Group items tagged

Abstract: "There have been tremendous ways of developing creativity, yet instead of traditionally formal instruction, games are the best media to spur creativity, as creativity can easily and spontaneously be evoked through games. On the other hand, metacognition is a good way to promote creative thinking, as metacognition which contains the abilities such as self-planning, self-monitoring, and self-evaluation can foster creative-relevant cognitive processes. Games are exactly the ideal platform that provides a playful context for metacognitive awareness prompting creative processes. Based on the advantages of games and that design is a creativity-relevant cognitive and constructive process, this research adopts the means of digital game-based learning (DGBL) to propose a metacognitive approach to inspiring creativity through a creativity game of players as game story designers."

"This action research study investigated whether the combination of the appreciative learning approach as a pedagogical strategy and computer game development as a technological tool enhances student creativity in terms of the products produced. The study consisted of three phases. Phase I used an experimental design with randomized subjects and a control group to investigate the effectiveness of the combination of appreciative learning and computer game development for creativity enhancement. Phases II and III used a one-group pretest-posttest experimental design for the treatment group only. Subjects of the study consisted of 13 and 14-year-old students. Product creativity was evaluated through the Computer Game Assessment Inventory (COMGAIN). Findings in Phase I indicated that the treatment group produced more creative products than the control group. Improvements in the implementation of the appreciative learning approach and computer game development increased product creativity levels in Phases II and III. Thus, this study provides evidence of the transformational possibilities of the appreciative learning approach when combined with computer game development with regards to student creativity."

"One of the emerging fields in the Creative Industry is Serious Gaming. In the Municipality of Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, a small number of (Serious) gaming companies is established. One of the fields of Interest, the Municipality tries to develop, is the health care sector. Despite the foreseen growing demand for Serious game products in this sector, the Gaming segment of the Creative Industry has not developed to an economically sustainable entity yet. In this paper we will describe the efforts that were undertaken to develop the Creative Industry and especially the Serious Gaming segment. This choice was made because of seemingly inconsistent policy decisions of some key stakeholders concerning this emerging field. Following we will present a theoretical framework how a cluster could be formed that will be able to survive without governmental aid. This framework is based on a theoretical review and on two examples of existing clusters in Japan and Germany. The paper will end by raising some questions for future research and discussion."

"Rather than being vilified, video games should be recognised as an art form appreciated for the way they tugged at our emotions and stimulated creativity, Prebble said"A playwright emphasizes skills exercised in video game play.

Abstract: "Application domains for Computational Creativity projects range from musical composition to recipe design, but despite all of these systems having computational methods in com- mon, we are aware of no projects to date that focus on pro- gram code as the created artefact. We present the Mechanic Miner tool for inventing new concepts for videogame inter- action which works by inspecting, modifying and executing code. We describe the system in detail and report on an eval- uation based on a large survey of people playing games using content it produced. We use this to raise issues regarding the assessment of code as a created artefact and to discuss future directions for Computational Creativity research."

From the abstract: "We believe creativity has not been a prevalent element in the videogame medium. While many issues might be at fault, in this paper we propose that one of the underlying causes resides in the game design discipline itself, more specifically in the way scholars, journalists and audiences promulgate normative thinking. This notion is developed with arguments that explore how normative thinking has shaped three dimensions of the medium - form, value and expression. It takes into consideration major trends in journalism and production, as well as an analysis of books and scientific articles that concern the subject. We then propose alternatives on how to frame the currently available knowledge in the discipline in a way that can help foster creativity instead of constraining it."

Abstract: "This paper explores the possibilities of game-based learning within the context of a graphic design education. A global network now exists that puts all professionals in competition with one-another, and in order to stay competitive as educators, we must be able to produce professionals that can solve problems creatively. However, traditional teaching methods may in some contexts be unable to provide the kind of education students need, and initial research suggests that game-based learning may be a viable solution. This study establishes a framework of good game-based learning principles and a design for a video game to be used in a teaching environment. Primarily target audiences are teenage students, roughly ages 10 - 14, and college level undergraduate students, ages 18 - 25, of all genders. This video game is intended to teach players situated meanings for key visual communication concepts of grid and modularity, in a way that allows them to create high level relationships between these and their creative work."

