Social Psychological Aspects of Addiction to Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marinova T.Y.

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The paper addresses the issue of how massively multiplayer online role¬playing games (MMORPG affect the behavior of players. Basing on a series of research, the paper analyzes how massively multiplayer online role¬playing games are created and highlights their specifics that possibly contribute to the development of psychological addiction to such games. The authors describe the outcomes of their own research on motivation in persons with gaming addiction aged 18 and up, with over 1 year of gaming experience. These out-comes suggest that current traditional criteria developed for assessing gaming addiction cannot be applied to this particular form of addictive behavior.

Login and Networking Services for Online Multiplayer Games

OpenAIRE

Peachi Muthu, Chithra

2015-01-01

The aim of the thesis was to study login and networking services for online multiplayer games using the unity tool. In the thesis, the authentication, communication and networking protocols supported in the unity game development tool were studied and experimented. And an analysis of the possibility to use the SIP protocol for the login services was done. A game development team from a game company, Vulpine Games Oy, was identified with the help of a lecturer in Metropolia. With the team the ...

Massivizing multi-player online games on clouds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shen, S.; Iosup, A.; Epema, D.H.J.

2013-01-01

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) are an important type of distributed applications and have millions of users. Traditionally, MMOGs are hosted on dedicated clusters, distributed globally. With the advent of cloud computing, MMOGs such as Zynga's are increasingly run on cloud resources,

Online gaming addiction? Motives predict addictive play behavior in massively multiplayer online role-playing games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuss, D.J.; Louws, J.; Wiers, R.W.

2012-01-01

Recently, there have been growing concerns about excessive online gaming. Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) appears to be particularly problematic, because these games require a high degree of commitment and time investment from the players to the detriment of

Modeling Game Avatar Synergy and Opposition through Embedding in Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Games

OpenAIRE

Chen, Zhengxing; Xu, Yuyu; Nguyen, Truong-Huy D.; Sun, Yizhou; El-Nasr, Magy Seif

2018-01-01

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games have received increasing worldwide popularity recently. In such games, players compete in teams against each other by controlling selected game avatars, each of which is designed with different strengths and weaknesses. Intuitively, putting together game avatars that complement each other (synergy) and suppress those of opponents (opposition) would result in a stronger team. In-depth understanding of synergy and opposition relationships among game ...

Latency reduction in online multiplayer games using detour routing

OpenAIRE

Ly, Cong

2010-01-01

Long network latency negatively impacts the performance of online multiplayer games. In this thesis, we propose a novel approach to reduce the network latency in online gaming. Our approach employs application level detour routing in which game-state update messages between two players can be forwarded through other intermediate relay nodes in order to reduce network latency. We present results from an extensive measurement study to show the potential benefits of detour routing in online game...

A Study of the Relevance of Gender Identity and Characterization of Female Gamers in Massively Multiplayer Online Games

OpenAIRE

Mei-Hsueh Yang; I-Ning Chao

2018-01-01

The population of female gamers of Massive Multiplayer Online Games has increased significantly. Massive Multiplayer Online Games provide a virtual stage for players to freely shape their virtual roles and rebuild their self-identification based on preferences. Thus, characterization has become one of the most important parts when discussing female gamers of Massive Multiplayer Online Games. To understand the relevance of gender identity and characterization of female gamers in Massive Mul...

Threshold Games and Cooperation on Multiplayer Graphs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaare B Mikkelsen

Full Text Available The study investigates the effect on cooperation in multiplayer games, when the population from which all individuals are drawn is structured-i.e. when a given individual is only competing with a small subset of the entire population.To optimize the focus on multiplayer effects, a class of games were chosen for which the payoff depends nonlinearly on the number of cooperators-this ensures that the game cannot be represented as a sum of pair-wise interactions, and increases the likelihood of observing behaviour different from that seen in two-player games. The chosen class of games are named "threshold games", and are defined by a threshold, M > 0, which describes the minimal number of cooperators in a given match required for all the participants to receive a benefit. The model was studied primarily through numerical simulations of large populations of individuals, each with interaction neighbourhoods described by various classes of networks.When comparing the level of cooperation in a structured population to the mean-field model, we find that most types of structure lead to a decrease in cooperation. This is both interesting and novel, simply due to the generality and breadth of relevance of the model-it is likely that any model with similar payoff structure exhibits related behaviour. More importantly, we find that the details of the behaviour depends to a large extent on the size of the immediate neighbourhoods of the individuals, as dictated by the network structure. In effect, the players behave as if they are part of a much smaller, fully mixed, population, which we suggest an expression for.

Predicting protein structures with a multiplayer online game.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Seth; Khatib, Firas; Treuille, Adrien; Barbero, Janos; Lee, Jeehyung; Beenen, Michael; Leaver-Fay, Andrew; Baker, David; Popović, Zoran; Players, Foldit

2010-08-05

People exert large amounts of problem-solving effort playing computer games. Simple image- and text-recognition tasks have been successfully 'crowd-sourced' through games, but it is not clear if more complex scientific problems can be solved with human-directed computing. Protein structure prediction is one such problem: locating the biologically relevant native conformation of a protein is a formidable computational challenge given the very large size of the search space. Here we describe Foldit, a multiplayer online game that engages non-scientists in solving hard prediction problems. Foldit players interact with protein structures using direct manipulation tools and user-friendly versions of algorithms from the Rosetta structure prediction methodology, while they compete and collaborate to optimize the computed energy. We show that top-ranked Foldit players excel at solving challenging structure refinement problems in which substantial backbone rearrangements are necessary to achieve the burial of hydrophobic residues. Players working collaboratively develop a rich assortment of new strategies and algorithms; unlike computational approaches, they explore not only the conformational space but also the space of possible search strategies. The integration of human visual problem-solving and strategy development capabilities with traditional computational algorithms through interactive multiplayer games is a powerful new approach to solving computationally-limited scientific problems.

Online gaming addiction? Motives predict addictive play behavior in massively multiplayer online role-playing games

OpenAIRE

Kuss, DJ; Louws, J; Wiers, RW

2012-01-01

Recently, there have been growing concerns about excessive online gaming. Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) appears to be particularly problematic, because these games require a high degree of commitment and time investment from the players to the detriment of occupational, social, and other recreational activities and relations. A number of gaming motives have been linked to excessive online gaming in adolescents and young adults. We assessed 175 current MMORP...

Physiological Responses During Multiplay Exergaming in Young Adult Males are Game-Dependent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McGuire Stephen

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Regular moderate-intensity exercise provides health benefits. The aim of this study was to examine whether the selected exercise intensity and physiological responses during exergaming in a single and multiplayer mode in the same physical space were game-dependent. Ten males (mean ±SD, age: 23 ±5 years, body mass: 84.2 ±15.6 kg, body height: 180 ±7 cm, body mass index: 26.0 ±4.0 kg·m−2 played the games Kinect football, boxing and track & field (3 × ~10 min, ~ 2 min rest periods in similar time sequence in two sessions. Physiological responses were measured with the portable Cosmed K4b2 pulmonary gas exchange system. Single play demands were used to match with a competitive opponent in a multiplay mode. A within-subjects crossover design was used with one-way ANOVA and a post-hoc t-test for analysis (p<0.05. Minute ventilation, oxygen uptake and the heart rate were at least 18% higher during a multiplayer mode for Kinect football and boxing but not for track & field. Energy expenditure was 21% higher during multiplay football. Single play track & field had higher metabolic equivalent than single play football (5.7 ±1.6, range: 3.2-8.6 vs 4.1 ±1.0, range: 3.0-6.1, p<0.05. Exergaming in a multiplayer mode can provide higher physiological demands but the effects are game-dependent. It seems that exergaming with low intensity in a multiplayer mode may provide a greater physical challenge for participants than in a single play mode but may not consistently provide sufficient intensity to acquire health benefits when played regularly as part of a programme to promote and maintain health in young adults.

Networks and their traffic in multiplayer games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristian Andrés Melo López

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Computer games called multiplayer real-time, or (MCG are at the forefront of the use of the possibilities of the network. Research on this subject have been made for military simulations, virtual reality systems, computer support teamwork, the solutions diverge on the problems posed by MCG. With this in mind, this document provides an overview of the four issues affecting networking at the MCG. First, network resources (bandwidth, latency and computing capacity, together with the technical limits within which the MCG must operate. Second, the distribution concepts include communication architectures (peer-to-peer, client / server, server / network, and data and control architectures (centralized, distributed and reproduced .Thirdly, scalability allows the MCG to adapt to changes in parameterization resources. Finally, security is intended to fend off the traps and vandalism, which are common in online games; to check traffic, particularly these games we decided to take the massively multiplayer game League of Legends, a scene corresponding to a situation of real life in a network of ADSL access network is deployed has been simulated by using NS2 Three variants of TCP, it means SACK TCP, New Reno TCP, and TCP Vegas, have been considered for the cross traffic. The results show that TCP Vegas is able to maintain a constant speed while racing against the game traffic, since it avoids the packet loss and the delays in the tail caused by high peaks, without increasing the size of the sender window. SACK TCP and TCP New Reno, on the other hand, tend to increase continuously the sender window size, which could allow a greater loss of packages and also to cause unwanted delays for the game traffic.

Experiences from Implementing a Mobile Multiplayer Real-Time Game for Wireless Networks with High Latency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alf Inge Wang

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes results and experiences from designing, implementing, and testing a multiplayer real-time game over mobile networks with high latency. The paper reports on network latency and bandwidth measurements from playing the game live over GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, and WLAN using the TCP and the UDP protocols. These measurements describe the practical constraints of various wireless networks and protocols when used for mobile multiplayer game purposes. Further, the paper reports on experiences from implementing various approaches to minimize issues related to high latency. Specifically, the paper focuses on a discussion about how much of the game should run locally on the client versus on the server to minimize the load on the mobile device and obtain sufficient consistency in the game. The game was designed to reveal all kinds of implementation issues of mobile network multiplayer games. The goal of the game is for a player to push other players around and into traps where they loose their lives. The game relies heavily on collision detection between the players and game objects. The paper presents experiences from experimenting with various approaches that can be used to handle such collisions, and highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the various approaches.

Virtual Playgrounds? Assessing the Playfulness of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Kerrie Lewis

2010-01-01

Millions of children and adults devote much of their leisure time to playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Most observers commonly categorize computer games as a play activity, but this article asks whether MMORPGs contain activities that might not be play. The author examines the phenomenon of online gaming and…

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games as Arenas for Second Language Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Mark

2010-01-01

This article investigates contemporary research on the use of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) in language education. The development and key features of these games are explored. This is followed by an examination of the theories proposed as a basis for game-based learning, and the claims made regarding the value of…

Excessive Use of Massively Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Games: A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Zaheer; Griffiths, Mark D.

2009-01-01

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are one of the most interesting innovations in the area of online computer gaming. This pilot study set out to examine the psychological and social effects of online gaming using an online questionnaire with particular reference to excessive and "dependent" online gaming. A self-selecting…

Designing After-School Learning Using the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Science.gov (United States)

King, Elizabeth M.

2015-01-01

Digital games have become popular for engaging students in a range of learning goals, both in the classroom and the after-school space. In this article, I discuss a specific genre of video game, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMO), which has been identified as a dynamic environment for encountering 21st-century workplace…

Meaningful real-life relationships in massively multiplayer online roleplaying games

OpenAIRE

Mansikkamäki, E. (Eetu)

2014-01-01

Abstract Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games are extremely popular with millions and millions of players spending large portions of their free time in these virtual environments. Still the social value and the meaningfulness of the relationships formed within them are questioned by most non-gamers and even some gamers. In the past even academia was mainly concentrating on the negative aspects of gaming but lately...

Beneficial long communication in the multiplayer electronic mail game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Jaegher, K.J.M.

2015-01-01

In the two-player electronic mail game (EMG), as is well-known, the probability of collective action is lower the more confirmations and reconfirmations are made available to players. In the multiplayer EMG, however, we show players may coordinate on equilibria where they require only few of the

Decoherence Effects on Multiplayer Cooperative Quantum Games

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, Salman; Ramzan, M.; Khan, M. Khalid.

2011-01-01

We study the behavior of cooperative multiplayer quantum games [Q. Chen, Y. Wang, J.T. Liu, and K.L. Wang, Phys. Lett. A 327 (2004) 98; A.P. Flitney and L.C.L. Hollenberg, Quantum Inf. Comput. 7 (2007) 111] in the presence of decoherence using different quantum channels such as amplitude damping, depolarizing and phase damping. It is seen that the outcomes of the games for the two damping channels with maximum values of decoherence reduce to same value. However, in comparison to phase damping channel, the payoffs of cooperators are strongly damped under the influence amplitude damping channel for the lower values of decoherence parameter. In the case of depolarizing channel, the game is a no-payoff game irrespective of the degree of entanglement in the initial state for the larger values of decoherence parameter. The decoherence gets the cooperators worse off. (general)

Dynamic Difficulty Adaptation for Heterogeneously Skilled Player Groups in Multiplayer Collaborative Games

OpenAIRE

Greciano, Miguel Cristian

2016-01-01

This work focuses on the combination of two key concepts: Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment/Adaptation (video games adapting their difficulty according to the in-game performance of players, making themselves easier if the player performs poorly or more difficult if the player performs well) and Collaborative Multiplayer Games (video games where two or more human players work together to achieve a common goal). It considers and analyzes the challenges, potential and possibilities of Dynamic Diffi...

The relationships into the video games massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvaro Alfonso Acevedo

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This paper is about the relationships dynamics in the virtuality of the gamers into the massively multiplayer online role-playing game “Perfect World” in the not ocifial latinamerican server “Comunidad Zero”. The main objective of this study is to describe the dynamics of the relationships, analyzing them from the context of the game using the virtual ethnography, understanding the emotional interactions between couples, through a case study. During the development of research, were found several categories related to affective interactions of pre-attachment, manifested in virtual environments of the game and that ultimately manage to simulate the engagement dynamics of the physical contexts.

Verbal Communication of Story Facilitators in Multi-player Role-Playing Games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tychsen, Anders; Brolund, Thea; Hitchens, Michael

2008-01-01

Multi-player role-playing games form one of the key examples of interactive, emergent and collaborative storytelling systems available. These games and the collaborative stories that they create, are commonly facilitated by a specialized participant, the game master. In the current study, the ver......Multi-player role-playing games form one of the key examples of interactive, emergent and collaborative storytelling systems available. These games and the collaborative stories that they create, are commonly facilitated by a specialized participant, the game master. In the current study......, the verbal communication of game masters in a series of role-playing game sessions is categorized and analyzed depending on form and content, using protocol analysis, establishing a model for the verbal communication of game masters....

Beneficial Long Communication in the Multi-Player Electronic Mail Game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Jaegher, K.J.M.

2015-01-01

In the two-player electronic mail game (EMG), as is well-known, the probability of collective action is lower the more confirmations and re-confirmations are made available to players. In the multi-player EMG, however, as we show players may coordinate on equilibria where they require only few of

A Study of the Relevance of Gender Identity and Characterization of Female Gamers in Massively Multiplayer Online Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mei-Hsueh Yang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The population of female gamers of Massive Multiplayer Online Games has increased significantly. Massive Multiplayer Online Games provide a virtual stage for players to freely shape their virtual roles and rebuild their self-identification based on preferences. Thus, characterization has become one of the most important parts when discussing female gamers of Massive Multiplayer Online Games. To understand the relevance of gender identity and characterization of female gamers in Massive Multiplayer Online Games, this paper divides gender identity into two parts: sexual orientation and gender role; and separates characterization into three parts: gender, class, and appearance. The results show the following. In gender identity, most female gamers are attracted to men. In gender role, female gamers must gradually shed gender stereotypes. This paper also finds that female gamers turn gender stereotypes upside down concerning toys, jobs, housework, and leadership. In characterization, female gamers tend to create female roles, tend to choose wizard and archer as an occupation; and create roles that have light skin and exude confidence. For gender identity and characterization, females’ psychological sex, sexual orientation, and gender role all have significant influences on a character’s gender and class.

Efficient management of data center resources for massively multiplayer online games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nae, V.; Iosup, A.; Podlipnig, S.; Prodan, R.; Epema, D.H.J.; Fahringer, T.

2008-01-01

Today's massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) can include millions of concurrent players spread across the world. To keep these highly-interactive virtual environments online, a MMOG operator may need to provision tens of thousands of computing resources from various data centers. Faced with

Problematic usage among highly-engaged players of massively multiplayer online role playing games.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Christopher S; Malesky, L Alvin

2008-08-01

One popular facet of Internet gaming is the massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). Some individuals spend so much time playing these games that it creates problems in their lives. This study focused on players of World of Warcraft. Factor analysis revealed one factor related to problematic usage, which was correlated with amount of time played, and personality characteristics of agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and extraversion.

Learning Strategies and Learner Attitudes in the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Cube World

Science.gov (United States)

Goh, Shu Li

2016-01-01

The rapid progress of technology has revolutionized learning and in the field of computer assisted language learning, the use of digital games has expanded significantly. One type of game that has been attracting interest is massively multiplayer online role-playing games (henceforth MMORPGs). Recent research has drawn attention to the potential…

Entrapment and near Miss: A Comparative Analysis of Psycho-Structural Elements in Gambling Games and Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games

Science.gov (United States)

Karlsen, Faltin

2011-01-01

While massively multiplayer online role-playing games like World of Warcraft are often accused of leading to excessive and harmful playing, the only gaming activity that is internationally recognized as a pathological disorder is excessive gambling. The present article seeks to establish empirical data on potential harmful online gaming through a…

Massively Multiplayer Online Video Gaming as Participation in a Discourse

Science.gov (United States)

Steinkuehler, Constance A.

2006-01-01

This article has two primary goals: (a) to illustrate how a closer analysis of language can lead to fruitful insights into the activities that it helps constitute, and (b) to demonstrate the complexity of the practices that make up Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming (MMOGaming) through just such an analysis. The first goal is in response to the…

Player communities in multiplayer online games : A systematic review of emperical research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Warmelink, H.J.G.; Siitonen, M.

2011-01-01

Numerous researchers have written about the social dynamics of player communities in multiplayer online games. Following a systematic review of refereed empirical research publications from 2000-2010, this article synthesizes the key methods and concepts researchers have used to study and

Inducing and measuring emotion through a multiplayer first-person shooter computer game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Merkx, P.A.B.; Truong, K.P.; Neerincx, M.A.

2007-01-01

To develop an annotated database of spontaneous, multimodal, emotional expressions, recordings were made of facial and vocal expressions of emotions while participants were playing a multiplayer first-person shooter (fps) computer game. During a replay of the session, participants scored their own

Examining a Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game as a Digital Game-Based Learning Platform

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Min Lun; Richards, Kari; Saw, Guan Kung

2014-01-01

A concurrent triangulation mixed-method research design was used to investigate 19 casual gamers' or non-gamers' use of a popular massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Everquest 2, as an alternative pedagogical tool to support communicative use of the English language. This study poses that MMORPGs could serve as a virtually rich…

Zoning Issues and Area of Interest Management in Massively Multiplayer Online Games

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Dewan Tanvir; Shirmohammadi, Shervin

Game is a way of entertainment, a means for excitement, fun and socialization. Online games have achieved popularity due to increasing broadband adoption among consumers. Relatively cheap bandwidth Internet connections allow large number of players to play together. Since the introduction of Network Virtual Environment (NVE) in 1980s for military simulation, many interesting applications have been evolved over the past few decades. Massively multiplayer online (role-playing) game, MMOG or MMORPG, is a new genre of online games that has emerged with the introduction of Ultima since 1997. It is a kind of online computer game with the participation of hundreds of thousands of players in a virtual world.

How practitioners approach gameplay requirements? An exploration into the context of massive multiplayer online role-playing games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daneva, Maia; Lutz, Robyn

2014-01-01

Gameplay requirements are central to game development. In the business context of massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMOGs) where game companies' revenues rely on players' monthly subscriptions, gameplay is also recognized as the key to player retention. However, information on what

Jogos Multiplayer o poder das redes de entretenimento

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isa de Jesus Coutinho

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Os games em MMO Massive Multiplayer Online, “Multijogadores Massivos Online” surgiram a partir da conectividade com a internet, diferente dos primeiros jogos que eram desenvolvidos apenas para computadores. Este tipo de interação vem adquirindo importante avanço na indústria do entretenimento, bem como motivando estudos em distintas partes do planeta. Diretamente associado a este amplo e instigante tema situa-se a obra espanhola “Jogos Multiplayer; o poder das redes em entretenimento”, recentemente disponibilizada no Brasil, com prólogo de Gonzalo Frasca. Trata-se de um material útil para introdução a respeito do assunto uma vez que os autores constroem sua argumentação a partir de diferentes lugares teóricos propiciando uma leitura didática, abrangente, e crítica.  Multiplayer online games the power of networks Keywords: Multiplayer online games, connectivity, Multiplayer, Games Online

Online gaming addiction? Motives predict addictive play behavior in massively multiplayer online role-playing games.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuss, Daria J; Louws, Jorik; Wiers, Reinout W

2012-09-01

Recently, there have been growing concerns about excessive online gaming. Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) appears to be particularly problematic, because these games require a high degree of commitment and time investment from the players to the detriment of occupational, social, and other recreational activities and relations. A number of gaming motives have been linked to excessive online gaming in adolescents and young adults. We assessed 175 current MMORPG players and 90 nonplayers using a Web-based questionnaire regarding their gaming behavior, problems as consequences of gaming, and game motivations and tested their statistical associations. Results indicated that (a) MMORPG players are significantly more likely to experience gaming-related problems relative to nonplayers, and that (b) the gaming motivations escapism and mechanics significantly predicted excessive gaming and appeared as stronger predictors than time investment in game. The findings support the necessity of using measures that distinguish between different types of online games. In addition, this study proves useful regarding the current discussion on establishing (online) gaming addiction as a diagnosis in future categorizations of psychopathology.

Altruism in multiplayer snowdrift games with threshold and punishment

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chunyan; Liu, Zhongxin; Sun, Qinglin; Chen, Zengqiang

2015-09-01

The puzzle of cooperation attracts broader concerns of the scientific community nowadays. Here we adopt an extra mechanism of punishment in the framework of a threshold multiple-player snowdrift game employed as the scenario for the cooperation problem. Two scenarios are considered: defectors will suffer punishment regardless of the game results, and defectors will incur punishment only when the game fails. We show by analysis that given this assumption, punishing free riders can significantly influence the evolution outcomes, and the results are driven by the specific components of the punishing rule. Particularly, punishing defectors always, not only when the game fails, can be more effective for maintaining public cooperation in multi-player systems. Intriguingly larger thresholds of the game provide a more favorable scenario for the coexistence of the cooperators and defectors under a broad value range of parameters. Further, cooperators are best supported by the large punishment on defectors, and then dominate and stabilize in the population, under the premise that defectors always incur punishment regardless of whether the game ends successfully or not.

Security and privacy in massively-multiplayer online games and social and corporate virtual worlds

OpenAIRE

Hogben, G.; Barosso, D.; Bartle, R.; Chazeran, C.; de Zwart, M.; Doumen, J.M.; Gorniak, S.; Kaźmierczak, M.; Kaskenmaa, M.; Benavente López, D.; Martin, A.; Naumann, I.; Reynolds, R.; Richardson, J; Rossow, C.

2008-01-01

2007 was the year of online gaming fraud - with malicious programs that specifically target online games and virtual worlds increasing by 145% and the emergence of over 30,000 new programs aimed at stealing online game passwords. Such malware is invariably aimed at the theft of virtual property accumulated in a user’s account and its sale for real money. With 217 million regular users of MMO/VWs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games and Virtual Worlds) and real-money sales of virtual objects es...

A study of the dynamics of multi-player games on small networks using territorial interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Broom, Mark; Lafaye, Charlotte; Pattni, Karan; Rychtář, Jan

2015-12-01

Recently, the study of structured populations using models of evolutionary processes on graphs has begun to incorporate a more general type of interaction between individuals, allowing multi-player games to be played among the population. In this paper, we develop a birth-death dynamics for use in such models and consider the evolution of populations for special cases of very small graphs where we can easily identify all of the population states and carry out exact analyses. To do so, we study two multi-player games, a Hawk-Dove game and a public goods game. Our focus is on finding the fixation probability of an individual from one type, cooperator or defector in the case of the public goods game, within a population of the other type. We compare this value for both games on several graphs under different parameter values and assumptions, and identify some interesting general features of our model. In particular there is a very close relationship between the fixation probability and the mean temperature, with high temperatures helping fitter individuals and punishing unfit ones and so enhancing selection, whereas low temperatures give a levelling effect which suppresses selection.

Learner Interaction in a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG): A Sociocultural Discourse Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Mark

2012-01-01

This exploratory study investigates the linguistic and social interaction of four intermediate EFL learners during game play in a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). Twelve illustrative episodes drawn from the participants' text chat, collected in four 70-minute sessions held over a one-month period, are analyzed from a…

The Use of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games in CALL: An Analysis of Research

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Mark

2016-01-01

Contemporary CALL research reflects renewed interest in digital games. One aspect of this phenomenon namely, use of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), has expanded significantly, highlighting the need for a review. This paper analyzes findings from 10 learner-based studies that draw on accounts of SLA informed by cognitive…

Player guild dynamics and evolution in massively multiplayer online games.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chien-Hsun; Sun, Chuen-Tsai; Hsieh, Jilung

2008-06-01

In the latest versions of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), developers have purposefully made guilds part of game environments. Guilds represent a powerful method for giving players a sense of online community, but there is little quantitative data on guild dynamics. To address this topic, we took advantage of a feature found in one of today's most popular MMOGs (World of Warcraft) to collect in-game data: user interfaces that players can modify and refine. In addition to collecting data on in-game player activities, we used this feature to observe and investigate how players join and leave guilds. Data were analyzed for the purpose of identifying factors that propel game-world guild dynamics and evolution. After collecting data for 641,805 avatars on 62 Taiwanese World of Warcraft game servers between February 10 and April 10, 2006, we created five guild type categories (small, large, elite, newbie, and unstable) that have different meanings in terms of in-game group dynamics. By viewing players as the most important resource affecting guild life cycles, it is possible to analyze game worlds as ecosystems consisting of evolving guilds and to study how guild life cycles reflect game world characteristics.

A Quantitative Content Analysis of Leveled Vocabulary Embedded within Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs)

Science.gov (United States)

Haas, Leslie

2012-01-01

This content analysis examined levels of vocabulary within massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). A total of six MMORPGs were studied; three were pay-to-play (P2P), and three were free-to-play (F2P). Sixty hours of game play (10 hours per game) provided the researcher with 50,240 embedded vocabulary words. Each MMORPG was…

The design of multiplayer online video game systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Chia-chun A.; Ling, Jim; Li, Qing; Kuo, C.-C. J.

2003-11-01

The distributed Multiplayer Online Game (MOG) system is complex since it involves technologies in computer graphics, multimedia, artificial intelligence, computer networking, embedded systems, etc. Due to the large scope of this problem, the design of MOG systems has not yet been widely addressed in the literatures. In this paper, we review and analyze the current MOG system architecture followed by evaluation. Furthermore, we propose a clustered-server architecture to provide a scalable solution together with the region oriented allocation strategy. Two key issues, i.e. interesting management and synchronization, are discussed in depth. Some preliminary ideas to deal with the identified problems are described.

A Taxonomy of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games

Science.gov (United States)

Bytheway, Julie

2015-01-01

Initiated in response to informal reports of vocabulary gains from gamers at universities in New Zealand and the Netherlands, this qualitative study explored how English language learners autonomously learn vocabulary while playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Using research processes inherent in Grounded Theory, data…

Online-offline activities and game-playing behaviors of avatars in a massive multiplayer online role-playing game

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Zhi-Qiang; Zhou, Wei-Xing; Tan, Qun-Zhao

2009-11-01

Massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are very popular in China, which provides a potential platform for scientific research. We study the online-offline activities of avatars in an MMORPG to understand their game-playing behavior. The statistical analysis unveils that the active avatars can be classified into three types. The avatars of the first type are owned by game cheaters who go online and offline in preset time intervals with the online duration distributions dominated by pulses. The second type of avatars is characterized by a Weibull distribution in the online durations, which is confirmed by statistical tests. The distributions of online durations of the remaining individual avatars differ from the above two types and cannot be described by a simple form. These findings have potential applications in the game industry.

Massively Multiplayer Online Games as a Sandbox for Leadership: The Relationship between in and out of Game Leadership Behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Mendoza, Sean Henry Veloria

2014-01-01

Given society's increasingly technology centric play and workplace environment, Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs) can be an excellent sandbox to develop future leaders of teams, which are the lifeblood of any organization. MMOs like World of WarCraft provide rich immersive experiences that allow leaders and followers the ability to create…

Learner interaction in a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG): A sociocultural discourse analysis

OpenAIRE

Peterson, Mark

2012-01-01

This exploratory study investigates the linguistic and social interaction of four intermediate EFL learners during game play in a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). Twelve illustrative episodes drawn from the participants’ text chat, collected in four 70-minute sessions held over a one-month period, are analyzed from a sociocultural perspective. Qualitative analysis reveals the presence of interactional features associated with the development of sociocultural competence...

Learning Outcomes and Processes in Massively Multiplayer Online Games: Exploring the Perceptions of Players

Science.gov (United States)

Voulgari, Iro; Komis, Vassilis; Sampson, Demetrios G.

2014-01-01

Over the past decade research has recognised the learning potential of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs). MMOGs can be used by the technology-enhanced learning research community to study and identify good educational practices that may inspire engaging, creative and motivating approaches for education and learning. To this end, in this…

Theft of virtual items in online multiplayer computer games: an ontological and moral analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Strikwerda, Litska

2012-01-01

In 2009 Dutch judges convicted several minors for theft of virtual items in the virtual worlds of online multiplayer computer games. From a legal point of view these convictions gave rise to the question whether virtual items should count as “objects” that can be “stolen” under criminal law. This

Player Experiences and Behaviors in a Multiplayer Game: designing game rules to change interdependent behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niko Vegt

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Serious gaming is used as a means for improving organizational teamwork, yet little is known about the effect of individual game elements constituting serious games. This paper presents a game design experiment aimed at generating knowledge on designing game elements for teamwork. In previous work, we suggested that interaction- and goal-driven rules could guide interdependence and teamwork strategies. Based on this finding, for the present experiment we developed two versions of multiplayer Breakout, varying in rule-sets, designed to elicit player strategies of either dependent competition or dependent cooperation. Results showed that the two rule-sets could generate distinct reported player experiences and observable distinct player behaviors that could be further discriminated into four patterns: expected patterns of helping and ignoring, and unexpected patterns of agreeing and obstructing. Classic game theory was applied to understand the four behavior patterns and made us conclude that goal-driven rules steered players towards competition and cooperation. Interaction rules, in contrast, mainly stimulated dependent competitive behavior, e.g. obstructing each other. Since different types of rules thus led to different player behavior, discriminating in game design between interaction- and goal-driven rules seems relevant. Moreover, our research showed that game theory proved to be useful for understanding goal-driven rules.

The Influence of Game Design on the Collaborative Problem Solving Process: A Cross-Case Study of Multi-Player Collaborative Gameplay Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Yildirim, Nilay

2013-01-01

This cross-case study examines the relationships between game design attributes and collaborative problem solving process in the context of multi-player video games. The following game design attributes: sensory stimuli elements, level of challenge, and presentation of game goals and rules were examined to determine their influence on game…

An exploratory study of the association between online gaming addiction and enjoyment motivations for playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games

OpenAIRE

Hussain, Z; Williams, GA; Griffiths, MD

2015-01-01

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are a popular form of entertainment used by millions of gamers worldwide. Potential problems relating to MMORPG play have emerged, particularly in relation to being addicted to playing in such virtual environments. In the present study, factors relating to online gaming addiction and motivations for playing in MMORPGs were examined to establish whether they were associated with addiction. A sample comprised 1,167 gamers who were survey...

How to Be Both Rich and Happy: Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Strategic Reasoning about Multi-Player Games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bulling, Nils; Goranko, Valentin

2013-01-01

We propose a logical framework combining a game-theoretic study of abilities of agents to achieve quantitative objectives in multi-player games by optimizing payoffs or preferences on outcomes with a logical analysis of the abilities of players for achieving qualitative objectives of players, i.......e., reaching or maintaining game states with desired properties. We enrich concurrent game models with payoffs for the normal form games associated with the states of the model and propose a quantitative extension of the logic ATL* enabling the combination of quantitative and qualitative reasoning....

What are Users' Intentions Towards Real Money Trading in Massively Multiplayer Online Games?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Constantiou, Ioanna; Legarth, Morten Fosselius; Birch Olsen, Kasper

2012-01-01

This study investigates user behaviour in massively multiplayer online games from the perspective of their intentions to engage in real money trading. Players who engage in real money trading purchase resources instead of spending time to acquire them in the game. This behaviour influences not just...... a set of behavioural determinants grounded in empirical research on online games. The study’s findings indicate that a player’s social status and the disinhibiting effects of online play are positive influences on players’ intentions to engage in real money trading, while perceived fairness, anticipated...... regret and uncertainty about the seller’s behaviour are negative influences. Interestingly, neither the perceived enjoyment nor the potential punishments influence intentions...

Analysis of Context Dependence in Social Interaction Networks of a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

OpenAIRE

Son, Seokshin; Kang, Ah Reum; Kim, Hyun-chul; Kwon, Taekyoung; Park, Juyong; Kim, Huy Kang

2012-01-01

Rapid advances in modern computing and information technology have enabled millions of people to interact online via various social network and gaming services. The widespread adoption of such online services have made possible analysis of large-scale archival data containing detailed human interactions, presenting a very promising opportunity to understand the rich and complex human behavior. In collaboration with a leading global provider of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (...

Interaction with the game and motivation among players of massively multiplayer online role-playing games.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuster, Héctor; Carbonell, Xavier; Chamarro, Andrés; Oberst, Ursula

2013-01-01

Knowledge about users interacting with Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG) is fundamental in order to prevent their potential negative effects on behavior. For this reason, the present study analyzed the relationship between styles of play and motivations. An online questionnaire asking for socio-demographic details, playing style, characteristics of the game played and motivations for playing, was answered by 430 Spanish-speaking MMORPG players (45.1% males). The identified profile for players, far away from the stereotype of an adolescent, consisted in a person who mainly plays on PvP (Player versus Player) servers, choosing the type of game according to his experience. Regarding motivations, they were interested in relating with other players through the game (Socialization), in discovering the game's possibilities and development of its adventures (Exploration), to a lesser extent in leadership and prestige (Achievement) and, lastly, identification with an avatar and escape from reality (Dissociation). Although part of the reason for playing was escapism and/or stress relief, the main motivation had a social nature. We conclude that MMORPG offer an attractive environment for a broad spectrum of people, and we have not been able to confirm the stereotype of a loner avoiding reality, taking refuge in games.

