Saturday, September 27, 2014
The Friend Zone Project Teaser
After a long summer our project has moved closer to being a reality. We are narrowing down the content, the purpose and how we will reach our goals. We hope you are as excited as we are!
Thursday, September 25, 2014
New Direction for Fall 2014
After some time and thought, we have decided to take things in a new direction. It all started when I (Nate) was talking about using a decision tree for the generative music. From there, we talked about how that same mechanic had been utilized in some of our favorite games. From there, we decided that a computer-based collaborative game in a physical space was the way to go. This appeals to us because we all are passionate about games. We discovered this about each other while we were taking content development last year. We have had the pleasure of playing both board games and video games, and love the communication and competition involved. One of the ways we keep things fun in the lab is by having a gaming championship belt. The importance of a good work-play balance cannot be overstated.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Collaborative and Physical Games
Playable And Collaborative Art: The MonMazes Case-study
by Ana Carina Figueiredo, Marco Heleno, Pedro Branco, Nelson Zagalo
Abstract: MonMazes is a collaborative and physical game inspired by Piet Mondrian paintings that consists of two benches with smart seat cushions that track the user's seating
movements. The objective is to guide a ball through the mazes/paintings until the final point. The process of MonMazes' development was driven towards an exploration of collaborative possibilities together with a computer-supported physical user interface, focusing on the interdependency between players who shared a common goal. We start this article by discussing the social aspects of gameplay, the collaboration and interdependence between players, ending with a description of MonMazes project.
Notes: Lots of good notes on computer games and collaboration. It seems that it talks about users becoming competitive when they play for a second time.
Active Video Games to Promote Physical Activity in Children and Youth
by Elaine Biddiss, PhD, MASc, BAS; Jennifer Irwin, BEng
Conclusions: The AVGs enable light to moderate physical activity. Limited evidence is available to draw conclusions on the long-term efficacy of AVGs for physical activity promotion.
The Multiple Dimensions of Video Game Effects
by Douglas A. Gentile
Abstract: Video games are at the center of a debate over what is helpful or harmful to children and adolescents, and there is research to substantiate both sides. The existing research suggests that there are at least five dimensions on which video games can affect players: the amount of play, the content of play, the game context, the structure of the game and the mechanics of game play. Dr. Gentile will describe each of these five dimensions with examples, arguing that this approach can allow people to get beyond the typical “good/bad” dichotomous thinking to have a more nuanced understanding of video game effects.
Strangers and Friends: Collaborative Play in World of Warcraft
by Bonnie Nardi and Justin Harris
Abstract: We analyze collaborative play in an online video game, World of Warcraft, the most popular personal computer game in the United States, with significant markets in Asia and Europe.Based on an immersive ethnographic study, we describe how the social organization of the game and player culture affect players’ enjoyment and learning of the game. We discovered that play is characterized by a multiplicity of collaborations from brief informal encounters to highly organized play in structured groups. The variety of collaborations makes the game more fun and provides rich learning opportunities. We contrast these varied collaborations, including those with strangers, to the “gold standard” of Gemeinschaft-like communities of close relations in tight knit groups. We suggest populations for whom similar games could be designed.
Human Computer Interaction in Game Design
by Hung Nguyen
Abstract: Computer and Video Games are one of the most popular and the most important products of the software industry. One of the greatest contributors to this success is the rapid improvement of technologies. However, the Game Development processes still have to face some difficulties. In fact, the lack of guidelines and theoretical foundations are the major causes for most of Game Designers need to bring their own experiences and intuitions into the Game Design. Therefore, it is essential to increase the involvement of the Human Computer Interaction (or HCI) knowledge in the processes of designing games.