Introduces the Game Book concept as used by an 11 year old to work with ideas for games that aren't yet made and also to develop creativity skills analogous to graduate attributes, useful in university and beyond.

CAMBRIDGE, MA, Mar 22, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- "The gaming industry is a harsh environment in which to start and to grow a business. It's risky, hits-driven, and traditionally receives minimal support from governments, banks, incubators, and most modern institutions devoted to nurturing new companies. How then does one survive and, ultimately, thrive? Thursday, April 5, 2012, the 4th Annual MIT Sloan Business and Gaming (BiG) Conference will gather industry insiders, independent developers, gaming enthusiasts, venture capitalists, attorneys, academics, and students from across MIT and other top-tier colleges for a day-long exploration into the business side of the gaming industry." MIT BiG is being held on the MIT Sloan campus in Cambridge, MA the day before PAX East -- one of the country's largest events celebrating gaming culture -- which takes place in Boston, making it convenient for participants to attend both conferences.

A great selection of gaming articles including one on digital-only games, bringing creativity back to role-playing games, "social networking's connection with gaming," and 38 studios failure and its implications for the gaming industry.

Abstract: "The video game industry is a billion dollar industry with an ever-growing fan base. Massachusetts, along with other states, has begun to take an interest in further developing this dynamic industry. A problem facing many policy makers and economic developers is accurately defining the video game industry, determining the types of workers that form of human capital within its workforce and where these businesses are located. This study helps to solve this problem by converting video game credits, found in all video games, into Standard Occupational Codes to identify the types of workers who comprise the industry and by conducting spatial analysis using Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS). It also uses the Occupational Information Network to evaluate what forms of human capital comprises the video game industry. The results show the video game workforce comprises both creative workers such as artists and musicians, but also computer programmers, engineers, and business management and marketing professionals. This workforce tends to be concentrated not only in larger U.S. metropolitan areas but also in regions with a significant high-technology workforce, college towns, and government laboratories. Also, as this diverse workforce contains a wide variety of skills and abilities, a common theme is being able to work together as a team to develop a product. This study is part of a growing body of research and initiatives to identify and to locate new, creative industries within metropolitan regions. This research will contribute to future research using occupational analysis to identify new and growing industries."

Selected contributions from the meeting 11/17-18/11 "field of gamebased learning. This is a refereed scientific conference acting as a forum for scientists, teachers / trainers, and practitioners to present their latest research, results, ideas and developments on games and learning. The focus is on the use of educational games in creative teaching methodologies."

Otis report study from 2007-2010 does note " Digital media, including software publishing and video game design and production, had robust earnings gains, with payrolls in the two counties up by a third, to $1.33 billion," although number employed actually declined

Abstract: "This thesis aims to study the design possibilities for supporting explorative form-finding in 3D modeling applications. For today's many design professions, 3D forms are achieved partly in engagement with digital environments. Use of software has far exceeded final idea execution, extending to the early phases of design work in which the outcome is not predetermined. This insight led designers of interactive systems support sketching and ideating activities by reducing the risk of experimentation and cognitive effort demanded from user. Yet, there has been less emphasis on traditional design and craft practice that acknowledges engagement with materials and effort spent on work as an integral part of creative process. The notion of exploration in the scope of this thesis attempts to incorporate such aspects. Relevant literature about workshop practice in design and craft has been reviewed, as well as examples of CAD technologies that aid designers. In this light, HCI perspectives on the design of creativity support tools and games have been discussed. The thesis work aimed to concretize this background by building a design strategy and an interactive artifact. A 3D form-finding application concept using objects in modeling space to indirectly manipulate geometry, "kfields", has been developed and evaluated with users at various stages. The thesis concludes by reflecting on the findings of different design stages and proposing further directions for design. Keywords: 3D Modeling, CAD, digital material, form"

