scholarly journals "Once more a kingly quest": Fan games and the classic adventure genre

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Marie Salter
Keyword(s):  
Operating Systems ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Computer Systems ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Interactive Narrative ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Adventure Games ◽  
Local Computer

The classic adventure games—part of the earliest traditions of interactive narrative—have not disappeared, although they no longer occupy space on the shelves at the local computer store. Even as changing hardware and operating systems render these games of the 1980s and 1990s literally unplayable without emulating the computer systems of the past, fans are keeping these stories alive. Authorship of these games has changed hands: it is now under the control of the fans, the former and current players. Through the online sharing of fan-created game design tool sets and of the fan-created games themselves, these new coauthors create a haven to revisit these decades-old games using fresh eyes and fresh systems. The products of these folk art–reminiscent efforts also offer a venue to reconsider video game fandom in light of genres. They also allow us to understand these "personal games," productions of one or more people that are not intended for commercial sale, as carrying the heritage of the classic era forward into the next generation of gaming.

Designing Curricular Games

2018 ◽  
pp. 213-232
Author(s):  
Janna Jackson Kellinger
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Video Games ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Video Game Design ◽  
Teaching Video

Most teachers only dream of their students spending the amount of motivation, attention, passion, and critical thinking on their classes that some do playing video games. Many teachers have thought “How can I compete with that?” as they confiscate a hand-held gaming device from a student. However, more and more teachers are incorporating video games into their curriculum, instead of banning them. This chapter argues that it is not just video games that can transform teaching, video game techniques can as well. By using video game design principles such as game stories and quests, teachers can restructure their teaching so students do not just learn the curriculum, they experience it. This chapter explores the research on using game-based teaching and learning with the Next Generation including how game-based teaching can be used to achieve 21st century goals as outlined by business leaders within 21st century educational constraints.

scholarly journals Ethics of Biotechnology in Bioshock’s Interactive Narrative

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasbi Thaufik Oktodila ◽  
Dhita Hapsarani
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Textual Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Interactive Narrative ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Game Player

The interactivity element in video games allows the process of delivering narration through words and actions taken by the game player. The diversity of game design in delivering stories leads to a debate between ludology (game-centered) and narratology (narrative-centered). Ludology perceives game as ‘sets of rules’ because game itself is a medium that is made up of rules. On the other hand, narratology views game in terms of the narrative resulted from the rules. Narratology tends to reduce the peculiarity of the medium because it does not take game rules into account, while ludology ignores the narrative elements. However, in recent times, games combine aspects of gameplay and narration to form an interactive narrative. One video game that uses such combination is Bioshock (2007). The interactivity elements in this game are not only for conveying the story, but also for allowing players’ participation to determine the resolution of the story through the player’s interaction with the character named Little Sister. Gameplay-wise, Little Sister acts as one of the main resources that helps players complete the game. Narrative-wise, Little Sister who is a chimera (a combination between animal and human) is a representation of technological advancement. Positioned as resource both in the gameplay and the narration, the game player’s treatment toward Little Sister implies ethical and moral consequences. For these reasons, this article implements textual analysis to discuss the characterization of Little Sisters displayed in the gameplay and the narration that leads to the ethical and morality issues lies in biotechnology.

Designing Curricular Games

2022 ◽  
pp. 1760-1779
Author(s):  
Janna Jackson Kellinger
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Video Games ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Video Game Design ◽  
Teaching Video

Most teachers only dream of their students spending the amount of motivation, attention, passion, and critical thinking on their classes that some do playing video games. Many teachers have thought “How can I compete with that?” as they confiscate a hand-held gaming device from a student. However, more and more teachers are incorporating video games into their curriculum, instead of banning them. This chapter argues that it is not just video games that can transform teaching, video game techniques can as well. By using video game design principles such as game stories and quests, teachers can restructure their teaching so students do not just learn the curriculum, they experience it. This chapter explores the research on using game-based teaching and learning with the Next Generation including how game-based teaching can be used to achieve 21st century goals as outlined by business leaders within 21st century educational constraints.

A Video Game for Brazilian T1D Children about Knowledge of Disease and Self-care: A Methodological Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 193229682110175
Author(s):  
Valéria de Cássia Sparapani ◽  
Sidney Fels ◽  
Noreen Kamal ◽  
Rebecca Ortiz La Banca ◽  
Lucila Castanheira Nascimento
Keyword(s):  
Health Behavior ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Health Behavior Change ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Methodological Study ◽  
Video Game Design ◽  
Management Behaviors

Background: Video games are interactive technologies able to support children in health promotion, behavior changes, and chronic disease self-management. The use of health behavior change determinants in video game design can increase its effectiveness. This study describes the process of designing a video game for Brazilian children with T1D clarifying the use of health behavior change determinants that may influence self-management behaviors. Methods: This was a methodological study based on health behavior change theories and the user-centered design approach. The results of a qualitative study conducted with children aged 7 to 12 years identified learning needs about knowledge on diabetes and self-care tasks which contribute to inappropriate behaviors. A Behavioral Diagnosis presented health behavior change determinants, capable of influencing children’s learning needs and behaviors, that were considered to design The Heroes of Diabetes—the power of knowledge. Results: The results presented the process of designing 4 mini games with its description and theory foundation to reach children’s lack of understanding about T1D, insulin’s role, SMBG requirements, food groups and physical activity’s role in glycemic control. Knowledge, goal settings, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation determinants were related with video games design features. Conclusions: The findings support the use of health behavior change determinants into video game design as a guide to achieve children learning needs and that might influence self-management behaviors.