Relationship between passion and motivation for gaming in players of massively multiplayer online role-playing games.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuster, Héctor; Chamarro, Andrés; Carbonell, Xavier; Vallerand, Robert J

2014-05-01

Passion represents one of the factors involved in online video gaming. However, it remains unclear how passion affects the way gamers are involved in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). The objective of the present study was to analyze the relationships between passions and motivations for online game playing. A total of 410 MMORPG players completed an online questionnaire including motives for gaming and the Passion Scale. Results indicated that passionate gamers were interested in relating with others through the game and exhibited a high degree of interest in discovery of the game, gaining leadership and prestige but little interest in escape from reality. However, some differences were observed with respect to the role of the two types of passion in the different types of motivation. Specifically, harmonious passion (HP) predicted higher levels of exploration, socialization, and achievement, in that order, while obsessive passion (OP) predicted higher levels of dissociation, achievement, and socialization. The present findings suggest that HP and OP predict different ways of engaging in MMORPGs and confirm that passion is a useful construct to help understand different motivational patterns demonstrated by MMORPG players.

Moving between virtual and real worlds: second language learning through massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs)

OpenAIRE

Kongmee, Isara; Strachan, Rebecca; Pickard, Alison; Montgomery, Catherine

2011-01-01

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) bring players together in a large virtual community. This type of online gaming can serve many purposes such as entertainment, social interaction, information exchange and education and is now an integral part of many people's lives particularly the younger generation. This research study investigates the use of openly available MMORPGs to supplement second language teaching for higher education students. MMORPGs provide informal virtu...

How to Be Both Rich and Happy: Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Strategic Reasoning about Multi-Player Games (Extended Abstract

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nils Bulling

2013-03-01

Full Text Available We propose a logical framework combining a game-theoretic study of abilities of agents to achieve quantitative objectives in multi-player games by optimizing payoffs or preferences on outcomes with a logical analysis of the abilities of players for achieving qualitative objectives of players, i.e., reaching or maintaining game states with desired properties. We enrich concurrent game models with payoffs for the normal form games associated with the states of the model and propose a quantitative extension of the logic ATL* enabling the combination of quantitative and qualitative reasoning.

SecurityCom: A Multi-Player Game for Researching and Teaching Information Security Teams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas P. Twitchell

2007-12-01

Full Text Available A major portion of government and business organizations’ attempts to counteract information security threats is teams of security personnel.  These teams often consist of personnel of diverse backgrounds in specific specialties such as network administration, application development, and business administration, resulting in possible conflicts between security, functionality, and availability.  This paper discusses the use of games to teach and research information security teams and outlines research to design and build a simple, team-oriented, configurable, information security game. It will be used to study how information security teams work together to defend against attacks using a multi-player game, and to study the use of games in training security teams.  Studying how information security teams work, especially considering the topic of shared-situational awareness, could lead to better ways of forming, managing, and training teams.  Studying the effectiveness of the game as a training tool could lead to better training for security teams. 

Aorta: a management layer for mobile peer-to-peer massive multiplayer games

Science.gov (United States)

Edlich, Stefan; Hoerning, Henrik; Brunnert, Andreas; Hoerning, Reidar

2005-03-01

The development of massive multiplayer games (MMPGs) for personal computers is based on a wide range of frameworks and technologies. In contrast, MMPG development for cell phones lacks the availability of framework support. We present Aorta as a multi-purpose lightweight MIDP 2.0 framework to support the transparent and equal API usage of peer-to-peer communication via http, IP and Bluetooth. Special experiments, such as load-tests on Nokia 6600s, have been carried out with Bluetooth support in using a server-as-client architecture to create ad-hoc networks by using piconet functionalities. Additionally, scatternet functionalities, which will be supported in upcoming devices, have been tested in a simulated environment on more than 12 cell phones. The core of the Aorta framework is the Etherlobby, which manages connections, peers, the game lobby, game policies and much more. The framework itself was developed to enable the fast development of mobile games, regardless of the distance between users, which might be within the schoolyard or much further away. The earliest market-ready application shown here is a multimedia game for cell phones utilizing all of the frameworks features. This game, called Micromonster, acts as platform for developer tests, as well as providing valuable information about interface usability and user acceptance.

Aspiration dynamics of multi-player games in finite populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Jinming; Wu, Bin; Altrock, Philipp M; Wang, Long

2014-05-06

On studying strategy update rules in the framework of evolutionary game theory, one can differentiate between imitation processes and aspiration-driven dynamics. In the former case, individuals imitate the strategy of a more successful peer. In the latter case, individuals adjust their strategies based on a comparison of their pay-offs from the evolutionary game to a value they aspire, called the level of aspiration. Unlike imitation processes of pairwise comparison, aspiration-driven updates do not require additional information about the strategic environment and can thus be interpreted as being more spontaneous. Recent work has mainly focused on understanding how aspiration dynamics alter the evolutionary outcome in structured populations. However, the baseline case for understanding strategy selection is the well-mixed population case, which is still lacking sufficient understanding. We explore how aspiration-driven strategy-update dynamics under imperfect rationality influence the average abundance of a strategy in multi-player evolutionary games with two strategies. We analytically derive a condition under which a strategy is more abundant than the other in the weak selection limiting case. This approach has a long-standing history in evolutionary games and is mostly applied for its mathematical approachability. Hence, we also explore strong selection numerically, which shows that our weak selection condition is a robust predictor of the average abundance of a strategy. The condition turns out to differ from that of a wide class of imitation dynamics, as long as the game is not dyadic. Therefore, a strategy favoured under imitation dynamics can be disfavoured under aspiration dynamics. This does not require any population structure, and thus highlights the intrinsic difference between imitation and aspiration dynamics.

Bipartite Graphs as Models of Population Structures in Evolutionary Multiplayer Games

Science.gov (United States)

Peña, Jorge; Rochat, Yannick

2012-01-01

By combining evolutionary game theory and graph theory, “games on graphs” study the evolutionary dynamics of frequency-dependent selection in population structures modeled as geographical or social networks. Networks are usually represented by means of unipartite graphs, and social interactions by two-person games such as the famous prisoner’s dilemma. Unipartite graphs have also been used for modeling interactions going beyond pairwise interactions. In this paper, we argue that bipartite graphs are a better alternative to unipartite graphs for describing population structures in evolutionary multiplayer games. To illustrate this point, we make use of bipartite graphs to investigate, by means of computer simulations, the evolution of cooperation under the conventional and the distributed N-person prisoner’s dilemma. We show that several implicit assumptions arising from the standard approach based on unipartite graphs (such as the definition of replacement neighborhoods, the intertwining of individual and group diversity, and the large overlap of interaction neighborhoods) can have a large impact on the resulting evolutionary dynamics. Our work provides a clear example of the importance of construction procedures in games on graphs, of the suitability of bigraphs and hypergraphs for computational modeling, and of the importance of concepts from social network analysis such as centrality, centralization and bipartite clustering for the understanding of dynamical processes occurring on networked population structures. PMID:22970237

The role of a northern town in a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game:Bruma in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited

OpenAIRE

Pelkonen, M. (Minna)

2016-01-01

Abstract This Master’s Thesis explores the gameplay and imagery offered to players in a town called Bruma in the PC version of the Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG) The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited by Zenimax Online Studios. The game was originally released in 2014 under the name The Elder Scrolls Online. The thesis main...

[The effects of narcissism and self-esteem on immersion in social network games and massively multiplayer online role-playing games].

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Kato; Igarashi, Tasuku

2016-04-01

Recent research has shown growing interest in the process by which narcissism triggers immersion in social network games (SNG). Highly narcissistic individuals are motivated not only by the achievement of goals and monopoly of materials (i:e., self-enhancement), but also by comparison and competition with others (i.e., social comparison) We predicted that the common rules and environments of SNG and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), such as systems of exchanging items and ranking players, facilitate immersion of highly narcissistic individuals during the game. Structural equation modeling of data from 378 SNG players and 150 MMORPG players recruited online showed that self-esteem inhibited game immersion, whereas narcissism increased game immersion via motivation for goal attainment. SNG players were more likely to be immersed in the game via motivation for goal attainment than MMORPG players. These findings suggest that, compared with MMORPG, the environments of SNG provide strong incentives not for those high in self-esteem who seek acceptance of others, but for those high in narcissism who are motivated by self-enhancement via competition with others.

Perancangan Massively Multiplayer Online Knights Fantasy Online

OpenAIRE

Haris, Darius Andana; Mawardi, Viny Christanti; Pratama, Davin

2017-01-01

Knights Fantasy Online adalah game online multiplayer dengan genre role-playing. Game ini dibuat menggunakan ActionScript 3.0 dengan Adobe Flash sebagai sisi klien dan Java sebagai servernya. Desain dari game ini dibuat dengan Adobe illustrator. Dalam game ini, pemain memulai petualangannya di dunia bernama Edenia, sebagai ksatria dari kerajaan yang bernama Aurum. Pemain bertugas mengkontrol jumlah populasi monster. Pemain dapat mengambil quest, mengumpulkan equipment dan meningkatkan ability...

Navigating the feminine in massively multiplayer online games: gender in World of Warcraft.

Science.gov (United States)

Brehm, Audrey L

2013-01-01

The objective of the study is to present and discuss attitudes, perceptions and opinions about sexism and gendered play in the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMO), World of Warcraft. Through the use of an online survey which includes both multiple choice questions and open-ended questions, the research discusses the major themes and findings expressed by the World of Warcraft forum users (N = 294). The descriptive statistical findings presented are derived from the multiple choice questions. Within the sample, the results reveal that sexism is a contentious topic in the World of Warcraft community. 63.6% (n = 75) of female respondents reported experiencing sexism within the game. 27.5% (n = 44) of male respondents and 45.3% (n = 53) of female respondents believe that sexism is a problem in the game. Overall, 64.4% (n = 183) of the respondents reported sexism as a non-issue in the game. Themes surrounding the topic of sexism experienced within the game are presented based on frequency of homogenous responses. Based on the multiple choice questions and the open-ended questions, the research argues that sexism and gendered play in gaming should be studied more closely, as the results reveal that many MMO players are affected negatively by it.

Navigating the feminine in massively multiplayer online games: Gender in World of Warcraft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Audrey eBrehm

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study is to present and discuss attitudes, perceptions and opinions about sexism and gendered play in the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMO, World of Warcraft. Through the use of an online survey which includes both multiple choice questions and open-ended questions, the research discusses the major themes and findings expressed by the World of Warcraft forum users (N = 294. The descriptive statistical findings presented are derived from the multiple choice questions. Within the sample, the results reveal that sexism is a contentious topic in the World of Warcraft community. 63.6% (n = 75 of female respondents reported experiencing sexism within the game. 27.5% (n = 44 of male respondents and 45.3% (n = 53 of female respondents believe that sexism is a problem in the game. Overall, 64.4% (n = 183 of the respondents reported sexism as a non-issue in the game. Themes surrounding the topic of sexism experienced within the game are presented based on frequency of homogenous responses. Based on the multiple choice questions and the open-ended questions, the research argues that sexism and gendered play in gaming should be studied more closely, as the results reveal that many MMO players are affected negatively by it.

A Multiplayer Learning Game based on Mixed Reality to Enhance Awareness on Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathieu Loiseau

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Our research deals with the development of a new type of game-based learning environment: (MMORPG based on mixed reality, applied in the archaeological domain. In this paper, we propose a learning scenario that enhances players’ motivation thanks to individual, collaborative and social activities and that offers a continuous experience between the virtual environment and real places (archaeological sites, museum. After describing the challenge to a rich multidisciplinary approach involving both computer scientists and archaeologists, we present two types of game: multiplayer online role-playing games and mixed reality games. We build on the specificities of these games to make the design choices described in the paper. We also present three modular features we have developed to support independently three activities of the scenario. The proposed approach aims at raising awareness among people on the scientific approach in Archaeology, by providing them information in the virtual environment and encouraging them to go on real sites. We finally discuss the issues raised by this work, such as the tensions between the perceived individual, team and community utilities, as well as the choice of the entering point in the learning scenario (real or virtual for the players’ involvement in the game.

Navigating the feminine in massively multiplayer online games: gender in World of Warcraft

Science.gov (United States)

Brehm, Audrey L.

2013-01-01

The objective of the study is to present and discuss attitudes, perceptions and opinions about sexism and gendered play in the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMO), World of Warcraft. Through the use of an online survey which includes both multiple choice questions and open-ended questions, the research discusses the major themes and findings expressed by the World of Warcraft forum users (N = 294). The descriptive statistical findings presented are derived from the multiple choice questions. Within the sample, the results reveal that sexism is a contentious topic in the World of Warcraft community. 63.6% (n = 75) of female respondents reported experiencing sexism within the game. 27.5% (n = 44) of male respondents and 45.3% (n = 53) of female respondents believe that sexism is a problem in the game. Overall, 64.4% (n = 183) of the respondents reported sexism as a non-issue in the game. Themes surrounding the topic of sexism experienced within the game are presented based on frequency of homogenous responses. Based on the multiple choice questions and the open-ended questions, the research argues that sexism and gendered play in gaming should be studied more closely, as the results reveal that many MMO players are affected negatively by it. PMID:24363650

Beyond self-selection in video game play: an experimental examination of the consequences of massively multiplayer online role-playing game play.

Science.gov (United States)

Smyth, Joshua M

2007-10-01

There is burgeoning interest in the study of video games. Existing work is limited by the use of correlational designs and is thus unable to make causal inferences or remove self-selection biases from observed results. The recent development of online, socially integrated video games (massively multiplayer online role-playing games [MMORPGs]) has created a new experience for gamers. This randomized, longitudinal study examined the effects of being assigned to play different video game types on game usage, health, well-being, sleep, socializing, and academics. One hundred 18- to 20-year-old participants (73% male; 68% Caucasian) were randomly assigned to play arcade, console, solo computer, or MMORPG games for 1 month. The MMORPG group differed significantly from other groups after 1 month, reporting more hours spent playing, worse health, worse sleep quality, and greater interference in "real-life" socializing and academic work. In contrast, this group also reported greater enjoyment in playing, greater interest in continuing to play, and greater acquisition of new friendships. MMORPGs represent a different gaming experience with different consequences than other types of video games and appear to pose both unique risks and benefits from their use.

An Exploration of Friendships and Socialization for Adolescents with Autism Engaged in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG)

Science.gov (United States)

Gallup, Jennifer; Duff, Christine; Serianni, Barbara; Gallup, Adam

2016-01-01

A phenomenological study was conducted to investigate the social experiences and perceptions of friendship among three adolescents with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) engaged in online videogame play in the context of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Semi-structured interviews with three participants, diagnosed with…

The Interplay between Real Money Trade and Narrative Structure in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byungchul Park

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A narrative structure is one of the main components to constitute the genre of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs. Meanwhile Real Money Trade (RMT enables a player to adjust an ex post level of challenge by skipping the narrative structure of a game. However, RMT may concurrently disturb a player who enjoys game following the narrative structure hierarchically. In pursuance of developing the knowledge about the relationship between RMT and the usage of MMORPG, we investigate the role of the strictness of predetermined narrative structure. We present the dual structure of societies to describe a player that arbitrarily decides to reside in a virtual society. Then we adopt the social nominalism to explain how individual motif of playing a game is expanded to the nature of game. Finally, we argue that a game with weakly predetermined narrative structure is more positively associated with RMT volume, since these games arouse a player’s sentiment of fun by relying more on their socially oriented motivation. With empirical evidence from the Korean MMORPGs market, we proved the hypothesis.

A Study of Interaction Patterns and Awareness Design Elements in a Massively Multiplayer Online Game

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiffany Y. Tang

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs have been known to create rich and versatile social worlds for thousands of millions of players to participate. As such, various game elements and advance technologies such as artificial intelligence have been applied to encourage and facilitate social interactions in these online communities, the key to the success of MMOGs. However, there is a lack of studies addressing the usability of these elements in games. In this paper, we look into interaction patterns and awareness design elements that support the awareness in LastWorld and FairyLand. Experimental results obtained through both in-game experiences and player interviews reveal that not all awareness tools (e.g., an in-game map have been fully exploited by players. In addition, those players who are aware of these tools are not satisfied with them. Our findings suggest that awareness-oriented tools/channels should be easy to interpret and rich in conveying “knowledge” so as to reduce players-cognitive overload. These findings of this research recommend considerations of early stage MMOG design.

Discrete-Time Nonzero-Sum Games for Multiplayer Using Policy-Iteration-Based Adaptive Dynamic Programming Algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Huaguang; Jiang, He; Luo, Chaomin; Xiao, Geyang

2017-10-01

In this paper, we investigate the nonzero-sum games for a class of discrete-time (DT) nonlinear systems by using a novel policy iteration (PI) adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) method. The main idea of our proposed PI scheme is to utilize the iterative ADP algorithm to obtain the iterative control policies, which not only ensure the system to achieve stability but also minimize the performance index function for each player. This paper integrates game theory, optimal control theory, and reinforcement learning technique to formulate and handle the DT nonzero-sum games for multiplayer. First, we design three actor-critic algorithms, an offline one and two online ones, for the PI scheme. Subsequently, neural networks are employed to implement these algorithms and the corresponding stability analysis is also provided via the Lyapunov theory. Finally, a numerical simulation example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach.

Using massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) to support second language learning: Action research in the real and virtual world

OpenAIRE

Kongmee, Isara; Strachan, Rebecca; Montgomery, Catherine; Pickard, Alison

2011-01-01

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) create large virtual communities. Online gaming shows potential not just for entertaining, but also for education. The aim of this research project is to investigate the use of commercial MMORPGs to support second language teaching. MMORPGs offer a digital safe space in which students can communicate by using their target language with global players. This qualitative research based on ethnography and action research investigates the s...

Insights from Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games to Enhance Gamification in Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alireza Tavakkoli

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of the study of a cohort of college graduate and undergraduate students who participated in playing a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG as a gameplay rich with social interaction as well as intellectual and aesthetic features. Statistically significant differences among our participants' perception, sensation seeking, and satisfaction in relation to gameplay features are investigated. Our primary objective in this investigation was to look for certain aspects of game playing and sensation seeking that attracts a group of students to engage in long term gameplay online. Results support the majority of pre-planned hypotheses and show potential important considerations to take into account when developing gamified content for educational applications. Furthermore, the limitation of the data used in this study is presented and future directions to remove the current limitation and proliferate results through qualitative research into players' in-game social interactions. We suggest that finding similarities and underlying patterns of attraction among a diverse group of students could be beneficial in designing gameplay features to enhance student participation in the learning experience and improve learning performance.

Player Skill Decomposition in Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas

OpenAIRE

Chen, Zhengxing; Sun, Yizhou; El-nasr, Magy Seif; Nguyen, Truong-Huy D.

2017-01-01

Successful analysis of player skills in video games has important impacts on the process of enhancing player experience without undermining their continuous skill development. Moreover, player skill analysis becomes more intriguing in team-based video games because such form of study can help discover useful factors in effective team formation. In this paper, we consider the problem of skill decomposition in MOBA (MultiPlayer Online Battle Arena) games, with the goal to understand what player...

A Case Study of Using Online Communities and Virtual Environment in Massively Multiplayer Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) as a Learning and Teaching Tool for Second Language Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Kongmee, Isara; Strachan, Rebecca; Pickard, Alison; Montgomery, Catherine

2012-01-01

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) create large virtual communities. Online gaming shows potential not just for entertaining, but also in education. This research investigates the use of commercial MMORPGs to support second language teaching. MMORPGs offer virtual safe spaces in which students can communicate by using their…

Examining the influence of actual-ideal self-discrepancies, depression, and escapism, on pathological gaming among massively multiplayer online adolescent gamers.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dongdong; Liau, Albert; Khoo, Angeline

2011-09-01

This study examined whether actual-ideal self-discrepancy (AISD) is related to pathological gaming through escapism as a means of reducing depression for adolescent massively multiplayer online gamers. A Discrepancy-reduction Motivation model of pathological video gaming was tested. A survey was conducted on 161 adolescent gamers from secondary schools. Two mediation effects were tested using path analysis: (a) depression would mediate the relationship between AISDs and escapism, and (b) escapism would mediate the relationship between depression and pathological gaming. Results support the hypotheses stated above. The indirect effects of both AISD and depression were significant on pathological gaming. AISD and escapism also had direct effects on pathological gaming. The present study suggests that pathological behaviors may be over-regulated coping strategies of approaching the ideal self and avoiding the actual self.

Interactive evolution of levels for a competitive multiplayer FPS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsted, P.T.; Ma, B.; Risi, S.

2015-01-01

Traditionally a dedicated level designer has to create every aspect of a level by hand, distribute and gather people to test it. Especially for multiplayer maps, the cyclic process of developing and testing can be quite cumbersome and time consuming. This paper presents a novel approach to provide...... live generation of levels for such multiplayer maps through procedural content generation and interactive evolution. The approach is demonstrated in the FPSEvolver video game that aims at replicating the look and feel of popular games like Counter-Strike. Without leaving the game a group of players can......”. The presented approach can generate enjoyable maps that adapt to the preferences of players across a range of skill levels. Several distinct types of levels were created during testing, which range from open to closed, and complex to simple, each fitting closely with what the different players consider a good...

Can clans protect adolescent players of massively multiplayer online games from violent behaviors?

Science.gov (United States)

Ybarra, Michele L; Boyd, Danah

2015-02-01

To examine whether clan membership mediates observed associations between violent game content and externalizing behaviors among youth who play massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs). Responses from 486 11- to 18-year-olds who: live in the United States, read English, have been online at least once in the past 6 months, and have played MMOGs in the past year were examined. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the population-averaged incident rate ratio of aggressive, delinquent, and seriously violent behaviors among MMOG players given one's self-reported exposure to in-game content depicting violence. Twenty-nine percent of all youth respondents played MMOGs in the past year. Rates of aggressive, IRR: 1.59, 95% CI [1.11, 2.26], and delinquent, IRR: 1.44, 95% CI [0.99, 2.08], behaviors were significantly higher for MMOG players who were in clans versus not in clans. For females, clan membership attenuated but did not eliminate the observed relation between exposure to in-game violent content and both aggressive and seriously violent behavior (16% and 10% reductions in IRR, respectively); whereas for males, clan membership was largely uninfluential (i.e., less than 2% change). Clan membership is neither associated with lower rates of externalizing behaviors for youth, nor does it affect the likelihood of reporting externalizing behaviors among male players. There is some suggestion that clan membership may attenuate the concurrent association between in-game violent content and some externalizing behaviors for females.

Analyzing the Effect of TCP and Server Population on Massively Multiplayer Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirko Suznjevic

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Many Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs use TCP flows for communication between the server and the game clients. The utilization of TCP, which was not initially designed for (soft real-time services, has many implications for the competing traffic flows. In this paper we present a series of studies which explore the competition between MMORPG and other traffic flows. For that aim, we first extend a source-based traffic model, based on player’s activities during the day, to also incorporate the impact of the number of players sharing a server (server population on network traffic. Based on real traffic traces, we statistically model the influence of the variation of the server’s player population on the network traffic, depending on the action categories (i.e., types of in-game player behaviour. Using the developed traffic model we prove that while server population only modifies specific action categories, this effect is significant enough to be observed on the overall traffic. We find that TCP Vegas is a good option for competing flows in order not to throttle the MMORPG flows and that TCP SACK is more respectful with game flows than other TCP variants, namely, Tahoe, Reno, and New Reno. Other tests show that MMORPG flows do not significantly reduce their sending window size when competing against UDP flows. Additionally, we study the effect of RTT unfairness between MMORPG flows, showing that it is less important than in the case of network-limited TCP flows.

Profiling Academic Research on Massively Multiplayer On-line Role-Play Gaming (MMORPG 2000-2009: Horizons for Educational Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harold Castañeda Peña

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Whilst there exists a large body of publications around Massively Multiplayer On-line Role-Play Gaming (MMORPG, there is little profiling academic research on this type of game. This study aims at unveiling what, when, where and who constitute scholarly work in research about MMORPG. A 777-register dataset was configured with primary documents taken from 16 databases and two web-portals. The dataset was drilled down using specialized text-mining software. Findings revealed four main research interests that comprise the games themselves, gaming experiences, systems architecture and educational MMORPG. It was also found that research on this topic started out in 2002 and some milestones of emerging research were charted out. The most prolific organizations and authors were also identified in which the USA, Canada and Italy occupy outstanding places. It is recommended that research profiling studies be carried out to extend more informed literature reviews and support further research questions.

Profiling Academic Research on Massively Multiplayer On-line Role-Play Gaming (MMORPG 2000-2009: Horizons for Educational Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harold Castañeda Peña

2005-12-01

Full Text Available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17227/01234870.38folios75.94 Whilst there exists a large body of publications around Massively Multiplayer On-line Role-Play Gaming (MMORPG, there is little profiling academic research on this type of game. This study aims at unveiling what, when, where and who constitute scholarly work in research about MMORPG. A 777-register dataset was configured with primary documents taken from 16 databases and two web-portals. The dataset was drilled down using specialized text-mining software. Findings revealed four main research interests that comprise the games themselves, gaming experiences, systems architecture and educational MMORPG. It was also found that research on this topic started out in 2002 and some milestones of emerging research were charted out. The most prolific organizations and authors were also identified in which the USA, Canada and Italy occupy outstanding places. It is recommended that research profiling studies be carried out to extendmore informed literature reviews and support further research questions.

Promotion of cooperation induced by discriminators in the spatial multi-player donor-recipient game

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Guang-Hai; Wang, Zhen; Ren, Jian-Kang; Lu, Kun; Li, Ming-Chu

2016-11-01

Although the two-player donor-recipient game has been used extensively in studying cooperation in social dilemmas, the scenario in which a donor can simultaneously donate resources to multiple recipients is also common in human societies, economic systems, and social networks. This paper formulates a model of the multi-player donor-recipient game considering a multi-recipient scenario. The promotion of cooperation is also studied by introducing a discriminative cooperation strategy into the game, which donates resources to recipients in proportion to their previous donations with a cost for the collection of information. The evolutionary dynamics of individual strategies are explored in homogeneous and heterogeneous scenarios by leveraging spatial evolutionary game theory. The results show that in a homogeneous scenario, defectors can dominate the network at the equilibrium state only when the cost-to-benefit ratio (R) of donated resources is large. In a heterogeneous scenario, three strategies can coexist all the time within the range of R that was studied, and the promotion of cooperation is more effective when the values of R are smaller. Results from a single node evolution and the formation of local patterns of interaction are provided, and it is analytically shown that discriminators can maintain fairness in resource donation and guarantee long-term cooperation when R is not too large.

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game-induced seizures: a neglected health problem in Internet addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Yao-Chung

2006-08-01

As the Internet has become rapidly and widely integrated into society, Internet addiction has become a growing psychosocial problem. However, epileptic seizure, another out-of-the-ordinary health problem, is often neglected in this regard. Ten patients who experienced epileptic seizures while playing the newest genre of electronic games -- Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) -- were investigated. Patients were predominantly male young adults, and most of the events were generalized tonic-clonic seizures, myoclonic seizures, and absences. These patients should be categorized into idiopathic generalized epilepsies. Even though photosensitivity was an important factor, behavioral and higher mental activities also seemed to be significant seizure precipitants. Results demonstrated that MMORPG-induced seizures were not analogous to the ordinary video game-induced seizures. Significantly, an epileptic seizure warning did not always appear on the websites of MMORPGs and instructions for the software. While the prevalence of MMORPG-induced seizures remains unknown, it may exceed our expectations and impact our society. Not only for clinical neurologists but also for the primary physicians, educators, sociologists, and global online game publishers, there should be an awareness of this special form of reflex seizures in order to provide an appropriate health warning to MMORPG players.

GAME FPS DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN MULTIPLAYER GAME

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ida Bagus Made Oka Widharma

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Perkembangan game saat ini sangat pesat sehingga banyak orang yang tertarik untuk memainkannya bahkan sampai lupa waktu,suatu game akan membuat orang tertarik dan penasaran karena didalam nya terdapat AI (artificial intelegent. Tujuan pengembangan kecerdasan buatan adalah untuk membuat aksi dan reaksi otonom agen atau NPC (Non-Player Character dari game. Dua NPC bisa saling membantu dalam menjalankan strategi menyerang terhadap musuh. penelitian  ini menjelaskan tentang bagaimana orang dapat bermain game secara bersama-sama dengan menggunakan jaringan computer atau jaringan internet . Dua NPC yang dimaksud  adalahNPC Scout yang bertugas memancing serangan musuh, dan NPC Sniper yang bertugas memberikan back up serangan dari jarak jauh.. Perilaku yangdimaksud adalah menyerang brutal, menyerang, bertahan dan melarikan diri. Masing-masing perilaku diujicobakan dalam game First Person Shooter menggunakan unity engine. Dalam simulasi game terjadi respon perubahan perilaku masing-masing NPC terhadap kondisi yang dihadapi dengan mengetahui respon dari NPC maka akan dapat menentukan strategi dalam game tersebut.

Motivations to play specifically predict excessive involvement in massively multiplayer online role-playing games: evidence from an online survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Zanetta Dauriat, Francesca; Zermatten, Ariane; Billieux, Joël; Thorens, Gabriel; Bondolfi, Guido; Zullino, Daniele; Khazaal, Yasser

2011-01-01

Several studies have linked massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) with possible problematic usage or internet addiction. The main goal of the present study was to assess links between motivations to play in MMORPGs and addictive involvement in such types of games. A total of 696 gamers responded to an online survey. Five distinct motivations to play were identified in gamers: achievement, socializing, immersion, relaxing and escaping. Multiple regression analysis revealed that addictive MMORPG use patterns are predicted by achievement, escapism and socializing motives. Gender was also a significant predictor of problematic involvement in MMORPGs. Moreover, addictive MMORPG use positively correlated with the weekly time devoted to playing MMORPGs. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Efficient Energy Distribution in a Smart Grid using Multi-Player Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Brihaye

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Algorithms and models based on game theory have nowadays become prominent techniques for the design of digital controllers for critical systems. Indeed, such techniques enable automatic synthesis: given a model of the environment and a property that the controller must enforce, those techniques automatically produce a correct controller, when it exists. In the present paper, we consider a class of concurrent, weighted, multi-player games that are well-suited to model and study the interactions of several agents who are competing for some measurable resources like energy. We prove that a subclass of those games always admit a Nash equilibrium, i.e. a situation in which all players play in such a way that they have no incentive to deviate. Moreover, the strategies yielding those Nash equilibria have a special structure: when one of the agents deviate from the equilibrium, all the others form a coalition that will enforce a retaliation mechanism that punishes the deviant agent. We apply those results to a real-life case study in which several smart houses that produce their own energy with solar panels, and can share this energy among them in micro-grid, must distribute the use of this energy along the day in order to avoid consuming electricity that must be bought from the global grid. We demonstrate that our theory allows one to synthesise an efficient controller for these houses: using penalties to be paid in the utility bill as an incentive, we force the houses to follow a pre-computed schedule that maximises the proportion of the locally produced energy that is consumed.

Analysis of context dependence in social interaction networks of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Seokshin; Kang, Ah Reum; Kim, Hyun-chul; Kwon, Taekyoung; Park, Juyong; Kim, Huy Kang

2012-01-01

Rapid advances in modern computing and information technology have enabled millions of people to interact online via various social network and gaming services. The widespread adoption of such online services have made possible analysis of large-scale archival data containing detailed human interactions, presenting a very promising opportunity to understand the rich and complex human behavior. In collaboration with a leading global provider of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs), here we present a network science-based analysis of the interplay between distinct types of user interaction networks in the virtual world. We find that their properties depend critically on the nature of the context-interdependence of the interactions, highlighting the complex and multilayered nature of human interactions, a robust understanding of which we believe may prove instrumental in the designing of more realistic future virtual arenas as well as provide novel insights to the science of collective human behavior.

Openlobby: an open game server for lobby and matchmaking

Science.gov (United States)

Zamzami, E. M.; Tarigan, J. T.; Jaya, I.; Hardi, S. M.

2018-03-01

Online Multiplayer is one of the most essential feature in modern games. However, while developing a multiplayer feature can be done with a simple computer networking programming, creating a balanced multiplayer session requires more player management components such as game lobby and matchmaking system. Our objective is to develop OpenLobby, a server that available to be used by other developers to support their multiplayer application. The proposed system acts as a lobby and matchmaker where queueing players will be matched to other player according to a certain criteria defined by developer. The solution provides an application programing interface that can be used by developer to interact with the server. For testing purpose, we developed a game that uses the server as their multiplayer server.

The semiotic ecology and linguistic complexity of an online game world

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thorne, Steven; Fischer, I.; Lu, X.

Multiplayer online games form complex semiotic ecologies that include game-generated texts, player-to-player communication and collaboration, and associated websites that support in-game play. This article describes an exploratory study of the massively multiplayer online game (MMO) World of

Formative Evaluation of a Massively Multi-Player Persistent (MMP) Environment for Asymmetric Warfare Exercises

Science.gov (United States)

2008-04-01

Initiative acknowledges the dearth of published research on Massively Multiplayer Online Games ((MMOGs), which are based on MMP technology) for...wanting help during the emergency, protesting insufficient aid being delivered in time, escalating to violence , including sniper attacks and attempted... multiplayer environment. The movement control systems were rated "moderately easy" to learn, and ease of movement after learning to use the controls was rated

Analysis of Context Dependence in Social Interaction Networks of a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Seokshin; Kang, Ah Reum; Kim, Hyun-chul; Kwon, Taekyoung; Park, Juyong; Kim, Huy Kang

2012-01-01

Rapid advances in modern computing and information technology have enabled millions of people to interact online via various social network and gaming services. The widespread adoption of such online services have made possible analysis of large-scale archival data containing detailed human interactions, presenting a very promising opportunity to understand the rich and complex human behavior. In collaboration with a leading global provider of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs), here we present a network science-based analysis of the interplay between distinct types of user interaction networks in the virtual world. We find that their properties depend critically on the nature of the context-interdependence of the interactions, highlighting the complex and multilayered nature of human interactions, a robust understanding of which we believe may prove instrumental in the designing of more realistic future virtual arenas as well as provide novel insights to the science of collective human behavior. PMID:22496771

Analysis of context dependence in social interaction networks of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seokshin Son

Full Text Available Rapid advances in modern computing and information technology have enabled millions of people to interact online via various social network and gaming services. The widespread adoption of such online services have made possible analysis of large-scale archival data containing detailed human interactions, presenting a very promising opportunity to understand the rich and complex human behavior. In collaboration with a leading global provider of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs, here we present a network science-based analysis of the interplay between distinct types of user interaction networks in the virtual world. We find that their properties depend critically on the nature of the context-interdependence of the interactions, highlighting the complex and multilayered nature of human interactions, a robust understanding of which we believe may prove instrumental in the designing of more realistic future virtual arenas as well as provide novel insights to the science of collective human behavior.

