Group items tagged

"effect of game reviews on player experience and perceptions of quality. We show that negative reviews cause a significant effect on how players perceive their in-game experience, and that this effect is a post-play cognitive rationalization of the play experience with the previously-read review text. To address this effect we designed and deployed a new heuristic evaluation technique that specifically uses game reviews to create a fine-grained prioritized list of usability problems based on the frequency, impact, and persistence of each problem. By using our technique we are able to address the most common usability problems identified by game reviews, thus reducing the overall level of negativity found within the review text. Our approach helps to control and eliminate the snowballing effect that can be produced by players reading reviews and subsequently posting their own reviews, and thus improve the commercial success of a game."

abstract: "This literature review will discuss the efficacy of using video game programming as an attractor and entry point to engage middle- and high-school girls in a computer science curriculum. The review begins by exploring historical trends of female participation in the technology industry and in computer science programs at the high-school and collegiate levels, and the impact these trends have on women's opportunities. For additional background context, the review will then review a number of empirical studies regarding girls' attitudes toward computer science, as well as environmental and social influences that impact their participation in the field. It will then identify the educational and social goals of increased female participation in the computer science curriculum and briefly discuss various potential attractors that have been under investigation. Finally, the review will describe specific research studies that explore both how effective the teaching of computer game design is in attracting female students to a computer science course of study, as well as its efficacy in teaching important computer science concepts."

From the abstract: "In this thesis we present the development of this mobile multi-platform serious game intended to teach the basic information about asthma to teenagers and young adults. We review the design of the game and the mobile technologies used to create the game. We present conclusions based on observations made while interviewees played the game, and detail the changes made to the game based on these observations. Each interviewee also provided feedback on the game, and completed several assessments to measure their knowledge of asthma before and after playing the game. We review the knowledge each interviewee gained from the interaction with the game, and draw and present conclusions based on the background each subject comes from"

Abstract: "The CHERMUG project aims to develop a digital game to support students in acquiring methodological and statistical expertise. This deliverable describes a literature review which was carried out to identify papers which describe digital games which aim to teach research methods and statistics. Search terms included varied terms for digital games, terms relevant to the twin goals of games for learning and engagement and terms for methodological and statistical knowledge. Search terms identified 38 papers which were considered relevant. The literature review confirmed that there are relatively few papers describing the use of games for teaching research methods and statistics and even fewer which carried out rigorous evaluations of their success, although several e-learning applications and animations to teach research methods and statistics were identified as well as papers looking at how statistics should be taught."

Abstract: "This literature review describes gamification and how it can be used in a crowdsour cing context. It relates motivations for participating in such activity as more intrinsic than conventional methods, and as such provides numerous benefits. Such benefits include more accurate work, better retention rates, and a more cost effective solutio n. Elements of gamification are examined, as well as how it can be applied to existing applications."

NEW YORK, March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Princeton Review (www.princetonreview.com) -- one of the nation's best-known education services companies -- today reported its third annual list naming the schools with the best programs to study video game design. The new list, "Top Schools to Study Video Game Design for 2012," recommends 50 schools in all.

Game review."Full disclosure: I fell asleep about a half hour into my first attempt to play Journey, the latest experience from Flower creators thatgamecompany. I'm not entirely sure this wasn't the intended effect of the endless stretches of lonely desert sands and dirge-like music that characterize the beginning of the game."

"the aim of this study has been to explore the value of digital games, their significance in our culture, and the current status of their preservation. Investigating the relationship of games to culture; reviewing current preservation activities and drawing conclusions about the value of digital games and the significance of their preservation were the study s objectives. These have been achieved through interviews with key stakeholders the academic community, as potential users of collections; memory institutions, as potential keepers of collections; fan-based game preservation experts; and representatives from the games industry. In addition to this, case studies of key game preservation activities were explored. Through this research, a clearer picture of attitudes towards digital games and opinions on the need for preservation of these cultural products has been established. It has become apparent that there is a need for more coherent and collaborative efforts to ensure the longevity of these important aspects of digital heritage. "

From the introduction "The method described in this review is based on the Machinations tool, written based on the book by Dormans (2012) and the accompanying paper, also by Dormans (20 11). After having researched the necessary elements to create this tool and created the first iterations (Dormans, 2008; 2009), Dormans created Machinations as a response to the call of Doug Church (Dormans, 2012, 21) for "formal abstract design tools" whi ch Church (1999) posted on Gamasutra, a game developer website. Machinations is a framework that uses automated, interactive diagrams to simulate and test the gameplay of a game before development, to see if there are any serious flaws in the design and if the game would have plausible (and more importantly, entertaining) progression and emergence. The diagrams represent the flow of resources in a game during, and the feedback structures that exist in, the gameplay, which can be interacted with during the d iagram's runtime."

From the abstract: "Here we demonstrate for the first time the iterative development of agent behaviour for a real-time strategy game (here StarCraft) utilising Behaviour Oriented Design (BOD) [7]. BOD provides focus on the robust creation and easy adjustment of modular and hierarchical cognitive agents. We demonstrate BOD's usage in creating an AI capable of playing the StarCraft character the Zerg hive mind, and document its performance against a variety of opponent AI systems. In describing our tool-driven development process, we also describe the new Abode IDE, provide a brief literature review situating BOD in the AI game literature, and propose possible future work."

Review of games involving social interactions and demonstrating examples of popularity

"In this episode of the Ars Technicast, we talk about where we think the industry is headed and which new players might have real impact. Senior Apple Editor Jacqui Cheng, Social Editor Cesar Torres, and Senior Reviews Editor Lee Hutchinson join Kyle in a discussion about hardware, software, and indie development issues."

"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"

14 of 25 titles launched on Sony's new Vita console are reviewed here

"Abstract The use of simulations and digital games in learning and assessment is expected to increase over the next several years. Although there is much theoretical support for the benefits of digital games in learning and education, there is mixed empirical support. This research report provides an overview of the theoretical and empirical evidence behind five key claims about the use of digital games in education. The claims are that digital games (1) are built on sound learning principles, (2) provide more engagement for the learner, (3) provide personalized learning opportunities, (4) teach 21st century skills, and (5) provide an environment for authentic and relevant assessment. The evidence for each claim is presented and directions for future research are discussed."

"This paper presents the theoretical foundations of and the research methodologies for designing, developing, and evaluating stealth assessments in digital games. ... There are four main sections in this paper. First, we discuss problems with existing traditional assessments. Second, we review evidence relating to digital games and learning. Third, we define and then illustrate our stealth assessment approach with a set of assessments we are currently developing and embedding in a digital game (Newton's Playground). The stealth assessments are intended to measure levels of creativity, persistence, and conceptual understanding of Newtonian physics during game play. Finally, we discuss future research and issues related to stealth assessment in education."

the creator of JSJoust reviews game studies and literature and offers a concept in contrast to "rule-base" games, "idea of game as alibi - as a culturally-recognized excuse to "act out" and play the fool."