Abstract: "In this paper, we describe a methodology for capturing player
experience while interacting with a game and we present a data-driven
approach for modeling this interaction. We believe the best way to adapt
games to a specic player is to use quantitative models of player ex-
perience derived from the in-game interaction. Therefore, we rely on
crowd-sourced data collected about game context, players behavior and
players self-reports of dierent aective states. Based on this informa-
tion, we construct estimators of player experience using neuroevolution-
ary preference learning. We present the experimental setup and the re-
sults obtained from a recent case study where accurate estimators were
constructed based on information collected from players playing a rst-
person shooter game. The framework presented is part of a bigger picture
where the generated models are utilized to tailor content generation to
particular player's needs and playing characteristics."
Abstract: "Search-based procedural content generation methods allow
video games to introduce new content continually, thereby
engaging the player for a longer time while reducing the burden
on developers. However, games so far have not explored
the potential economic value of unique evolved artifacts.
Building on this insight, this paper presents for the first time a
Facebook game called Petalz in which players can share flowers
they breed themselves with other players through a global
marketplace. In particular, the market in this social game allows
players to set the price of their evolved aestheticallypleasing
flowers in virtual currency. Furthermore, the transaction
in which one player buys seeds from another creates
a new social element that links the players in the transaction.
The combination of unique user-generated content and social
gaming in Petalz facilitates meaningful collaboration between
users, positively influences the dynamics of the game,
and opens new possibilities in digital entertainment."
"This dissertation presents the use of procedural content generation to create expressive design tools: content generators that are accessible to designers, supporting the creation of new kinds of design tools and enabling the exploration of a new genre of game involving the deep integration of procedural content generation into game mechanics and aesthetics. The first of these tools is Tanagra, the first ever AI-assisted level design tool that supports a designer creating levels for 2D platforming games. Tanagra guarantees that levels created in the tool are playable, and provides the designer with the ability to modify generated levels
and directly control level pacing. The second tool is Launchpad, which supports a designer controlling both component and pacing features of generated levels; its companion game Endless Web uses the generator to create an infinite world for players to explore and alter through their choices. Endless Web is one of a handful of games in a new genre enabled by content generation: PCG-based games. Finally, this dissertation presents a novel method for understanding, visualizing, and comparing a generator's expressive range, thus allowing designers to understand the implications of decisions they will make during the design process."
Abstract: "Reality-based interfaces bring new design opportunities to social games. These novel game interfaces, exemplified by Wii, Kinect, and Smart phones, leverage players' existing physics, bodily, environmental, and social skills. Moreover, they enable a shared hybrid physical-digital space in which the players' co-presence can be enhanced by their physical and digital co-location. However, many digital social games occupy players' attention with the digital display and content, reducing their attention spent on one another and limiting the synchronization of actions and emotions among players. How do we design technologies that do not interfere with social play but enhance and innovate it? In this thesis work, I focus on one particular kind of reality-based interfaces, Handheld Augmented Reality (HAR), to extend players' interaction from the small mobile devices to the shared hybrid space around a computationally trackable surface. This thesis explores how to encourage social play with HAR interfaces, which brings in challenges of designing with the affordances and constraints of the HAR interface, understanding the complicated phenomenon of social play, and integrating these understandings in multiplayer HAR game design. Adopting Research-through Design as the overarching research method, I collaborate with multiple teams, design and study three multiplayer HAR game prototypes. I present four main contributions. First, this work yields design artifacts and examples of social games with HAR interfaces. I communicate to the game design and Augmented Reality communities through these prototypes, including BragFish, ARt of Defense, and NerdHerder. Second, I provide empirical findings on social play in a shared hybrid space. Through lab-based user studies, observation, video analysis, interviews, and surveys, I collect and analyze interpersonal play behaviors and emotions in the shared hybrid space enabled by the HAR interface. Third, I adopt and adapt sociologic
From the abstract: "In this paper, we propose
the integration of two PCG-based approaches (experiencedriven
and context-driven PCG) to support the generation
of adaptive mobile game levels. We present and discuss the
implementation of our approach in an existing game, 7's
Wild Ride. Gameplay semantics and player modeling are
used to steer a level generator, featuring a time-dependent
dynamic diculty adjustment mechanism. From our two
user studies, we conclude that (i) context-driven levels are
preferable over traditional ones, and (ii) the game can adapt
to dierent player types, keeping its gameplay balanced and
player satisfaction."
"This paper describes the creation of the game Endless Web, a 2D platforming game in which the player's actions determine the ongoing creation of the world she is exploring. Endless Web is an example of a PCG-based game: it uses procedural content generation (PCG) as a mechanic, and its PCG system, Launchpad, greatly influenced the aesthetics of the game. All of the player's strategies for the game revolve around the use of procedural content generation. Many design challenges were encountered in the design and creation of Endless Web, for both the game and modifications that had to be made to Launchpad. These challenges arise largely from a loss of fine-grained control over the player's experience; instead of being able to carefully craft each element the player can interact with, the designer must instead craft algorithms to produce a range of content the player might experience. In this paper we provide a definition of PCG-based game design and describe the challenges faced in creating a PCG-based game. We offer our solutions, which impacted both the game and the underlying level generator, and identify issues which may be particularly important as this area matures."
