Video Game Design

Hickey, D. T. & Filsecker, M. K. (2012). Participatory assessment for organizing inquiry in educational videogames and beyond. In K. Littleton, E. Scanlon, & M. Sharples, (Eds.) Orchestrating inquiry learning: Contemporary perspectives on supporting scientific inquiry learning (pp. 146-174). London: Taylor and Francis.

by Daniel Hickey

Hickey, D. T. & Jameson, E. (in press). Designing for participation in immersive educational videogames. In D. Ifenthaler, D. Eseryel, X. Ge (Eds.), Assessment in game-based learning: Foundations, innovations, and perspectives. New York: Springer. (to appear in 2012).

by Daniel Hickey

Where Do Game Design Ideas Come From? Invention and Recycling In Games Developed In Sweden

by Ulf Hagen

Designing for Player Experience

by Ulf Hagen

Lodestars for Player Experience (licentiate thesis)

by Ulf Hagen

The design and development of commercial AAA videogames is a difficult and complex endeavor. It involves large... more The design and development of commercial AAA videogames is a difficult and complex endeavor. It involves large development teams that together aim to create high quality, entertaining games that sell well. Up to now, very few scholars have documented or problematized this practice. This thesis presents a study of the design practices in big game development studios that make commercial AAA videogames. The study focuses on the so called ideation part of videogame development, in which the design ideas are generated, developed and communicated in the work team. The primary data comes from interviews conducted with seven Swedish game developers, but a large quantity of secondary data has also been used. The study shows that the design practice in many studios is to focus on the player experience instead of game features. To secure the intended player experience, the studios have moved away from "big design up front" in the form of classical game design documents, and are instead using a variety of verbal, visual and audial tools to articulate and communicate their vision of the game-to-be. In the thesis, I coin the term lodestars to denote these articulations of the main game concept and the intended player experience. I then move on to describe, exemplify and categorize them. The main purpose of lodestars is to allow everyone in the development team to make design choices in line with a commonly shared design vision in order to create a unified player experience.

[Appel à communications] de la 2ème édition de la journée d'études "Game Studies ? à la française !" intitulée "Les jeuX vidéo au pluriel. Quelles diversités ? Industries, métiers, interfaces, règles, publics, pratiques, circonstances, expériences, mémoires."

by Manuel Boutet

Bonjour,

La deuxième édition de la journée d'études "Game Studies ? à la française !" aura... more
Bonjour,

La deuxième édition de la journée d'études "Game Studies ? à la française !" aura lieu les 16 et 17 juin prochains à Paris. Cet événement est organisé par l'association OMNSH (Observatoire des Mondes Numériques en Sciences Humaines - www.omnsh.org).

Cette 2ème édition sera intitulée : "Les jeuX vidéo au pluriel. Quelles diversités ? Industries, métiers, interfaces, règles, publics, pratiques, circonstances, expériences, mémoires."

L'appel à contribution est joint. Les propositions de communications - sous forme de résumé - sont attendues pour le 10 mai.

En mai 2011 la 1ère édition de cette rencontre pluridisciplinaire a vu intervenir 22 chercheurs français de tous les horizons des sciences sociales et des sciences humaines. La 2ème édition des "Game Studies ? à la française !" en juin 2012 sera centrée sur un point de convergence qui est alors apparu : la nécessité de passer de la question DU jeu vidéo à la question DES jeuX vidéo.

N'hésitez pas à faire circuler cet appel.

Cordialement,

Manuel Boutet, pour l'OMNSH (www.omnsh.org)

Post-doctorant à l'IDHE Nanterre
Université de Paris Ouest - Nanterre La Défense

manuel@boutet.com
http://manuel.boutet.com

Puzzle Art in Story Worlds: Experience, Expression and Evaluation

by Veli-Matti Karhulahti

Presented at The Philosophy of Computer Games Conference, Madrid 2012.

This paper discusses the aesthetic value of a specific video game challenge, the fiction puzzle, though cases such as... more This paper discusses the aesthetic value of a specific video game challenge, the fiction puzzle, though cases such as L.A. Noire, Grim Fandango and Leisure Suit Larry. The discussion is carried out through John Dewey's pragmatist aesthetics.

OutRun: Exploring Seamful Design in the Development of an Augmented Reality Art Project (ISMAR 2010)

by Garnet Hertz

Co-authored with Jong Weon Lee and Chris Guevara. Conference proceedings, ISMAR 2010, Seoul, South Korea, October 14th 2010.

This paper outlines the development process of an augmented reality video game prototype that combines a classic... more This paper outlines the development process of an augmented reality video game prototype that combines a classic arcade driving game with a real world vehicle. In this project the user, or driver, maneuvers the car-shaped arcade cabinet through actual physical space using a screen as a navigational guide which renders the real world in the style of an 8-bit video game. This case study is presented as a seamful augmented reality (AR) system: a project that exploits inevitable technical limitations of AR. We propose that the concept of seamfulness has important design implications for both AR and electronic media art projects and illustrate this through a description of the OutRun system development process.