A Model to Support the Design of Multiplayer Games
by Jose Pablo Zagal, Miguel Nussbaum, Ricardo Rosas
Abstract: Extensive research has shown that the act of play is extremely important in the lives of human beings. It is thus not surprising that games have a long and continuing history in the development of almost every culture and society. The advent of computers and technology in general has also been akin to the need or entertainment that every human being seeks. However, a curious dichotomy exists in the nature of electronic games: the vast majority of electronic games are individual in nature whereas the nonelectronic ones are collective by nature. On the other hand, recent technological breakthroughs are finally allowing for the implementation of electronic multiplayer games. Because of the limited experience in electronic, multiplayer game design, it becomes necessary to adapt existing expertise in the area of single-player game design to the realm of multiplayer games. This work presents a model to support the initial steps in the design process of multiplayer games. The model is defined in terms of the characteristics that are both inherent and special to multiplayer games but also related to the relevant elements of a game in general. Additionally, the model is used to assist in the design of two multiplayer games. "One of the most difficult tasks people can perform, however much others may despise it, is the invention of good games..." C G. Jung I
Collaborative games: Lessons learned from board games
by José P. Zagal, Jochen Rick, Idris Hsi
Abstract: Collaborative mechanisms are starting to become prominent in computer games, like massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs); however, by their nature, these games are difficult to investigate. Game play is often complex and the underlying mechanisms are frequently opaque. In contrast, board games are simple. Their game play is fairly constrained and their core mechanisms are transparent enough to analyze. In this article, the authors seek to understand collaborative games. Because of their simplicity, they focus on board games. The authors present an analysis of collaborative games. In particular, they focus on Reiner Knizia’s LORD OF THE RINGS, considered by many to be the quintessential collaborative board game. Our analysis yields seven observations, four lessons, and three pitfalls, that game designers might consider useful for designing collaborative games. They reflect on the particular opportunities that computers have for the design of collaborative games as well as how some of the issues discussed apply to the case of computer games.
Lessons of Collaborative Games:
Lesson 1: To highlight problems of competitiveness, a collaborative game should introduce a tension between perceived individual utility and team utility.
Lesson 2: To further highlight problems of competitiveness, individual players should be allowed to make decisions and take actions without the consent of the team.
Lesson 3: Players must be able to trace payoffs back to their decisions.
Lesson 4: To encourage team members to make selfless decisions, a collaborative game should bestow different abilities or responsibilities upon the players.
Pitfalls of Collaborative Games:
Pitfall 1: To avoid the game degenerating into one player making the decisions for the team, collaborative games have to provide a sufficient rationale for collaboration.
Pitfall 2: For a game to be engaging, players need to care about the outcome and that outcome should have a satisfying result.
Pitfall 3: For a collaborative game to be enjoyable multiple times, the experience needs to be different each time and the presented challenge needs to evolve.
Understanding children’s collaborative interactions in shared environments
by S.D. Scott, R.L. Mandryk & K.M. Inkpen
Abstract: Traditional computer technology offers limited support for face-to-face, synchronous collaboration. Consequently, children who wish to collaborate while using computers must adapt their interactions to the single-user paradigm of most personal computers. Recent technological advances have enabled the development of co-located groupware systems offering support for concurrent, multi–user interactions around a shared display. These systems provide a unique collaboration environment in
which users share both the physical and the virtual workspace. This paper examines how such technology impacts children’s collaboration. Findings from this research show that when concurrent, multi–user interaction is supported on a shared display, children exhibit collaborative behaviour similar to their interactions during paper-based activities. The findings also suggest strengths and weaknesses of various mechanisms for supporting synchronous interactions that have implications for the design of computer systems to support children’s face-to-face collaboration.
Player Interaction
by Greg Aleknevicus
I've noticed recently that certain games have been described as being "multi-player solitaire". These are games in which each player is, more or less, playing by themselves with limited interaction with others. Princes of Florence is perhaps the best example of such a game. There really isn't that much in the way of interaction in the game—the auctioning of items and the limited supply of freedoms, professions and buildings are about it. In my experience the limited number of items is rarely an issue (with the notable exception of the profession cards) and usually the only contentious item in the auction is the jester. It's this lack of interaction that's at the root of my problem with the game. Not because I don't enjoy the solitary feeling of the game but because I often feel that I can set my course very early and then simply follow it through. I know that I'll need a park in the first three turns and so I'll pick one up when I feel it's cheap. If someone else bids up the price, I'll buy the fountain that I also need. Perhaps I've simply been lucky, I've always done very well in the game but I've never felt as though I was in a real struggle. Even when it becomes clear that another player will beat me there seems to be very little I can do to alter this. My plan is to maximize my points; this remains true no matter the standings of the other players. By the time I realize that I'll fall short of someone else it's too late for me to switch what I'm doing.