The Semiotic Ecology and Linguistic Complexity of an Online Game World

Science.gov (United States)

Thorne, Steven L.; Fischer, Ingrid; Lu, Xiaofei

2012-01-01

Multiplayer online games form complex semiotic ecologies that include game-generated texts, player-to-player communication and collaboration, and associated websites that support in-game play. This article describes an exploratory study of the massively multiplayer online game (MMO) "World of Warcraft" ("WoW"), with specific…

In- and Out-of-Character: The Digital Literacy Practices and Emergent Information Worlds of Active Role-Players in a New Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Science.gov (United States)

Hollister, Jonathan M.

2016-01-01

This dissertation explores and describes the in-character and out-of-character information worlds and digital literacy practices of role-players, those that create and enact their characters' or avatars' stories, both within and outside of WildStar, a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) (Carbine Studios, 2015). Utilizing Jaeger…

Evolutionary Multiplayer Games

OpenAIRE

Gokhale, Chaitanya S.; Traulsen, Arne

2014-01-01

Evolutionary game theory has become one of the most diverse and far reaching theories in biology. Applications of this theory range from cell dynamics to social evolution. However, many applications make it clear that inherent non-linearities of natural systems need to be taken into account. One way of introducing such non-linearities into evolutionary games is by the inclusion of multiple players. An example is of social dilemmas, where group benefits could e.g.\\ increase less than linear wi...

The Role of Habits in Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Usage: Predicting Excessive and Problematic Gaming Through Players' Sensitivity to Situational Cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukavská, Kateřina; Hrabec, Ondřej; Chrz, Vladimír

2016-04-01

We examined the effect of habitual regulation of massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) playing on the problematic (addictive) usage and excessiveness of gaming (time that user spent playing weekly, per session, and in relation to his other leisure activities). We developed the approach to assess the strength of habitual regulation that was based on sensitivity to situational cues. We defined cues as real-life or in-game conditions (e.g., work to be done, activities with friends or family, need to relax, new game expansion) that usually promote gaming (proplay cues) or prevent it (contraplay cues). Using a sample of 377 MMORPG players, we analyzed relationships between variables through partial least squares path modeling. We found that proplay cues sensitivity significantly positively affected the excessiveness of gaming (playing time) as well as the occurrence of problematic usage symptoms. Conversely, contraplay cues sensitivity functioned as a protective factor from these conditions; significant negative effects were found for playing time and problematic usage. Playing time was confirmed to be a mediating variable, affected by cues sensitivity and at the same time affecting problematic usage symptoms. We obtained moderately strong coefficients of determination for both endogenous variables (R(2) = 0.28 for playing time; R(2) = 0.31 for problematic usage) suggesting that the proposed variables possess good explanatory power. Based on our results, we argue that the strength of habitual regulation within MMORPG usage has both positive and negative effects on excessive and problematic usage, which is a new and important finding within the area of Internet gaming addiction.

How successful are mutants in multiplayer games with fluctuating environments? Sojourn times, fixation and optimal switching

Science.gov (United States)

Baron, Joseph W.; Galla, Tobias

2018-03-01

Using a stochastic model, we investigate the probability of fixation, and the average time taken to achieve fixation, of a mutant in a population of wild-types. We do this in a context where the environment in which the competition takes place is subject to stochastic change. Our model takes into account interactions which can involve multiple participants. That is, the participants take part in multiplayer games. We find that under certain circumstances, there are environmental switching dynamics which minimize the time that it takes for the mutants to fixate. To analyse the dynamics more closely, we develop a method by which to calculate the sojourn times for general birth-death processes in fluctuating environments.

Pegembangan Game dengan Menggunakan Teknologi Voice Recognition Berbasis Android

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franky Hadinata Marpaung

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to create a new kind of game by using technology that rarely used in current games. It is developed as an entertainment media and also a social media in which the users can play the games together via multiplayer mode. This research uses Scrum development method since it supports small scaled developer and it supports software increment along the development. Using this game application, the users can play and watch interesting animations by controlling it with their voice, listen the character imitating the users’ voice, play various mini games both in single player or multiplayer mode via Bluetooth connection. The conclusion is that game application of My Name is Dug use voice recognition and inter-devices connection as its main features. It also has various mini games that support both single player and multiplayer.

Statistical properties of online avatar numbers in a massive multiplayer online role-playing game

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Zhi-Qiang; Ren, Fei; Gu, Gao-Feng; Tan, Qun-Zhao; Zhou, Wei-Xing

2010-02-01

Massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have been very popular in the past few years. The profit of an MMORPG company is proportional to how many users registered, and the instant number of online avatars is a key factor to assess how popular an MMORPG is. We use the online-offline logs on an MMORPG server to reconstruct the instant number of online avatars per second and investigate its statistical properties. We find that the online avatar number exhibits one-day periodic behavior and clear intraday pattern, the fluctuation distribution of the online avatar numbers has a leptokurtic non-Gaussian shape with power-law tails, and the increments of online avatar numbers after removing the intraday pattern are uncorrelated and the associated absolute values have long-term correlation. In addition, both time series exhibit multifractal nature.

Impulsivity in Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Gamers: Preliminary Results on Experimental and Self-Report Measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Nuyens, Filip; Deleuze, Jory; Maurage, Pierre; Griffiths, Mark D; Kuss, Daria J; Billieux, Joël

2016-06-01

Background and aims Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games have become the most popular type of video games played worldwide, superseding the playing of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games and First-Person Shooter games. However, empirical studies focusing on the use and abuse of MOBA games are still very limited, particularly regarding impulsivity, which is an indicator of addictive states but has not yet been explored in MOBA games. In this context, the objective of the present study is to explore the associations between impulsivity and symptoms of addictive use of MOBA games in a sample of highly involved League of Legends (LoL, currently the most popular MOBA game) gamers. Methods Thirty-six LoL gamers were recruited and completed both experimental (Single Key Impulsivity Paradigm) and self-reported impulsivity assessments (s-UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale), in addition to an assessment of problematic video game use (Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire). Results Results showed links between impulsivity-related constructs and signs of excessive MOBA game involvement. Findings indicated that impaired ability to postpone rewards in an experimental laboratory task was strongly related to problematic patterns of MOBA game involvement. Although less consistent, several associations were also found between self-reported impulsivity traits and signs of excessive MOBA game involvement. Conclusions Despite these results are preliminary and based upon a small (self-selected) sample, the present study highlights potential psychological factors related to the addictive use of MOBA games.

Impulsivity in Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Gamers: Preliminary Results on Experimental and Self-Report Measures

Science.gov (United States)

Nuyens, Filip; Deleuze, Jory; Maurage, Pierre; Griffiths, Mark D.; Kuss, Daria J.; Billieux, Joël

2016-01-01

Background and aims Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games have become the most popular type of video games played worldwide, superseding the playing of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games and First-Person Shooter games. However, empirical studies focusing on the use and abuse of MOBA games are still very limited, particularly regarding impulsivity, which is an indicator of addictive states but has not yet been explored in MOBA games. In this context, the objective of the present study is to explore the associations between impulsivity and symptoms of addictive use of MOBA games in a sample of highly involved League of Legends (LoL, currently the most popular MOBA game) gamers. Methods Thirty-six LoL gamers were recruited and completed both experimental (Single Key Impulsivity Paradigm) and self-reported impulsivity assessments (s-UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale), in addition to an assessment of problematic video game use (Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire). Results Results showed links between impulsivity-related constructs and signs of excessive MOBA game involvement. Findings indicated that impaired ability to postpone rewards in an experimental laboratory task was strongly related to problematic patterns of MOBA game involvement. Although less consistent, several associations were also found between self-reported impulsivity traits and signs of excessive MOBA game involvement. Conclusions Despite these results are preliminary and based upon a small (self-selected) sample, the present study highlights potential psychological factors related to the addictive use of MOBA games. PMID:27156376

E-learning as a complement to presential teaching of blindness prevention: a randomized clinical trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Pessoa Cavalcanti Lira

2013-02-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To investigate if E-learning material improves the basal student knowledge level before attending the presential class of blindness prevention (BP and if helps to fix this information one-month after the class. METHODS: Fourth-year medical students were randomly assigned to have a presential class of BP (Traditional group = TG or to have a presential class of BP plus an additional E-learning material (E-learning group = ELG. This material was e-mailed one week before the presential class. The students were submitted to a multiple-choice test (with three options each with seven questions immediately before the presential class, immediately after the class, and one-month later. The three tests had the same questions; however, the answers options were distributed in different sequences. The primary outcome was immediate pretest score. The secondary outcomes were immediate posttest score and one-month posttest score. RESULTS: Among the 120 fourth-year medical students, a random sample of 34 students was assigned to the TG and 34 students was assigned to the ELG. The two groups showed similar immediate posttest score (TG=6.8 and ELG=6.9; P<.754, but the differences at the immediate pretest score (TG=3.6 and ELG=4.7; P<.001, and at the one-month posttest score, were significant (TG=6.1 and ELG=6.8; P<.001. CONCLUSIONS: The pretest and the one-month posttest results suggested that the E-learning material acts as an effective complementary tool of the presential class of blindness prevention.

Self-concept deficits in massively multiplayer online role-playing games addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Leménager, Tagrid; Gwodz, Alexander; Richter, Anne; Reinhard, Iris; Kämmerer, Nina; Sell, Madlen; Mann, Karl

2013-01-01

Previous studies on Internet addiction point towards a particular constellation of personality traits and deficits in social competence of players addicted to massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), which are hypothesized to result from impairments in self-concept. The aim of this study was to examine differences in self-concept and degree of avatar identification in World of Warcraft addicted, non-addicted and naive (nonexperienced) participants. Participants (n = 45) completed interviews and self-report questionnaires on social, emotional and physical aspects of self-concept. Attributes of participants' 'actual self', 'ideal self' and their avatar were assessed using the Giessen test. The extent of avatar identification was examined by assessing differences between 'ideal self' and avatar evaluations. In contrast to nonaddicted and naive participants, addicted players showed a more negative body appraisal and lower self-esteem as well as lower permeability, social response, general mood and social potency on the Giessen test subscales. They further showed significantly lower discrepancies between 'ideal self' and avatar ratings on nearly all Giessen test subscales. The results point towards impairments in self-concept and a higher degree in avatar identification in addicted MMORPG players compared to the remaining participants. These results could have important implications for the treatment of addicted MMORPG players. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Predicting Victory in a Hybrid Online Competitive Game : The Case of Destiny

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Norouzzadeh Ravari, Yaser; Spronck, Pieter; Sifa, Rafet; Drachen, Anders

2017-01-01

Competitive multi-player game play is a common feature in major commercial titles, and has formed the foundation for esports. In this paper, the question whether it is possible to predict match outcomes in First Person Shooter-type multiplayer competitive games with mixed genres is addressed. The

A Comparison of Solo and Multiplayer Active Videogame Play in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Howcroft, Jennifer; Fehlings, Darcy; Wright, Virginia; Zabjek, Karl; Andrysek, Jan; Biddiss, Elaine

2012-08-01

Active videogames (AVGs) have potential in terms of physical activity and therapy for children with cerebral palsy. However, the effect of social interaction on AVG play has not yet been assessed. The objective of this study is to determine if multiplayer AVG versus solo affects levels of energy expenditure and movement patterns. Fifteen children (9.77 [standard deviation (SD) 1.78] years old) with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System Level I) participated in solo and multiplayer Nintendo(®) "Wii™ Boxing" (Nintendo, Inc., Redmond, WA) AVG play while energy expenditure and punching frequency were monitored. Moderate levels of physical activity were achieved with no significant differences in energy measures during multiplayer and solo play. Dominant arm punching frequency increased during the multiplayer session from 95.75 (SD 37.93) punches/minute to 107.77 (SD 36.99) punches/minute. Conversely, hemiplegic arm punching frequency decreased from 39.05 (SD 29.57) punches/minutes to 30.73 (SD 24.74) punches/minutes during multiplayer game play. Children enjoyed multiplayer more than solo play. Opportunities to play AVGs with friends and family may translate to more frequent participation in this moderate physical activity. Conversely, increased hemiplegic limb use during solo play may have therapeutic advantages. As such, new strategies are recommended to promote use of the hemiplegic hand during multiplayer AVG play and to optimize commercial AVG systems for applications in virtual reality therapy.

Development and Evaluation of MOOSES games in Flash/Macromedia

OpenAIRE

Ekse, Magnus Førland

2010-01-01

Video games are very popular today and the electronic entertainment industry is in many areas equal to the more mature entertainment industries like film and music in terms of usage and revenues. The MOOSES (Multiplayer On One Screen Entertainment System) allows players to play on one big screen together with the use of their mobile phone as a game controller. The framework was designed for easy development of multiplayer games in Java and C++.Flash is a very popular technology on the Interne...

Evolutionary games in the multiverse.

Science.gov (United States)

Gokhale, Chaitanya S; Traulsen, Arne

2010-03-23

Evolutionary game dynamics of two players with two strategies has been studied in great detail. These games have been used to model many biologically relevant scenarios, ranging from social dilemmas in mammals to microbial diversity. Some of these games may, in fact, take place between a number of individuals and not just between two. Here we address one-shot games with multiple players. As long as we have only two strategies, many results from two-player games can be generalized to multiple players. For games with multiple players and more than two strategies, we show that statements derived for pairwise interactions no longer hold. For two-player games with any number of strategies there can be at most one isolated internal equilibrium. For any number of players with any number of strategies , there can be at most isolated internal equilibria. Multiplayer games show a great dynamical complexity that cannot be captured based on pairwise interactions. Our results hold for any game and can easily be applied to specific cases, such as public goods games or multiplayer stag hunts.

Attack of the S. Mutans!: a stereoscopic-3D multiplayer direct-manipulation behavior-modification serious game for improving oral health in pre-teens

Science.gov (United States)

Hollander, Ari; Rose, Howard; Kollin, Joel; Moss, William

2011-03-01

Attack! of the S. Mutans is a multi-player game designed to harness the immersion and appeal possible with wide-fieldof- view stereoscopic 3D to combat the tooth decay epidemic. Tooth decay is one of the leading causes of school absences and costs more than $100B annually in the U.S. In 2008 the authors received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to build a science museum exhibit that included a suite of serious games involving the behaviors and bacteria that cause cavities. The centerpiece is an adventure game where five simultaneous players use modified Wii controllers to battle biofilms and bacteria while immersed in environments generated within a 11-foot stereoscopic WUXGA display. The authors describe the system and interface used in this prototype application and some of the ways they attempted to use the power of immersion and the appeal of S3D revolution to change health attitudes and self-care habits.

Social interactions in massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers.

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Helena; Griffiths, Mark D

2007-08-01

To date, most research into massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) has examined the demographics of play. This study explored the social interactions that occur both within and outside of MMORPGs. The sample consisted of 912 self-selected MMORPG players from 45 countries. MMORPGs were found to be highly socially interactive environments providing the opportunity to create strong friendships and emotional relationships. The study demonstrated that the social interactions in online gaming form a considerable element in the enjoyment of playing. The study showed MMORPGs can be extremely social games, with high percentages of gamers making life-long friends and partners. It was concluded that virtual gaming may allow players to express themselves in ways they may not feel comfortable doing in real life because of their appearance, gender, sexuality, and/or age. MMORPGs also offer a place where teamwork, encouragement, and fun can be experienced.

Serious games as instrument to support energy retrofitting : Lessons from the Go2Zero City-zen game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Bueren, E.M.; Bekebrede, G.; Wenzler, I.

2017-01-01

This paper presents the serious multi-player tabletop game GO2Zero and explores how such games may contribute to overcoming barriers to local energy retrofitting. The game lets actors involved in local energy retrofitting, experience the multi-actor decision-making context. In half a day, about

Social Interactions and Games

Science.gov (United States)

Uz, Cigdem; Cagiltay, Kursat

2015-01-01

Digital games have become popular due to great technological improvements in recent years. They have been increasingly transformed from co-located experiences into multi-played, socially oriented platforms (Herodotou, 2009). Multi-User Online Games provide the opportunity to create a social environment for friendships and strengthen the…

Inclusive Competitive Game Play Through Balanced Sensory Feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Westin, Thomas; Söderström, David; Karlsson, Olov; Peiris, Ranil

2017-01-01

While game accessibility has improved significantly the last few years, there are still barriers for equal participation and multiplayer issues have been less researched. Game balance is here about making the game fair in a player versus player competitive game. One difficult design task is to balance the game to be fair regardless of visual or hearing capabilities, with clearly different requirements. This paper explores a tentative design method for enabling inclusive competitive game-play without individual adaptations of game rules that could spoil the game. The method involved applying a unified design method to design an unbalanced game, then modifying visual feedback as a hypothetical balanced design, and testing the game with totally 52 people with and without visual or hearing disabilities in three workshops. Game balance was evaluated based on score differences and less structured qualitative data, and a redesign of the game was made. Conclusions are a tentative method for balancing a multiplayer, competitive game without changing game rules and how the method can be applied.

Impact of Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games upon the Psychosocial Well-Being of Adolescents and Young Adults: Reviewing the Evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Scott

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. For many people, the online environment has become a significant arena for everyday living, and researchers are beginning to explore the multifaceted nature of human interaction with the Internet. The burgeoning global popularity and distinct design features of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs have received particular attention, and discourses about the phenomenon suggest both positive and negative impact upon gamer health. Aim. The purpose of this paper was to critically appraise the research literature to determine if playing MMORPGs impacts upon the psychosocial well-being of adolescents and young adults. Method. Initial searches were conducted on nine databases spanning the years 2002 to 2012 using key words, such as online gaming, internet gaming, psychosocial, and well-being, which, in addition to hand searching, identified six studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria for this review. Results. All six studies strongly associated MMORPG playing with helpful and harmful impact to the psychosocial well-being of the populations under study; however due to the methodologies employed, only tentative conclusions may be drawn. Conclusion. Since both helpful and harmful effects were reported, further multidisciplinary research is recommended to specifically explore the clinical implications and therapeutic potentialities of this modern, growing phenomenon.

Impact of Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games upon the Psychosocial Well-Being of Adolescents and Young Adults: Reviewing the Evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Jonathan; Porter-Armstrong, Alison P

2013-01-01

Introduction. For many people, the online environment has become a significant arena for everyday living, and researchers are beginning to explore the multifaceted nature of human interaction with the Internet. The burgeoning global popularity and distinct design features of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have received particular attention, and discourses about the phenomenon suggest both positive and negative impact upon gamer health. Aim. The purpose of this paper was to critically appraise the research literature to determine if playing MMORPGs impacts upon the psychosocial well-being of adolescents and young adults. Method. Initial searches were conducted on nine databases spanning the years 2002 to 2012 using key words, such as online gaming, internet gaming, psychosocial, and well-being, which, in addition to hand searching, identified six studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria for this review. Results. All six studies strongly associated MMORPG playing with helpful and harmful impact to the psychosocial well-being of the populations under study; however due to the methodologies employed, only tentative conclusions may be drawn. Conclusion. Since both helpful and harmful effects were reported, further multidisciplinary research is recommended to specifically explore the clinical implications and therapeutic potentialities of this modern, growing phenomenon.

Game Design Concept Report : Application of the WeShareIt Game Elements in Nzoia River Basin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Onencan, A.M.; Enserink, B.; van de Walle, B.A.

2018-01-01

In early 2016, we designed Nzoia WeShareIt game to support joint decision-making, in a complex river basin, through policy practice in the form of water allocation trade-offs between food, energy, and nature. Nzoia WeShareIt game is a multi-player hybrid cooperation game.

This concept

Designing Shared Virtual Reality Gaming Experiences in Local Multi-platform Games

OpenAIRE

Liszio , Stefan; Masuch , Maic

2016-01-01

Part 4: Short Papers; International audience; Designing multiplayer virtual reality games is a challenging task since immersion is easily destroyed by real world influences. However, providing fun and social virtual reality experiences is inevitable for establishing virtual reality gaming as a convincing new medium. We propose a design approach to integrate social interactions into the game design while retaining immersion, and present design methods to implement this approach. Furthermore, w...

Correlations among Social Anxiety, Self-Esteem, Impulsivity, and Game Genre in Patients with Problematic Online Game Playing

OpenAIRE

Park, Jeong Ha; Han, Doug Hyun; Kim, Bung-Nyun; Cheong, Jae Hoon; Lee, Young-Sik

2016-01-01

Objective Recent studies of online game addiction have suggested that social interaction and impulsivity are critical factors for the etiology and progress of online game addiction. We hypothesized that the genre of the online game is associated with impulsivity and sociality in individuals with online game addictions. Methods In total, 212 patients with problematic online game playing were divided into four groups by game genre: 1) massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG), 2) re...

The motivation of children to play an active video game.

Science.gov (United States)

Chin A Paw, Marijke J M; Jacobs, Wietske M; Vaessen, Ellen P G; Titze, Sylvia; van Mechelen, Willem

2008-04-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of a weekly multiplayer class on the motivation of children aged 9-12 years to play an interactive dance simulation video game (IDSVG) at home over a period of 12 weeks. A sample of 27 children was randomly assigned to (1) a home group instructed to play the IDSVG at home; (2) a multiplayer group instructed to play the IDSVG at home and to participate in a weekly IDSVG multiplayer class. Participants were asked to play the IDSVG as often as they liked and report the playing time daily on a calendar for a 12-week period. Motivation to play was assessed by the playing duration of IDSVG in minutes and the dropout during the study. Mean age of the 16 children who completed the study was 10.6+/-0.8 years. During the 12-week intervention period, the multiplayer group played approximately twice as many minutes (901min) as the home group (376min, p=0.13). Dropout was significantly (p=0.02) lower in the multiplayer group (15%) than in the home group (64%). Our findings suggest that multiplayer classes may increase children's motivation to play interactive dance simulation video games.

Psychological predictors of problematic involvement in massively multiplayer online role-playing games: illustration in a sample of male cybercafé players.

Science.gov (United States)

Billieux, Joël; Chanal, Julien; Khazaal, Yasser; Rochat, Lucien; Gay, Philippe; Zullino, Daniele; Van der Linden, Martial

2011-01-01

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) are video games in which a large number of players interact with one another in a persistent virtual world. MMORPGs can become problematic and result in negative outcomes in daily living (e.g. loss of control on gaming behaviors, compromised social and individual quality of life). The aim of the present study is to investigate psychological predictors of problematic involvement in MMORPGs. Fifty-four males who played MMORPGs regularly were recruited in cybercafés and screened using the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale (which assesses 4 facets of impulsivity) and the Motivation to Play Online Questionnaire (which assesses personal motives to play online). Negative consequences due to excessive time spent on the Internet were assessed with the Internet Addiction Test. Multiple regression analysis showed that problematic use of MMORPGs is significantly predicted by: (1) high urgency (b = 0.45), and (2) a motivation to play for immersion (b = 0.35). This study showed that, for certain individuals (who are characterized by a proneness to act rashly in emotional contexts and motivated to play to be immersed in a virtual world), involvement in MMORPGs can become problematic and engender tangible negative consequences in daily life. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Leadership in Multiplayer Online Gaming Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Lisk, Timothy C.; Kaplancali, Ugur T.; Riggio, Ronald E.

2012-01-01

With their increased popularity, games open up possibilities for simultaneous learning on multiple levels; players may learn from contextual information embedded in the narrative of the game and through the risks, benefits, costs, outcomes, and rewards of the alternative strategies that result from fast-paced decision making. Such dynamics also…

Collaborative Gaming: Teaching Children about Complex Systems and Collective Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Peppler, Kylie; Danish, Joshua A.; Phelps, David

2013-01-01

Although games--including board games, video games, and Massive Multiplayer Online Games--have garnered significant attention in recent years for their impact on educational outcomes, a primary focus of this interest is the transfer of knowledge from game to nongame settings. Building on this literature, our research explores how game designs that…

Games in Language Learning: Opportunities and Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Godwin-Jones, Robert

2014-01-01

There has been a substantial increase in recent years in the interest in using digital games for language learning. This coincides with the explosive growth in multiplayer online gaming and with the proliferation of mobile games for smart phones. It also reflects the growing recognition among educators of the importance of extramural, informal…

Time perspective as a predictor of massive multiplayer online role-playing game playing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukavska, Katerina

2012-01-01

This article focuses on the relationship between the time perspective (TP) personality trait and massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) playing. We investigate the question of frequency of playing. The TP was measured with Zimbardo's TP Inventory (ZTPI), which includes five factors-past negative, past positive, present hedonistic, present fatalistic, and future. The study used data from 154 MMORPG players. We demonstrated that TP partially explained differences within a group of players with respect to the frequency of playing. Significant positive correlations were found between present factors and the amount of time spent playing MMORPGs, and significant negative correlation was found between the future factor and the time spent playing MMORPGs. Our study also revealed the influence of future-present balance on playing time. Players who scored lower in future-present balance variables (their present score was relatively high compared with their future score) reported higher values in playing time. In contrast to referential studies on TP and drug abuse and gambling, present fatalistic TP was demonstrated to be a stronger predictor of extensive playing than present hedonistic TP, which opened the question of motivation for playing. The advantage of our study compared with other personality-based studies lies in the fact that TP is a stable but malleable personality trait with a direct link to playing behavior. Therefore, TP is a promising conceptual resource for excessive playing therapy.

Collaborative Virtual Gaming Worlds in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Whitton, Nicola; Hollins, Paul

2008-01-01

There is growing interest in the use of virtual gaming worlds in education, supported by the increased use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) and massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) for collaborative learning. However, this paper argues that collaborative gaming worlds have been in use much longer and are much wider…

Social Interactions in Online Gaming

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Mark; Hussain, Zaheer; Grüsser, Sabine M.; Thalemann, Ralf; Cole, Helena; Davies, Mark N. O.; Chappell, Darren

2011-01-01

This paper briefly overviews five studies examining massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). The first study surveyed 540 gamers and showed that the social aspects of the game were the most important factor for many gamers. The second study explored the social interactions of 912 MMORPG players and showed they created strong…

Martian Boneyards: Scientific Inquiry in an MMO Game

Science.gov (United States)

Asbell-Clarke, Jodi; Edwards, Teon; Rowe, Elizabeth; Larsen, Jamie; Sylvan, Elisabeth; Hewitt, Jim

2012-01-01

This paper reports on research of a game designed for scientific inquiry in a new and publicly available massively-multiplayer online environment (MMO). Educators and game designers worked together to create a highly immersive environment, a compelling storyline, and research-grounded tools for scientific inquiry within the game. The designers…

Formal Framework to improve the reliability of concurrent and collaborative learning games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mounier

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Multi-player learning games are complex software applications resulting from a costly and complex engineering process, and involving multiple stakeholders (domain experts, teachers, game designers, programmers, testers, etc.. Moreover, they are dynamic systems that evolve over time and implement complex interactions between objects and players. Usually, once a learning game is developed, testing activities are conducted by humans who explore the possible executions of the game’s scenario to detect bugs. The complexity and the dynamic nature of multiplayer learning games enforces the complexity of testing activities. Indeed, it is impracticable to explore manually all possible executions due to their huge number. Moreover, the test cannot verify some properties on multi-player and collaborative scenarios, such as paths leading to deadlock between learners or prevent learners to meet all objectives and win the game. This type of properties should be verified at the design stage. We propose a framework enabling a formal modeling of game scenarios and an associated automatic verification of learning game’s scenario at the design stage of the development process.We use Symmetric Petri nets as a modeling language and choose to verify properties by means of model checkers. This paper discusses the possibilities offered by this framework to verify learning game’s properties before the programming stage.

Gaming: from Addiction Mechanisms to Clinical Practices

OpenAIRE

Thorens, Gabriel

2016-01-01

Video game addiction is the main theme of this thesis. After a brief definition of addiction, the focus is on the specific addictive properties of Internet and games. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are described, as they tend to be the most addictive type of game, with a specific focus on World of Warcraft (WoW). Issues of diagnostic criteria for Internet addiction and Internet gaming disorder (IGD) are be presented.

Live action role-playing games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tychsen, Anders; Hitchens, Michael; Brolund, Thea

2006-01-01

Live action role-playing games share a range of characteristics with massively multi-player online games (MMOGs). Because these games have existed for more than 20 years, players of these games have a substantial amount of experience in handling issues pertinent to MMOGs. Survey and review of live...... action role-playing games, whose participant count can be in the thousands, reveal that features such as size, theme, game master-to-player ratio, and others interact to form complex systems that require several different groups of control tools to manage. The way that these games are managed offers...

Video Games, Identity, and the Constellation of Information

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Crystle

2012-01-01

This article explores the identity of youth in relation to the information sources they choose in the constellation of information of video games, using the massively multiplayer online game "World of Warcraft" as an example. From this study, several identities are recognized that are combinations of the participants skill and level in the game,…

Character Play – The use of game characters in multi- player Role Playing Games across platforms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tychsen, Anders; Hitchens, M.; Brolund, T.

2008-01-01

histories of game characters. This article presents results from a comprehensive empirical study of the way complex game characters are utilized by players in multiplayer role-playing games across two different media platforms. The results indicate that adult players are capable of comprehending...... and utilizing game characters with well-defined personalities and backgrounds, as well as rules-based components. Furthermore, that the game format plays a significant role in the pattern of usage of the character elements. This pattern appears directly linked with variations in the way that the different game...

Video Game Characters. Theory and Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felix Schröter

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This essay develops a method for the analysis of video game characters based on a theoretical understanding of their medium-specific representation and the mental processes involved in their intersubjective construction by video game players. We propose to distinguish, first, between narration, simulation, and communication as three modes of representation particularly salient for contemporary video games and the characters they represent, second, between narrative, ludic, and social experience as three ways in which players perceive video game characters and their representations, and, third, between three dimensions of video game characters as ‘intersubjective constructs’, which usually are to be analyzed not only as fictional beings with certain diegetic properties but also as game pieces with certain ludic properties and, in those cases in which they function as avatars in the social space of a multiplayer game, as representations of other players. Having established these basic distinctions, we proceed to analyze their realization and interrelation by reference to the character of Martin Walker from the third-person shooter Spec Ops: The Line (Yager Development 2012, the highly customizable player-controlled characters from the role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda 2011, and the complex multidimensional characters in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare 2011-2014.

Development of mobile application in game industry

OpenAIRE

Horňák, Miroslav

2016-01-01

This thesis describes process of design and development of multiplayer online mobile game. Including ways of monetisation, setting a game goals and design of user interface and game environment. It also shows potential problems which can occur while developing this kind of a game. All this is demonstrated on real mobile game project targeting all major mobile operating systems. Inseparable part of this thesis is also summary of mobile operating systems and tools currently used in mobile game ...

Effect of uniform acceleration on multiplayer quantum game

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goudarzi, H; Beyrami, S

2012-01-01

We investigate the influence of the Unruh effect on three-qubit quantum games. In particular, we interpret the quantum Prisoners’ Dilemma, which is a famous, non-zero sum game both for entangled and unentangled initial states and show that the acceleration of non-inertial frames disturbs the symmetry of the game. Using the various strategies, the novel Nash equilibrium is obtained at infinite acceleration (r = π/4). As a remarkable point, it is shown that in our three-player system, in contrast to the two-player quantum game in non-inertial frames (see Khan et al 2011 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 44 355302), there is not a dominant strategy (even classical strategy) in the game and choosing the quantum strategy by each player can be the dominant strategy depending on the kind of strategy chosen by others. Since the entangled states of particles play an important role in the quantum game, finally we argue that the results of the players depend on the degree of entanglement in the initial state of the game. (paper)

Player-Character Dynamics in Multi- Player Role Playing Games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tychsen, Anders; McIlwain, D.; Brolund, T.

2007-01-01

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive empirical study of the impact of integrating complex game characters in multi-player Role Playing Games across tabletop and digital formats. Players were provided with characters that had detailed background history, personality and goals. Player...

Games of stake: control, agency and ownership in World of Warcraft

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Glas, M.A.J.

2010-01-01

World of Warcraft has become one of the most significant computer games of recent years. The massively multiplayer online role-playing game (or MMORPG) has introduced millions of players around the world to new forms of community-based play within a constantly evolving virtual environment. The game

Helping Hands: Designing Video Games with Interpersonal Touch Interaction

OpenAIRE

Watts , Cody; Sharlin , Ehud; Woytiuk , Peter

2010-01-01

International audience; Increasingly, the movements of players' physical bodies are being used as a method of controlling and playing video games. This trend is evidenced by the recent development of interpersonal touch-based games; multiplayer games which players control by physically touching their partners. Although a small number of interpersonal touch-based games have recently been designed, the best practices for creating video games based on this unconventional interaction technique re...

Older Adult Video Game Preferences in Practice: Investigating the Effects of Competing or Cooperating

Science.gov (United States)

Souders, Dustin J.; Boot, Walter R.; Charness, Neil; Moxley, Jerad H.

2017-01-01

Video game interventions with the aim to improve cognition have shown promise for both younger (e.g., Powers et al., 2013) and older adults (e.g., Toril, Reales, and Ballesteros, 2014). Most studies suggest that fast-paced action games produce the largest benefits, but a recent video game intervention with older adults found that an action game intervention can result in poor adherence (Boot et al., 2013). To increase intervention adherence, we investigated older adult video game preferences that might bolster adherence by having participants play a competitive game (Mario Kart DS) or a cooperative game (Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga) alone or with a partner. Although hypotheses regarding cooperative and multi-player gameplay were not supported, converging evidence suggests multi-player game play may lead to greater enjoyment, which was related to intervention adherence in a previous study (Boot et al., 2013). Insights for gaming intervention studies in older populations are also provided. PMID:29033698

Older Adult Video Game Preferences in Practice: Investigating the Effects of Competing or Cooperating.

Science.gov (United States)

Souders, Dustin J; Boot, Walter R; Charness, Neil; Moxley, Jerad H

2016-01-01

Video game interventions with the aim to improve cognition have shown promise for both younger (e.g., Powers et al., 2013) and older adults (e.g., Toril, Reales, and Ballesteros, 2014). Most studies suggest that fast-paced action games produce the largest benefits, but a recent video game intervention with older adults found that an action game intervention can result in poor adherence (Boot et al., 2013). To increase intervention adherence, we investigated older adult video game preferences that might bolster adherence by having participants play a competitive game (Mario Kart DS) or a cooperative game (Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga) alone or with a partner. Although hypotheses regarding cooperative and multi-player gameplay were not supported, converging evidence suggests multi-player game play may lead to greater enjoyment, which was related to intervention adherence in a previous study (Boot et al., 2013). Insights for gaming intervention studies in older populations are also provided.

Learning by Gaming: Supply Chain Management

OpenAIRE

Arisha, Amr; Tobail, Ayman; Crowe, John

2011-01-01

Today's third level students are of a virtual generation, where online interactive multi-player games, virtual reality and simulations are a part of everyday life, making gaming and simulation a very important catalyst in the learning process. Teaching methods have to be more innovative to help students understand the complexity of decisions within dynamic supply chain environment. Interactive simulation games have the potential to be an efficient and enjoyable means of learning. A serious in...

Collaborative virtual gaming worlds in higher education

OpenAIRE

Whitton, Nicola; Hollins, Paul

2008-01-01

There is growing interest in the use of virtual gaming worlds in education, supported by the increased use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) for collaborative learning. However, this paper argues that collaborative gaming worlds have been in use much longer and are much wider in scope; it considers the range of collaborative gaming worlds that exist and discusses their potential for learning, with particular reference to h...