Drama and Context in Real-Time Virtual Environments: Use of Pre-Scripted Events as a Part of an Interactive Spatial Mediation Framework

by Stanislav Roudavski

Cite as: Nitsche, Michael, Stanislav Roudavski, Maureen Thomas and François Penz (2003). 'Drama and Context in Real-Time Virtual Environments: Use of Pre-Scripted Events as a Part of an Interactive Spatial Mediation Framework', in Proceedings of 1st International Conference on Technologies for Interactive Digital Storytelling and Entertainment, ed. by Stefan Göbel et al. (Darmstadt: Fraunhofer IRB Verlag), pp. 296-310

We suggest that the dramatically engaging mediation of an experience of place should be built in as a fundamental... more We suggest that the dramatically engaging mediation of an experience of place should be built in as a fundamental capability of a compelling and meaningful virtual environment (VE). Our main objective is to develop flexible interactive techniques that supply VE’s with a coherent context and make the resulting ‘virtual place’ available to the user in a dramatically engaging way. To support the concept of narrative expressive space, we propose a three-layer multi-purpose spatial mediation framework that utilizes an interactive narrative structure to coordinate stylized dramatic camera work, lighting, effects and sound. We then describe the use of pre-scripted events as a layer in this framework and explain the inherent benefits and problems, using a single-user prototype environment as illustration. The work offers guidelines for the design of VE’s to all fields that combine narrativity and spatiality, such as interactive entertainment, education and architecture.

Building Cuthbert Hall Virtual College As a Dramatically Engaging Environment

by Stanislav Roudavski

Cite as: Nitsche, Michael, Stanislav Roudavski, Maureen Thomas and François Penz (2002). 'Building Cuthbert Hall Virtual College As a Dramatically Engaging Environment', in Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference 2002, ed. by Thomas Binder, Judith Gregory and Ina Wagner (Palo Alto: CPSR), pp. 386-390

This paper outlines the interdisciplinary nature, collaborative work patterns and role of aesthetics in the Cuthbert... more This paper outlines the interdisciplinary nature, collaborative work patterns and role of aesthetics in the Cuthbert Hall Virtual College research project at the Cambridge University Moving Image Studio (CUMIS) and the Centre for Applied Research in Education Technology (CARET). The project identifies key properties of dramatically engaging real-time three-dimensional virtual environments (RT 3D VE) and how the holistic experiential phenomenon of place is organised and mediated through spatial narrative patterns. Interdisciplinary by nature, the project requires a collaborative approach between science, engineering, media and architecture, and the results are revealing for all these areas. The Cuthbert Hall project invites discussion of the importance in the creation and use of RT 3D VE’s - under single and multi-user conditions - of articulate aesthetics (the quality of architectural, visual and audio design; the production and incorporation of dramatic properties) and of the conditions required for collaborative, communicative use of the environment.

The full theoretical and technical discussions as well as the evaluation results are outside the scope of this submission.

The Aesthetics of Early Adventure Games: A Reflection of Film History

by Veli-Matti Karhulahti

This paper examines the artistic potential of videogames by concerning the early aesthetics of a genre generally referred to as adventure games. The main argument is that the development of adventure game aesthetics correlates with the aesthetic development of film. The argument will rest on two technical turning points that took place within the initial stages of videogame and film industries: the use of voice as a sonic and the use of color as a visual component. Whereas in the history of cinema those technical improvements represent the shift from silent film to film with sound and color, for adventure games they meant text-based interactive fiction stepping aside for graphic adventures with voice-acted characters. The paper will focus on examining the corresponding impacts that this technical development had on their methods of artistic expression.

The International Journal of the Arts in Society Volume 6, Issue 2, 2011, pp. 31-38, more The International Journal of the Arts in Society Volume 6, Issue 2, 2011, pp. 31-38, http://www.arts-journal.com, ISSN 1833-1866

© Common Ground, Veli-Matti Karhulahti, All Rights Reserved, Permissions: cg-support@commongroundpublishing.com

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Structure mapping theory as a formalism for instructional game design and assessment

by Debbie Denise Reese

Towards an Open and Sustainable Model for IDN Software

by Hartmut Koenitz

Position paper for ICIDS Workshop on technology exchange for Interactive Digital Narrative

Towards a Unified Theory for Interactive Digital Storytelling – classifying artifacts

by Hartmut Koenitz

Co-authored with Mads Haahr, Gabriele Ferri, Tonguc Sezem

An important step towards a theoretical understanding of interactive digital narrative is a classification system for... more An important step towards a theoretical understanding of interactive digital narrative is a classification system for existing artifacts. Many artifacts in Interactive Digital Storytelling provide a challenge to taxonomies derived from literature or film. The lack of a thorough classification system is also a serious hindrance to theoretical work, as it precludes a mapping of the overall field and a comparison of artifacts along categories shared by many researchers. In order to minimize confusion and misunderstandings in the academic discussion within the field and with outside disciplines, the workshop explores ways towards a shared taxonomy for Interactive Digital Storytelling.

