For anyone that is interested, this is one of the many research projects I am working on this semester. Pretty cool stuff!
Scoop! — Using Game Gestures to Reduce Math Anxiety – YouTube.
Designing Games That Teach and Assess Learning Outcomes | EDUCAUSE
My colleague, Dixie Ching, and I will be presenting about the G4LI game development process at the 2012 ELI Annual Meeting. Check us out if you are in Texas.
Designing Games That Teach and Assess Learning Outcomes | EDUCAUSE.
Session description after the break.
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Framing Narrative: Enhancing Player Experience
So this is from a paper I wrote a couple years ago. Its a bit rough and may not be accurate to the way I think now, but I have used the diagram from this in a few talks I have given; so I wanted to provide access to it and a bit of context to go with it. Also, I know the colors are terrible, eventually I will have the time to update it a bit.
Click below to read the rest of the paper..
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Humble Indie Bundle #3
Sorry for the hiatus, dissertation work has me a bit lacking free time. Updates soon. Although I had to post another great opportunity to play some great games and help out a charity. It does not get much better than that. Check out the third go around of the Humble Indie Bundle.
What is Rational to the Player?
To the detriment of all, I have started playing World of Warcraft again and it got me thinking about the topic of player rationalizing. When players do not understand the underlying rules or system for something, they naturally tend to rationalize based on their experiences.
New Issue of Game Studies Out
Game Studies released a special issue on game reward systems. It is definitely worth a look.
NYU Game Center » Blog Archive » Game Center Lecture Series: McKenzie Wark
As part of he NYU Game Center Lecture Series, McKenzie Wark will be giving a talk on Thursday, February 17th at 7 pm. Wark is probably best known for his book, Gamer Theory. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the New York area. Click the link for details.
NYU Game Center » Blog Archive » Game Center Lecture Series: McKenzie Wark.
Psychology Profiling in SILENT HILL: SHATTERED MEMORIES
Cover via Amazon
I came across this and I just have to share. I have to applaud developers that take extra steps to understand their players and have the game play adjust accordingly. I have never played Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, but apparently the mechanics for assessing and adapting to player psychology was successful.
My dissertation is all about gaining a greater understanding of players through psychology and I will hopefully post more details soon. Overall, I think this is a good direction for games to go in (not in the exploitative Farmville way, but in the customization/enhance experience way.)
I have seen other attempts at linking personality and player types. Bateman and Boon’s (2005) 21st Century Game Design is a good source on using Myer-Briggs typologies. I personally have tried using the Big Five, like the developer in the video, and had mixed results. I have come to think that we have to look at more than just personality to really understand players, but it is fascinating to see practical and successful use of personality types in game development.
Video: Psychology Profiling in SILENT HILL: SHATTERED MEMORIES — Paris Game/AI Conference.
The Humble Indie Bundle #2 pay what you want for five awesome indie games
With the success of the first Humble Indie Bundle, I am glad to see another one come out. Pay what you want and chose how your money is distributed among developers and charities. Definitely a good cause and with some great games worth checking out.
I have played Braid, Machinarium, and Osmos. I can attest that they are all great and I have no doubt the other games included are as well.
The Humble Indie Bundle #2 pay what you want for five awesome indie games.
Curiosity Killed the Player
So lately I have been playing a lot of Minecraft, which probably is not surprising considering its recent rise in popularity. I keep finding myself coming back to play it whenever I get some free time. However, I have had a difficult time figuring out why I keep coming back to it. For anyone that does not know, Minecraft is a game about building and survival. Sort of like a digital Lego set with some enemies that try to kill you as you build. I consider myself a somewhat creative person, so no doubt I enjoy the building aspect of the game; and exploring the caverns and open spaces of the virtual world are rather fun as well. But really, what is the point? Anything I create in the game will probably never been seen by anyone, save my wife who will just say “that’s nice”. So what am I spending my time for? Long gone are the days of my childhood when I would build Lego structures in order to pretend my constructed spaceship was a real one. I do not plan on pretending my castle in Minecraft is genuine. Let me leave this here for now and I will come back to it.