Writing Game Center Apps in iOS Bringing Your Players Into the Game

CERN Document Server

Nahavandipoor, Vandad

2011-01-01

Now that Apple has introduced the GameKit framework to its iOS SDK, you can integrate Game Center features directly into your iPhone and iPad apps. This concise cookbook shows you how it's done, with 18 targeted recipes for adding leaderboards, user authentication, achievements, multiplayer games, and many other features. How do you display players' scores and achievements? How do you create Game Center accounts and add friends? Each recipe in this book includes a simple code solution you can put to work immediately, along with a detailed discussion that offers insight into why and how the r

How Massive Multiplayer Online Games Incorporate Principles of Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, Joshua H.; Archambault, Leanna

2010-01-01

Games have always been a part of the human experience. Even the earliest of civilizations created games for enjoyment and entertainment. However, the educational value of those games is a relatively recent consideration. Over the previous fifty years, scholars have questioned the potential positive lessons learned from games such as Monopoly[R],…

The Impact of a Racing Feature on Middle School Science Students' Performance in an Educational Game: The Effect of Content-Free Game-Actions

Science.gov (United States)

Ault, Marilyn; Craig-Hare, Jana; Frey, Bruce

2016-01-01

Reason Racer is an online, rate-based, multiplayer game designed to engage middle school students in the knowledge and skills related to scientific argumentation. Several game features are included as design considerations unrelated to science content or argumentation. One specific feature, a competitive racing component that occurs in between…

Exploring problematic online gaming: A qualitative approach

OpenAIRE

Waters, Joseph M

2016-01-01

Online gaming, specifically Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs), has become a very popular pastime and often is the subject of scrutiny in the literature regarding problematic play. This study aimed to develop a better understanding of problematic online gaming by recruiting and interviewing MMORPG players who potentially played at problematic levels. Ten participants (9 males, 1 female) from a Mid-Western university were screened and interviewed regarding their online g...

User cooperation, virality and gaming in a social mobile network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Varga, C; Blazovics, L; Charaf, H

2012-01-01

Social networks and mobile systems are both rapidly developing areas nowadays. In this chapter, we will introduce Gedda-Headz, a novel social mobile gaming concept that brings these two areas together. Gedda-Headz is a social mobile network that mainly focuses on multiplayer mobile gaming. First we...

A Qualitative Analysis of Online Gaming Addicts in Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Beranuy, Marta; Carbonell, Xavier; Griffiths, Mark D.

2013-01-01

Online gaming addiction is a relatively under-researched area and there have been few studies examining online gamers in treatment. This paper reports the findings from a qualitative interview study of nine players undergoing treatment for their addictive playing of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs). A face-to-face…

Mobile & social game design monetization methods and mechanics

CERN Document Server

Fields, Tim

2014-01-01

IntroductionThe Changing TideWhat This Book Is NotWhat Is a Social Game? Are Mobile Games Social? Meet Your CompetitionBBS Games and MUDsMMOsJust Being Multiplayer Doesn't Make You SocialGreat Mobile Games ARE SocialInterview with Words with Friends Creators, The BettnersHistory of Game MonetizationWhat Do We Mean By MonetizationA Brief History of Game MonetizationInterview with Richard Garriott, ""The Three Grand Eras of Gaming""Why Create a Social or Mobile Game?Social and Mobile Games Put a Lot of Power in the Hands of the DevelopersSocial Games Make the Developer ResponsibleSocial Games Gi

Virtual plagues and real-world pandemics: reflecting on the potential for online computer role-playing games to inform real world epidemic research.

Science.gov (United States)

Oultram, Stuart

2013-12-01

In the wake of the Corrupted Blood incident, which afflicted the massively multiplayer online computer role-playing game World of Warcraft in 2005, it has been suggested that both, the incident itself and massively multiplayer online computer role-playing games in general, can be utilised to inform and assist real-world epidemic and public health research. In this paper, I engage critically with these claims.

Video games as American popular culture

OpenAIRE

Wolf, Mark J.P.

2017-01-01

Video games have moved, possibly surpassing even movies, into a central role in American popular culture in a relatively short time, and today there is increasing evidence that the video game console –to some extent, as much as the personal computer– has emerged as a central media device through which “convergence culture” is taking place. In the world of massively multiplayer online games, new (and very real) economies and cultures have evolved with striking rapidity, while on a very differe...

Power and Surveillance in Video Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Héctor Puente Bienvenido

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In this article we explore the history of video games (focusing on multiplayer ones, from the perspective of power relationships and the ways in which authority has been excesiced by the game industry and game players over time. From a hierarchical system of power and domain to the increasing flatness of the current structure, we address the systems of control and surveillance. We will finish our display assessing the emergent forms of production and relationships between players and developers.

An iOS implementation of the Shannon switching game

OpenAIRE

Macík, Miroslav

2013-01-01

Shannon switching game is a logical graph game for two players. The game was created by American mathematician Claude Shannon. iOS is an operating system designed for iPhone cellular phone, iPod music player and iPad tablet. The thesis describes existing implementations of the game and also specific implementation for iOS operating system created as a part of this work. This implementation allows you to play against virtual opponent and also supports multiplayer game consisting of two players...

TimeMesh – A Serious Game for European Citizenship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Baptista

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Serious games are games where the entertainment aspect is not the most relevant motivation or objective. TimeMesh is an online, multi-language, multiplayer, collaborative and social game platform for sharing and acquiring knowledge of the history of European regions. As such it is a serious game with educational characteristics. This article evaluates the use of TimeMesh with students of 13 and 14 years-old. It shows that this game is already a significant learning tool about European citizenship.

Towards a Framework for Learning in the OSMA Serious Game Engine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanguy Coenen

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Online multiplayer serious games offer a way to support learning in a gaming paradigm that is familiar to many players and has proven its effectiveness in providing sustainably enjoyable gameplay. We aim to decrease development cost for these games by providing a modular game design framework and a component-based technical architecture. The technical architecture and the game design framework will be implemented and iteratively refined through two proofs of concept.

Exploring the enjoyment of playing browser games.

Science.gov (United States)

Klimmt, Christoph; Schmid, Hannah; Orthmann, Julia

2009-04-01

Browser games--mostly persistent game worlds that can be used without client software and monetary cost with a Web browser--belong to the understudied digital game types, although they attract large player communities and motivate sustained play. The present work reports findings from an online survey of 8,203 players of a German strategy browser game ("Travian"). Results suggest that multiplayer browser games are enjoyed primarily because of the social relationships involved in game play and the specific time and flexibility characteristics ("easy-in, easy-out"). Competition, in contrast, seems to be less important for browser gamers than for users of other game types. Findings are discussed in terms of video game enjoyment and game addiction.

Cross-format analysis of the gaming experience in multi-player role playing games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tychsen, Anders; Newman, K.; Brolund, T.

2007-01-01

Forming one of the major genres of games, Role Playing Games (RPGs) have proven an extremely portable concept, and the games are situated across various cultural and format-related boundaries. The effect of porting RPGs between formats is however a subject of which very little is known. This paper...

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games: comparing characteristics of addict vs non-addict online recruited gamers in a French adult population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monnin Julie

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs are a very popular and enjoyable leisure activity, and there is a lack of international validated instruments to assess excessive gaming. With the growing number of gamers worldwide, adverse effects (isolation, hospitalizations, excessive use, etc. are observed in a minority of gamers, which is a concern for society and for the scientific community. In the present study, we focused on screening gamers at potential risk of MMORPG addiction. Methods In this exploratory study, we focused on characteristics, online habits and problematic overuse in adult MMORPG gamers. In addition to socio-demographical data and gamer behavioral patterns, 3 different instruments for screening addiction were used in French MMORPG gamers recruited online over 10 consecutive months: the substance dependence criteria for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, fourth revised edition (DSM-IV-TR that has been adapted for MMORPG (DAS, the qualitative Goldberg Internet Addiction Disorder scale (GIAD and the quantitative Orman Internet Stress Scale (ISS. For all scales, a score above a specific threshold defined positivity. Results The 448 participating adult gamers were mainly young adult university graduates living alone in urban areas. Participants showed high rates of both Internet addiction (44.2% for GIAD, 32.6% for ISS and DAS positivity (27.5%. Compared to the DAS negative group, DAS positive gamers reported significantly higher rates of tolerance phenomenon (increased amount of time in online gaming to obtain the desired effect and declared significantly more social, financial (OR: 4.85, marital (OR: 4.61, family (OR: 4.69 and/or professional difficulties (OR: 4.42 since they started online gaming. Furthermore, these gamers self-reported significantly higher rates (3 times more of irritability, daytime sleepiness, sleep deprivation due to play, low mood and emotional

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games: comparing characteristics of addict vs non-addict online recruited gamers in a French adult population.

Science.gov (United States)

Achab, Sophia; Nicolier, Magali; Mauny, Frédéric; Monnin, Julie; Trojak, Benoit; Vandel, Pierre; Sechter, Daniel; Gorwood, Philip; Haffen, Emmanuel

2011-08-26

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) are a very popular and enjoyable leisure activity, and there is a lack of international validated instruments to assess excessive gaming. With the growing number of gamers worldwide, adverse effects (isolation, hospitalizations, excessive use, etc.) are observed in a minority of gamers, which is a concern for society and for the scientific community. In the present study, we focused on screening gamers at potential risk of MMORPG addiction. In this exploratory study, we focused on characteristics, online habits and problematic overuse in adult MMORPG gamers. In addition to socio-demographical data and gamer behavioral patterns, 3 different instruments for screening addiction were used in French MMORPG gamers recruited online over 10 consecutive months: the substance dependence criteria for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, fourth revised edition (DSM-IV-TR) that has been adapted for MMORPG (DAS), the qualitative Goldberg Internet Addiction Disorder scale (GIAD) and the quantitative Orman Internet Stress Scale (ISS). For all scales, a score above a specific threshold defined positivity. The 448 participating adult gamers were mainly young adult university graduates living alone in urban areas. Participants showed high rates of both Internet addiction (44.2% for GIAD, 32.6% for ISS) and DAS positivity (27.5%). Compared to the DAS negative group, DAS positive gamers reported significantly higher rates of tolerance phenomenon (increased amount of time in online gaming to obtain the desired effect) and declared significantly more social, financial (OR: 4.85), marital (OR: 4.61), family (OR: 4.69) and/or professional difficulties (OR: 4.42) since they started online gaming. Furthermore, these gamers self-reported significantly higher rates (3 times more) of irritability, daytime sleepiness, sleep deprivation due to play, low mood and emotional changes since online gaming onset. The DAS

Possible End to an Endless Quest? Cognitive Bias Modification for Excessive Multiplayer Online Gamers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabinovitz, Sharon; Nagar, Maayan

2015-10-01

Cognitive biases have previously been recognized as key mechanisms that contribute to the development, maintenance, and relapse of addictive behaviors. The same mechanisms have been recently found in problematic computer gaming. The present study aims to investigate whether excessive massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers (EG) demonstrate an approach bias toward game-related cues compared to neutral stimuli; to test whether these automatic action tendencies can be implicitly modified in a single session training; and to test whether this training affects game urges and game-seeking behavior. EG (n=38) were randomly assigned to a condition in which they were implicitly trained to avoid or to approach gaming cues by pushing or pulling a joystick, using a computerized intervention (cognitive bias modification via the Approach Avoidance Task). EG demonstrated an approach bias for gaming cues compared with neutral, movie cues. Single session training significantly decreased automatic action tendencies to approach gaming cues. These effects occurred outside subjective awareness. Furthermore, approach bias retraining reduced subjective urges and intentions to play, as well as decreased game-seeking behavior. Retraining automatic processes may be beneficial in changing addictive impulses in EG. Yet, large-scale trials and long-term follow-up are warranted. The results extend the application of cognitive bias modification from substance use disorders to behavioral addictions, and specifically to Internet gaming disorder. Theoretical implications are discussed.

Consequences of Play: A Systematic Review of the Effects of Online Gaming

Science.gov (United States)

Sublette, Victoria Anne; Mullan, Barbara

2012-01-01

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) have received considerable attention in news headlines describing gamers who have died while engaging in excessive play. However, more common physical and psychosocial effects attributed to online video gaming are social isolation, increased aggression, and negative academic and occupational consequences.…

Developing 21st Century Skills through Gameplay: To What Extent Are Young People Who Play the Online Computer Game Minecraft Acquiring and Developing Media Literacy and the Four Cs Skills?

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Mia Lynn

2015-01-01

Two questions drove this case study. 1) To what extent does playing the online computer game Minecraft at home in a multiplayer environment impact a player's media literacy skills of analysis, evaluation, and access? 2) To what extent does playing the online computer game Minecraft at home in a multiplayer environment impact a player's 21st…

Gaming as Extramural English L2 Learning and L2 Proficiency among Young Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Sylven, Liss Kerstin; Sundqvist, Pia

2012-01-01

Today, playing digital games is an important part of many young people's everyday lives. Claims have been made that certain games, in particular massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) provide L2 English learners with a linguistically rich and cognitively challenging virtual environment that may be conducive to L2 learning, as…

It's a team game: exploring factors that influence team experience

OpenAIRE

Martin, Eleanor

2015-01-01

Many multiplayer games feature teams, and whether they are pitted against each other or against the game itself it seems likely that the way these teams bond will affect the players' experience. What are the factors that influence the experience of being a team member in a game? To what extent can the game designer manipulate the cohesion of the teams by changing the game design? How does the satisfaction of the player with their team relate to their feeling of cohesion? How does cohesion dif...

Effect of Digital Game Based Learning on Ninth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Swearingen, Dixie K.

2011-01-01

This experimental study examined the effect of an educational massive multiplayer online game (MMOG) on achievement on a standards-based mathematics exam. It also examined the interaction of student characteristics (gender and socioeconomic status) with digital game play on mathematics achievement. Two hundred eighty ninth grade students from a…

The Effectiveness of Reason Racer, a Game Designed to Engage Middle School Students in Scientific Argumentation

Science.gov (United States)

Ault, Marilyn; Craig-Hare, Jana; Frey, Bruce; Ellis, James D.; Bulgren, Janis

2015-01-01

Reason Racer is an online, rate-based, multiplayer game that applies specific game features in order to engage middle school students in introductory knowledge of and thinking related to scientific argumentation. Game features include rapid and competitive play, timed performance, immediate feedback, and high rates of response across many…

Design and evaluation of RaPIDO, a platform for rapid prototyping of interactive outdoor games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Soute, I.; Vacaretu, T.; de Wit, J.; Markopoulos, P.

Outdoor, multi-player games involving social interaction and physical activity are an emerging class of applications particularly interesting for children, for whom the attraction and the health and developmental benefits are clear cut. Implementing and prototyping such games present non-trivial

Game E-Learning Code Master Dengan Konsep Mmorpg Menggunakan Adobe Flex 3

OpenAIRE

Fredy Purnomo; Monika Leslivania; Daniel Daniel; Lisye Mareta Cahya

2010-01-01

The research objective is to design a web-based e-learning game that could be used to be a learning facility of C language programming and as an online game so it could be enjoyed by everybody easily in internet. Flex usage in this game online is to implement RIA (Rich Internet Application) concept in the game so e-learning process is hoped to be more interesting and interactive. E-learning game is also designed in MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) concept. The research ...

Comparative analysis of gameplay and players emotion in the most popular games from play store

Science.gov (United States)

Riwinoto; Mahfud, N.; Lumombo, L.

2018-03-01

The development of the android mobile operating system and the presence of Play Store services poses challenges for developers to produce exciting mobile games. Although publishing games in Play Store is not difficult, in fact developers have to face tough competition to make homemade games can become popular. This study analyzes the gameplay of three popular paid-free games in Play Store that can survive for a period of one year from the top 10 positions in October 2015- November 2016. Analysis performed on 8 elements of the game based on the definition of Fullerton and emotional expression analysis of respondents who appeared while playing the three choosen games. The analysis shows that scarce resources are the main attraction of all three games because they create conflicts, giving constraints and challenges to players. The multiplayer game has a pattern of results and the result makes the opponent become more negative than the player to win. While the single player game is analyzed has a pattern to make the player get positive to win. There are 3 basic emotions that most often appear that is joy, disgust and surprise. Multiplayer games tend to emphasize the emotions of joy players, while single player games tend to bring disgust emotions.

Nash Equilibria in Symmetric Games with Partial Observation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bouyer, Patricia; Markey, Nicolas; Vester, Steen

2014-01-01

We investigate a model for representing large multiplayer games, which satisfy strong symmetry properties. This model is made of multiple copies of an arena; each player plays in his own arena, and can partially observe what the other players do. Therefore, this game has partial information...... and symmetry constraints, which make the computation of Nash equilibria difficult. We show several undecidability results, and for bounded-memory strategies, we precisely characterize the complexity of computing pure Nash equilibria (for qualitative objectives) in this game model....

PROMOTING GREEN TRANSPORTATION VIA PERSUASIVE GAMES

OpenAIRE

Hedemalm, E; Hallberg, J; Kor, A; Andersson, K; Pattinson, C

2017-01-01

It is now widely accepted that human behaviour accounts for a large portion of total global emissions, and thus influences climate change to a large extent (IPCC, 2014). Changing human behaviour when it comes to mode of transportation is one component which could make a difference in the long term. In order to achieve behavioural change, we investigate the use of a persuasive multiplayer game. Transportation mode recognition is used within the game to provide bonuses and penalties to users ba...

Games for Social Change: Review of the Potential for Multi Player Online Gaming to Facilitate the Emergence and Growth of Progressive Movements for Social Change within Youth and Community Work

Science.gov (United States)

Keating, Paul

2016-01-01

Building on the use of the internet and social media as sites for activism, this paper highlights the emergence of political activism and collective protest in the online gaming environment. Referencing social movement theory and the rapidly evolving capacity of multiplayer online games to facilitate the development of strong group identities and…

A cross-genre study of online gaming: player demographics, motivation for play, and social interactions among players

OpenAIRE

Ghuman, D; Griffiths, MD

2012-01-01

One key limitation with the contemporary online gaming research literature is that much of the published research has tended to examine only one genre of games (i.e., Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). Three relatively little studied online games are First Person Shooter (FPS) Games, Role Play Games (RPG) and Real Time Strategy (RTS) Games. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine player behaviour and characteristics in these three different online gaming genres. More spec...

"The Source": An Alternate Reality Game to Spark STEM Interest and Learning among Underrepresented Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Gilliam, Melissa; Bouris, Alida; Hill, Brandon; Jagoda, Patrick

2016-01-01

Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) are multiplayer role-playing games that use the real world as their primary platform and incorporate a range of media, including video, audio, email, mobile technologies, websites, live performance, and social networks. This paper describes the development, implementation, and player reception of "The…

Rochester Castle MMORPG: Instructional Gaming and Collaborative Learning at a Western Australian School

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Mark J. W.; Eustace, Ken; Fellows, Geoff; Bytheway, Allan; Irving, Leah

2005-01-01

This paper reports on the first stage of a project to develop and test the use of massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) for promoting computer supported collaborative learning through instructional gaming in the high school classroom. Teachers and students of English and Science at Swan View Senior High School, Western…

Encouraging Free Play: Extramural Digital Game-Based Language Learning as a Complex Adaptive System

Science.gov (United States)

Scholz, Kyle

2017-01-01

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games like World of Warcraft are ideally suited to encourage and facilitate second language development (SLD) in the extramural setting, but to what extent do the language learners' actual trajectories of gameplay contribute to SLD? With the current propensity to focus research in digital game-based…

An Introduction to Multi-player, Multi-choice Quantum Games: Quantum Minority Games & Kolkata Restaurant Problems

Science.gov (United States)

Sharif, Puya; Heydari, Hoshang

We give a self contained introduction to a few quantum game protocols, starting with the quantum version of the two-player two-choice game of Prisoners dilemma, followed by an n-player generalization trough the quantum minority games, and finishing with a contribution towards an n-player m-choice generalization with a quantum version of a three-player Kolkata restaurant problem. We have omitted some technical details accompanying these protocols, and instead laid the focus on presenting some general aspects of the field as a whole. This review contains an introduction to the formalism of quantum information theory, as well as to important game theoretical concepts, and is aimed to work as a review suiting economists and game theorists with limited knowledge of quantum physics as well as to physicists with limited knowledge of game theory.

Nash Equilibria in Symmetric Graph Games with Partial Observation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bouyer, Patricia; Markey, Nicolas; Vester, Steen

2017-01-01

We investigate a model for representing large multiplayer games, which satisfy strong symmetry properties. This model is made of multiple copies of an arena; each player plays in his own arena, and can partially observe what the other players do. Therefore, this game has partial information...... and symmetry constraints, which make the computation of Nash equilibria difficult. We show several undecidability results, and for bounded-memory strategies, we precisely characterize the complexity of computing pure Nash equilibria for qualitative objectives in this game model....

Psychiatrists' Perceptions of Role-Playing Games.

Science.gov (United States)

Lis, Eric; Chiniara, Carl; Biskin, Robert; Montoro, Richard

2015-09-01

The literature has seen a surge in research on the mental health impacts of technologies such as Facebook, video games, and massively-multiplayer online role-playing games such as World of Warcraft, but little is known regarding the mental health impact of non-video role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons. The present study examines how psychiatrists' perceive role-playing games and whether they play them. Psychiatrists at a tertiary care centre in Canada completed a questionnaire assessing history of playing role-playing games and whether they associate them with psychopathology. Forty-eight psychiatrists responded. Twenty-three percent have played a role-playing game over their lifetimes. Twenty-two percent believed there was an association between psychopathology and role-playing games. A majority of psychiatrists who responded do not associate role-playing games with psychopathology. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

Motivating Distance Learners in Online Gaming Worlds

Science.gov (United States)

Marvel, Michele D.

2012-01-01

Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) have potential as educational tools. Existing literature shows that MMOG-based courses can foster a more immediate sense of community among students than traditional distance learning interfaces. The immersive technology of MMOGs opens the door for students to be able to virtually walk through the college…

"Gamestar Mechanic": Learning a Designer Mindset through Communicational Competence with the Language of Games

Science.gov (United States)

Games, Ivan Alex

2010-01-01

This article presents the results of a three-year study of "Gamestar Mechanic" (www.gamestarmechanic.com), a flash-based multiplayer online role-playing game developed for the MacArthur Foundation's digital media learning initiative by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Gamelab in New York. The game's objective is to help children…

Avatar's neurobiological traces in the self-concept of massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) addicts.

Science.gov (United States)

Dieter, Julia; Hill, Holger; Sell, Madlen; Reinhard, Iris; Vollstädt-Klein, Sabine; Kiefer, Falk; Mann, Karl; Leménager, Tagrid

2015-02-01

Psychometric studies suggest that observed self-concept deficits in addicted massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) are compensated through the replacement of their ideal (i.e., how an individual would like to be) by their own avatar (i.e., graphical agent in the virtual world). Neurobiological studies indicate that increased identification with their own avatar in regular MMORPG gamers is possibly reflected by enhanced avatar-referential brain activation in the left angular gyrus (AG). However, the neurobiological correlates reflecting the relations of the avatar to addicted gamers' self and ideal are still unexplored. Therefore, we compare these relations between addicted and nonaddicted MMORPG gamers. A sample of n = 15 addicted and n = 17 nonaddicted players underwent functional MRI (fMRI) while completing a Giessen-Test (GT)-derived paradigm assessing self-, ideal-, and avatar-related self-concept domains. Neurobiological analyses included the comparisons avatar versus self, avatar versus ideal, and avatar versus self, ideal. Psychometrically, addicts showed significantly lower scores on the self-concept subscale of 'social resonance,' that is, social popularity. In all avatar-related contrasts, within-group comparisons showed addicted players to exhibit significantly higher brain activations in the left AG. The between-groups comparisons revealed avatar-related left AG hyperactivations in addicts. Our results may suggest that addicted MMORPG players identify significantly more with their avatar than nonaddicted gamers. The concrete avatar might increasingly replace the rather abstract ideal in the transition from normal- controlled to addictive-compulsive MMORPG usage. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Gold rush - A swarm dynamics in games

Science.gov (United States)

Zelinka, Ivan; Bukacek, Michal

2017-07-01

This paper is focused on swarm intelligence techniques and its practical use in computer games. The aim is to show how a swarm dynamics can be generated by multiplayer game, then recorded, analyzed and eventually controlled. In this paper we also discuss possibility to use swarm intelligence instead of game players. Based on our previous experiments two games, using swarm algorithms are mentioned briefly here. The first one is strategy game StarCraft: Brood War, and TicTacToe in which SOMA algorithm has also take a role of player against human player. Open research reported here has shown potential benefit of swarm computation in the field of strategy games and players strategy based on swarm behavior record and analysis. We propose new game called Gold Rush as an experimental environment for human or artificial swarm behavior and consequent analysis.

Towards a Generic Method of Evaluating Game Levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liapis, Antonios; Yannakakis, Georgios N.; Togelius, Julian

2013-01-01

This paper addresses the problem of evaluating the quality of game levels across different games and even genres, which is of key importance for making procedural content generation and assisted game design tools more generally applicable. Three game design patterns are identified for having high...... generality while being easily quantifiable: area control, exploration and balance. Formulas for measuring the extent to which a level includes these concepts are proposed, and evaluation functions are derived for levels in two different game genres: multiplayer strategy game maps and single-player roguelike...... dungeons. To illustrate the impact of these evaluation functions, and the similarity of impact across domains, sets of levels for each function are generated using a constrained genetic algorithm. The proposed measures can easily be extended to other game genres....

Come diventare una Rockstar. Gli Houser e l’evoluzione del franchise Grand Theft Auto.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federico Giordano

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Wanted. La storia criminale di Grand Theft Auto, Multiplayer, 2012, il libro scritto da David Kushner, giornalista e docente universitario già autore del precedente, molto apprezzato, Master of Doom, è un testo importante per gli studi sui videogiochi, nonostante non si presenti in apparenza – a partire dal titolo evocativo – come testo accademico.

Capability and Interface Assessment of Gaming Technologies for Future Multi-Unmanned Air Vehicle Systems

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-01

Playing Games ( MMORPG ), which necessitate the management of multiple independent entities with sophisticated capabilities; and finally, arcade-style... MMORPG , SA 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT SAR 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 34 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE...tested platform for simultaneous control of multiple entities. Similarly, the popularity of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games ( MMORPG

Online citizen science games: Opportunities for the biological sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Vickie

2014-12-01

Recent developments in digital technologies and the rise of the Internet have created new opportunities for citizen science. One of these has been the development of online citizen science games where complex research problems have been re-imagined as online multiplayer computer games. Some of the most successful examples of these can be found within the biological sciences, for example, Foldit, Phylo and EteRNA. These games offer scientists the opportunity to crowdsource research problems, and to engage with those outside the research community. Games also enable those without a background in science to make a valid contribution to research, and may also offer opportunities for informal science learning.

Problematic Gaming Behavior Among Finnish Junior High School Students: Relation to Socio-Demographics and Gaming Behavior Characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Männikkö, Niko; Ruotsalainen, Heidi; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Lopez-Fernandez, Olatz; Myllymäki, Laura; Miettunen, Jouko; Kääriäinen, Maria

2017-09-14

Multiplatform digital media use and gaming have been increased in recent years. The aim of this study was to examine associations between sociodemographics and digital gaming behavior characteristics (i.e., gaming time, medium, and genres) with problematic gaming behavior in adolescents. A convenience sample of Finnish junior high school students (n = 560; mean age 14 years, ranging from 12 to 16 years) participated in the cross-sectional survey, of which, 83% (n = 465) reported having played digital games regularly. Sociodemographic data, different forms of digital media use, gaming behavior characteristics and problematic gaming behavior was assessed. Study participants spent on average one hour per day playing digital games; casual games (23.9%), shooting games (19.8%), and sport games (12.9%), were the most popular games among participants. By using regression analysis, a blended family structure and gaming time related positively to problematic gaming behavior. Preferences for game genres such as solo, Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing and strategy-management games were also positively associated with problematic use of digital games. These findings provide knowledge that can be utilized in the prevention of the possible negative consequences of digital gaming.

The bystander effect in an N-person dictator game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Panchanathan, K.; Frankenhuis, W.E.; Silk, J.B.

2013-01-01

Dozens of studies show that bystanders are less likely to help victims as bystander number increases. However, these studies model one particular situation, in which victims need only one helper. Using a multi-player dictator game, we study a different but common situation, in which a recipient’s

Multimodal game bot detection using user behavioral characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Ah Reum; Jeong, Seong Hoon; Mohaisen, Aziz; Kim, Huy Kang

2016-01-01

As the online service industry has continued to grow, illegal activities in the online world have drastically increased and become more diverse. Most illegal activities occur continuously because cyber assets, such as game items and cyber money in online games, can be monetized into real currency. The aim of this study is to detect game bots in a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). We observed the behavioral characteristics of game bots and found that they execute repetitive tasks associated with gold farming and real money trading. We propose a game bot detection method based on user behavioral characteristics. The method of this paper was applied to real data provided by a major MMORPG company. Detection accuracy rate increased to 96.06 % on the banned account list.

Online gaming and addiction: a psychosocial investigation using mixed methods

OpenAIRE

Hussain, Z

2010-01-01

Online virtual worlds known as Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) have gained increased popularity over the last decade. MMORPGs provide a sophisticated environment that enables complete immersion within the virtual world to the extent that it may become an alternative reality to its users. Some researchers have suggested that online gaming addiction is growing in prevalence among adolescents and adult gamers. It has been proposed that research is needed to establish th...

Healthy Gaming - Video Game Design to promote Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Brox, E; Fernandez-Luque, L; Tøllefsen, T

2011-01-01

There is an increasing interest in health games including simulation tools, games for specific conditions, persuasive games to promote a healthy life style or exergames where physical exercise is used to control the game. The objective of the article is to review current literature about available health games and the impact related to game design principles as well as some educational theory aspects. Literature from the big databases and known sites with games for health has been searched to find articles about games for health purposes. The focus has been on educational games, persuasive games and exergames as well as articles describing game design principles. The medical objectives can either be a part of the game theme (intrinsic) or be totally dispatched (extrinsic), and particularly persuasive games seem to use extrinsic game design. Peer support is important, but there is only limited research on multiplayer health games. Evaluation of health games can be both medical and technical, and the focus will depend on the game purpose. There is still not enough evidence to conclude which design principles work for what purposes since most of the literature in health serious games does not specify design methodologies, but it seems that extrinsic methods work in persuasion. However, when designing health care games it is important to define both the target group and main objective, and then design a game accordingly using sound game design principles, but also utilizing design elements to enhance learning and persuasion. A collaboration with health professionals from an early design stage is necessary both to ensure that the content is valid and to have the game validated from a clinical viewpoint. Patients need to be involved, especially to improve usability. More research should be done on social aspects in health games, both related to learning and persuasion.

The influence of game genre on Internet gaming disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Na, Euihyeon; Choi, Inyoung; Lee, Taek-Ho; Lee, Hyeseon; Rho, Mi Jung; Cho, Hyun; Jung, Dong Jin; Kim, Dai-Jin

2017-06-29

Background and aims Although Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has been investigated in detail, minimal research has been conducted regarding the influence of different game genres on IGD. The aim of this study is to compare the characteristics of members of game genre-specific groups with IGD and to identify factors associated with IGD status in each group in a large sample of adults. Methods Internet games were categorized into four genres: real-time strategy games, massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), sport games, and first-person shooter (FPS) games. Participants (n = 2,923) who usually played one of these games completed an anonymous online survey that collected sociodemographic, game usage pattern, and psychopathological assessment data. Results MMORPG and FPS game players more frequently met the criteria for IGD than participants in the other two groups. Differences between the IGD-suspected gamers within the genre-specific groups were observed for a few items, such as average game-playing time and the subscales of the behavioral activation system; however, the factors that contributed to the development of IGD within each game genre-specific group were found to be considerably different. Discussion and conclusions The findings of this study suggest that IGD is a stable psychiatric diagnosis encompassing users of a broad range of game genres. In addition, the development of strategies for the prevention of and early intervention on individuals at high risk for developing IGD may require consideration of the distinct characteristics identified as effective predictors of IGD in users of each game genre.

A study on haptic collaborative game in shared virtual environment

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Keke; Liu, Guanyang; Liu, Lingzhi

2013-03-01

A study on collaborative game in shared virtual environment with haptic feedback over computer networks is introduced in this paper. A collaborative task was used where the players located at remote sites and played the game together. The player can feel visual and haptic feedback in virtual environment compared to traditional networked multiplayer games. The experiment was desired in two conditions: visual feedback only and visual-haptic feedback. The goal of the experiment is to assess the impact of force feedback on collaborative task performance. Results indicate that haptic feedback is beneficial for performance enhancement for collaborative game in shared virtual environment. The outcomes of this research can have a powerful impact on the networked computer games.

A BOARD GAME AND CYBERNETICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dana NICULA

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Complex adaptive systems use a great amount of computer simulations to generate data and emphasize patterns in systems. In order to simulate a systems complex behavior in a faster and more pleasant maner we have used a multiplayer non-deterministic board game. Our conviction was that games can serve as an interactive education tool and we wanted to help students understand the properties of a complex adaptive systems. As a cybernetic system, the rules of a game define the sensors, comparators, and activators of the game's feedback loops. Within a game, there are many sub-systems that regulate the flow of play, dynamically changing and transforming game elements. Incorporating a game such as The Settlers of Catan into a classroom increased students’ engagement and helped them retrieve insight about how feedback loops look like in real life and what’s the exemplification of an adaptive behavior. The aim of this article is to share the relevance of the use of SOC for learning about complex adaptive systems.

Gaming Preferences of Aging Generations.

Science.gov (United States)

Blocker, Kenneth A; Wright, Timothy J; Boot, Walter R

2014-01-01

Increasing evidence suggests that action digital game training can improve a variety of perceptual and cognitive abilities, including those that decline most with age. Unfortunately, previous work has found that older adults dislike these games and adherence may be poor for action game-based interventions. The focus of the current study was to better understand the types of games older adults are willing to play and explore predictors of game preference (e.g., gender, age, technology experience, personality). With this information action games might be modified or developed to maximize adherence and cognitive benefit. Older adults were administered a modified version of an existing game questionnaire and a custom game preference survey. Clear preferences were observed that were similar between participants with and without previous digital game experience (with puzzle and intellectually stimulating games being most interesting to older adults in our sample, and massively multiplayer online games and first-person shooters being least interesting). Personality, demographic, and technology experience variables were also collected. Interesting trends suggested the possibility that several demographic and personality variables might be predictive of game preference. Results have implications for future directions of research, designing games that would appeal to older adult audiences, and for how to design custom games to maximize intervention adherence based on individual difference characteristics.