Identification and Classification of Structural Elements in Computer Games

by Duncan Blair

An Iterative Approach Towards Interactive Digital Narrative – Early Results With the Advanced Stories Authoring and Presentation System

by Hartmut Koenitz

Narrative has always played an important role in knowledge transfer between human beings. The Advanced Stories... more Narrative has always played an important role in knowledge transfer between human beings. The Advanced Stories Authoring and Presentation System (ASAPS) was developed as the practical side to a research effort Interactive Digital Narrative (IDN) that combines theory and practice in a tightly coupled relationship. The first implementation of ASAPS foregrounds a robust and flexible architecture based on an extensible markup language. The early ASAPS narratives described here are an indication for the potential of this approach, which will incorporate additional technologies in the future.

Towards a Shared Vocabulary for Interactive Digital Storytelling

by Hartmut Koenitz

Co-authored with Mads Haahr, Gabriele Ferri and Tonguc Ibrahim Sezen

As a new research domain matures, it becomes increasingly important for researchers to agree on a shared vocabulary.... more As a new research domain matures, it becomes increasingly important for researchers to agree on a shared vocabulary. For researchers in Interactive Digital Storytelling, this is a particular challenge, because researchers come from many different domains and bring their own terminology with them. This workshop exposes and explores the differences in meaning and terminology of key terms such as “story” in different academic disciplines related to Interactive Digital Storytelling. In order to minimize confusion and misunderstandings in the academic discussion within the field and with outside disciplines, the workshop explores ways towards a shared vocabulary for Interactive Digital Storytelling.

Do We Need a New Narratology for Interactive Digital Storytelling?

by Hartmut Koenitz

Co-authored with Mads Haahr, Gabriele Ferri and Tonguc Ibrahim Sezen

The workshop explores Narratology as applied to Interactive Digital Storytelling. It presents different strands in... more The workshop explores Narratology as applied to Interactive Digital Storytelling. It presents different strands in established Narratology and the foundations they are built on. Then it discusses different attempts to apply and reconcile Narratology with Interactive Digital Storytelling. The workshop is designed to expose these differences by applying different concepts to the analysis of different digital artifacts and open up a discussion of theory that is mindful of diverse approaches and integrates practical considerations.

Towards a theoretical framework for interactive digital narrative

by Hartmut Koenitz

The emerging artistic practice of interactive narrative in digital media marks a profound departure from traditional... more The emerging artistic practice of interactive narrative in digital media marks a profound departure from traditional narrative. The application of traditional narrative theory for interactive narrative is problematic, since the affordances of digital media challenge many underlying assumptions of theories related to non-digital media. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for interactive storytelling, which addresses these concerns by foregrounding system (the digital artifact) and process (the user interacting with the system) over the product-centered view of legacy media. On this basis, protostory, narrative design, and narrative vectors are proposed as new terms to more adequately describe the structure of narrative in interactive digital storytelling. This move is also relevant for practical design given the influence theoretical concepts have on concrete implementations.

Reframing interactive digital narrative: Toward an inclusive open-ended iterative process for research and practice

by Hartmut Koenitz

In more than two decades of research and practical experiments in interactive digital narrative (IDN), much insight... more In more than two decades of research and practical experiments in interactive digital narrative (IDN), much insight about the relationship of narrative and digital media has been gained and many successful experiments have been undertaken, as a survey of the field illustrates. However, current approaches also limit the scope of experimentation and constrain theory in interactive narrative forms original to digital media.

After reviewing the "interactivisation" of legacy theory (neo-Aristotelian poetics for interactive drama, poststructuralism for hyperfiction, 20th century narratology for interactive fiction and as a general theory for IDN), the thesis introduces a theoretical framework that changes the focus from the product-centered view of legacy media towards system and the process of instantiation. The terms protostory describing the overall space of potential narratives in an IDN system, narrative design for the concrete assemblage of elements and narrative vectors as substructures that enable authorial control are introduced to supersede legacy terms like story and plot.

On the practical side, the thesis identifies limitations of existing approaches (e.g. legacy metaphors like the timeline, and authoring tools that support only particular traditions) To overcome these limitations a software toolset built on the principles of robustness, modularity, and extensibility is introduced and some early results are evaluated. Finally, the thesis proposes an inclusive, open-ended iterative process as a structure for future IDN research in which practical implementations and research coexist in a tightly coupled mutual relationship that allows changes on one side to be integrated on the other.