Abstract: "The most popular Facebook games are being played by millions of users, sometimes
only a few weeks after introduction. Although several of these games and
their users have been studied, there currently exists no open-source version of such
a game.
In this thesis we present the design, implementation, and performance analysis
of WebHack, a Facebook-integrated multiplayer game. WebHack is built upon the
classic, but still popular, game of Nethack. We discuss the technical difficulties
with file handles, process limits, communication networks, and handling failures.
Further, we consider aspects specific to legacy applications, for example legal
issues and technical limitations. We propose methods to circumvent these issues,
and show a successful integration of the legacy game Nethack into our Facebookintegrated
game system.
We present the design of our system and evaluate the performance of the design
in various scenarios. Among other results, we show that WebHack is a highperformance
system, able to support over 300,000 concurrent players, handle arrival
rates for up to 1,750 new players per second for over 60 seconds, and is able
to recover within 10 seconds from a server failure."
Updated: Mon Jan. 23 2012 15:43:40 The Canadian Press TORONTO Canadian makers of "Indie Game," a documentary about independent video game designers, say they're thrilled to have sold the concept to HBO and Scott Rudin, the producer behind mega films like "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "Moneyball," "The Social Network" and "There Will Be Blood."
Certificate program "aimed at professionals with a degree in computer science, information technology, or art who seek entre into the growing digital games industry."
Editorial by Michael Levine and Timothy Loew: "Retooling our education engine to produce better outcomes will drive our ability to compete in a complex, networked world powered by technology and efficiency. Transitioning to the digital age will define our children's future career prospects in the knowledge-based economy of 21st century."
Partnership between Civilization game franchise and Facebook, game playing is free, currency is premium, speculation on how user communities will respond
"How do game characters contribute to shaping the playing experience? What kinds of design tools are available for character-based games that utilize methods from dramatic writing and game research?
Writer Petri Lankoski has a theory for this. There is a need to tether character design to game design more tightly than has been the case in the past, as well as to pay attention to social networks of characters by the means of finding useful design patterns.
"Over the past decades, digital games have continued to extend their audience as they moved into the cultural mainstream. Despite this fact, however, only a portion of those who play games consider themselves a gamer. Drawing on insights from social identity theory, this study explores the factors that contribute to why people attribute a gamer identity to self or others."
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