludic cyborg | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 264-265 | |
| Victoria McArthur | |||
| This paper describes World of Warcraft as a ludic cyborg -- an entity that
exists for play and depends on both artificial and organic components to
survive. We argue that the popularity of the game arose due to the balance
between the types of socialization it promotes and in-game literacies acquired
by players on PvP servers. Keywords: MMORPG, ludic cyborg, social computing, social interaction | |||
| Construction of cybertypes in Lineage II: an analysis of game interfaces and support documentation | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 266-267 | |
| Victoria McArthur; Tyler M. Pace; Aaron R. Houssian | |||
| This paper discusses social exclusion by analyzing the avatar creation
interface of the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) Lineage
II. We use a previously developed syntagmatic-paradigmatic structure analysis
for analyzing MMORPG interfaces and extend that method to include textual
analysis of support documentation. This study concludes that virtual world
designers must be more critical in their choices for representing sex and race. Keywords: MMORPG, avatar, cybertype, virtual world | |||
| Game 2.0 and beyond: an interaction design approach to digital game evolution | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 268-269 | |
| Michiaki Yasumura; Keita Watanabe; Mark Chignell | |||
| In this research, the authors discuss the evolution of video games from the
viewpoint of interaction design. It is argued that recent video games are
qualitatively different from earlier video games in their use of multiple user
layers and novel domains. These qualitatively different newer games are
referred to as Game 2.0, with older games being referred to as Game1.0.
Appropriate design of interactions is presented as a key issue in Game 2.0
development. The relationship between game interfaces and computer interfaces
is also considered. Keywords: game 2.0, interaction design, video games | |||
| Towards an AJAX-based game engine | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 270-271 | |
| Christian Kletsch; Daniel Volk | |||
| In recent years, browser games have considerably improved so that regarding
the number of players they nowadays can compete with MMOGs. At the same time,
they have abandoned their own principles by increasingly relying on proprietary
technology.
In this paper, we propose the concept of a 2D single player game engine that is based on new Web 2.0 standards (especially AJAX) which promise to alleviate some of the problems that caused the mentioned technological shift. No additional platform besides a standard browser will be needed to run instantiated games, since the engine will be based on JavaScript. Game content will be loaded on-demand using an AJAX-compliant update mechanism. Keywords: AJAX, game engine, web 2.0 | |||
| Kickback: turning game history students into pinball designers | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 272-273 | |
| Stephen Jacobs; Christopher A. Egert | |||
| The pinball machine is an endangered species. Often cited as a historical
touchstone for video game levels, their pedagogical value is clear. Yet it is
becoming difficult to find operational machines for students to play and
analyze. However, by using Internet-based pinball design and history resources,
and a shareware package called Future Pinball, the authors have been able to
surpass the original pedagogic goals of a pinball analysis assignment. A new
approach has been developed to convert a merely observational process into a
constrained early design project; blending thematic and functional analysis,
design and the benefits and challenges of constraints into a successful active
learning experience. This paper will discuss the design and benefits of the
experience and highlight examples of exemplary student work at both the
graduate and undergraduate level. Keywords: game design history, pedagogy | |||
| Canvas 3D JS library | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 274-275 | |
| Catherine Leung; Andor Salga; Andrew Smith | |||
| Web browsers do not have a standard method of creating/delivering 3D
content. The Canvas 3D add-on for Firefox 3, which will become part of the
browser in a future release, allows the delivery of 3D content via the canvas
element. However, 3D is a complex problem. This paper proposes a library built
on top of the Canvas 3D that will help simplify the creation of 3D content
within the browser. Keywords: 3D, JavaScript, browser, canvas, library | |||