The Evolution of Cooperation
by Robert Axelrod
Under what conditions will cooperation emerge in a world of egoists without central authority? This question has intrigued people for a long time. We all know that people are not angels, and that they tend to look after themselves and their own first. Yet we also know that cooperation does occur and that our civilization is based upon it. A good example of the fundamental problem of cooperation is the case where two industrial nations have erected trade barriers to each other’s exports. Because of the mutual advantages of free trade, both countries would be better off if these barriers were eliminated. But if either country
were to eliminate its barriers unilaterally, it would find itself facing terms of trade that hurt its own economy. In fact, whatever one country does, the other country is better off retaining its own trade barriers. Therefore, the problem is that each country has an incentive to retain trade barriers, leading to a worse outcome than would have been possible had both
countries cooperated with each other.
Social Dilemmas: The Anatomy of Cooperation
Abstract: Humans often cooperate in public goods games and situations ranging from family issues to global warming. However, evolutionary game theory predicts that the temptation to forgo the public good mostly wins over collective cooperative action, and this is often also seen in economic experiments. Here we show how social diversity provides an escape from this apparent paradox. Up to now, individuals have been treated as equivalent in all respects, in sharp contrast with real-life situations, where diversity is ubiquitous. We introduce social diversity by means of heterogeneous graphs and show that cooperation is promoted by the diversity associated with the number and size of the public goods game in which each individual participates and with the individual contribution to each such game. When social ties follow a scale-free distribution, cooperation is enhanced whenever all individuals are expected to contribute a fixed amount irrespective of the plethora of public goods games in which they engage. Our results may help to explain the emergence of cooperation in the absence of mechanisms based on individual reputation and punishment. Combining social diversity with reputation and punishment will provide instrumental clues on the self-organization of social communities and their economical implications.
Ludoliteracy: Defining, Understanding and Supporting Games Education
by Siobhán Thomas
While games literacy is a familiar theme within game studies literature, teaching and supporting games literacy is a less familiar one, particularly at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. Zagal's book, Ludoliteracy: Defining, Understanding and Supporting Games Education, offers a meaningful complement to existing games education scholarship. Published in 2010, it remains a one-of-a-kind resource, not only because it focuses on adult video games education, but because it also offers insight into how one might define, understand and support "ludoliteracy." Zagal underscores that supporting learners' acquisition of ludoliteracy, like the analysis of video games itself, involves navigating complex territory in a field that is in a constant state of flux. "On the surface it seems like teaching about games should be easy," writes Zagal. "After all, students are highly motivated, enjoy engaging with course content, and have extensive personal experience with videogames. However, games education can be surprisingly complex"
The effect of intergroup competition on group coordination: an experimental study
by Gary Bornstein, Uri Gneezy, and Rosmarie Nagel
Abstract: We studied the effect of intergroup competition on behavior in the minimal-effort game (Van Huyck et al. 1990. Amer. Econ. Rev. 80, 234–248). The group with the higher minimum won the competition and its members were paid according to the game’s payoff matrix. The members of the losing group were paid nothing. We found that intergroup competition improved collective efficiency as compared with single-group control treatments where each group played an independent coordination game (either with or without information about the minimum chosen by the outgroup). We then studied another intergroup competition treatment in which the members of both groups were paid according to the original payoff matrix, and, in addition, each member of the winning group was paid an extra flat bonus. We found that this milder type of intergroup competition also led to better group coordination than in the single-group case.