MMORPG gaming and hostility predict internet addiction symptoms in adolescents: an empirical multilevel longitudinal study

OpenAIRE

Stavropoulos, V; Kuss, DJ; Griffiths, MD; Wilson, P; Motti-Stefanidi, F

2017-01-01

Internet addiction (IA) has become an increasingly researched topic. In the present study, IA symptoms in adolescents were investigated longitudinally with specific focus on the individual’s hostility, gaming use (of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games\\ud [MMORPGs]) and gaming on the classroom level (calculated using the percentage of MMORPG players within classes). The sample comprised 648 Greek adolescents who were\\ud assessed over a two-year period (aged 16-18 years). IA sympto...

Game design as marketing: How game mechanics create demand for virtual goods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lehdonvirta, V.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Selling virtual goods for real money is an increasingly popular revenue model for massively-multiplayer online games (MMOs, social networking sites (SNSs and other online hangouts. In this paper, we argue that the marketing of virtual goods currently falls short of what it could be. Game developers have long created compelling game designs, but having to market virtual goods to players is a relatively new situation to them. Professional marketers, on the other hand, tend to overlook the internal design of games and hangouts and focus on marketing the services as a whole. To begin bridging the gap, we propose that the design patterns and game mechanics commonly used in games and online hangouts should be viewed as a set of marketing techniques designed to sell virtual goods. Based on a review of a number of MMOs, we describe some of the most common patterns and game mechanics and show how their effects can be explained in terms of analogous techniques from marketing science. The results provide a new perspective to game design with interesting implications to developers. Moreover, they also suggest a radically new perspective to marketers of ordinary goods and services: viewing marketing as a form of game design.

Participatory Simulation for Games with a Purpose – A Case Study. GI_Forum|GI_Forum 2017, Volume 1 |

OpenAIRE

2017-01-01

This article demonstrates the use of participatory simulation (PS) techniques in the context of gaming and behavioural analysis. Typically, PS tools are conceptualized for educational purposes. We extend this traditional framework by developing a multiplayer game with the purpose of investigating behavioural effects of leadership in collective mobility decisions. The game was implemented with the NetLogo extension HubNet. Each participant in the game controlled one agent. The game’s goal was ...

Online Media Business Models: Lessons from the Video Game Sector

OpenAIRE

Komorowski, Marlen; Delaere, Simon

2016-01-01

Today’s media industry is characterized by disruptive changes and business models have been acknowledged as a driving force for success. Current business model research manages only to grasp static descriptions while in reality media managers are struggling with the dynamics of the industry. This article aims to close this gap by investigating a new paradigm of online media business models. Based on three video game case studies of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game genre, thi...

Healthy Gaming – Video Game Design to promote Health

Science.gov (United States)

Brox, E.; Fernandez-Luque, L.; Tøllefsen, T.

2011-01-01

Background There is an increasing interest in health games including simulation tools, games for specific conditions, persuasive games to promote a healthy life style or exergames where physical exercise is used to control the game. Objective The objective of the article is to review current literature about available health games and the impact related to game design principles as well as some educational theory aspects. Methods Literature from the big databases and known sites with games for health has been searched to find articles about games for health purposes. The focus has been on educational games, persuasive games and exergames as well as articles describing game design principles. Results The medical objectives can either be a part of the game theme (intrinsic) or be totally dispatched (extrinsic), and particularly persuasive games seem to use extrinsic game design. Peer support is important, but there is only limited research on multiplayer health games. Evaluation of health games can be both medical and technical, and the focus will depend on the game purpose. Conclusion There is still not enough evidence to conclude which design principles work for what purposes since most of the literature in health serious games does not specify design methodologies, but it seems that extrinsic methods work in persuasion. However, when designing health care games it is important to define both the target group and main objective, and then design a game accordingly using sound game design principles, but also utilizing design elements to enhance learning and persuasion. A collaboration with health professionals from an early design stage is necessary both to ensure that the content is valid and to have the game validated from a clinical viewpoint. Patients need to be involved, especially to improve usability. More research should be done on social aspects in health games, both related to learning and persuasion. PMID:23616865

A Practice-Based Analysis of an Online Strategy Game

Science.gov (United States)

Milolidakis, Giannis; Kimble, Chris; Akoumianakis, Demosthenes

In this paper, we will analyze a massively multiplayer online game in an attempt to identify the elements of practice that enable social interaction and cooperation within the game’s virtual world. Communities of Practice and Activity Theory offer the theoretical lens for identifying and understanding what constitutes practice within the community and how such practice is manifest and transmitted during game play. Our analysis suggests that in contrast to prevalent perceptions of practice as being textually mediated, in virtual settings it is framed as much in social interactions as in processes, artifacts and the tools constituting the ‘linguistic’ domain of the game or the practice the gaming community is about.

Digital gaming and second language development: Japanese learners interactions in a MMORPG

OpenAIRE

Mark Peterson

2011-01-01

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are identified as valuable arenas for language learning, as they provide access to contexts and types of interaction that are held to be beneficial in second language acquisition research. This paper will describe the development and key features of these games, and explore claims made regarding their value as environments for language learning. The discussion will then examine current research. This is followed by an analysis of t...

Gaming under the influence: An exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Škařupová, Kateřina; Blinka, Lukas; Ťápal, Adam

2018-05-23

Background and aims Association between substance use and excessive play of online games exists both in theory and research. However, no study to date examined playing online games under the influence of licit and illicit drugs. Methods We questioned a convenient online sample of 3,952 Czech online gamers on their experiences and motives of using caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, psychoactive pharmaceuticals, and illicit drugs while playing massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs). Results The results showed low prevalence of illicit drug use while playing online games. Substance use was positively associated with intensity of gaming and both addiction and engagement; psychoactive substances with stimulating effect were linked to higher engagement and gaming intensity, whereas use of sedatives was associated with higher addiction score. Substance use varied slightly with the preference of game genre. Discussion Drug use while playing appears as behavior, which is mostly not related to gaming - it concerns mostly caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, or cannabis. For some users, however, drug use was fueled by motivations toward improving their cognitive enhancement and gaming performance.

Noise effects in a three-player prisoner's dilemma quantum game

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramzan, M; Khan, M K

2008-01-01

We study the three-player prisoner's dilemma game under the effect of decoherence and correlated noise. It is seen that the quantum player is always better off than the classical players. It is also seen that the game's Nash equilibrium does not change in the presence of correlated noise in contradiction to the effect of decoherence in the multiplayer case. Furthermore, it is shown that for maximum correlation the game does not behave as a noiseless game and the quantum player is still better off for all values of the decoherence parameter p which is not possible in the two-player case. In addition, the payoffs reduction due to decoherence is controlled by the correlated noise throughout the course of the game

Digital gaming expertise

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toft-Nielsen, Claus

In a digitally saturated environment digital media users of all kinds, engaged in different areas of activity, are increasingly categorized in terms of their ability to appropriate and use digital media – they are regarded as non-users, experts, natives, or literates for instance. Within communic......In a digitally saturated environment digital media users of all kinds, engaged in different areas of activity, are increasingly categorized in terms of their ability to appropriate and use digital media – they are regarded as non-users, experts, natives, or literates for instance. Within...... communication and game studies there are multiple understandings of how digital expertise is expressed and performed, and subsequently how these expressions and performances can be valued, understood and theorized within the research community. Among other things expertise with and within digital games has......-of-game (Schrøder, 2003) in a three-year-long study of men and women (couples and singles) playing the largest Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game to date, World of Warcraft. In focusing on how different aspects of gaming expertise are articulated, negotiated, and performed, I aim to illustrate how...

Detecting Predatory Behaviour in Online Game Chats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gudnadottir, Elin Rut; Jensen, Alaina K.; Cheong, Yun-Gyung

This paper describes a machine learning approach to detect sexually predatory behaviour in the massively multiplayer online game for children, MovieStarPlanet. The goal of this work is to take a chat log as an input and outputs its label as either the predatory category or the non......-predatory category. From the raw in-game chat logs provided by MovieStarPlanet, we first prepared three sub datasets via extensive preprocessing. Then, two machine learning algorithms, naive Bayes and Decision Tree, were employed to model the predatory behaviour using different feature sets. Our evaluation has...

Gaming Preferences of Aging Generations

Science.gov (United States)

Blocker, Kenneth A.; Wright, Timothy J.; Boot, Walter R.

2017-01-01

Increasing evidence suggests that action digital game training can improve a variety of perceptual and cognitive abilities, including those that decline most with age. Unfortunately, previous work has found that older adults dislike these games and adherence may be poor for action game-based interventions. The focus of the current study was to better understand the types of games older adults are willing to play and explore predictors of game preference (e.g., gender, age, technology experience, personality). With this information action games might be modified or developed to maximize adherence and cognitive benefit. Older adults were administered a modified version of an existing game questionnaire and a custom game preference survey. Clear preferences were observed that were similar between participants with and without previous digital game experience (with puzzle and intellectually stimulating games being most interesting to older adults in our sample, and massively multiplayer online games and first-person shooters being least interesting). Personality, demographic, and technology experience variables were also collected. Interesting trends suggested the possibility that several demographic and personality variables might be predictive of game preference. Results have implications for future directions of research, designing games that would appeal to older adult audiences, and for how to design custom games to maximize intervention adherence based on individual difference characteristics. PMID:29033699

What Do Deep Statistical Analysis on Gaming Motivation and Game Characteristics Clusters Reveal about Targeting Demographics when Designing Gamified Contents?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alireza Tavakkoli

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the comprehensive results of the study of a cohort of college graduate and undergraduate students who participated in playing a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG as a gameplay rich with social interaction as well as intellectual and aesthetic features. We present the full results of the study in the form of inferential statistics and a review of our descriptive statistics previously reported in [46]. Separate one-way independent-measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA's were used to analyze the data from several instruments to determine if there were statistically significant differences first by gender, then by age group, and then by degree. Moreover, a one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA was used to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between the clusters in the 5 gaming clusters on the Game Characteristic Survey. Follow-up paired samples t-tests were used to see if there was a statistically significant difference between each of the 10 possible combinations of paired clusters. Our results support the hypotheses and outline the features that may need to be taken into account in support of tailoring gamified educational content targeting a certain demographic. Sections 1, 2, and 3 below from our pervious study [46] are included because this is the second part of the two-part study. [46] Tavakkoli, A., Loffredo, D., Ward, M., Sr. (2014. "Insights from Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games to Enhance Gamification in Education", Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informatics, 12(4, 66-78.

Effects of passion for massively multiplayer online role-playing games on interpersonal relationships

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Utz, S.; Jonas, K.J.; Tonkens, E.

2012-01-01

Game research suffers from using a variety of concepts to predict the (often negative) effects of playing games. These concepts often overlap (e.g., addiction or pathological gaming), include negative consequences in their definition, or are very game-specific (e.g., collective play). We argue that

The motivation of children to play an active video game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chin A Paw, M.J.M.; Jacobs, W.M.; Vaessen, E.P.G.; Titze, S.; van Mechelen, W.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of a weekly multiplayer class on the motivation of children aged 9-12 years to play an interactive dance simulation video game (IDSVG) at home over a period of 12 weeks. A sample of 27 children was randomly assigned to (1) a home group

Focused on the prize: Characteristics of experts in massive multiplayer online games

OpenAIRE

Wang, Jing; Huffaker, David A.; Treem, Jeffrey W.; Fullerton, Lindsay; Ahmad, Muhammad A.; Williams, Dmitri; Poole, Marshall Scott; Contractor, Noshir

2011-01-01

This study is the first large–scale multi–method attempt to empirically examine the characteristics leading to development of expertise in EverQuest II, a popular massively multi–player online role–playing game (MMOs). Benefiting from the unprecedented opportunity of obtaining game log data matched with survey data, the project investigated the relationship between player motivations and in–game behavior, personality characteristics, and demographic attributes wi...

An empirical analysis of online gamers' perceptions of game items: modified theory of consumption values approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Bong-Won; Lee, Kun Chang

2011-01-01

The aims of this article are (1) to propose a modified theory of consumption values (MTCV) for investigation of online gamer perceptions of the value of purchasable game items and (2) to apply the developed MTCV to multiple game genres and player age groups. To address these aims, 327 valid questionnaires were obtained and analyzed. The original theory of consumption values (TCV) was modified to apply to the specific characteristics of online games. The original TCV specifies five types of consumption values: functional value, social value, emotional value, conditional value, and epistemic value. After revising the TCV to apply to the examination of online games, we proposed that the MTCV be composed of character competency value, enjoyment value, visual authority value, and monetary value. The validity of the MTCV was proven by statistically analyzing the responses provided by the 327 valid questionnaires. To examine the second aim, experiments were conducted to examine the MTCV in three online game genres-massive multiplayer online role-playing games, first-person shooters games, and casual games. The second aim was also studied via questionnaires that examined the ages of online gamers. It was determined that massive multiplayer online role-playing games players regard visual authority value and monetary value as more important than do casual gamers. It was also determined that younger gamers tend to be more interested in visual authority, whereas older gamers tend to be more interested in character competency. This research provides a foundation for future studies to extend the MTCV to consider other user factors, such as cultural effects.

Game-Based Virtual Worlds as Decentralized Virtual Activity Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Scacchi, Walt

There is widespread interest in the development and use of decentralized systems and virtual world environments as possible new places for engaging in collaborative work activities. Similarly, there is widespread interest in stimulating new technological innovations that enable people to come together through social networking, file/media sharing, and networked multi-player computer game play. A decentralized virtual activity system (DVAS) is a networked computer supported work/play system whose elements and social activities can be both virtual and decentralized (Scacchi et al. 2008b). Massively multi-player online games (MMOGs) such as World of Warcraft and online virtual worlds such as Second Life are each popular examples of a DVAS. Furthermore, these systems are beginning to be used for research, deve-lopment, and education activities in different science, technology, and engineering domains (Bainbridge 2007, Bohannon et al. 2009; Rieber 2005; Scacchi and Adams 2007; Shaffer 2006), which are also of interest here. This chapter explores two case studies of DVASs developed at the University of California at Irvine that employ game-based virtual worlds to support collaborative work/play activities in different settings. The settings include those that model and simulate practical or imaginative physical worlds in different domains of science, technology, or engineering through alternative virtual worlds where players/workers engage in different kinds of quests or quest-like workflows (Jakobsson 2006).

High-Level Development of Multiserver Online Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Glinka

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Multiplayer online games with support for high user numbers must provide mechanisms to support an increasing amount of players by using additional resources. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the practically proven multiserver distribution mechanisms, zoning, instancing, and replication, and the tasks for the game developer implied by them. We propose a novel, high-level development approach which integrates the three distribution mechanisms seamlessly in today's online games. As a possible base for this high-level approach, we describe the real-time framework (RTF middleware system which liberates the developer from low-level tasks and allows him to stay at high level of design abstraction. We explain how RTF supports the implementation of single-server online games and how RTF allows to incorporate the three multiserver distribution mechanisms during the development process. Finally, we describe briefly how RTF provides manageability and maintenance functionality for online games in a grid context with dynamic resource allocation scenarios.

Evolutionary potential games on lattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szabó, György, E-mail: szabo@mfa.kfki.hu; Borsos, István, E-mail: borsos@mfa.kfki.hu

2016-04-05

Game theory provides a general mathematical background to study the effect of pair interactions and evolutionary rules on the macroscopic behavior of multi-player games where players with a finite number of strategies may represent a wide scale of biological objects, human individuals, or even their associations. In these systems the interactions are characterized by matrices that can be decomposed into elementary matrices (games) and classified into four types. The concept of decomposition helps the identification of potential games and also the evaluation of the potential that plays a crucial role in the determination of the preferred Nash equilibrium, and defines the Boltzmann distribution towards which these systems evolve for suitable types of dynamical rules. This survey draws parallel between the potential games and the kinetic Ising type models which are investigated for a wide scale of connectivity structures. We discuss briefly the applicability of the tools and concepts of statistical physics and thermodynamics. Additionally the general features of ordering phenomena, phase transitions and slow relaxations are outlined and applied to evolutionary games. The discussion extends to games with three or more strategies. Finally we discuss what happens when the system is weakly driven out of the “equilibrium state” by adding non-potential components representing games of cyclic dominance.

Evolutionary potential games on lattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szabó, György; Borsos, István

2016-01-01

Game theory provides a general mathematical background to study the effect of pair interactions and evolutionary rules on the macroscopic behavior of multi-player games where players with a finite number of strategies may represent a wide scale of biological objects, human individuals, or even their associations. In these systems the interactions are characterized by matrices that can be decomposed into elementary matrices (games) and classified into four types. The concept of decomposition helps the identification of potential games and also the evaluation of the potential that plays a crucial role in the determination of the preferred Nash equilibrium, and defines the Boltzmann distribution towards which these systems evolve for suitable types of dynamical rules. This survey draws parallel between the potential games and the kinetic Ising type models which are investigated for a wide scale of connectivity structures. We discuss briefly the applicability of the tools and concepts of statistical physics and thermodynamics. Additionally the general features of ordering phenomena, phase transitions and slow relaxations are outlined and applied to evolutionary games. The discussion extends to games with three or more strategies. Finally we discuss what happens when the system is weakly driven out of the “equilibrium state” by adding non-potential components representing games of cyclic dominance.

Evolutionary potential games on lattices

Science.gov (United States)

Szabó, György; Borsos, István

2016-04-01

Game theory provides a general mathematical background to study the effect of pair interactions and evolutionary rules on the macroscopic behavior of multi-player games where players with a finite number of strategies may represent a wide scale of biological objects, human individuals, or even their associations. In these systems the interactions are characterized by matrices that can be decomposed into elementary matrices (games) and classified into four types. The concept of decomposition helps the identification of potential games and also the evaluation of the potential that plays a crucial role in the determination of the preferred Nash equilibrium, and defines the Boltzmann distribution towards which these systems evolve for suitable types of dynamical rules. This survey draws parallel between the potential games and the kinetic Ising type models which are investigated for a wide scale of connectivity structures. We discuss briefly the applicability of the tools and concepts of statistical physics and thermodynamics. Additionally the general features of ordering phenomena, phase transitions and slow relaxations are outlined and applied to evolutionary games. The discussion extends to games with three or more strategies. Finally we discuss what happens when the system is weakly driven out of the "equilibrium state" by adding non-potential components representing games of cyclic dominance.

VIRTUAL SOCIAL LIFE AND RELATED MARKETING EFFORTS IN THE WORLD OF ONLINE GAMES

OpenAIRE

PANAYIRCI, Cevdet; YILDIRIM, Fazli

2010-01-01

As the Internet and the World Wide Web proliferate, a new form of communication and interaction has been made possible. People live increasingly hybrid lives where the physical and the digital, the real and the virtual interact. Massively multiplayer online role - playing games (MMORPGs), i.e. online role playing games, are a special medial and social phenomenon of our time and experienced a massive growth of players. Studies reveal that mmorpg players compose a heterogenic population and spe...

Collaborative virtual gaming worlds in higher education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicola Whitton

2008-12-01

Full Text Available There is growing interest in the use of virtual gaming worlds in education, supported by the increased use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs for collaborative learning. However, this paper argues that collaborative gaming worlds have been in use much longer and are much wider in scope; it considers the range of collaborative gaming worlds that exist and discusses their potential for learning, with particular reference to higher education. The paper discusses virtual gaming worlds from a theoretical pedagogic perspective, exploring the educational benefits of gaming environments. Then practical considerations associated with the use of virtual gaming worlds in formal settings in higher education are considered. Finally, the paper considers development options that are open to educators, and discusses the potential of Alternate Reality Games (ARGs for learning in higher education. In all, this paper hopes to provide a balanced overview of the range of virtual gaming worlds that exist, to examine some of the practical considerations associated with their use, and to consider their benefits and challenges in learning and teaching in the higher education context.

Predicting protein structures with a multiplayer online game

OpenAIRE

Cooper, Seth; Khatib, Firas; Treuille, Adrien; Barbero, Janos; Lee, Jeehyung; Beenen, Michael; Leaver-Fay, Andrew; Baker, David; Popović, Zoran

2010-01-01

People exert significant amounts of problem solving effort playing computer games. Simple image- and text-recognition tasks have been successfully crowd-sourced through gamesi, ii, iii, but it is not clear if more complex scientific problems can be similarly solved with human-directed computing. Protein structure prediction is one such problem: locating the biologically relevant native conformation of a protein is a formidable computational challenge given the very large size of the search sp...

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Game-Based Training: A Controlled Study with Dismounted Infantry Teams

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

use of a multiplayer game to train infantry company commanders. Proceedings of the 2009 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education...Gigabyte RAM Video/Graphics Card NVIDIA Geforce 7900 GTX Audio Legacy audio; stereo sound (non-3D) Software Version VBS2 VTK Release 1.4 - BIA

A Qualitative Analysis of Online Gaming:

OpenAIRE

Hussain, Z; Griffiths, MD

2014-01-01

The popularity of Massively Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) has risen dramatically over the last decade. Some gamers spend many hours a day in these virtual environments interacting with others gamers, completing quests, and forming social groups. The present study set out to explore the experiences and feelings of online gamers. The study comprised 71 interviews with online gamers (52 males and 19 females) from 11 different countries. Many themes emerged from the analyses of...

The “Reality” of Misogyny in Online Gaming Communities : A Qualitative Study on Female Minecraft Players

OpenAIRE

Graso, Jana

2016-01-01

This study explores the implications of misogyny in the virtual and physical worlds. The 2014 GamerGate scandal shed light on the immense violence to which female gamers and gaming entertainment consumers are so frequently exposed to. Minecraft is the most played mass online multiplayer game in the world with over 100 million copies sold. The open gameplay mode of Minecraft and the non-linearity of the objective of the game has grown into a lush ground for violence, as there are seldom physic...

Win, Learn, Focus, Adapt, Win Again: The Scrimmage Should be as Hard as the Game

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

deployed. In addition, the Training Brain is helping us to evolve massive multiplayer online role-playing games that will al- low soldiers and leaders...training at home station and training at the combat training centers. Absent actual violence , each should confront Soldiers and leaders with the

Reinventing the Arcade: Computer Game Mediated Play Spaces for Physical Interaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Connor

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This paper suggests that recent developments in video game technology have occurred in parallel to play being moved from public into private spaces, which has had impact on the way people interact with games. The paper also argues and that there is potentially value in the creation of public play spaces to create opportunities to utilise both technology and body for the benefit of community culture and experiences through gaming. Co-located social gaming coupled with tangible interfaces offer alternative possibilities for the local video game scene. This paper includes a descriptive account of Rabble Room Arcade, an experimental social event combining custom-built tangible interface devices and multiplayer video games. The event was designed around games that promoted a return to simplicity through the use of unique tangible controllers to allow casual gamers to connect to the game and to each other, whilst also transforming the event into a spectacle.

Medical student attitudes toward video games and related new media technologies in medical education

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background Studies in K-12 and college students show that their learning preferences have been strongly shaped by new media technologies like video games, virtual reality environments, the Internet, and social networks. However, there is no known research on medical students' game experiences or attitudes towards new media technologies in medical education. This investigation seeks to elucidate medical student experiences and attitudes, to see whether they warrant the development of new media teaching methods in medicine. Methods Medical students from two American universities participated. An anonymous, 30-item, cross-sectional survey addressed demographics, game play experience and attitudes on using new media technologies in medical education. Statistical analysis identified: 1) demographic characteristics; 2) differences between the two universities; 3) how video game play differs across gender, age, degree program and familiarity with computers; and 4) characteristics of students who play most frequently. Results 217 medical students participated. About half were female (53%). Respondents liked the idea of using technology to enhance healthcare education (98%), felt that education should make better use of new media technologies (96%), and believed that video games can have educational value (80%). A majority (77%) would use a multiplayer online healthcare simulation on their own time, provided that it helped them to accomplish an important goal. Men and women agreed that they were most inclined to use multiplayer simulations if they were fun (97%), and if they helped to develop skill in patient interactions (90%). However, there was significant gender dissonance over types of favorite games, the educational value of video games, and the desire to participate in games that realistically replicated the experience of clinical practice. Conclusions Overall, medical student respondents, including many who do not play video games, held highly favorable views about

Medical student attitudes toward video games and related new media technologies in medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Kron, Frederick W; Gjerde, Craig L; Sen, Ananda; Fetters, Michael D

2010-06-24

Studies in K-12 and college students show that their learning preferences have been strongly shaped by new media technologies like video games, virtual reality environments, the Internet, and social networks. However, there is no known research on medical students' game experiences or attitudes towards new media technologies in medical education. This investigation seeks to elucidate medical student experiences and attitudes, to see whether they warrant the development of new media teaching methods in medicine. Medical students from two American universities participated. An anonymous, 30-item, cross-sectional survey addressed demographics, game play experience and attitudes on using new media technologies in medical education. Statistical analysis identified: 1) demographic characteristics; 2) differences between the two universities; 3) how video game play differs across gender, age, degree program and familiarity with computers; and 4) characteristics of students who play most frequently. 217 medical students participated. About half were female (53%). Respondents liked the idea of using technology to enhance healthcare education (98%), felt that education should make better use of new media technologies (96%), and believed that video games can have educational value (80%). A majority (77%) would use a multiplayer online healthcare simulation on their own time, provided that it helped them to accomplish an important goal. Men and women agreed that they were most inclined to use multiplayer simulations if they were fun (97%), and if they helped to develop skill in patient interactions (90%). However, there was significant gender dissonance over types of favorite games, the educational value of video games, and the desire to participate in games that realistically replicated the experience of clinical practice. Overall, medical student respondents, including many who do not play video games, held highly favorable views about the use of video games and related new

Correlations among Social Anxiety, Self-Esteem, Impulsivity, and Game Genre in Patients with Problematic Online Game Playing

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jeong Ha; Han, Doug Hyun; Kim, Bung-Nyun; Cheong, Jae Hoon

2016-01-01

Objective Recent studies of online game addiction have suggested that social interaction and impulsivity are critical factors for the etiology and progress of online game addiction. We hypothesized that the genre of the online game is associated with impulsivity and sociality in individuals with online game addictions. Methods In total, 212 patients with problematic online game playing were divided into four groups by game genre: 1) massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG), 2) real-time strategy (RTS), 3) first-person shooter (FPS), and 4) other. Their symptoms and characteristics were assessed using 8 scales and 2 tests to estimate self-esteem, impulsiveness, comorbidity, social interaction status, and cognitive function. Results The mean social anxiety score was highest in the MMORPG group and lowest in the FPS group. The mean self-esteem score was highest in the RTS group. Social anxiety score was positively correlated with Internet addiction score in the MMORPG group, and the self-esteem score was positively correlated with Internet addiction score in the RTS group. Conclusion The genre of online game was not associated with impulsivity, but social anxiety status varied significantly with game genre, and differences in social anxiety were especially pronounced in patients playing the MMORPG (highest social anxiety) and FPS (lowest social anxiety) game genres. In addition, self-esteem was highest in the RTS game genre. PMID:27247595

Correlations among Social Anxiety, Self-Esteem, Impulsivity, and Game Genre in Patients with Problematic Online Game Playing.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jeong Ha; Han, Doug Hyun; Kim, Bung-Nyun; Cheong, Jae Hoon; Lee, Young-Sik

2016-05-01

Recent studies of online game addiction have suggested that social interaction and impulsivity are critical factors for the etiology and progress of online game addiction. We hypothesized that the genre of the online game is associated with impulsivity and sociality in individuals with online game addictions. In total, 212 patients with problematic online game playing were divided into four groups by game genre: 1) massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG), 2) real-time strategy (RTS), 3) first-person shooter (FPS), and 4) other. Their symptoms and characteristics were assessed using 8 scales and 2 tests to estimate self-esteem, impulsiveness, comorbidity, social interaction status, and cognitive function. The mean social anxiety score was highest in the MMORPG group and lowest in the FPS group. The mean self-esteem score was highest in the RTS group. Social anxiety score was positively correlated with Internet addiction score in the MMORPG group, and the self-esteem score was positively correlated with Internet addiction score in the RTS group. The genre of online game was not associated with impulsivity, but social anxiety status varied significantly with game genre, and differences in social anxiety were especially pronounced in patients playing the MMORPG (highest social anxiety) and FPS (lowest social anxiety) game genres. In addition, self-esteem was highest in the RTS game genre.

Evaluating a multi-player brain-computer interface game: challenge versus co-experience

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gürkök, Hayrettin; Volpe, G; Reidsma, Dennis; Poel, Mannes; Camurri, A.; Obbink, Michel; Nijholt, Antinus

2013-01-01

Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) have started to be considered as game controllers. The low level of control they provide prevents them from providing perfect control but allows the design of challenging games which can be enjoyed by players. Evaluation of enjoyment, or user experience (UX), is

Performing self, performing character: Exploring gender performativity in online role-playing games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather Osborne

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Online narrative (fiction-based role-playing games and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs provide a ludic structure in which role players enact the gender and sexuality of their avatars. To investigate how role players perceive and perform their avatars' gender and sexuality in online games, I invited role players from MMORPGs and narrative RPGs to participate in an online survey. This study examines how the online game environment mediates players' self-expression and their acceptance of minority identities. Qualitative analysis of the data collected suggests that players who demonstrate empathy with and examination of their avatars' genders and sexualities, and who experience a sense of belonging within the game structure, are able to form positive interpersonal relationships that allow them to accept others' expressed identities.

Multiplayer video games: recommendation system to handle fatigue

OpenAIRE

Rodrigues, Alexis David Oliveira

2014-01-01

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia Informática The quality of life in our modern society is a topic of great interest to the general community. There are countless negative factors that disturb the well-being of people and one of the most common focuses on how much stress and fatigue affects people in their daily tasks. This work will focus on the importance that video games currently have in the life of a large number of people designated by Gamers whom usually spend several hours ...

Game E-Learning Code Master Dengan Konsep Mmorpg Menggunakan Adobe Flex 3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fredy Purnomo

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The research objective is to design a web-based e-learning game that could be used to be a learning facility of C language programming and as an online game so it could be enjoyed by everybody easily in internet. Flex usage in this game online is to implement RIA (Rich Internet Application concept in the game so e-learning process is hoped to be more interesting and interactive. E-learning game is also designed in MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game concept. The research method used is analysis and design method. Analysis method is done through literature study, user analysis, and similar game analysis. Meanwhile, design method is about monitor display, gameplay and system design. The conclution of this research is that this game provides an interesting learning media of C language program accordingly to subject material at class and also easier to use through website. 

Tangible Widgets for a Multiplayer Tablet Game in Comparison to Finger Touch

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Mads Bock; Fisker, Martin; Topp, Kasper Steen Fischer

2015-01-01

Tangible widgets are graspable physical objects that can be detected by a capacitive touch screen. These are used as an interaction method in the tablet game "Hover Wars", a 2-player competitive combat game. Hover Wars was designed to work mainly with tangible widgets and the affordances thereof ...... uncovers some advantages and disadvantages of using tangible widgets as an interaction method....

"We don't need no education": Video game preferences, video game motivations, and aggressiveness among adolescent boys of different educational ability levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Nije Bijvank, Marije; Konijn, Elly A; Bushman, Brad J

2012-02-01

This research focuses on low educational ability as a risk factor for aggression and violent game play. We propose that boys of lower educational ability are more attracted to violent video games than other boys are, and that they are also higher in trait aggressiveness and sensation seeking. Participants were Dutch boys in public schools (N = 830, age-range 11-17). In the Netherlands, standardized tests are used to place students into lower, medium, and higher educational ability groups. Results showed that boys in the lower educational ability group preferred to play violent, stand-alone games, identified more with video game characters, and perceived video games to be more realistic than other boys did. Lower levels of education were also related to higher levels of aggressiveness and sensation seeking. Higher educational ability boys preferred social, multiplayer games. Within a risk and resilience model, boys with lower educational ability are at greater risk for aggression. Copyright © 2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. All rights reserved.

Research on online video games: an analysis of communication processes from the perspective of social and technological innovation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maude BONENFANT

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Our study relates specifically massively multiplayer online games (known by the acronym MMOG. Our hypothesis is that this type of game is a medium of socialization, a mediation mechanism for sharing information on a large scale, because its universe of encounters and its network of exchange. More specifically, the present article raises a particular aspect of MMOGs, the appropriation by the players of the communication media and the development of addons.

The charge transfer structure and effective energy transfer in multiplayer assembly film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Mingqiang; Jian Xigao

2005-01-01

Charge transfer multiplayer films have been prepared by layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. The films incorporate the rare-earth-containing polyoxometalate K 11 [Eu{PW 11 O 39 } 2 ].nH 2 O and the rich electron polyelectrolyte poly(3-viny-1-methyl-pyridine) quaternary ammonium and display a linear increase in the absorption and film thickness with the number of deposition cycles. Ultraviolet and visible absorption spectra, atomic force micrographs, small-angle X-ray reflectivity measurements, and photoluminescence spectra were used to determine the structure of films. Linear and regular multilayer growth was observed. We can observe the formation of charge transfer complex compound in multiplayer by layer-by-layer assembly method. Most importantly, the luminescence spectra show the charge transfer band in assembly films, which suggest that energy could be effectively transferred to rare earth ions in assembly multiplayer films

Security and privacy in massively-multiplayer online games and social and corporate virtual worlds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hogben, G.; Barosso, D.; Bartle, R.; Chazeran, C.; de Zwart, M.; Doumen, J.M.; Gorniak, S.; Kaźmierczak, M.; Kaskenmaa, M.; Benavente López, D.; Martin, A.; Naumann, I.; Reynolds, R.; Richardson, J; Rossow, C.; Rywczyoska, A.; Thumann, M.

2008-01-01

2007 was the year of online gaming fraud - with malicious programs that specifically target online games and virtual worlds increasing by 145% and the emergence of over 30,000 new programs aimed at stealing online game passwords. Such malware is invariably aimed at the theft of virtual property

Prevalence and Correlates of Video and Internet Gaming Addiction among Hong Kong Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chong-Wen Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This pilot study investigated the patterns of video and internet gaming habits and the prevalence and correlates of gaming addiction in Hong Kong adolescents. A total of 503 students were recruited from two secondary schools. Addictive behaviors of video and internet gaming were assessed using the Game Addiction Scale. Risk factors for gaming addiction were examined using logistical regression. An overwhelming majority of the subjects (94% reported using video or internet games, with one in six (15.6% identified as having a gaming addiction. The risk for gaming addiction was significantly higher among boys, those with poor academic performance, and those who preferred multiplayer online games. Gaming addiction was significantly associated with the average time spent gaming per week, frequency of spending money on gaming, period of spending money on gaming, perceived family disharmony, and having more close friends. These results suggest that effective educational and preventative programs or strategies are needed.

Prevalence and correlates of video and internet gaming addiction among Hong Kong adolescents: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chong-Wen; Chan, Cecilia L W; Mak, Kwok-Kei; Ho, Sai-Yin; Wong, Paul W C; Ho, Rainbow T H

2014-01-01

This pilot study investigated the patterns of video and internet gaming habits and the prevalence and correlates of gaming addiction in Hong Kong adolescents. A total of 503 students were recruited from two secondary schools. Addictive behaviors of video and internet gaming were assessed using the Game Addiction Scale. Risk factors for gaming addiction were examined using logistical regression. An overwhelming majority of the subjects (94%) reported using video or internet games, with one in six (15.6%) identified as having a gaming addiction. The risk for gaming addiction was significantly higher among boys, those with poor academic performance, and those who preferred multiplayer online games. Gaming addiction was significantly associated with the average time spent gaming per week, frequency of spending money on gaming, period of spending money on gaming, perceived family disharmony, and having more close friends. These results suggest that effective educational and preventative programs or strategies are needed.

