Group items tagged

"Automated lm editing involves the generation of the position, orientation, motion and selection of virtual cameras in interactive 3D graphics applications. There is a pressing demand for techniques to assist and automate the control of virtual cameras in the computer games industry where the rapid development of personal computers and high performance consoles has led to substantial improvements in the visual delity of games. The goal of this survey is to characterize the spectrum of applications that require automated lm editing, present a summary of state-of-the-art models and techniques, and identify both promising avenues and hot topics for future research"

"This study evaluates player's performance respective to three visual search conditions in a railed shooter game. Each condition alters the presentation of elements according to the similarity theory of visual search, which distinguishes how easy or difficult goal-relevant targets (T) are from non-target distractions (NT). Significant performance differences are found for accuracy, XY screen position of mouse clicks, and level time. The benefit of this approach identifies performance tradeoffs in visual design with implications on game balancing."

Abstract: "People with motor disabilities have a limitation or a loss of capacity carrying out activities considered as normal for human beings. This may incline the relationship with the society and thus it is essential for these people to undergo therapeutic treatments. However, rehabilitation is a tedious process that often fails due to that patients drop treatment. For this reason, this thesis investigates if music in a serious game for rehabilitation can make the experience to become more engaging and, accordingly, whether positive experiences from playing such a game can encourage the rehabilitation process of a patient i.e. to make the rehabilitation process less tedious for the patient. The results, based on a pilot study conducted in a rehabilitation center, indicates that this is the case and further research on the matter is suggested."

Abstract: "Older adults in nursing homes often lead sedentary lifestyles, which reduces their life expectancy. Full-body motion-control games provide an opportunity for these adults to remain active and engaged; but these games are not designed with age-related impairments in mind, which prevents the games from being leveraged to increase the activity levels of older adults. In this paper, we create a gardening game specifically addressing institutionalized older adults. Additionally, we present an evaluation of the game that demonstrates how full-body motion-control games can accommodate a variety of user abilities, have a positive effect on mood and, by extension, the emotional well-being of older adults, thereby increasing their quality of life."

Abstract: "The main goal of this research is to understand how Utrecht's business environment must be developed in order to increase the region's international competiveness in the gaming industry. Utrecht's aim is to specialize in the gaming industry. In this research it is estimated that Utrecht is focused on small digital development game companies. The results indicate that Utrecht's competitive advantages are in its policy intervention, low labor wages and real estate costs, well developed demographical factors and infrastructure compared to the other investigated European cities. However, Utrecht scores below average on the categories of investments, quality of life and human resources. Once Utrecht has a stronger promotional effort in the gaming industry, it enlarges its attraction to draw game companies and to better its international position."

Reviews positive learning outcomes associated with video games as well as good design principles for educational games

From Berklee College of Music, not only a video game music orchestra, but a video game music choir

From the abstract: Recent studies show that the second generation of migrants is not adequately integrated into mainstream society but tends to segregate into secluded segments. 'Internet Use and Friendship Structures of young migrants in Vienna: a Question of Diversity within Social Networks and Online Social Games'1 is a transdisciplinary2 research project with the objective to create a serious music-based online social game, which firstly is intended to be a positive impact game with the purpose of furthering integration and encouraging the manifestation of meaningful multiethnic relations. Secondly, the game shall make social interaction observable for evaluation. This paper gives an overview of which methodological approaches can be combined in the phases of the game's design process and shows how the mutual embedding of game design researchers and social scientists works in this context."

Abstract: "Twenty three interviews and four surveys were conducted as case studies investigating the perceptions of expertise, expertise acquisition, and gaps in employment readiness for novice game developers. Participants were primarily game development production staff and educators involved in game related programs. Research results were compared to employability skills research. The findings indicated that there is a great deal of alignment between them, but employability skills may be insufficient on their own to be a reliable standalone source for curriculum development in the game development field because of the industry's unique characteristics. Implications from the research results, and insights from the in-depth interviews, that may be relevant to curriculum developers include evidence for a mismatch of the values, needs, and expectations of stakeholders; and a delineation of key characteristics of expertise and long-term success that may be valuable for inclusion in curriculum outcomes and measures. Two of the key characteristics identified were goal-focused passion, and holistic perspectives. Holistic perspectives included an awareness of heuristic use of tacit knowledge. The model of an expert learner was supported as a potential curriculum outcome focus that encapsulated the main characteristics of expertise that novices or advanced beginners could acquire. Another implication is that there may be a relation between expert characteristics and characteristics of functional behaviours that are related to positive psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy."

"This paper explores the distinction between operative and resultant actions in games, and proposes that the learning space created by a serious game is a function of these actions. Further, it suggests a possible relationship between these actions and the forms of cognitive load imposed upon the game player. Association of specific types of cognitive load with respective forms of actions in game mechanics also presents some heuristics for integrating learning content into serious games. Research indicates that different balances of these types of actions are more suitable for novice or experienced learners. By examining these relationships, we can develop a few basic principles of game design which have an increased potential to promote positive learning outcomes."

"In cross-functional teams, team performance depends on how skillfully function managers carry out the cross-function coordination of team members' complementary expertise and activities. In this paper, we argue (i) that function managers' coordination skills develop in part through the coordination experience gained from interacting with managers from other function, (ii) that coordination experience has general and firm-specific dimensions, and (iii) that coordination experience leads to better team performance. Using data on development teams in the electronic games industry, we show that coordination experience and its general and firm-specific components have a positive impact on the commercial success of electronic games, and that this effect is robust to tests for omitted variables and reverse causality. Our results have implications for the theory of learning and coordination in teams and for the practice of team design in project-based organizations."

from the abstract: "In this dissertation, a study of the serious games' validity for assessing the in-vehicle information systems ergonomics is presented. Results show that by using low-cost serious game it is possible to successfully predict the interactions' impact on driving performance. Moreover, the developed serious game obtained very promising driving performance approximations to a high fidelity driving simulator. This simulator was used, along with the serious game, to study the impact of two elementary tasks in the current in-vehicle information systems: read text and navigate menus manually. Both tasks affected significantly the vehicle's lateral control, and less significantly the longitudinal control. A final experiment was conducted to confirm the existence of the serious game influence over the behaviour of subjects. It was possible to observe that the game applied a positive impact to drivers' behaviour by improving their lateral and longitudinal control over the vehicle."

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."

FORT WALTON BEACH - Video games are not just for fun any longer. A local business recently received a contract to develop a new serious video game for the Army. Goldrush77.com/Caruth Central Business Advisory & Education Service, which recently moved into a new 3,000-square-foot office on Mar Walt Drive, was contracted to develop instructional design programs and a video game for training purposes. ... One of the main purposes of the game will be to help the Army work with groups that may not want its help for fear of retaliation from enemies. (20 new positions available)

"A new iPhone game that turns players into pathogens keen on destroying humanity has gone viral and its creator and locals say the app does a better job of teaching users about disease than terrifying them. In the two weeks since its release, Plague Inc. has become the top paid app for iPhones."

Health Games Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Pioneer Portfolio (RWJF), has updated its online health games database-the only one of its kind-by adding advanced search features to enhance the user experience. These updates make the database more accessible to new audiences and easier to search through saved searches and new item alerts.