Selection Criteria in Coordination Games: Some Experimental Results
by Cooper, Dejong, Forsythe and Ross
Abstract: We study the selection of an equilibrium for coordination games: symmetric, simultaneous move, complete information games which have multiple, Pareto-ranked Nash equilibria. We design and experiment to explore regularities in the observed outcomes for this class of games. With replication, we find that the Nash equilibrium concept accurately predicts the strategies chosen by players in these games. However, the equilibrium outcome is not always the Pareto-dominant equilibrium so that coordination failures can arise. Moreover, we find that altering the payoffs of a dominated strategy can influence the selection of a Nash equilibrium. Our results are consistent with a modified version of Harsanyi's tracing procedure in which players initially place some positive probability that their opponent is a cooperative player even though the cooperative strategy may be dominated by another strategy.
Tacit Coordination Games, Strategic Uncertainty, and Coordination Failure
by John B. Van Huyck, Raymond C. Battalio and Richard O. Beil
Abstract: Deductive equilibrium methods--such as Rational Expectations or Bayesian Nash Equilibrium--are powerful tools for analyzing economies that exhibit strategic interdependence. Typically, deductive equilibrium analysis does not explain the process by which decision makers acquire equilibrium beliefs. The presumption is that actual economies have achieved a steady state. In economies with stable and unique equilibrium points, the influence of inconsistent beliefs and, hence, actions would disappear over time, see Robert Lucas (1987). The power of the equilibrium method derives from its ability to abstract from the complicated dynamic process that induces equilibrium and to abstract from the historical accident that initiated the process.
Productivity Under Group Incentives: An Experimental Study
By Haig R. Nalbantian AND Andrew Schotter
Abstract: This paper examines behavior in a tournament in which we vary the tournament prize structure and the information available about participants' skill at the task of solving mazes. The number of solved mazes is lowest when payments are independent of performance; higher when a single, large prize is given; and highest when multiple, differentiated prizes are given. This result is strongest when we inform participants about the number of mazes they and others solved in a pre-tournament round. Some participants reported that they solved more mazes than they actually solved, and this misreporting also peaked with multiple differentiated prizes.
Existing Physical and Collaborative Games
Run Chicken Run is a game platform where user can interact with a hacked electric toy “E-chicken” through physically metaphorical movement. By wearing input devices on elbows and then flapping arms, user can control the pace of movement of the E-chicken. In this way, the user interacts physically with the toy and socially with other players as well. To enable this, the game platform employs low-cost, readily available sensors, wireless modules, and microcontrollers.
A pervasive game called Swan Boat that targets the bland and tedious nature of running on a treadmill, making it fun through social interaction and immersive game play. They developed Swan Boat on top of PSD, a platform for pervasive games, and using the Interactive Treadmill hardware.
XBOX Kinect- Controller-free gaming means full body play. Kinect responds to how you move. So if you have to kick, just kick. If you have to jump, then jump. You already know how to play. All you have to do now is to get off the couch.
The Nintendo Wii represented an innovation in the way players interact with games through the use of a remote control device that provides a more intuitive and realistic means of control and interaction.Wii Wings might look like glorified potholders, but they're much, much more. CTA is marketing them towards those that love Wii Fit Plus's Bird's-Eye Bulls-Eye where players must flap their arms to fly a chicken onto targets to score the most points. According to CTA, Wii Wings will "help you to truly experience what its like to be a bird."
They'll also "add a sensation that you will not feel mimicking a flying chicken with your hands alone," and reportedly "take your flying experience to another level." Wii Wings tout features such as "finger loops" and "Velcro closers at wrist."
The PlayStation Eye (trademarked PLAYSTATION Eye) is a digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 3. The technology uses computer vision and gesture recognition to process images taken by the camera. This allows players to interact with games using motion and color detection as well as sound through its built-in microphone array. It is the successor to the EyeToy for the PlayStation 2, which was released in 2003.
THE ADVENTURES OF COOKIE & CREAM. (2000). Agetec.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: FOUR SWORDS ADVENTURES. (2004). Nintendo.
THE SETTLERS OF CATAN. (1997). Teuber, K. Mayfair Games.
WOLFENSTEIN: ENEMY TERRITORY. (2003). Wedgwood, P. Activision Publishing Inc.
WORLD OF WARCRAFT. (2004). Blizzard Entertainment
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