Medical student attitudes toward video games and related new media technologies in medical education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kron Frederick W

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies in K-12 and college students show that their learning preferences have been strongly shaped by new media technologies like video games, virtual reality environments, the Internet, and social networks. However, there is no known research on medical students' game experiences or attitudes towards new media technologies in medical education. This investigation seeks to elucidate medical student experiences and attitudes, to see whether they warrant the development of new media teaching methods in medicine. Methods Medical students from two American universities participated. An anonymous, 30-item, cross-sectional survey addressed demographics, game play experience and attitudes on using new media technologies in medical education. Statistical analysis identified: 1 demographic characteristics; 2 differences between the two universities; 3 how video game play differs across gender, age, degree program and familiarity with computers; and 4 characteristics of students who play most frequently. Results 217 medical students participated. About half were female (53%. Respondents liked the idea of using technology to enhance healthcare education (98%, felt that education should make better use of new media technologies (96%, and believed that video games can have educational value (80%. A majority (77% would use a multiplayer online healthcare simulation on their own time, provided that it helped them to accomplish an important goal. Men and women agreed that they were most inclined to use multiplayer simulations if they were fun (97%, and if they helped to develop skill in patient interactions (90%. However, there was significant gender dissonance over types of favorite games, the educational value of video games, and the desire to participate in games that realistically replicated the experience of clinical practice. Conclusions Overall, medical student respondents, including many who do not play video games, held highly

Exploring the relationship between video game expertise and fluid intelligence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Athanasios V Kokkinakis

Full Text Available Hundreds of millions of people play intellectually-demanding video games every day. What does individual performance on these games tell us about cognition? Here, we describe two studies that examine the potential link between intelligence and performance in one of the most popular video games genres in the world (Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas: MOBAs. In the first study, we show that performance in the popular MOBA League of Legends' correlates with fluid intelligence as measured under controlled laboratory conditions. In the second study, we also show that the age profile of performance in the two most widely-played MOBAs (League of Legends and DOTA II matches that of raw fluid intelligence. We discuss and extend previous videogame literature on intelligence and videogames and suggest that commercial video games can be useful as 'proxy' tests of cognitive performance at a global population level.

Problematic video game use: estimated prevalence and associations with mental and physical health.

Science.gov (United States)

Mentzoni, Rune Aune; Brunborg, Geir Scott; Molde, Helge; Myrseth, Helga; Skouverøe, Knut Joachim Mår; Hetland, Jørn; Pallesen, Ståle

2011-10-01

A nationwide survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence of video game addiction and problematic video game use and their association with physical and mental health. An initial sample comprising 2,500 individuals was randomly selected from the Norwegian National Registry. A total of 816 (34.0 percent) individuals completed and returned the questionnaire. The majority (56.3 percent) of respondents used video games on a regular basis. The prevalence of video game addiction was estimated to be 0.6 percent, with problematic use of video games reported by 4.1 percent of the sample. Gender (male) and age group (young) were strong predictors for problematic use of video games. A higher proportion of high frequency compared with low frequency players preferred massively multiplayer online role-playing games, although the majority of high frequency players preferred other game types. Problematic use of video games was associated with lower scores on life satisfaction and with elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Video game use was not associated with reported amount of physical exercise.

Designing an optimal software intensive system acquisition: A game theoretic approach

Science.gov (United States)

Buettner, Douglas John

The development of schedule-constrained software-intensive space systems is challenging. Case study data from national security space programs developed at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (USAF SMC) provide evidence of the strong desire by contractors to skip or severely reduce software development design and early defect detection methods in these schedule-constrained environments. The research findings suggest recommendations to fully address these issues at numerous levels. However, the observations lead us to investigate modeling and theoretical methods to fundamentally understand what motivated this behavior in the first place. As a result, Madachy's inspection-based system dynamics model is modified to include unit testing and an integration test feedback loop. This Modified Madachy Model (MMM) is used as a tool to investigate the consequences of this behavior on the observed defect dynamics for two remarkably different case study software projects. Latin Hypercube sampling of the MMM with sample distributions for quality, schedule and cost-driven strategies demonstrate that the higher cost and effort quality-driven strategies provide consistently better schedule performance than the schedule-driven up-front effort-reduction strategies. Game theory reasoning for schedule-driven engineers cutting corners on inspections and unit testing is based on the case study evidence and Austin's agency model to describe the observed phenomena. Game theory concepts are then used to argue that the source of the problem and hence the solution to developers cutting corners on quality for schedule-driven system acquisitions ultimately lies with the government. The game theory arguments also lead to the suggestion that the use of a multi-player dynamic Nash bargaining game provides a solution for our observed lack of quality game between the government (the acquirer) and "large-corporation" software developers. A note is provided that argues this multi-player

A Study of Prisoner’s Dilemma Game Model with Incomplete Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiuqin Deng

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Prisoners’ dilemma is a typical game theory issue. In our study, it is regarded as an incomplete information game with unpublicized game strategies. We solve our problem by establishing a machine learning model using Bayes formula. The model established is referred to as the Bayes model. Based on the Bayesian model, we can make the prediction of players’ choices to better complete the unknown information in the game. And we suggest the hash table to make improvement in space and time complexity. We build a game system with several types of game strategy for testing. In double- or multiplayer games, the Bayes model is more superior to other strategy models; the total income using Bayes model is higher than that of other models. Moreover, from the result of the games on the natural model with Bayes model, as well as the natural model with TFT model, it is found that Bayes model accrued more benefits than TFT model on average. This demonstrates that the Bayes model introduced in this study is feasible and effective. Therefore, it provides a novel method of solving incomplete information game problem.

Network characteristics for server selection in online games

Science.gov (United States)

Claypool, Mark

2008-01-01

Online gameplay is impacted by the network characteristics of players connected to the same server. Unfortunately, the network characteristics of online game servers are not well-understood, particularly for groups that wish to play together on the same server. As a step towards a remedy, this paper presents analysis of an extensive set of measurements of game servers on the Internet. Over the course of many months, actual Internet game servers were queried simultaneously by twenty-five emulated game clients, with both servers and clients spread out on the Internet. The data provides statistics on the uptime and populations of game servers over a month long period an an in-depth look at the suitability for game servers for multi-player server selection, concentrating on characteristics critical to playability--latency and fairness. Analysis finds most game servers have latencies suitable for third-person and omnipresent games, such as real-time strategy, sports and role-playing games, providing numerous server choices for game players. However, far fewer game servers have the low latencies required for first-person games, such as shooters or race games. In all cases, groups that wish to play together have a greatly reduced set of servers from which to choose because of inherent unfairness in server latencies and server selection is particularly limited as the group size increases. These results hold across different game types and even across different generations of games. The data should be useful for game developers and network researchers that seek to improve game server selection, whether for single or multiple players.

Engaging Systems Understanding through Games (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Pfirman, S. L.; Lee, J. J.; Eklund, K.; Turrin, M.; O'Garra, T.; Orlove, B. S.

2013-12-01

The Polar Learning And Responding (PoLAR) Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP), supported by the National Science Foundation's CCEP Phase II program, uses novel educational approaches to engage adult learners and to inform public understanding about climate change. Both previous studies and our experience show that games and game-like activities lead people to explore systems and motivate problem-solving. This presentation focuses on three games developed by the PoLAR team: a multiplayer card game, a strategy board game, and a serious game, and discusses them within the larger framework of research and evaluation of learning outcomes. In the multiplayer card game EcoChains: Arctic Crisis, players learn how to build marine food chains, then strategize ways to make them resilient to a variety of natural and anthropogenic events. In the strategy board game Arctic SMARTIC (Strategic MAnagement of Resources in TImes of Change), participants take on roles, set developmental priorities, and then negotiate to resolve conflicts and deal with climate change scenarios. In the serious game FUTURE COAST, players explore "what if" scenarios in a collaborative narrative environment. Grounded on the award-winning WORLD WITHOUT OIL, which employed a similar story frame to impart energy concepts and realities, FUTURE COAST uses voicemails from the future to impel players through complexities of disrupted systems and realities of human interactions when facing change. Launching February 2014, FUTURE COAST is played online and in field events; players create media designed to be spreadable through their social networks. As players envision possible futures, they create diverse communities of practice that synthesize across human-environment interactions. Playtests highlight how the game evokes systems thinking, and engages and problem-solves via narrative: * 'While I was initially unsure how I'd contribute to a group I'd never met, the project itself proved so engaging that I

SimBasin: A serious gaming framework for integrated and cooperative decision-making in water management

Science.gov (United States)

Angarita, H.; Craven, J.; Caggiano, F.; Corzo, G.

2016-12-01

An Integrated approach involving extensive stakeholder dialogue is widely advocated in sustainable water management. However, it requires a social learning process in which scientist and stakeholders become aware of the relationship between their own frames of reference and those of others, differences can be dealt with constructively, and shared ideas can be used to facilitate cooperation. Key obstacles in this process are heritage systems, attitudes and processes, factually wrong, incomplete or unshared mental models, and lack of science-policy dialogue (Pahl-Wostl et al., 2005) To overcome these barriers, a space is required which is free of heritage systems, where mental models can be safely and easily compared and corrected, and where scientists and policy-makers can come together. A "serious game" can serve as such a space - Serious games are games or simulations used to achieve an organizational or educational goal, and such games have already been used to facilitate stakeholder cooperation in the water management sector (Rusca et al., 2005). As well as bringing stakeholders together, they can be an accessible interface between scientific models and non-experts. Here we present SimBasin, a multiplayer serious game framework and development engine. The engine allows to easily create a simulated multiplayer basin management game using WEAP water resources modelling software (SEI, 1992-2015), to facilitate the communication of the complex, long term and wide range relationships between hydrologic, climate, and human systems present in river basins, and enable dialogue between policy-makers and scientists. Different games have been created using the Sim-Basin engine and used in various contexts. Here are discussed experiences with stakeholders at a national forum in Bogotá, flood risk management agencies in the lower Magdalena River Basin in Colombia and with water professionals in Bangkok. The experience shows that the game is a useful tool for enabling

Physiological arousal deficits in addicted gamers differ based on preferred game genre.

Science.gov (United States)

Metcalf, Olivia; Pammer, Kristen

2014-01-01

There has been significant discussion surrounding the psychopathology of excessive gaming and whether it constitutes an addiction. The current study investigated physiological and subjective levels of arousal in gamers of two genres and the relationship between sensation seeking and gaming addiction. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) and skin conductance were recorded at baseline, during gaming for 15 min and after gaming in 30 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) and 30 first-person shooter (FPS) male gamers. Gamers were identified as addicted using the Addiction-Engagement Questionnaire. Sensation seeking was measured using the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking. Addicted MMORPG gamers (n=16) displayed significant decreases in cardiovascular activity during gaming compared to baseline and showed significant increases after gaming. Addicted FPS gamers (n=13) had significant increases in BP during gaming which decreased significantly after gaming. In comparison, non-addicted MMORPG gamers (n=14) had significant decreases in HR during gaming, whereas BP in non-addicted MMORPG and FPS gamers (n=17) increased during gaming and after gaming. There were no significant relationships between sensation seeking and addiction. There are physiological arousal deficits in addicted gamers, and these patterns differ according to the genre of game played. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

MMORPG escapism predicts decreased well-being: examination of gaming time, game realism beliefs, and online social support for offline problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaczmarek, Lukasz D; Drążkowski, Dariusz

2014-05-01

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) escapists are individuals who indulge in the MMORPG environment to avoid real world problems. Though a relationship between escapism and deteriorated well-being has been established, little is known about particular pathways that mediate this relationship. In the current study, we examined this topic by testing an integrative model of MMORPG escapism, which includes game realism beliefs, gaming time, offline social support, and online social support for offline problems. MMORPG players (N=1,056) completed measures of escapist motivation, game realism beliefs, social support, well-being, and reported gaming time. The tested structural equation model had a good fit to the data. We found that individuals with escapist motivation endorsed stronger game realism beliefs and spent more time playing MMORPGs, which, in turn, increased online support but decreased offline social support. Well-being was favorably affected by both online and offline social support, although offline social support had a stronger effect. The higher availability of online social support for offline problems did not compensate for the lower availability of offline support among MMORPG escapists. Understanding the psychological factors related to depletion of social resources in MMORPG players can help optimize MMORPGs as leisure activities.

The Effect of Socioscientific Topics on Discourse within an Online Game Designed to Engage Middle School Students in Scientific Argumentation

Science.gov (United States)

Craig-Hare, Jana; Ault, Marilyn; Rowland, Amber

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the types of argumentation discourse displayed by students when they engaged in chat as part of an online multiplayer game about both socioscientific and scientific topics. Specifically, this study analyzed discourse episodes created by middle school students as they discussed scientific and…

Introducción al proceso de producción y comercialización del Massivel y Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG)

OpenAIRE

Lozano Delmar, Javier; Hermida, Alberto

2009-01-01

El MMOG o ‘Massively Multiplayer Online Game’ (videojuego en línea de multijugador masivo) se ha convertido en uno de los tipos de videojuego de mayor éxito en los últimos años. Gracias a una de sus características fundamentales, el acceso masivo a la red, el MMOG desarrolla toda una serie de estrategias comunicacionales que han transformado por completo la industria del videojuego y el perfil del consumidor. El presente artículo pretende ofrecer una panorámica sobre los pro...

Leadership in MMOGs: A Field of Research on Virtual Teams

Science.gov (United States)

Mysirlaki, Sofia; Paraskeva, Fotini

2012-01-01

As our need for collaboration constantly grows, new tools have emerged to connect us in social networks, supporting the development of online communities, such as online games and virtual worlds. MMOGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) and MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) are complex systems, in which players are…

Pengaruh Persepsi Nilai pada Intensi Pembelian Produk Virtual yang Dimediasi oleh Kepuasan

OpenAIRE

Tunjungsari, Hetty Karunia; Lunardy, Dennis

2016-01-01

. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengukur intensi pembelian produk virtualyang ditawarkan pada pemain online game selama periode bermain berlangsung.Kepuasan terhadap game diduga menjadi variabel mediasi dalam pengaruh persepsinilai terhadap intensi pembelian. Online game yang dimainkan oleh responden dalampenelitian ini adalah tipe MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role PlayingGames) dan MMOBA (Massively Multiplayer Online Battle Arena). Hasil penelitianmenunjukkan bahwa baik pada kelompo...

Competitive active video games: Physiological and psychological responses in children and adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Lisón, Juan F; Cebolla, Ausias; Guixeres, Jaime; Álvarez-Pitti, Julio; Escobar, Patricia; Bruñó, Alejandro; Lurbe, Empar; Alcañiz, Mariano; Baños, Rosa

2015-10-01

Recent strategies to reduce sedentary behaviour in children include replacing sedentary screen time for active video games. Active video game studies have focused principally on the metabolic consumption of a single player, with physiological and psychological responses of opponent-based multiplayer games to be further evaluated. To determine whether adding a competitive component to playing active video games impacts physiological and psychological responses in players. Sixty-two healthy Caucasian children and adolescents, nine to 14 years years of age, completed three conditions (8 min each) in random order: treadmill walking, and single and opponent-based Kinect active video games. Affect, arousal, rate of perceived exertion, heart rate and percentage of heart rate reserve were measured for each participant and condition. Kinect conditions revealed significantly higher heart rate, percentage of heart rate reserve, rate of perceived exertion and arousal when compared with treadmill walking (Pvideo games improved children's psychological responses (affect and rate of perceived exertion) compared with single play, providing a solution that may contribute toward improved adherence to physical activity.

Nursing students' attitudes toward video games and related new media technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch-Sauer, Judith; Vandenbosch, Terry M; Kron, Frederick; Gjerde, Craig Livingston; Arato, Nora; Sen, Ananda; Fetters, Michael D

2011-09-01

Little is known about Millennial nursing students' attitudes toward computer games and new media in nursing education and whether these attitudes differ between undergraduates and graduates. This study elicited nursing students' experience with computer games and new media, their attitudes toward various instructional styles and methods, and the role of computer games and new media technologies in nursing education. We e-mailed all nursing students enrolled in two universities to invite their participation in an anonymous cross-sectional online survey. The survey collected demographic data and participants' experience with and attitudes toward video gaming and multi-player online health care simulations. We used descriptive statistics and logistic regression to compare the differences between undergraduates and graduates. Two hundred eighteen nursing students participated. Many of the nursing students support using new media technologies in nursing education. Nurse educators should identify areas suitable for new media integration and further evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Simulation of producers behaviour in the electricity market by evolutionary games

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menniti, Daniele; Pinnarelli, Anna; Sorrentino, Nicola [Department of Electronic, Computer and System Science, University of Calabria (Italy)

2008-03-15

Simulation of the electricity market participant's behaviour is important for producers and consumers to determine their bidding strategies and for regulating the market rules. In literature, for this aim a lot of papers suggest to use the well-known theory of non-cooperative games and the concept of Nash equilibrium. Unfortunately they cannot be applied in an easy way when a multi-players game has to be considered to simulate the operation of the electricity market. In this paper, the authors suggest to use the new theory of evolutionary games and the concept of near Nash equilibrium to simulate the electricity market in the presence of more than two producers. In particular, an opportune genetic algorithm has been developed; from the results reported in the paper, it is clear that this algorithm can be usefully utilised. (author)

Game Channels for Trustless Off-Chain Interactions in Decentralized Virtual Worlds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Kraft

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Blockchains can be used to build multi-player online games and virtual worlds that require no central server. This concept is pioneered by Huntercoin, but it leads to large growth of the blockchain and heavy resource requirements. In this paper, we present a new protocol inspired by payment channels and sidechains that allows for trustless off-chain interactions of players in private turn-based games. They are usually performed without requiring space in the public blockchain, but if a dispute arises, the public network can be used to resolve the conflict. We also analyze the resulting security guarantees and describe possible extensions to games with shared turns and for near real-time interaction. Our proposed concept can be used to scale Huntercoin to very large or even infinite worlds and to enable almost real-time interactions between players.

Simulation of producers behaviour in the electricity market by evolutionary games

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menniti, Daniele; Pinnarelli, Anna; Sorrentino, Nicola

2008-01-01

Simulation of the electricity market participant's behaviour is important for producers and consumers to determine their bidding strategies and for regulating the market rules. In literature, for this aim a lot of papers suggest to use the well-known theory of non-cooperative games and the concept of Nash equilibrium. Unfortunately they cannot be applied in an easy way when a multi-players game has to be considered to simulate the operation of the electricity market. In this paper, the authors suggest to use the new theory of evolutionary games and the concept of near Nash equilibrium to simulate the electricity market in the presence of more than two producers. In particular, an opportune genetic algorithm has been developed; from the results reported in the paper, it is clear that this algorithm can be usefully utilised. (author)

Massive Multiplayer Online Gaming: A Research Framework for Military Training and Education

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Bonk, Curtis J; Dennen, Vanessa P

2005-01-01

.... However, much of the research in this area lags behind the technological advances, focusing on user demographics, attention spans, and perceptual skills, instead of addressing the impact these games...

Test and Evaluation of the Malicious Activity Simulation Tool (MAST) in a Local Area Network (LAN) Running the Common PC Operating System Environment (COMPOSE)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-01

Malicious Activity Simulation Tool MMORPG Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game MMS Mission Management Server MOA Memorandum of Agreement MS...conferencing, and massively multiplayer online role- playing games ( MMORPG ). During all of these Internet-based exchanges and transactions, the Internet user

Evaluating the Impact of Player Experience in the Design of a Serious Game for Upper Extremity Stroke Rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordeiro d'Ornellas, Marcos; Cargnin, Diego João; Cervi Prado, Ana Lúcia

2015-01-01

Video games have become a major entertainment industry and one of the most popular leisure forms, ranging from laboratory experiments to a mainstream cultural medium. Indeed, current games are multimodal and multidimensional products, relying on sophisticated features including not only a narrative-driven story but also impressive graphics and detailed settings. All of these elements helped to create a seamless and appealing product that have resulted in a growing number of players and in the number of game genres. Although video games have been used in education, simulation, and training, another application that exploits serious gaming is the exploration of player experience in the context of game research. Recent advances in the natural user interfaces and player experience have brought new perspectives on the in-game assessment of serious games. This paper evaluates the impact of player experience in the design of a serious game for upper extremity stroke rehabilitation. The game combines biofeedback and mirror neurons both in single and multiplayer mode. Results have shown that the game is a feasible solution to integrate serious games into the physical therapy routine.

Predicting the Currency Market in Online Gaming via Lexicon-Based Analysis on Its Online Forum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young Bin Kim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Transactions involving virtual currencies are becoming increasingly common, including those in online games. In response, predicting the market price of a virtual currency is an important task for all involved, but it has not yet attracted much attention from researchers. This paper presents user opinions from online forums in a massive multiplayer online game (MMOG setting widely used around the world. We propose a method for predicting the next-day rise and fall of the currency used in an MMOG environment. Based on analysis of online forum users’ opinions, we predict daily fluctuations in the price of a currency used in an MMOG setting. Focusing specifically on the World of Warcraft game, one of the most widely used MMOGs, we demonstrate the feasibility of predicting the fluctuation in value of virtual currencies used in this game community.

From Team Play to Squad Play: The Militarisation of Interactions in Multiplayer FPS Video Games

OpenAIRE

Adam Duell

2014-01-01

Since the onset of E-sports we have seen the development from casual players to professional players who push the boundary of game mastery to new heights via coordinated team play. In this short paper I explore how a group of video game players adopt military-style communication methods and strategies to coordinate their actions in the popular tactical First Person Shooter (FPS) video game DayZ (Bohemia Interactive, 2014).  Utilising the key components of team interaction in the context of di...

Bridging Realty to Virtual Reality: Investigating Gender Effect and Student Engagement on Learning through Video Game Play in an Elementary School Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Annetta, Leonard; Mangrum, Jennifer; Holmes, Shawn; Collazo, Kimberly; Cheng, Meng-Tzu

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine students' learning of simple machines, a fifth-grade (ages 10-11) forces and motion unit, and student engagement using a teacher-created Multiplayer Educational Gaming Application. This mixed-method study collected pre-test/post-test results to determine student knowledge about simple machines. A survey…

Extrapolating Weak Selection in Evolutionary Games

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Wu, Bin; García, Julián; Hauert, Christoph; Traulsen, Arne

2013-01-01

In evolutionary games, reproductive success is determined by payoffs. Weak selection means that even large differences in game outcomes translate into small fitness differences. Many results have been derived using weak selection approximations, in which perturbation analysis facilitates the derivation of analytical results. Here, we ask whether results derived under weak selection are also qualitatively valid for intermediate and strong selection. By “qualitatively valid” we mean that the ranking of strategies induced by an evolutionary process does not change when the intensity of selection increases. For two-strategy games, we show that the ranking obtained under weak selection cannot be carried over to higher selection intensity if the number of players exceeds two. For games with three (or more) strategies, previous examples for multiplayer games have shown that the ranking of strategies can change with the intensity of selection. In particular, rank changes imply that the most abundant strategy at one intensity of selection can become the least abundant for another. We show that this applies already to pairwise interactions for a broad class of evolutionary processes. Even when both weak and strong selection limits lead to consistent predictions, rank changes can occur for intermediate intensities of selection. To analyze how common such games are, we show numerically that for randomly drawn two-player games with three or more strategies, rank changes frequently occur and their likelihood increases rapidly with the number of strategies . In particular, rank changes are almost certain for , which jeopardizes the predictive power of results derived for weak selection. PMID:24339769

3D multiplayer virtual pets game using Google Card Board

Science.gov (United States)

Herumurti, Darlis; Riskahadi, Dimas; Kuswardayan, Imam

2017-08-01

Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology which allows user to interact with the virtual environment. This virtual environment is generated and simulated by computer. This technology can make user feel the sensation when they are in the virtual environment. The VR technology provides real virtual environment view for user and it is not viewed from screen. But it needs another additional device to show the view of virtual environment. This device is known as Head Mounted Device (HMD). Oculust Rift and Microsoft Hololens are the most famous HMD devices used in VR. And in 2014, Google Card Board was introduced at Google I/O developers conference. Google Card Board is VR platform which allows user to enjoy the VR with simple and cheap way. In this research, we explore Google Card Board to develop simulation game of raising pet. The Google Card Board is used to create view for the VR environment. The view and control in VR environment is built using Unity game engine. And the simulation process is designed using Finite State Machine (FSM). This FSM can help to design the process clearly. So the simulation process can describe the simulation of raising pet well. Raising pet is fun activity. But sometimes, there are many conditions which cause raising pet become difficult to do, i.e. environment condition, disease, high cost, etc. this research aims to explore and implement Google Card Board in simulation of raising pet.

Non-Negative Tensor Factorization for Human Behavioral Pattern Mining in Online Games

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Anna Sapienza

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Multiplayer online battle arena is a genre of online games that has become extremely popular. Due to their success, these games also drew the attention of our research community, because they provide a wealth of information about human online interactions and behaviors. A crucial problem is the extraction of activity patterns that characterize this type of data, in an interpretable way. Here, we leverage the Non-negative Tensor Factorization to detect hidden correlated behaviors of playing in a well-known game: League of Legends. To this aim, we collect the entire gaming history of a group of about 1000 players, which accounts for roughly 100K matches. By applying our framework we are able to separate players into different groups. We show that each group exhibits similar features and playing strategies, as well as similar temporal trajectories, i.e., behavioral progressions over the course of their gaming history. We surprisingly discover that playing strategies are stable over time and we provide an explanation for this observation.

HTML5 games creating fun with HTML5, CSS3, and WebGL

CERN Document Server

Seidelin, Jacob

2011-01-01

Discover new opportunities for building 2D and 3D games with HTML5 The newest iteration of HTML, HTML5 can be used with JavaScript, CSS3, and WebGL to create beautiful, unique, engaging games that can be played on the web or mobile devices like the iPad or Android phones. Gone are the days where games were only possible with plugin technologies such as Flash and this cutting-edge book shows you how to utilize the latest open web technologies to create a game from scratch using Canvas, HTML5 Audio, WebGL, and WebSockets. You'll discover how to build a framework on which you will create your HTML5 game. Then each successive chapter covers a new aspect of the game, including user input, sound, multiplayer functionality, 2D and 3D graphics, and more. Aims directly at a new way to develop games for the web through the use of HTML5 Demonstrates how to make iOS and Android web apps Explains how to capture player input; create 3D graphics; and incorporate textures, lighting, and sound Guides you through the proce...

From Territorial to Temporal Ambitions: The Politics of Time and Imagination in Massive Multiplayer Online Forecasting Games

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Lonny J. Avi Brooks

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In 2010, the online forecasting game Urgent Evoke, produced by Jane McGonigal, former Director of Gaming at the Institute for the Future and the World Bank Institute, elicited praise by gaming critics as a model for “serious gaming.” The game promised to show how players could think about long-term solutions to urgent social problems like hunger, poverty, conflict, and climate change using the African continent as its test bed. Players imagined future temporal outcomes through remixing media. In a qualitative analysis of actual game play during the real-time introduction of the game for teaching organizational communication, Evoke became a platform for student inquiry for questioning its underlying design as an expansion of territorial and temporal conquest. Evoke served as a springboard for building a literacy of critical time among students in accessing stakeholder power to determine the future. Students challenged, created, and followed the cultural capital of promissory visions in circulation. The curriculum design for using serious and forecasting games like Evoke must account for the conceptual development of what Sarah Sharma calls critical time or chronopolitics, a hidden politics of time that shapes our approaches to cultures, organizations, and innovation. By placing spatial and temporal dynamics center stage, we investigated how serious games produce a chronopolitics of time differentiating among people by class and ethnicity. Alternative Reality Games offer the potential for building a literacy of critical forecasting time to understand the practices for anticipating the future as temporal networks of power, different and uneven.

Effectiveness of MMORPG-Based Instruction in Elementary English Education in Korea

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Suh, S.; Kim, S. W.; Kim, N. J.

2010-01-01

This study investigated the effectiveness of massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG)-based (massive multiplayer online role-playing game) instruction in elementary English education. The effectiveness of the MMORPG program was compared with face-to-face instruction and the independent variables (gender, prior knowledge, motivation…

The Influence of an Educational Course on Language Expression and Treatment of Gaming Addiction for Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) Players

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Pyoung Won; Kim, Seo Young; Shim, Miseon; Im, Chang-Hwan; Shon, Young-Min

2013-01-01

Addiction to Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) among juveniles has become a serious problem in Korea and has led to legislation prohibiting juveniles from playing games after midnight. One key factor in gaming addiction is the so-called narrative, or story, gamers create for themselves while playing. This study investigated how…

Zero-determinant strategy: An underway revolution in game theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Dong; Rong Zhi-Hai; Zhou Tao

2014-01-01

Repeated games describe situations where players interact with each other in a dynamic pattern and make decisions according to outcomes of previous stage games. Very recently, Press and Dyson have revealed a new class of zero-determinant (ZD) strategies for the repeated games, which can enforce a fixed linear relationship between expected payoffs of two players, indicating that a smart player can control her unwitting co-player's payoff in a unilateral way [Proc. Acad. Natl. Sci. USA 109, 10409 (2012)]. The theory of ZD strategies provides a novel viewpoint to depict interactions among players, and fundamentally changes the research paradigm of game theory. In this brief survey, we first introduce the mathematical framework of ZD strategies, and review the properties and constrains of two specifications of ZD strategies, called pinning strategies and extortion strategies. Then we review some representative research progresses, including robustness analysis, cooperative ZD strategy analysis, and evolutionary stability analysis. Finally, we discuss some significant extensions to ZD strategies, including the multi-player ZD strategies, and ZD strategies under noise. Challenges in related research fields are also listed. (topical review - statistical physics and complex systems)

A Cognitive Task Analysis for an Emergency Management Serious Game.

Science.gov (United States)

Dass, Susan; Barnieu, Joanne; Cummings, Paul; Cid, Victor

2016-01-01

The Bethesda Hospitals' Emergency Preparedness Partnership identified a need to design training systems for hospital emergency management scenarios that included incident command situations. As part of this partnership, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) was challenged to develop an engaging, learner-centered simulation to specifically address hospital procedures for highly infectious diseases (HIDs) for multiple hospital roles. A serious game approach was selected for the simulation because collaborative (multiplayer) immersive, game-based simulations have been proven to generate realistic and engaging learning experiences and, when properly designed, can enhance training while minimizing cost compared to full-scale disaster exercises (Spain et al., 2013). Although substantial research effort has been put into design and evaluation of serious games, less time has been spent on developing sound instructional design methodologies to support serious game development. So how does one collect the appropriate, relevant, contextualized content and then align with serious game design elements? This paper describes how a cognitive task approach supported by a live demonstration with a think-aloud protocol was used to collect the rich psychomotor, procedural, and cognitive data necessary for the design of a serious game for handling HIDs. Furthermore, the paper presents a process to translate the collected data into meaningful content to support rapid prototyping. Recommendations for data collection and translation for a serious game close the paper.

The effect of power asymmetries on cooperation and punishment in a prisoner's dilemma game.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan E Bone

Full Text Available Recent work has suggested that punishment is detrimental because punishment provokes retaliation, not cooperation, resulting in lower overall payoffs. These findings may stem from the unrealistic assumption that all players are equal: in reality individuals are expected to vary in the power with which they can punish defectors. Here, we allowed strong players to interact with weak players in an iterated prisoner's dilemma game with punishment. Defecting players were most likely to switch to cooperation if the partner cooperated: adding punishment yielded no additional benefit and, under some circumstances, increased the chance that the partner would both defect and retaliate against the punisher. Our findings show that, in a two-player game, cooperation begets cooperation and that punishment does not seem to yield any additional benefits. Further work should explore whether strong punishers might prevail in multi-player games.

Game theory, conditional preferences, and social influence.

Science.gov (United States)

Stirling, Wynn C; Felin, Teppo

2013-01-01

Neoclassical noncooperative game theory is based on a simple, yet powerful synthesis of mathematical and logical concepts: unconditional and immutable preference orderings and individual rationality. Although this structure has proven useful for characterizing competitive multi-player behavior, its applicability to scenarios involving complex social relationships is problematic. In this paper we directly address this limitation by the introduction of a conditional preference structure that permits players to modulate their preference orderings as functions of the preferences of other players. Embedding this expanded preference structure in a formal and graphical framework provides a systematic approach for characterizing a complex society. The result is an influence network that allows conditional preferences to propagate through the community, resulting in an emergent social model which characterizes all of the social relationships that exist and which leads to solution concepts that account for both group and individual interests. The Ultimatum game is presented as an example of how social influence can be modeled with conditional preferences.

Economic game theory for mutualism and cooperation.

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Archetti, Marco; Scheuring, István; Hoffman, Moshe; Frederickson, Megan E; Pierce, Naomi E; Yu, Douglas W

2011-12-01

We review recent work at the interface of economic game theory and evolutionary biology that provides new insights into the evolution of partner choice, host sanctions, partner fidelity feedback and public goods. (1) The theory of games with asymmetrical information shows that the right incentives allow hosts to screen-out parasites and screen-in mutualists, explaining successful partner choice in the absence of signalling. Applications range from ant-plants to microbiomes. (2) Contract theory distinguishes two longstanding but weakly differentiated explanations of host response to defectors: host sanctions and partner fidelity feedback. Host traits that selectively punish misbehaving symbionts are parsimoniously interpreted as pre-adaptations. Yucca-moth and legume-rhizobia mutualisms are argued to be examples of partner fidelity feedback. (3) The theory of public goods shows that cooperation in multi-player interactions can evolve in the absence of assortment, in one-shot social dilemmas among non-kin. Applications include alarm calls in vertebrates and exoenzymes in microbes. 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

Internet gaming addiction, problematic use of the internet, and sleep problems: a systematic review.

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Lam, Lawrence T

2014-04-01

The effect of problematic use of the Internet on mental health, particularly depression among young people, has been established but without a probable model for the underlying mechanism. In this study, a model is presented to describe possible pathways for the linkage between Internet gaming addiction and depression possibly mediated by sleep problems. A systematic review was conducted to gather epidemiological evidence to support or refute the link between addictive Internet gaming, problematic Internet use, and sleep problems including insomnia and poor sleep quality. Seven studies were identified through a systematic literature search, of these three related to addictive Internet gaming and four on problematic Internet uses and sleep problems. Information was extracted and analysed systematically from each of the studies and tabulated as a summary. Results of the review suggest that additive gaming, particularly massively multiplayer online role-playing games MMORPG, might be associated with poorer quality of sleep. Results further indicated that problematic Internet use was associated with sleep problems including subjective insomnia and poor sleep quality.