Abstract :"This thesis deals with the analysis, design, implementation and testing of a video game prototype , which is intended for practicing lucid dreaming induction . R esearch i ndicates the potential of the video game medium in this end and the experimental game design has been the result of examining various study case s covering both video gam es and dreams , besides multiple lucid dreaming induction techniques . The design approach was more focused on creatively modif yin g existing techniques , in order to take advantage of the potential of the video game medium, than to simply copy them. This has led to establishi ng a set of formal design goals , with an emphasis on creating a game world simulating a dream, in which rehearsing can take place prior to sleep . The video game prototype is inasmuch an interactive training tool as it is an artistic video game experiment . With the aim of also tak ing the player experience into account, a set of aesthetic goals was also established , approached by the use of the MDA framework ( Hunicke , LeBlanc & Zubek, 2004) and the player involvement model - related to the concept of incorporation (Calleja, 2011)"

"Seth Cooper is the lead designer of Foldit, and one of the original creators of the game. He is currently the creative director for the Center for Game Science at the University of Washington. In a recent Science Observer, American Scientist associate editor Katie Burke discussed Foldit and other citizen science games. The following is an extended version of her conversation with Cooper"

Abstract: "We introduce ALE, a new framework for writing games for the An- droid platform. The primary motivation behind ALE is to empha- size reading code before writing it. Beginners read game code to learn how levels can be made, and advanced users read the code of ALE itself to learn how to create useful and extensible libraries. To date, roughly 200 students at our university have used ALE, rang- ing from first-semester engineering undergraduates through Mas- ters students. ALE has proven useful in teaching non-majors about CS, in making introductory CS programming courses more excit- ing, and in encouraging creativity, entrepreneurship, and good pro- gram design in upper-level electives. Based on these experiences, we encourage educators at all levels to consider using ALE to im- prove students' ability to learn by reading code."

"Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced the final winners of this year's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract awards-funds that are reserved for entrepreneurial small businesses using cutting-edge R&D to develop commercially viable technologies to solve tough problems. And there's something that may surprise you about the winning contracts: More than half-or 12 in all-are for games and game-related projects, more than in any previous year. That says a lot about the increasingly creative field of educational games, and the growing base of evidence indicating that games can be an important and effective component of our strategy to prepare a highly skilled 21st century American workforce."

Abstract: Joseph Campbell's Monomyth not only provides a well-proven pattern for successful storytelling, it may also help to guide teams and team leaders through the challenges of change and innovation processes. In project "HELD: Innovationsdramaturgie nach dem Heldenprinzip" researchers of the University of the Arts Berlin and the Berlin Gameslab, part of the University of Applied Sciences HTW-Berlin, team up to examine the applicability of the Hero's Journey to change management using an adaptation of Campbell's pattern called „Heldenprinzip®". The project's goal is not to teach the stages of the Monomyth as mere facts but to enable participants of training courses and interventions to actually experience its concepts using a portfolio of creative and aesthetic methods. While a pool of aesthetic methods - like drawing, performing or role-playing - is already being used, the Gameslab subproject qualitatively researches the potentials for enriching and complementing these methods with interactive digital media and games. This paper discusses three types of game based learning treatments to be used in training and intervention sessions as well as teaching the Monomyth in a game based learning university course. The first option is providing participants with a game that follows the Hero's Journey and inducing them to reflect on the experience and its relation to the learning goal. An alternative strategy is to make participants go through a game sequence broaching issues that are relevant for a stage or the journey of change in general. Last but not least, digital equivalents of the non-digital aesthetic methods can be constructed using digital games or digitally enhanced set-ups for playful interactions. All three treatments have their merits and pitfalls, which are discussed in relation to the identified game-based learning scenarios: self-study, blended game-based learning and face-to-face sessions"

Abstract: Through a retrospective account of the evolution of China's online game industry, this paper examines the political, economic and cultural factors, with an emphasis on formal policy making, that have shaped the industry. Drawing on the theory of fragmented authoritarianism, this study finds that 10 Chinese online games are deeply shaped by the political environment of the autocratic Chinese system, which features inter-ministerial competition and intertwined state control and commercial interests. The current Chinese online market is combined with a strong private sector presence and a considerable government role. The Chinese government seems to have achieved its policy goal of helping Chinese companies to dominate the domestic market. However, the extensive and ambiguous government 15 policy and regulations, have, to some extent, restrains innovation. To that end, whether China can accomplish its three-stepped importation-substitution-creation strategy in this highly creative industry remains to be seen and warrants future investigation."