Gaming the gamer? – The ethics of exploiting psychological research in video games

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johnny Hartz Søraker
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
User Behavior ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ethical implications of video game companies employing psychologists and using psychological research in game design. Design/methodology/approach The author first argues that exploiting psychology in video games may be more ethically problematic than familiar application domains like advertising, gambling and political rhetoric. Then an overview of the effects particular types of game design may have on user behavior is provided, taking into account various findings and phenomena from behavioral psychology and behavioral economics. Findings Finally, the author concludes that the corresponding ethical problems cannot – and should not – be addressed by means of regulation or rating systems. The author argues instead that a more promising countermeasure lies in using the same psychological research to educate gamers (children in particular) and thereby increase their capacity for meta-cognition. Originality/value The importance of this lies in the tremendous effect these behavior-modifying technologies may have upon our self-determination, well-being and social relations, as well as corresponding implications for the society.

Risks to the Public

2021 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 11-15
Author(s):  
Peter G. Neumann
Keyword(s):  
Computer Systems ◽  
Strong Sense ◽  
Risk Awareness ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Media ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Security And Reliability

Mini-editorial (PGN) 2020 was a crazy year, with all kinds of risks on display. As usual, many of the lessons noted in past issues of SEN and RISKS have been largely ignored, and failures continue to mirror events from the past that have long been discussed here. Issues such as safety, security, and reliability always seem to need more foresight than they receive. Y2K con- tinues to hit somewhere each New Year's Day, when short- term remediations that demanded periodic upgrading have been forgotten. (I suppose old COBOL code will still ex- ist in year 2100, when there may be ambiguities relating to dates that could be 21xx or 20xx (although 19xx is unlikely), and the narrow windowing xes will fail even more dramati- cally.) Election integrity continues to be a real concern, where we are caught in the crosshairs between computer systems and networks that are not meaningfully trustworthy or au- ditable, and the nontechnological risks are still pervasive from unbalanced redistricting, creative dysinformation, poli- tics, Citzens United, and foreign interference. We need non- partisan scrutiny and defense against would-be subverters to overcome potential attacks and inadvertent mistakes. In pres- ence of potential risks in every part of the process, a strong sense of risk-awareness is required by voters, election officials, and the media (both proactively and remedially, as needed).

Adapting game’s evaluation metrics to virtual reality serious games and its validation on “Hellblade: Senu’s Sacrifice” (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Martinez ◽  
Maria Isabel Menéndez-Menéndez ◽  
David Checa ◽  
Andres Bustillo
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Quantitative Rating ◽  
Study Case ◽  
Definition Of

BACKGROUND The design of Virtual Reality Serious Games (VR-SG) is a subject still developing. One of its open developments is the definition of metrics to evaluate the fun and learning result. In this way, weaknesses and strengths in the design of serious games can be found for future works in this research field. OBJECTIVE This paper aims to create a metric that can be used to rate the gameplay of VR-SG. This metric’s novelty allows to evaluate the different fun and learning features and give them a quantitative rating. A study case shows the capability of implementing this evaluation to identify strengths and weaknesses of VR-SGs. METHODS The new VR-SG metric is developed on the basis of the Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetic (MDA) framework but including User Experience (UX) elements and adapting them to VR-SG. This metric includes 1) UX aspects: VR-headsets, training tutorials and interactive adaptions to avoid VR inconveniences; and 2) MDA aspects: exclusive VR audiovisual elements and its aesthetics interactions. RESULTS The selected indie serious game is Hellblade, developed to raise awareness about the difficulties of people suffering from psychosis with two versions: one for 2D-screens and the other for VR devices. The comparison of metric´s scores for both versions shows: 1) some VR dynamics increase the gameplay impact and therefore, the educational capacity; and 2) flaws in game design where the scores drop down. Some of these flaws are: reduced number of levels, missions and items, lack of a tutorial to enhance usability and lack of strategies and rewards in the long-term to increase motivation. CONCLUSIONS This metric allows to identify the elements of the gameplay and UX that are necessary to learn in VR experiences. The study case shows this research is useful to evaluate the educational utility of VR-SG. Further works will analyze VR applications to synthetize every game element influencing its intrinsic sensations. CLINICALTRIAL The trials have not been registered, as testing for this metric has not involved people with mental conditions or addressed other medical applications. Hellblade is a commercial video game that anyone can purchase and play. The trials have been carried out to obtain results on the gaming experience of different people in relation to the educational purpose of raising awareness of psychosis.

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