Network Technologies for Networked Terrorists: Assessing the Value of Information and Communication Technologies to Modern Terrorist Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

2007-01-01

used a number of violent video games 7 See, for example, the Anti-Defamation League study on extremist recruitment in prisons (B’nai B’rith, 2002). 8...compelling experience. The latest generations of computer-based, massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), in which many individuals interact in a... effectiveness , those with that potential would require some specialization by the group (e.g., creation or subversion of massively multiplayer games for

Secure Multi-Player Protocols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fehr, Serge

While classically cryptography is concerned with the problem of private communication among two entities, say players, in modern cryptography multi-player protocols play an important role. And among these, it is probably fair to say that secret sharing, and its stronger version verifiable secret...... sharing (VSS), as well as multi-party computation (MPC) belong to the most appealing and/or useful ones. The former two are basic tools to achieve better robustness of cryptographic schemes against malfunction or misuse by “decentralizing” the security from one single to a whole group of individuals...... (captured by the term threshold cryptography). The latter allows—at least in principle—to execute any collaboration among a group of players in a secure way that guarantees the correctness of the outcome but simultaneously respects the privacy of the participants. In this work, we study three aspects...

Online gaming in the context of social anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Bianca W; Leeson, Peter R C

2015-06-01

In 2014, over 23 million individuals were playing massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). In light of the framework provided by Davis's (2001) cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet use, social anxiety, expressions of true self, and perceived in-game and face-to-face social support were examined as predictors of Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale (GPIUS) scores and hours spent playing MMORPGs per week. Data were collected from adult MMORPG players via an online survey (N = 626). Using structural equation modeling, the hypothesized model was tested on 1 half of the sample (N = 313) and then retested on the other half of the sample. The results indicated that the hypothesized model fit the data well in both samples. Specifically, expressing true self in game, higher levels of social anxiety, larger numbers of in-game social supports, and fewer supportive face-to-face relationships were significant predictors of higher GPIUS scores, and the number of in-game supports was significantly associated with time spent playing. The current study provides clinicians and researchers with a deeper understanding of MMORPG use by being the first to apply, test, and replicate a theory-driven model across 2 samples of MMORPG players. In addition, the present findings suggest that a psychometric measure of MMORPG usage is more indicative of players' psychological and social well-being than is time spent playing these games. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Teaching water sustainability and STEM concepts using in-class, online, and real-world multiplayer simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Moysey, S. M.; Hannah, A. C.; Miller, S.; Mobley, C.

2013-12-01

Serious games are computer games with a primary purpose other than entertainment. Serious games are frequently used for training purposes, and can be used for educational and research purposes, increasing student interest and level of interaction as well as allowing researchers to collect data about emergent player behavior. The Naranpur Express simulation is based on a previously existing multiplayer role-playing game, where each player manages a small farm in rural India. Player goals include subsistence, upward economic mobility, and mitigation of environmental impact. Hydrologic and agricultural models are used to connect each player's small-scale decisions with their more far-reaching, and often difficult to perceive environmental impacts. This approach allows students to learn by discovery, experiencing first-hand the challenges of overuse of groundwater, fertilizers, and pesticides. Integration of new and rapidly developing social media techniques allows players to discuss solutions to their shared challenges, and help define a set of formal or informal rules governing their community. Previous versions of this game were implemented on paper, or in a spreadsheet run on each student's laptop. However, moving this simulation to an interactive online setting will allow us to study aggregate, as well as spatially varying effects of player decisions on economic and environmental outcomes. By coupling both physical and economic models with the real dynamics of player behavior, and considering the social and cultural aspects of agriculture, we can investigate the decision-making processes that control real environmental outcomes. By varying the types of information available to players, we can investigate how access to different kinds of information drives environmental decision-making. This can help identify key misunderstandings, thereby benefiting education and outreach efforts related to environmental justice and sustainability issues. Surveys collected from

Linking online gaming and addictive behavior: converging evidence for a general reward deficiency in frequent online garners

OpenAIRE

Hahn, Tim; Karolien, Hilde; Dresler, Thomas; Kowarsch, Linda; Reif, Andreas; Fallgatter, Andreas J.

2015-01-01

Millions of people regularly play so-called massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs). Recently, it has been argued that MMORPG overuse is becoming a significant health problem worldwide. Symptoms such as tolerance, withdrawal, and craving have been described. Based on behavioral, resting state, and task-related neuroimaging data, we test whether frequent players of the MMORPG "World of VVarcraft" (WoW) similar to drug addicts and individuals with an increased risk for addicti...

Gaming Preferences, Motivations, and Experiences of Pharmacy Students in Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Huan Ying; Wong, Li Lian; Yap, Kai Zhen; Yap, Kevin Yi-Lwern

2016-02-01

Serious games are becoming popular in various healthcare domains. However, they should be designed to cater toward learners' perspectives, needs, and specifications in order to be used to their full potential in education. This study investigated the gaming experiences, motivations, and preferences of pharmacy students. An anonymous self-administered survey obtained participant demographics, gaming experiences (enjoyment level of different game genres, years of experience, gaming frequency and duration, and motivations), and gaming preferences (on in-game rewards, settings, storylines, perspectives, and styles). Descriptive statistics, t tests, analysis of variance, chi-squared tests, and Fisher's exact tests were used for analysis. The response rate was 69.1 percent (465/673 undergraduates). Role-playing games (RPGs) (4.12 ± 1.07) and massively multiplayer online RPGs (MMORPGs) (3.81 ± 1.26) had the highest enjoyment ratings. Males enjoyed imagination games (e.g., RPGs, MMORPGs) more than females, whereas females enjoyed simulation games more. Top motivating factors for respondents were progressing to the next level (3.63 ± 1.19), excitement (3.33 ± 1.33), and a feeling of efficacy when playing (3.02 ± 1.16). Unlocking mechanisms (25.2 percent) and experience points (17.6 percent) were the most popular in-game reward systems. Most respondents preferred a fantasy/medieval/mythic setting (59.8 percent) and an adventurer storyline (41.3 percent), with similar proportions preferring competitive (35.3 percent), cooperative (33.3 percent), and collaborative (30.8 percent) game styles. Different groups of pharmacy students differ in their gaming experiences, motivating factors, and preferences. There is no "one size fits all" game that is suitable for all pharmacy education. Such differences should be considered when developing a pharmacy game in order to cater to the diverse student population.

From Team Play to Squad Play: The Militarisation of Interactions in Multiplayer FPS Video Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Duell

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Since the onset of E-sports we have seen the development from casual players to professional players who push the boundary of game mastery to new heights via coordinated team play. In this short paper I explore how a group of video game players adopt military-style communication methods and strategies to coordinate their actions in the popular tactical First Person Shooter (FPS video game DayZ (Bohemia Interactive, 2014.  Utilising the key components of team interaction in the context of distributed and ad-hoc military teams (Pascual et al., 1997, I show how a group of players evolved their interactions from team play to squad play. I argue that squad play is an advancement of the strategic and tactical thinking embodied in team play through the adoption of real-world military interaction and communication strategies.

Trajectories of abstinence-induced Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms: A prospective pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dean Kaptsis

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD is positioned in the appendix of the DSM-5 as a condition requiring further study. The IGD criteria refer to withdrawal symptoms, including irritability, anxiety, or sadness, that follow cessation of Internet gaming (APA, 2013. The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the nature of Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms, if they occur, under gaming abstinence conditions. This study employed a repeated-measures protocol to examine the cognitive-affective reactions of participants undertaking an 84-h Internet gaming abstinence period. The sample included individuals who met the IGD criteria as well as those who regularly played Internet games but did not meet the IGD criteria. Outcome variables included affect (positive and negative, psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress, and Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms (craving/urge, thoughts about gaming, inability to resist gaming. A total of 24 participants (Mage = 24.6 years, SD = 5.8 were recruited from online gaming communities, and completed a series of online surveys before, during, and after abstaining from Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO games. Both the IGD group and the non-IGD group experienced an abstinence-induced decline in withdrawal symptomatology, negative affect, and psychological distress. The IGD group experienced its largest decline in withdrawal symptomatology within the first 24 h of abstinence. These preliminary data suggest that gaming withdrawal symptoms may follow, at least initially, negative linear and quadratic trends. Further prospective work in larger samples involving longer periods of abstinence is required to verify and expand upon these observations.

Trajectories of abstinence-induced Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms: A prospective pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaptsis, Dean; King, Daniel L; Delfabbro, Paul H; Gradisar, Michael

2016-12-01

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is positioned in the appendix of the DSM-5 as a condition requiring further study. The IGD criteria refer to withdrawal symptoms, including irritability, anxiety, or sadness, that follow cessation of Internet gaming (APA, 2013). The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the nature of Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms, if they occur, under gaming abstinence conditions. This study employed a repeated-measures protocol to examine the cognitive-affective reactions of participants undertaking an 84-h Internet gaming abstinence period. The sample included individuals who met the IGD criteria as well as those who regularly played Internet games but did not meet the IGD criteria. Outcome variables included affect (positive and negative), psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress), and Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms (craving/urge, thoughts about gaming, inability to resist gaming). A total of 24 participants ( M age  = 24.6 years, SD  = 5.8) were recruited from online gaming communities, and completed a series of online surveys before, during, and after abstaining from Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games. Both the IGD group and the non-IGD group experienced an abstinence-induced decline in withdrawal symptomatology, negative affect, and psychological distress. The IGD group experienced its largest decline in withdrawal symptomatology within the first 24 h of abstinence. These preliminary data suggest that gaming withdrawal symptoms may follow, at least initially, negative linear and quadratic trends. Further prospective work in larger samples involving longer periods of abstinence is required to verify and expand upon these observations.

Real-time monitoring prefrontal activities during online video game playing by functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yue; Zhang, Lei; Long, Kehong; Gong, Hui; Lei, Hao

2018-02-16

A growing body of literature has suggested that video game playing can induce functional and structural plasticity of the brain. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain poorly understood. In this study, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to record prefrontal activities in 24 experienced game players when they played a massively multiplayer online battle arena video game, League of Legends (LOL), under naturalistic conditions. It was observed that game onset was associated with significant activations in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and concomitant deactivations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and frontal pole area (FPA). Game events, such as slaying an enemy and being slain by an enemy evoked region-specific time-locked hemodynamic/oxygenation responses in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). It was proposed that the VLPFC activities during LOL playing are likely responses to visuo-motor task load of the game, while the DLPFC/FPA activities may be involved in the constant shifts of attentional states and allocation of cognitive resources required by game playing. The present study demonstrated that it is feasible to use fNIRS to monitor real-time prefrontal activity during online video game playing. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

This is Not a Game - Social Virtual Worlds, Fun, and Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Mark W.; Smith-Robbins, Sarah; Withnail, Greg

This chapter asks a simple question: what is required to make learning fun in social virtual worlds? Several scholars have connected fun with learning but most of these have centered on the function of games in learning. Studies of learning in massive multiplayer online role playing games connect the game mechanics to how learning occurs. However, few have asked whether learning in a virtual world can be fun if there is no game. In a social virtual world, like Second Life (SL) there are no game mechanics (unlike game worlds like World of Warcraft [WoW]). There are no quests, challenges, rewards or other game elements in SL. So can a virtual world that has no game-content provided be a place where fun learning can take place? We define fun and explore how fun has been related to learning. We explore theories of fun from Koster, Crawford, Csíkszentmihályi and others as well as views of the ways fun is explored as related to the learning experience. With these models in mind, we explore how fun is different in a social virtual world. Drawing on definitions of fun from Castronova and others, we see game structures in virtual worlds may not be needed to have fun. These fun activities include game creation, business interactions, and most importantly, identity play and socialization in a social virtual world. Finally, we propose that if learning is to be successful and fun in a social virtual world it should pay close attention to these two activities.

Passion, craving, and affect in online gaming: Predicting how gamers feel when playing and when prevented from playing

OpenAIRE

Stoeber, Joachim; Harvey, Matt; Ward, Joshua A.; Childs, Julian H.

2011-01-01

According to the Dualistic Model of Passion, two forms of passion can motivate a behavior: harmonious passion and obsessive passion. Across various life activities, studies have found that the two forms of passion show different relationships with affect, linking harmonious passion to positive affect and obsessive passion to negative affect. To investigate if this pattern also holds for online gaming, the present study investigated 160 gamers involved in playing massively multiplayer online r...

The (co-)occurrence of problematic video gaming, substance use, and psychosocial problems in adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

VAN Rooij, Antonius J; Kuss, Daria J; Griffiths, Mark D; Shorter, Gillian W; Schoenmakers, M Tim; VAN DE Mheen, Dike

2014-09-01

The current study explored the nature of problematic (addictive) video gaming (PVG) and the association with game type, psychosocial health, and substance use. Data were collected using a paper and pencil survey in the classroom setting. Three samples were aggregated to achieve a total sample of 8478 unique adolescents. Scales included measures of game use, game type, the Video game Addiction Test (VAT), depressive mood, negative self-esteem, loneliness, social anxiety, education performance, and use of cannabis, alcohol and nicotine (smoking). Findings confirmed problematic gaming is most common amongst adolescent gamers who play multiplayer online games. Boys (60%) were more likely to play online games than girls (14%) and problematic gamers were more likely to be boys (5%) than girls (1%). High problematic gamers showed higher scores on depressive mood, loneliness, social anxiety, negative self-esteem, and self-reported lower school performance. Nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis using boys were almost twice more likely to report high PVG than non-users. It appears that online gaming in general is not necessarily associated with problems. However, problematic gamers do seem to play online games more often, and a small subgroup of gamers - specifically boys - showed lower psychosocial functioning and lower grades. Moreover, associations with alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use are found. It would appear that problematic gaming is an undesirable problem for a small subgroup of gamers. The findings encourage further exploration of the role of psychoactive substance use in problematic gaming.

Using an Agent-Based Modeling Simulation and Game to Teach Socio-Scientific Topics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lori L. Scarlatos

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In our modern world, where science, technology and society are tightly interwoven, it is essential that all students be able to evaluate scientific evidence and make informed decisions. Energy Choices, an agent-based simulation with a multiplayer game interface, was developed as a learning tool that models the interdependencies between the energy choices that are made, growth in local economies, and climate change on a global scale. This paper presents the results of pilot testing Energy Choices in two different settings, using two different modes of delivery.

Collaborate and share: an experimental study of the effects of task and reward interdependencies in online games.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Boreum; Lee, Inseong; Choi, Dongseong; Kim, Jinwoo

2007-08-01

Today millions of players interact with one another in online games, especially massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). These games promote interaction among players by offering interdependency features, but to date few studies have asked what interdependency design factors of MMORPGs make them fun for players, produce experiences of flow, or enhance player performance. In this study, we focused on two game design features: task and reward interdependency. We conducted a controlled experiment that compared the interaction effects of low and high task-interdependency conditions and low and high reward-interdependency conditions on three dependent variables: fun, flow, and performance. We found that in a low task-interdependency condition, players had more fun, experienced higher levels of flow, and perceived better performance when a low reward-interdependency condition also obtained. In contrast, in a high task-interdependency condition, all of these measures were higher when a high reward-interdependency condition also obtained.

The Use of Massive Multiplayer Online Games to Evaluate C4I Systems

Science.gov (United States)

2004-03-01

are met. This includes processing inputs from connected devices like keyboards and mice in addition to incoming packets that produce the graphical...the game that monopolizes 34% of the market is NCSoft’s monster hit, Lineage. Unveiled in 1998, Lineage became an overnight success and continues to

3D Game Content Distributed Adaptation in Heterogeneous Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berretty Robert-Paul

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Most current multiplayer 3D games can only be played on a single dedicated platform (a particular computer, console, or cell phone, requiring specifically designed content and communication over a predefined network. Below we show how, by using signal processing techniques such as multiresolution representation and scalable coding for all the components of a 3D graphics object (geometry, texture, and animation, we enable online dynamic content adaptation, and thus delivery of the same content over heterogeneous networks to terminals with very different profiles, and its rendering on them. We present quantitative results demonstrating how the best displayed quality versus computational complexity versus bandwidth tradeoffs have been achieved, given the distributed resources available over the end-to-end content delivery chain. Additionally, we use state-of-the-art, standardised content representation and compression formats (MPEG-4 AFX, JPEG 2000, XML, enabling deployment over existing infrastructure, while keeping hooks to well-established practices in the game industry.

A Game of One’s Own: Towards a New Gendered Poetics of Digital Space

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacquelyn Ford Morie

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The techno-fetishism of computer game culture has lead to a predominately male sensibility towards the construction of space in digital entertainment. Real-time strategy games conceive of space as a domain to be conquered; first-person shooters create labyrinthine battlefields in which space becomes a context for combat. Massively multiplayer games offer the opportunity for non-linear exploration, but emphasize linear achievement within a combat-based narrative. In this paper, we argue for a new gendered, regendered and perhaps degendered poetics of game space, rethinking ways in which space is conceptualized and represented as a domain for play. We argue for a more egalitarian virtual playground that acknowledges and embraces a wider range of spatial and cognitive models, referencing literature, philosophy, fine art and non-digital games for inspiration. Reflecting on a variety of sources, beginning with Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own and Bachelard’s Poetics of Space, feminist writings of Charlotte Gilman Perkins, Simone de Beauvoir, Hélène Cixous, Judith Butler, Janet Murray, and including contemporary game writers such as Lizbeth Klastrup, Mary Flanagan, Maia Engeli, and T.L. Taylor, we will argue for a new gendered poetics of game space, proposing an inclusionary approach that integrates feminine conceptions of space into the gaming landscape.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training by Avatars: A Qualitative Study of Medical Students' Experiences Using a Multiplayer Virtual World.

Science.gov (United States)

Creutzfeldt, Johan; Hedman, Leif; Felländer-Tsai, Li

2016-12-16

Emergency medical practices are often team efforts. Training for various tasks and collaborations may be carried out in virtual environments. Although promising results exist from studies of serious games, little is known about the subjective reactions of learners when using multiplayer virtual world (MVW) training in medicine. The objective of this study was to reach a better understanding of the learners' reactions and experiences when using an MVW for team training of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Twelve Swedish medical students participated in semistructured focus group discussions after CPR training in an MVW with partially preset options. The students' perceptions and feelings related to use of this educational tool were investigated. Using qualitative methodology, discussions were analyzed by a phenomenological data-driven approach. Quality measures included negotiations, back-and-forth reading, triangulation, and validation with the informants. Four categories characterizing the students' experiences could be defined: (1) Focused Mental Training, (2) Interface Diverting Focus From Training, (3) Benefits of Practicing in a Group, and (4) Easy Loss of Focus When Passive. We interpreted the results, compared them to findings of others, and propose advantages and risks of using virtual worlds for learning. Beneficial aspects of learning CPR in a virtual world were confirmed. To achieve high participant engagement and create good conditions for training, well-established procedures should be practiced. Furthermore, students should be kept in an active mode and frequent feedback should be utilized. It cannot be completely ruled out that the use of virtual training may contribute to erroneous self-beliefs that can affect later clinical performance. ©Johan Creutzfeldt, Leif Hedman, Li Felländer-Tsai. Originally published in JMIR Serious Games (http://games.jmir.org), 16.12.2016.

"Martian Boneyards": Sustained Scientific Inquiry in a Social Digital Game

Science.gov (United States)

Asbell-Clarke, Jordis

Social digital gaming is an explosive phenomenon where youth and adults are engaged in inquiry for the sake of fun. The complexity of learning evidenced in social digital games is attracting the attention of educators. Martian Boneyards is a proof-of-concept game designed to study how a community of voluntary gamers can be enticed to engage in sustained, high-quality scientific inquiry. Science educators and game designers worked together to create an educational game with the polish and intrigue of a professional-level game, striving to attract a new audience to scientific inquiry. Martian Boneyards took place in the high-definition, massively multiplayer online environment, Blue Mars, where players spent an average of 30 hours in the game over the 4-month implementation period, with some exceeding 200 hours. Most of the players' time was spent in scientific inquiry activities and about 30% of the players' in-game interactions were in the analysis and theory-building phases of inquiry. Female players conducted most of the inquiry, in particular analysis and theory building. The quality of scientific inquiry processes, which included extensive information gathering by players, and the resulting content were judged to be very good by a team of independent scientists. This research suggests that a compelling storyline, a highly aesthetic environment, and the emergent social bonds among players and between players and the characters played by designers were all responsible for sustaining high quality inquiry among gamers in this free-choice experience. The gaming environment developed for Martian Boneyards is seen as an evolving ecosystem with interactions among design, players' activity, and players' progress.

Nash equilibria in quantum games with generalized two-parameter strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flitney, Adrian P.; Hollenberg, Lloyd C.L.

2007-01-01

In the Eisert protocol for 2x2 quantum games [J. Eisert, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83 (1999) 3077], a number of authors have investigated the features arising from making the strategic space a two-parameter subset of single qubit unitary operators. We argue that the new Nash equilibria and the classical-quantum transitions that occur are simply an artifact of the particular strategy space chosen. By choosing a different, but equally plausible, two-parameter strategic space we show that different Nash equilibria with different classical-quantum transitions can arise. We generalize the two-parameter strategies and also consider these strategies in a multiplayer setting

The (co-)occurrence of problematic video gaming, substance use, and psychosocial problems in adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

VAN ROOIJ, ANTONIUS J.; KUSS, DARIA J.; GRIFFITHS, MARK D.; SHORTER, GILLIAN W.; SCHOENMAKERS, M. TIM; VAN DE MHEEN, DIKE

2014-01-01

Abstract Aims: The current study explored the nature of problematic (addictive) video gaming (PVG) and the association with game type, psychosocial health, and substance use. Methods: Data were collected using a paper and pencil survey in the classroom setting. Three samples were aggregated to achieve a total sample of 8478 unique adolescents. Scales included measures of game use, game type, the Video game Addiction Test (VAT), depressive mood, negative self-esteem, loneliness, social anxiety, education performance, and use of cannabis, alcohol and nicotine (smoking). Results: Findings confirmed problematic gaming is most common amongst adolescent gamers who play multiplayer online games. Boys (60%) were more likely to play online games than girls (14%) and problematic gamers were more likely to be boys (5%) than girls (1%). High problematic gamers showed higher scores on depressive mood, loneliness, social anxiety, negative self-esteem, and self-reported lower school performance. Nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis using boys were almost twice more likely to report high PVG than non-users. Conclusions: It appears that online gaming in general is not necessarily associated with problems. However, problematic gamers do seem to play online games more often, and a small subgroup of gamers – specifically boys – showed lower psychosocial functioning and lower grades. Moreover, associations with alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use are found. It would appear that problematic gaming is an undesirable problem for a small subgroup of gamers. The findings encourage further exploration of the role of psychoactive substance use in problematic gaming. PMID:25317339

Learn English or die: The effects of digital games on interaction and willingness to communicate in a foreign language

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hayo Reinders

2011-04-01

Full Text Available In recent years there has been a lot of interest in the potential role of digital games in language education. Playing digital games is said to be motivating to students and to benefit the development of social skills, such as collaboration, and metacognitive skills such as planning and organisation. An important potential benefit is also that digital games encourage the use of the target language in a non-threatening environment. Willingness to communicate has been shown to affect second language acquisition in a number of ways and it is therefore important to investigate if there is a connection between playing games and learners’ interaction in the target language. In this article we report on the results of a pilot study that investigated the effects of playing an online multiplayer game on the quantity and quality of second language interaction in the game and on participants’ willingness to communicate in the target language. We will show that digital games can indeed affect second language interaction patterns and contribute to second language acquisition, but that this depends, like in all other teaching and learning environments, on careful pedagogic planning of the activity.

Problematic Video Gaming in a Young Spanish Population: Association with Psychosocial Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Buiza-Aguado, Carlos; Alonso-Canovas, Araceli; Conde-Mateos, Celia; Buiza-Navarrete, Juan Jose; Gentile, Douglas

2018-06-01

Problematic video gaming (PVG) is a concern for psychologists attending children and adolescents. Uniform diagnostic criteria are lacking, and risk factors are poorly understood. Internet gaming disorder (IGD) was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and scales derived from its diagnostic criteria may be helpful to assess PVG. A multicenter study was conducted in secondary schools using an IGD-derived scale (dichotomous Nine-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale [IGD-9]), analyzing PVG-related variables. Seven hundred eight students (55.8 percent male) with mean age 15.6 ± 2.7 years were included. Seventy-three percent were gamers and 22 percent heavy gamers (HGs). Forty-five percent reported online gaming and 6.6 percent massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Fifty-nine students (8.3 percent) scored 5 or more in IGD-9 and were classified as IGD+. HG and IGD+ subjects were more frequently male and online and MMORPG gamers (p  0.01). The multivariate analysis showed that IGD+ scores were significantly associated with worse psychosocial health and adjustment (p MMORPG gaming, and HG) were not significantly associated (p > 0.01). The IGD-9 scale scored positive in 8.3 percent of our sample. Unlike gaming time, this scale was associated with psychosocial disturbances, making it potentially useful as a screening method to detect candidates for clinical intervention.

On the costs and benefits of gaming: the role of passion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lafrenière, Marc-André K; Vallerand, Robert J; Donahue, Eric G; Lavigne, Geneviève L

2009-06-01

The dualistic model of passion defines passion as a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that a person likes and values and in which he or she invests time and energy. The model proposes two distinct types of passion: harmonious and obsessive passion that predict adaptive and less adaptive outcomes respectively. In the present research, we were interested in assessing both the negative and positive consequences that can result from gaming. Participants (n = 222) were all players involved in massively multiplayer online games. They completed an online survey. Results from a canonical correlation revealed that both harmonious and obsessive passion were positively associated with the experience of positive affect while playing. However, only obsessive passion was also positively related to the experience of negative affect while playing. In addition, only obsessive passion was positively related to problematic behaviors generally associated with excessive gaming, the amount of time spent playing, and negative physical symptoms. Moreover, obsessive passion was negatively related to self-realization and unrelated to life satisfaction. Conversely, harmonious passion was positively associated with both types of psychological well-being. This general pattern of results suggests that obsessive passion for gaming is an important predictor of the negative outcomes of gaming, while harmonious passion seems to account for positive consequences. Future research directions are discussed in light of the dualistic model of passion.

Pigments analysis on skin tomato fruits during ripening by mean fluorescence techniques; Analisi mediante utilizzo di tecniche di fluorescenza dei pigmenti presenti sulla superficie di bacche di pomodoro durante la maturazione

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lai, A; Fantoni, R [ENEA, Divisione Fisica Applicata, Centro Ricerche Frascati, Rome (Italy)

2000-07-01

Different spectroscopic techniques, based on visible fluorescence emission upon excitation in the same spectral region or in the ultraviolet, have been utilized to characterize tomato fruit ripening stages in order to analyze surface pigments which correspond to optimal conditions for fruit harvesting. The main fluorescence spectral features belonging to antochyanin, flavonoids, carotenoids and chlorophyll a after excitation of skin tomato pigments at different laser wavelength have been identified. For tomato ripening stage LIF detection, the {lambda}{sub e}xc266nm was established as the optimal laser wavelength. [Italian] Mediante diverse tecniche spettroscopiche, basate sulla emissione di fluorescenza visibile a seguito di eccitazione nella stessa regione o nell'ultravioletto, e' stato condotto uno studio su bacche di pomodoro a diversi stadi di maturazione Lo scopo del lavoro e' quello di potere attribuire, attraverso l'analisi degli spettri di fluorescenza dei pigmenti superficiali presenti nel frutto, lo stadio ottimale di maturazione al momento della raccolta. I risultati ottenuti hanno permesso di distinguere spettri di fluorescenza attribuiti ai principali gruppi di pigmenti fluorescenti presenti nella superficie esterna del pomodoro: antociani, flavonoidi, carotenoidi e clorofilla a.

Developing Cultural Competence at the Tactical Level: The Art of the Possible

Science.gov (United States)

2009-12-11

Violence : physical force used to inflict injury or damage 23 24 CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS The Ends, Ways, and Means of Cultural Competency Another aspect...operations is inferred at the individual level of this simulation but would be better maximized as a multiplayer game. The term military operations inferred... multiplayer game. As with the previous simulation of Tactical Iraqi, the term military operations inferred the actions are executed collectively as a unit

Three is a crowd – inefficient communication in the multi-player electronic mail game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jaegher, K.; Rosenkranz, S.

In a two-player stag hunt with asymmetric information, players may lock each other into requiring a large number of confirmations and confirmations of confirmations from one another before eventually acting. This intuition has been formalized in the electronic mail game (EMG). The literature

Assessing twenty-first century skills through a teacher created video game for high school biology students

Science.gov (United States)

Annetta, Leonard A.; Cheng, Meng-Tzu; Holmes, Shawn

2010-07-01

As twenty-first century skills become a greater focus in K-12 education, an infusion of technology that meets the needs of today's students is paramount. This study looks at the design and creation of a Multiplayer Educational Gaming Application (MEGA) for high school biology students. The quasi-experimental, qualitative design assessed the twenty-first century skills of digital age literacy, inventive thinking, high productivity, and effective communication techniques of the students exposed to a MEGA. Three factors, as they pertained to these skills, emerged from classroom observations. Interaction with the teacher, discussion with peers, and engagement/time-on-task while playing the MEGA suggested that students playing an educational video game exhibited all of the projected twenty-first century skills while being engrossed in the embedded science content.

Exploring Stereotypical Perceptions of Female Players in Digital Gaming Contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaye, Linda K; Gresty, Claire E; Stubbs-Ennis, Natasha

2017-12-01

Gender stereotypes are still reported to exist in digital gaming contexts, despite the fact that participation of females is relatively equal to that of males. The current research explored a number of factors and their impact upon stereotypical perceptions and attitudes toward female players. This included avatar gender, gender identity by gaming context, as well as more general gender-role beliefs. We undertook two studies, each utilizing an online questionnaire targeted toward online players. Study 1 recruited online gamers (N = 489) and compared competence perceptions of players, which varied by player gender (male, female) and avatar gender (male, female), whereby four conditions were established. Overall, player competence was perceived to be highest when male avatars were used, specifically when female players were depicted in this way. Study 2 explored the relationships between male social identity and gender-role beliefs, with sexist attitudes in gaming, and whether this varied by gaming context (massively multiplayer online [MMO] vs. first-person shooter [FPS]). Male online gamers (N = 193) were recruited, of which 112 were MMO players, and 81 were FPS players. It was found that identifying as male social identity was not related to sexist attitudes in either gaming context. However, more general gender-role beliefs were related to sexist attitudes. The findings indicate that although certain stereotypes exist (e.g., competence perceptions), these are not necessarily harvested by players' identities within communities, but may derive through more operational functions such as avatar gender.

The design and implementation of multiplayer, web-based, 2D game made in client-server architecture

OpenAIRE

Chojnacki, Piotr; Duczmańska, Justyna

2014-01-01

Even though Ludwig Wittgenstein – Austrian-British philosopher – was the first man to address a definition of word “game”1 in his Philosophical Investigations book in 1953, games were known to human since the ancient times2. Because people are social beings and they long to interact with each other, a purpose of majority of games was – and still is – to spend time with others in a friendly atmosphere. It is also in human nature to face challenges and compete with other people and it is reflec...

Bridging Media with the Help of Players

Science.gov (United States)

Nitsche, Michael; Drake, Matthew; Murray, Janet

We suggest harvesting the power of multiplayer design to bridge content across different media platforms and develop player-driven cross-media experiences. This paper first argues to partially replace complex AI systems with multiplayer design strategies to provide the necessary level of flexibility in the content generation for cross-media applications. The second part describes one example project - the Next Generation Play (NGP) project - that illustrates one practical approach of such a player-driven cross-media content generation. NGP allows players to collect virtual items while watching a TV show. These items are re-used in a multiplayer casual game that automatically generates new game worlds based on the various collections of active players joining a game session. While the TV experience is designed for the single big screen, the game executes on multiple mobile phones. Design and technical implementation of the prototype are explained in more detail to clarify how players carry elements of television narratives into a non-linear handheld gaming experience. The system describes a practical way to create casual game adaptations based on players' personal preferences in a multi-user environment.

Tales for the Many

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tychsen, Anders

2008-01-01

Multi-player Role-Playing Games form rare examples of interactive, collaborative storytelling systems, especially within the tabletop format. However, despite recent advances in the theory and general knowledge of the field, models of the operation of the storytelling process in multi-player non...

Pigments analysis on skin tomato fruits during ripening by mean fluorescence techniques; Analisi mediante utilizzo di tecniche di fluorescenza dei pigmenti presenti sulla superficie di bacche di pomodoro durante la maturazione

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lai, A.; Fantoni, R. [ENEA, Divisione Fisica Applicata, Centro Ricerche Frascati, Rome (Italy)

2000-07-01

Different spectroscopic techniques, based on visible fluorescence emission upon excitation in the same spectral region or in the ultraviolet, have been utilized to characterize tomato fruit ripening stages in order to analyze surface pigments which correspond to optimal conditions for fruit harvesting. The main fluorescence spectral features belonging to antochyanin, flavonoids, carotenoids and chlorophyll a after excitation of skin tomato pigments at different laser wavelength have been identified. For tomato ripening stage LIF detection, the {lambda}{sub e}xc266nm was established as the optimal laser wavelength. [Italian] Mediante diverse tecniche spettroscopiche, basate sulla emissione di fluorescenza visibile a seguito di eccitazione nella stessa regione o nell'ultravioletto, e' stato condotto uno studio su bacche di pomodoro a diversi stadi di maturazione Lo scopo del lavoro e' quello di potere attribuire, attraverso l'analisi degli spettri di fluorescenza dei pigmenti superficiali presenti nel frutto, lo stadio ottimale di maturazione al momento della raccolta. I risultati ottenuti hanno permesso di distinguere spettri di fluorescenza attribuiti ai principali gruppi di pigmenti fluorescenti presenti nella superficie esterna del pomodoro: antociani, flavonoidi, carotenoidi e clorofilla a.

The immediate and long-term effects of time perspective on Internet gaming disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukavská, Kateřina

2018-03-01

Backgrounds and aims This study focuses on the role of time perspective (TP) in Internet gaming disorder (IGD). An inventory-based study on 377 massive multiplayer online role playing game players was conducted, followed by a 3-year-follow-up in which 48 active players from the original sample participated. We proposed that TP factors (negative TP and future positive TP) will influence either the current presence of IGD symptoms or the further development of IGD over time. In other words, the effect of TP is stable. Finally, game usage patterns were analyzed in the sense of changes in playing time and IGD symptoms in gamers after 3 years. Methods To access the variables, two scales were administered through online inventory, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory-short, and Charlton and Danforths' Core Addiction Scale, both in 2012 (N = 377) and 2015 (N = 48). The amount of time that gamers usually spent playing were obtained through self-reports. Results The study's primary presumptions were confirmed. Both negative TP and future positive TP were confirmed as significant predictors of the presence of IGD symptoms, either immediately or in the following 3 years. Data on game usage showed a significant decrease in playing time and IGD symptoms between year 0 and year 3 of the study.