From the abstract: "Traditionally, the tasks associated with
game AI revolved around non player character (NPC) behavior
at dierent levels of control, varying from navigation
and pathnding to decision making. Commercial-standard
games developed over the last 15 years and current game
productions, however, suggest that the traditional challenges
of game AI have been well addressed via the use of sophisticated
AI approaches, not necessarily following or inspired
by advances in academic practices. The marginal penetration
of traditional academic game AI methods in industrial
productions has been mainly due to the lack of constructive
communication between academia and industry in the
early days of academic game AI, and the inability of academic
game AI to propose methods that would signicantly
advance existing development processes or provide scalable
solutions to real world problems. Recently, however, there
has been a shift of research focus as the current plethora
of AI uses in games is breaking the non-player character AI
tradition. A number of those alternative AI uses have already
shown a signicant potential for the design of better
games.
This paper presents four key game AI research areas that
are currently reshaping the research roadmap in the game
AI eld and evidently put the game AI term under a new
perspective. These game AI
agship research areas include
the computational modeling of player experience, the procedural
generation of content, the mining of player data on
massive-scale and the alternative AI research foci for enhancing
NPC capabilities."
From the introduction: "We introduce the FCO-IM modelling methodology and some of the short comings we perceive.
Next we introduce some theories. First we introduce the notion of serious gaming. Then we move on to the
Game Design Theory as proposed by Järvinen, augmented by a view on goals for serious gaming. These
theories helped us generating the framework for a serious game. Next we introduce the concept of Focused
Conceptualisation. This theory helped us shaping the contents of the game. In the final section of this chapter
we will discuss some previous attempts by students to design a serious game for FCO-IM and how we want to
make a new contribution towards this field.
In chapter 3 we unified the theories by creating a first design. We do not exhaustively describe these first
designs, but only the genesis and design choices made at the start and during the process.
This work culminates into a final design in chapter 4. The final design consists of a global description of the
game, a more detailed description and an abbreviated "rulebook". The rulebook can be compared to the
rulebook of a board game. It is intended for someone already familiar with the game. The detailed description
can be viewed as a thorough reference guide for first time players or players seeking clarification. This final
design was subjected three test sessions. We realize this is not a whole lot. But the objective was to see
whether the approach is workable. Exhaustive testing was not part of the scope. We gained some valuable
insights nonetheless.
In chapter 5 we derived a generic conceptual model for dialogue games. We present a framework that can be
used to create dialogue games for a number of different purposes. We hand one the basic tools, make one's
own game. This can be viewed as a basic game engine as it is found in the video gaming industry.
Chapter 6 will recap our design question and discuss if and how this design question has been answered. This
includes insights gaine
Abstract: "Gamification is the "use of game design elements in non-game contexts"
(Deterding et al, 2011, p.1). A frequently used model for gamification is to equate an
activity in the non-game context with points and have external rewards for reaching
specified point thresholds. One significant problem with this model of gamification is that
it can reduce the internal motivation that the user has for the activity, as it replaces
internal motivation with external motivation. If, however, the game design elements can
be made meaningful to the user through information, then internal motivation can be
improved as there is less need to emphasize external rewards. This paper introduces the
concept of meaningful gamification through a user-centered exploration of theories
behind organismic integration theory, situational relevance, situated motivational
affordance, universal design for learning, and player-generated content."
Abstract: "In this project, the following research question is set forth: is it possible to create fair
maps for a video game using multi objective evolution algorithms? A description of
the video game used for this project, Civilization V, is provided as well as an overview
of other map generation methods, and research being done in the field of procedural
content generation. A definition for what is fair is made and expressed through
functions, that evaluate maps for the video game Civilization V. These evaluation
functions express five distinct perspectives on how fair maps are perceived. The
fitness functions are designed to conflict as little as possible with each other. A
method is defined as to how this theory is applied in practice to generate maps for
Civilization V. The evaluation functions are applied on maps from the game's map
generation method, and compared to maps that have been evolved with the method
provided by this project."
Abstract: "Procedural generation of games has become an active re-
search eld. We present a system that automatically gen-
erates an interactive ction (IF) by learning from crowd-
sourced corpora of example stories. We ask crowd workers
from Amazon Mechanical Turk to write short stories about
a given situation with simple language, from which a plot
graph is learned, containing plot events, temporal prece-
dence and mutual exclusion relations between the events.
The plot graph describes an IF where players and non-player
characters choose from executable events as determined by
the plot graph. We demonstrate an IF learned from the
domain of bank robbery"
Abstract: "Abstract-In computer games and simulations, content is often
rather static and rigid. As a result, its prescripted nature can lead
to predictable and impersonal gameplay, while alienating unconventional
players. Adaptivity in games has therefore been recently
proposed to overcome these shortcomings and make games more
challenging and appealing. In this paper, we survey present research
on game adaptivity, identifying, and discussing the main
challenges, and pointing out some of the most promising directions
ahead.We first survey the purposes of adaptivity, as the principles
that could steer an adaptation and generation engine. From this
perspective, we proceed to thoroughly discuss adaptivity's targets
and methods. Current advances and successes in this emerging
field point to many yet unexplored research opportunities. Among
them, we discuss the use of gameplay expectations, learning preferences,
and assessment data in the integrated adaptation of game
worlds, scenarios, and quests. We conclude that, among other
methods, procedural content generation and semantic modeling
can powerfully combine to create offline customized content and
online adjustments to game worlds, scenarios, and quests. These
and other promising methods, deserving ample research efforts,
can therefore, be expected to significantly contribute towards
making games and simulations even more unpredictable, effective,
and fun."
"A data game is a game that allows the
player(s) to explore data that is derived from outside the
game, by transforming the data into something that can be
played with. In other words, games as a form of interactive
data visualisation."