Psychiatrists' Perceptions of World of Warcraft and Other MMORPGs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lis, Eric; Chiniara, Carl; Wood, Megan A; Biskin, Robert; Montoro, Richard

2016-06-01

Video game use, particularly massively-multiplayer online games (MMOs) and massively-multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), has been a focus of considerable research in recent years. However, little is known regarding how mental health workers perceive patients and clients who report playing them. The present study examines whether psychiatrists play MMOs/MMORPGs and how they perceive those who play them. Psychiatrists (N = 48) at a tertiary care centre in Canada completed a questionnaire assessing history of playing video games as well as whether they associate such use with psychopathology. Only 36.7 % believed there was an association between psychopathology and MMO/MMORPG use. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

Social Media Interactions and Online Games - Building up New Human Relationships in Danube Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Predrag K Nikolić

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper we are trying to explore possibilities of using online environment, multiplayer gaming culture and social media networks to engage people in the Danube Region around social, multi-cultural and environment initiatives. The Danube Region online community could become a new cultural phenomena, technology mediated, built on human interactions, common interests and cultural heritage which open space for future humancentered social and infrastructural design initiatives. We believe that such social media environment could also be a research playground where people form Danube Region may express their needs and desires as well as to leave the trace of their behavior, significant for further Danube Region development.

Prevalence and Correlates of Internet Gaming Problem among Internet Users: Results from an Internet Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramaniam, Mythily; Chua, Boon Yiang; Abdin, Edimansyah; Pang, Shirlene; Satghare, Pratika; Vaingankar, Janhavi A; Verma, Swapna; Ong, Say How; Picco, Louisa; Chong, Siow Ann

2016-05-01

The current study aimed to establish the prevalence of internet gaming disorder (IGD) and its association with demographic characteristics, game genre, game use (time spent on gaming), as well as psychological distress, social phobia and well-being among current online gamers in Singapore. A total of 1251 participants aged 13 to 40 years completed the study which was administered as a web survey. The online questionnaire was designed using QuestionPro, and consisted of 8 sections and 105 questions. The 9-item Internet Gaming Disorder Questionnaire was used to establish the prevalence of IGD in the study. A series of logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between IGD, demographic characteristics and game genre, as well as IGD and psychological distress, social phobia and well-being. The prevalence of IGD established using a cutoff of 5 among those who were current online gamers was 17.7%. Multiple logistic regressions revealed that those meeting criteria of IGD were more likely to be older, reported an earlier age of onset of playing online games, had primary and secondary education versus tertiary education, were currently students versus being currently employed and played massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Distress and social anxiety were higher while satisfaction with life was significantly lower among those who met criteria for IGD than those who did not meet the criteria. The prevalence of IGD and its negative consequences in our sample of current online gamers was significant and point towards the need for further clinical studies and innovative interventions to address the problem.

Age of Initiation and Internet Gaming Disorder: The Role of Self-Esteem.

Science.gov (United States)

Beard, Charlotte L; Haas, Amie L; Wickham, Robert E; Stavropoulos, Vasileios

2017-06-01

The link between early initiation and problematic use has been observed for substance use disorders; however, this link has not been as clearly established for Internet gaming disorder (IGD). Available studies indicate that individuals who initiate Internet use at younger ages exhibit an increased risk for general Internet addiction. Prior research also suggests unique cognitive processes in online gaming, such that an individual's overall sense of self-worth can become contingent upon self-esteem derived from the gaming environment. The current research examines the mediational role of self-esteem variables in the relationship between age of initiation and IGD symptomatology. Data were analyzed from 1,044 adult participants (mean age = 30.90; standard deviation: 9.28; 35.0% female) recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk who reported playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Age of gaming initiation is directly linked to IGD, as earlier age predicted overall IGD symptom severity (b = -0.10, 95% confidence interval [CI: -0.17, -0.03]), controlling for self-esteem factors. In addition, self-esteem factors emerged as mediators of the effect, where global self-esteem served as a protective factor (b = -0.05, 95% CI: [-0.07, -0.02]) and high gaming-contingent self-worth (GCSW; b = -0.10, 95% CI: [-0.15, -0.04]) was associated with more negative outcomes. Earlier age of gaming initiation is associated with IGD symptomatology. Although risks of screen time are often referred to in terms of physical consequences, the present study provides support regarding the inclusion of self-esteem factors in the link between early use and IGD.

A Collection of Economic and Social Data from Glitch, a Massively Multiplayer Online Game

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-05

principal currency. The data also includes both a snowball - sample based scrape of all of the explicit friendships between different players (where...The data also includes both a snowball - sample based scrape of all of the explicit friendships between different players (where “friendships” are...locate someone in the game, communicate with them, or visit their house. The friendship network data contains a snowball -scrape of the Glitch network

Playing at being mobile: Gaming and cute culture in South Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larissa Hjorth

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is based on ongoing research into the gendered use of mobile convergent media in the Asia-Pacific region. In particular, what role does the cute have and how does it correlate with types of consumption? As a region, the Asia-Pacific is marked by diverse penetration rates, subject to local cultural and socio-economic nuances. Two defining locations - Seoul (South Korea and Tokyo (Japan - are seen as both mobile centres and gaming centres which the world looks towards as examples of the future-in-the-present. Unlike Japan, which pioneered the keitai (mobile IT revolution with devices such as i-mode, South Korea has become a centre for mobile DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadband with the successful implementation of TV mobile phones (TU mobile in 2005. One of the key features of mobile media technologies is the attempt by the industry to find the next killer application . One such application is the possibility of online multiplayer games accessed through mobile (broadband telephonic devices such as MMO golf RPG Shot Online (a golf game for mobile phones. Amongst this frenzy of trend spotting and stargazing, Seoul as a mobile broadband and gaming centre provides a curious case study for the social and cultural intricacies informing the rise of gaming as an everyday practice for many Koreans.This article begins by outlining the game play and technoculture particular to South Korea and then explores the phenomenon of Kart Rider in South Korean gaming cultures - and its perception/ reception outside Korea - to sketch some of the issues at stake in playing it cute (particularly in the form of cute avatars, consuming Korea and the endurance of co-present communities. In particular, it contemplates the implications of current emerging online mobile gaming genres such as so-called female games such as the cute' Kart Rider in order to think about changing modes of game play and attendant social spaces.

Do those who play together stay together? The World of Warcraft community between play, practice and game design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioana Cărtărescu-Petrică

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In a time when video games are commonly blamed for anything from antisocial behavior, to the isolation and alienation of their users Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games have developed to provide one of the ultimate online social experiences. Based on cooperation, coordination and communication among players, these games do more than simply provide entertainment: they foster communities, not only allowing trust and friendship to be born, but actively encouraging it. In fact, one of the main secret behind the success of this kind of game appears to be its capacity to stimulate interaction and bonding around a common goal for its players. This paper focuses on one of the world’s most popular MMORPGs, World of Warcraft, specifically on studying the characteristics of the community of play and practice built around it and on the influence the game architecture has on the survival potential of said WoW community. In order to achieve these goals, I have conducted a qualitative research at the height of the game’s popularity (2011 , conducting interviews with experienced, mostly hard-core and pro players and followed up with half of the original respondents four years later (in 2015, to see how their views on the gaming experience have evolved and to try to understand why the once flourishing WoW community seems to have started its decline.

Learning to Decode Nonverbal Cues in Cross-Cultural Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

2009-06-01

incite a local mob to violence .” Impact of Gaming and Interactive Media Serious research on the educational potential of gaming and interactive...Rigby, 2006; Rigby 2007). In multiplayer games, including both competition and cooperation (where learners must work together to achieve a goal

Neurobiological correlates of internet gaming disorder: Similarities to pathological gambling.

Science.gov (United States)

Fauth-Bühler, M; Mann, K

2017-01-01

The number of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) is on the rise worldwide along with the fascination that they inspire. Problems occur when the use of MMOs becomes excessive at the expense of other life domains. Although not yet formally included as disorder in common diagnostic systems, internet gaming disorder (IGD) is considered a "condition for further study" in section III of the DSM-5. The current review aims to provide an overview of cognitive and neurobiological data currently available on IGD, with a particular focus on impulsivity, compulsivity, and sensitivity to reward and punishment. Additionally, we also compare these findings on IGD with data from studies on pathological gambling (PG)-so far the only condition officially classified as a behavioral addiction in the DSM-5. Multiple similarities have been observed in the neurobiology of IGD and PG, as measured by alterations in brain function and behavior. Both patients with IGD and those with PG exhibited decreased loss sensitivity; enhanced reactivity to gaming and gambling cues, respectively; enhanced impulsive choice behavior; aberrant reward-based learning; and no changes in cognitive flexibility. In conclusion, the evidence base on the neurobiology of gaming and gambling disorders is beginning to illuminate the similarities between the two. However, as only a few studies have addressed the neurobiological basis of IGD, and some of these studies suffer from significant limitations, more research is required before IGD's inclusion as a second behavioral addiction in the next versions of the ICD and DSM can be justified. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Need to Know" Versus "Spread the Word": Collective Action in the Multi-Player Electronic Mail Game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jaegher, K.

2008-01-01

As shown by Rubinstein (1989, AER), in the two-player electronic mail game, players are better off if the extent to which they can check each other’s information, check each other’s information about each other’s information, etc., is limited. This paper investigates to what extent this result

On a Quest for English

Science.gov (United States)

Waters, John K.

2007-01-01

This article reports the potential of online role-playing games to be a powerful tool for English as a second language (ESL) learning. When Professor Edd Schneider and game designer Kai Zheng suggested to attendees gathered in San Francisco last spring for the annual Game Developers Conference that massively multiplayer online role-playing games,…

Representation of Cultural Role-Play for Training

Science.gov (United States)

Santarelli, Thomas; Pepe, Aaron; Rosenzweiz, Larry; Paulus, John; Yi, Ahn Na

2010-01-01

The Department of Defense (000) has successfully applied a number of methods for cultural familiarization training ranging from stand-up classroom training, to face-to-face live role-play, to so-called smart-cards. Recent interest has turned to the use of single and mUlti-player gaming technologies to augment these traditional methods of cultural familiarization. One such system, termed CulturePad, has been designed as a game-based role-play environment suitable for use in training and experimentation involving cultural roleplay scenarios. This paper describes the initial CulturePad effort focused on a literature review regarding the use of role-play for cultural training and a feasibility assessment of using a game-mediated environment for role-play. A small-scale pilot involving cultural experts was conducted to collect qualitative behavioral data comparing live role-play to game-mediated role-play in a multiplayer gaming engine.

A Novel Multiplayer Screen-Based Simulation Experience for African Learners Improved Confidence in Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage.

Science.gov (United States)

Taekman, Jeffrey M; Foureman, Megan F; Bulamba, Fred; Steele, Michael; Comstock, Emily; Kintu, Andrew; Mauritz, Amy; Olufolabi, Adeyemi

2017-01-01

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) remains a global challenge, affecting thirteen million women each year. In addition, PPH is a leading cause of maternal mortality in Asia and Africa. In the U.S.A., care of critically ill patients is often practiced using mannequin-based simulation. Mannequin-based simulation presents challenges in global health, particularly in low- or middle-income countries. We developed a novel multiplayer screen-based simulation in a virtual world enabling the practice of team coordination with PPH. We used this simulation with learners in Mulago, Uganda. We hypothesized that a multiplayer screen-based simulation experience would increase learner confidence in their ability to manage PPH. The study design was a simple pre- and a post-intervention survey. Forty-eight interprofessional subjects participated in one of nine 1-h simulation sessions using the PPH software. A fifteen-question self-assessment administered before and after the intervention was designed to probe the areas of learning as defined by Bloom and Krathwohl: affective, cognitive, and psychomotor. Combined confidence scores increased significantly overall following the simulation experience and individually in each of the three categories of Bloom's Taxonomy: affective, cognitive, and psychomotor. We provide preliminary evidence that multiplayer screen-based simulation represents a scalable, distributable form of learning that may be used effectively in global health education and training. Interestingly, despite our intervention being screen-based, our subjects showed improved confidence in their ability to perform psychomotor tasks. Although there is precedent for mental rehearsal improving performance, further research is needed to understand this finding.

A Novel Multiplayer Screen-Based Simulation Experience for African Learners Improved Confidence in Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey M. Taekman

2017-09-01

Full Text Available IntroductionPostpartum hemorrhage (PPH remains a global challenge, affecting thirteen million women each year. In addition, PPH is a leading cause of maternal mortality in Asia and Africa. In the U.S.A., care of critically ill patients is often practiced using mannequin-based simulation. Mannequin-based simulation presents challenges in global health, particularly in low- or middle-income countries. We developed a novel multiplayer screen-based simulation in a virtual world enabling the practice of team coordination with PPH. We used this simulation with learners in Mulago, Uganda. We hypothesized that a multiplayer screen-based simulation experience would increase learner confidence in their ability to manage PPH.MethodsThe study design was a simple pre- and a post-intervention survey. Forty-eight interprofessional subjects participated in one of nine 1-h simulation sessions using the PPH software. A fifteen-question self-assessment administered before and after the intervention was designed to probe the areas of learning as defined by Bloom and Krathwohl: affective, cognitive, and psychomotor.ResultsCombined confidence scores increased significantly overall following the simulation experience and individually in each of the three categories of Bloom’s Taxonomy: affective, cognitive, and psychomotor.ConclusionWe provide preliminary evidence that multiplayer screen-based simulation represents a scalable, distributable form of learning that may be used effectively in global health education and training. Interestingly, despite our intervention being screen-based, our subjects showed improved confidence in their ability to perform psychomotor tasks. Although there is precedent for mental rehearsal improving performance, further research is needed to understand this finding.

From boring to scoring - a collaborative serious game for learning and practicing mathematical logic for computer science education

Science.gov (United States)

Schäfer, Andreas; Holz, Jan; Leonhardt, Thiemo; Schroeder, Ulrik; Brauner, Philipp; Ziefle, Martina

2013-06-01

In this study, we address the problem of low retention and high dropout rates of computer science university students in early semesters of the studies. Complex and high abstract mathematical learning materials have been identified as one reason for the dropout rate. In order to support the understanding and practicing of core mathematical concepts, we developed a game-based multitouch learning environment in which the need for a suitable learning environment for mathematical logic was combined with the ability to train cooperation and collaboration in a learning scenario. As application domain, the field of mathematical logic had been chosen. The development process was accomplished along three steps: First, ethnographic interviews were run with 12 students of computer science revealing typical problems with mathematical logic. Second, a multitouch learning environment was developed. The game consists of multiple learning and playing modes in which teams of students can collaborate or compete against each other. Finally, a twofold evaluation of the environment was carried out (user study and cognitive walk-through). Overall, the evaluation showed that the game environment was easy to use and rated as helpful: The chosen approach of a multiplayer game supporting competition, collaboration, and cooperation is perceived as motivating and "fun."

Group play

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tychsen, Anders; Hitchens, Michael; Brolund, Thea

2008-01-01

Role-playing games (RPGs) are a well-known game form, existing in a number of formats, including tabletop, live action, and various digital forms. Despite their popularity, empirical studies of these games are relatively rare. In particular there have been few examinations of the effects of the v......Role-playing games (RPGs) are a well-known game form, existing in a number of formats, including tabletop, live action, and various digital forms. Despite their popularity, empirical studies of these games are relatively rare. In particular there have been few examinations of the effects...... of the various formats used by RPGs on the gaming experience. This article presents the results of an empirical study, examining how multi-player tabletop RPGs are affected as they are ported to the digital medium. Issues examined include the use of disposition assessments to predict play experience, the effect...... of group dynamics, the influence of the fictional game characters and the comparative play experience between the two formats. The results indicate that group dynamics and the relationship between the players and their digital characters, are integral to the quality of the gaming experience in multiplayer...

Warcraft and Civic Education: MMORPGs as Participatory Cultures and How Teachers Can Use Them to Improve Civic Education

Science.gov (United States)

Curry, Kristal

2010-01-01

Online role-playing games such as World Of Warcraft represent new participatory cultures in which today's students engage every day. They are appealing to players largely because of the social aspects of game play. Some features of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) can be incorporated into classroom culture to create more…

"Minecraft," Teachers, Parents, and Learning: What They Need to Know and Understand

Science.gov (United States)

Ellison, Tisha Lewis; Evans, Jessica N.

2016-01-01

This article explores six effective principles for teachers to use to understand and apply "Minecraft" in today's classrooms. Video games have become one of the fastest growing forms of media for youth and adult consumers. "Minecraft," a multiplayer online game (MOG), is one of the most popular video games to date. By allowing…

What "World of Warcraft" Is Teaching Us about Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerman, Lyn Kajiwara

2017-01-01

Video games are a growing multi-billion dollar industry. Pew Internet & American Life Project (2008) reported that 97 percent of teens ages 12 to 17 years play computer, web, portable, or console games. Of the various genres that were reported, 36 percent of teens played role playing games and 21 percent played massively multiplayer online…

2002 Defense Modeling and Simulation Office (DMSO) Laboratory for Human Behavior Model Interchange Standards

Science.gov (United States)

2003-07-01

into other game genres such as Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games and Massively Multiplayer Online Role- Playing Games ( MMORPG ). Unfortunately these game...games with a number of game companies, most notably Quicksilver, developers of Masters of Orion Ill, and UbiSoft, developer of the upcoming Matrix MMORPG ...in a recent DMSO funded effort to identify analysis applications of MMORPGs headed by Dr. David Johnson at IDA. This effort has suggested that the

Prevalence of behavior changing strategies in fitness video games: theory-based content analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Elizabeth Jane; Hatkevich, Claire

2013-05-07

Fitness video games are popular, but little is known about their content. Because many contain interactive tools that mimic behavioral strategies from weight loss intervention programs, it is possible that differences in content could affect player physical activity and/or weight outcomes. There is a need for a better understanding of what behavioral strategies are currently available in fitness games and how they are implemented. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of evidence-based behavioral strategies across fitness video games available for home use. Games available for consoles that used camera-based controllers were also contrasted with games available for a console that used handheld motion controllers. Fitness games (N=18) available for three home consoles were systematically identified and play-tested by 2 trained coders for at least 3 hours each. In cases of multiple games from one series, only the most recently released game was included. The Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox360 were the two camera-based consoles, and the Nintendo Wii was the handheld motion controller console. A coding list based on a taxonomy of behavioral strategies was used to begin coding. Codes were refined in an iterative process based on data found during play-testing. The most prevalent behavioral strategies were modeling (17/18), specific performance feedback (17/18), reinforcement (16/18), caloric expenditure feedback (15/18), and guided practice (15/18). All games included some kind of feedback on performance accuracy, exercise frequency, and/or fitness progress. Action planning (scheduling future workouts) was the least prevalent of the included strategies (4/18). Twelve games included some kind of social integration, with nine of them providing options for real-time multiplayer sessions. Only two games did not feature any kind of reward. Games for the camera-based consoles (mean 12.89, SD 2.71) included a greater number of strategies than those

The WoW Factor

Science.gov (United States)

Demski, Jennifer

2009-01-01

For a growing group of educators, the online role-playing game World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment's massively popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), is a place to go to relax, network, and discover potential learning strategies-- and slay a few monsters if they get in the way. The online role-playing game World of…

Characteristics of Social Network Gamers: in between Social Networking and Online Role-Playing Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga eGeisel

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Current research on internet addiction (IA reported moderate to high prevalence rates of IA and comorbid psychiatric symptoms in users of social networking sites (SNS and online role-playing games. The aim of this study was to characterise adult users of an internet multiplayer strategy game within a SNS. Therefore, we conducted an exploratory study using an online survey to assess sociodemographic variables, psychopathology and the rate of IA in a sample of adult social network gamers by Young´s Internet Addiction Test (IAT, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS, the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II, the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R and the WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF. All participants were listed gamers of combat zone in the SNS Facebook. In the IAT analysis, 16.2 % of the participants (n = 60 were categorized as subjects with IA and 19.5 % (n = 72 fulfilled the criteria for alexithymia. Comparing study participants with and without IA, the IA group had significantly more subjects with alexithymia, reported more depressive symptoms, and showed poorer quality of life. These findings suggest that social network gaming might also be associated with maladaptive patterns of internet use. Furthermore, a relationship between IA, alexithymia and depressive symptoms was found that needs to be elucidated by future studies.

More than addiction: Examining the role of anonymity, endless narrative, and socialization in prolonged gaming and instant messaging practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kishonna Gray

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This ethnographic study explores a user’s prolonged engagement within virtual gaming communities. Likening prolonged engagement with addiction, this research provides an alternative perspective into virtual addiction focusing on three interrelated themes: 1 anonymity, 2 endless narrative, and 3 socialization. By employing narrative interviews and virtual observations, the researchers examine two different cultural, racial and age groups’ user experience within console and computer-based multiplayer environments. More specifically, they explore how the three factors (i.e., anonymity; endless narrative; socialization relate to the prolonged and extended use within these virtual communities and highlight the multifaceted uses of traditional chat services, social media, and the convergence of media existing within these chat communities.

Cooperation, Coordination, and Trust in Virtual Teams: Insights from Virtual Games

Science.gov (United States)

Korsgaard, M. Audrey; Picot, Arnold; Wigand, Rolf T.; Welpe, Isabelle M.; Assmann, Jakob J.

This chapter considers fundamental concepts of effective virtual teams, illustrated by research on Travian, a massively multiplayer online strategy game wherein players seek to build empires. Team inputs are the resources that enable individuals to work interdependently toward a common goal, including individual and collective capabilities, shared knowledge structures, and leadership style. Team processes, notably coordination and cooperation, transform team inputs to desired collective outcomes. Because the members of virtual teams are geographically dispersed, relying on information and communication technology, three theories are especially relevant for understanding how they can function effectively: social presence theory, media richness theory, and media synchronicity theory. Research in settings like Travian can inform our understanding of structures, processes, and performance of virtual teams. Such research could provide valuable insight into the emergence and persistence of trust and cooperation, as well as the impact of different communication media for coordination and information management in virtual organizations.

Games and Multimedia in Foreign Language Learning -Using Back-story in Multimedia and Avatar-based Games to Engage Foreign Language Learners: A Pilot Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lili Teng Foti

2008-09-01

Full Text Available We set about to facilitate the learning of basic phrases in Mandarin Chinese among US college students in an interactive online environment. We designed two interactive web-based instructional modules that included animated movies, “listen and repeat” exercises, and interactive practice. One module used a back-story (“Mission Impossible” detective quest and the other did not. Students in the back-story condition scored marginally higher than learners in the control group on a timed online posttest, but not a significant difference. After the assessment, students were introduced to an open multiplayer online game (http://clubpenguin.com in which they had the opportunity to use what they had just learned to complete tasks cooperatively. This paper will describe the design of the instruction as well as the implications of the findings. In particular, the role back-stories is discussed in light of Mayer’s coherence effect, which calls on designers of multimedia environments to avoid including extraneous information.

Digital gaming and second language development: Japanese learners interactions in a MMORPG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Peterson

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs are identified as valuable arenas for language learning, as they provide access to contexts and types of interaction that are held to be beneficial in second language acquisition research. This paper will describe the development and key features of these games, and explore claims made regarding their value as environments for language learning. The discussion will then examine current research. This is followed by an analysis of the findings from an experimental qualitative study that investigates the interaction and attitudes of Japanese English as a foreign language learners who participated in MMORPG-based game play. The analysis draws attention to the challenging nature of the communication environment and the need for learner training. The findings indicate that system management issues, proficiency levels, the operation of affective factors, and prior gaming experiences appeared to influence participation. The data shows that for the intermediate learners who were novice users, the interplay of these factors appeared to restrict opportunities to engage in beneficial forms of interaction. In a positive finding, it was found that the intermediate and advanced level participants effectively utilized both adaptive and transfer discourse management strategies. Analysis reveals they took the lead in managing their discourse, and actively engaged in collaborative social interaction involving dialog in the target language. Participant feedback suggests that real time computer-based nature of the interaction provided benefits. These include access to an engaging social context, enjoyment, exposure to new vocabulary, reduced anxiety, and valuable opportunities to practice using a foreign language. This paper concludes by identifying areas of interest for future research.

Virtual Social Networking and Interoperability in the Canadian Forces Netcentric Environment

Science.gov (United States)

2009-07-01

looser ties of other types of non network-centric communities, such as Web 2.0 interactions, massive multiplayer online role-playing games”( MMORPG ...similarities with the aforementioned MMORPG games, they are generally labelled as such by virtue of being more generic in function than video game

Affordances for Second Language Learning in "World of Warcraft"

Science.gov (United States)

Rama, Paul S.; Black, Rebecca W.; van Es, Elizabeth; Warschauer, Mark

2012-01-01

What are the affordances of online gaming environments for second language learning and socialization? To answer this question, this qualitative study examines two college-age Spanish learners' experiences participating in the Spanish language version of the massively multi-player online game "World of Warcraft." Using data culled from participant…

Roulette Gambling

OpenAIRE

Vlk, Marek

2010-01-01

This work goes into roulette gambling. Its pivotal intension is to design and implement this game. The application provides two playing modes: "training game" working o -line and "real game" that performs multi-player game on-line. The work takes a focus on speed and reliability of network communication and on user-friendly 3D casino environment. Furthermore, the program provides playing and simulation of game systems implemented in the program and allows importing own system. The application...

Prevalence of Behavior Changing Strategies in Fitness Video Games: Theory-Based Content Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hatkevich, Claire

2013-01-01

Background Fitness video games are popular, but little is known about their content. Because many contain interactive tools that mimic behavioral strategies from weight loss intervention programs, it is possible that differences in content could affect player physical activity and/or weight outcomes. There is a need for a better understanding of what behavioral strategies are currently available in fitness games and how they are implemented. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of evidence-based behavioral strategies across fitness video games available for home use. Games available for consoles that used camera-based controllers were also contrasted with games available for a console that used handheld motion controllers. Methods Fitness games (N=18) available for three home consoles were systematically identified and play-tested by 2 trained coders for at least 3 hours each. In cases of multiple games from one series, only the most recently released game was included. The Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox360 were the two camera-based consoles, and the Nintendo Wii was the handheld motion controller console. A coding list based on a taxonomy of behavioral strategies was used to begin coding. Codes were refined in an iterative process based on data found during play-testing. Results The most prevalent behavioral strategies were modeling (17/18), specific performance feedback (17/18), reinforcement (16/18), caloric expenditure feedback (15/18), and guided practice (15/18). All games included some kind of feedback on performance accuracy, exercise frequency, and/or fitness progress. Action planning (scheduling future workouts) was the least prevalent of the included strategies (4/18). Twelve games included some kind of social integration, with nine of them providing options for real-time multiplayer sessions. Only two games did not feature any kind of reward. Games for the camera-based consoles (mean 12.89, SD 2.71) included a

DARWARS Integration Plan: A BBN Technologies Document, Version 2.0

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2005-01-01

.... In the DARWARS vision, current personal computer technology, bolstered by the commercial successes of the massively multiplayer game market, will support a revolution in computer-based training...

Cooperation and control in multiplayer social dilemmas

Science.gov (United States)

Hilbe, Christian; Wu, Bin; Traulsen, Arne; Nowak, Martin A.

2014-01-01

Direct reciprocity and conditional cooperation are important mechanisms to prevent free riding in social dilemmas. However, in large groups, these mechanisms may become ineffective because they require single individuals to have a substantial influence on their peers. However, the recent discovery of zero-determinant strategies in the iterated prisoner’s dilemma suggests that we may have underestimated the degree of control that a single player can exert. Here, we develop a theory for zero-determinant strategies for iterated multiplayer social dilemmas, with any number of involved players. We distinguish several particularly interesting subclasses of strategies: fair strategies ensure that the own payoff matches the average payoff of the group; extortionate strategies allow a player to perform above average; and generous strategies let a player perform below average. We use this theory to describe strategies that sustain cooperation, including generalized variants of Tit-for-Tat and Win-Stay Lose-Shift. Moreover, we explore two models that show how individuals can further enhance their strategic options by coordinating their play with others. Our results highlight the importance of individual control and coordination to succeed in large groups. PMID:25349400

Different gain/loss sensitivity and social adaptation ability in gifted adolescents during a public goods game.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongil Chung

Full Text Available Gifted adolescents are considered to have high IQs with advanced mathematical and logical performances, but are often thought to suffer from social isolation or emotional mal-adaptation to the social group. The underlying mechanisms that cause stereotypic portrayals of gifted adolescents are not well known. We aimed to investigate behavioral performance of gifted adolescents during social decision-making tasks to assess their affective and social/non-social cognitive abilities. We examined cooperation behaviors of 22 gifted and 26 average adolescents during an iterative binary public goods (PG game, a multi-player social interaction game, and analyzed strategic decision processes that include cooperation and free-riding. We found that the gifted adolescents were more cooperative than average adolescents. Particularly, comparing the strategies for the PG game between the two groups, gifted adolescents were less sensitive to loss, yet were more sensitive to gain. Additionally, the behavioral characteristics of average adolescents, such as low trust of the group and herding behavior, were not found in gifted adolescents. These results imply that gifted adolescents have a high cognitive ability but a low ability to process affective information or to adapt in social groups compared with average adolescents. We conclude that gain/loss sensitivity and the ability to adapt in social groups develop to different degrees in average and gifted adolescents.

Different Gain/Loss Sensitivity and Social Adaptation Ability in Gifted Adolescents during a Public Goods Game

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Dongil; Yun, Kyongsik; Kim, Jin Ho; Jang, Bosun; Jeong, Jaeseung

2011-01-01

Gifted adolescents are considered to have high IQs with advanced mathematical and logical performances, but are often thought to suffer from social isolation or emotional mal-adaptation to the social group. The underlying mechanisms that cause stereotypic portrayals of gifted adolescents are not well known. We aimed to investigate behavioral performance of gifted adolescents during social decision-making tasks to assess their affective and social/non-social cognitive abilities. We examined cooperation behaviors of 22 gifted and 26 average adolescents during an iterative binary public goods (PG) game, a multi-player social interaction game, and analyzed strategic decision processes that include cooperation and free-riding. We found that the gifted adolescents were more cooperative than average adolescents. Particularly, comparing the strategies for the PG game between the two groups, gifted adolescents were less sensitive to loss, yet were more sensitive to gain. Additionally, the behavioral characteristics of average adolescents, such as low trust of the group and herding behavior, were not found in gifted adolescents. These results imply that gifted adolescents have a high cognitive ability but a low ability to process affective information or to adapt in social groups compared with average adolescents. We conclude that gain/loss sensitivity and the ability to adapt in social groups develop to different degrees in average and gifted adolescents. PMID:21359224

The MORPG-Based Learning System for Multiple Courses: A Case Study on Computer Science Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kuo-Yu

2015-01-01

This study aimed at developing a Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game-based (MORPG) Learning system which enabled instructors to construct a game scenario and manage sharable and reusable learning content for multiple courses. It used the curriculum of "Introduction to Computer Science" as a study case to assess students' learning…

"I'm attached, and I'm a good guy/gal!": how character attachment influences pro- and anti-social motivations to play massively multiplayer online role-playing games.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Nicholas David; Schultheiss, Daniel; Schumann, Christina

2012-03-01

One's feelings of intimacy and connectedness with distal, fictional media characters are referred to as parasocial interactions. Video games have challenged this concept, as the distance between game players and characters is greatly reduced, if not completely removed, in virtual environments. Games encourage the internalization and psychological merging of a player's and a character's mind, a multidimensional concept known as character attachment (CA). Data from our study suggest that dimensions of CA are useful in understanding both pro- and anti-social gaming motivations. Pro-social gamers feel a greater sense of control over their characters, while anti-social gamers are more likely to suspend their disbelief of the game environment and not take responsibility for their virtual actions. Pro-social gaming was more prevalent in older gamers, and younger male game characters were motivated by anti-social reasons.

Multi-agent machine learning a reinforcement approach

CERN Document Server

Schwartz, H M

2014-01-01

The book begins with a chapter on traditional methods of supervised learning, covering recursive least squares learning, mean square error methods, and stochastic approximation. Chapter 2 covers single agent reinforcement learning. Topics include learning value functions, Markov games, and TD learning with eligibility traces. Chapter 3 discusses two player games including two player matrix games with both pure and mixed strategies. Numerous algorithms and examples are presented. Chapter 4 covers learning in multi-player games, stochastic games, and Markov games, focusing on learning multi-pla

"Redstone Is Like Electricity": Children's Performative Representations in and around "Minecraft"

Science.gov (United States)

Dezuanni, Michael; O'Mara, Joanne; Beavis, Catherine

2015-01-01

This article investigates 8-and 9-year-old girls' use of the popular game "Minecraft" at home and school, particularly the ways in which they performatively "bring themselves into being" through talk and digital production in the social spaces of the classroom and within the game's multiplayer online world. We explore how the…

The Use of Information Operations (IO) in Immersive Virtual Environments (IVE)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-01

Roll-Playing Game, MMORPG , Cyberspace, Cyber-Warfare. 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 87 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT Unclassified...4.  Control and Oversight .......................................................................59  5.  IO/ MMORPG Potential...JP Joint Publication MILDEC Military Deception MMORPG Massively Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Game NZSMG Non-Zero Sum Mutual Gaze OPSEC

The Effects of Group Dynamics on Language Learning and Use in an MMOG

Science.gov (United States)

Vosburg, Donald

2017-01-01

The use of video games as a learning tool, in particular massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), continues to grow, as does the research in this field of study; research to date has revealed benefits to the language learner as well as hindrances and research gaps (Godwin-Jones, 2014). This study examines participant perspectives on group…

Social Experience in "World of Warcraft": Technological and Ideological Mediations

Science.gov (United States)

Crenshaw, Nicole Kathryn

2017-01-01

As society shifts towards spending more time online for business and leisure, examining human behavior in virtual environments is crucial. To better understand the role that games play in our society, I analyze social experience in World of Warcraft (WoW), one of the longest running massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMO). Since its…

Progress and Promise: Research and Engineering for Human Sociocultural Behavior Capability in the U. S. Department Of Defense

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-01

M., Ranganathan , B. & Zyda, M. (2010) “Planning a Cosmopolis: Key Features of an MMORPG for Social Science Research.” CHI 2010 Workshop, Atlanta... Ranganathan , B., Carley, K. & Zyda, M. (2012) “Games, Social Simulations, and Data—Integration for Policy Decisions: The SUDAN Game.” Simulation & Gaming...438. Spraragen, M., Landwehr, P., Ranganathan , B., Zyda, M., Carley, K. Chang, Y. & Maheswaran, R. (2013). ”Cosmopolis: A Massively Multiplayer

Træfsikre mødesteder. Sociale og kulturelle møder i og omkring online multiplayer computerspil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stald, Gitte Bang

2005-01-01

Online multiplayer computerspil1 er i l¢bet af ganske kart tid blevet udbredt i et omfang, der syntes utopisk for fa ar siden - for internettets udbredelse, etableringen af netcafeer og udviklingen af spil med potentiale til online multi­player-spil i bade gameplay, grafik og interface. Det prcec...... forskelle i prog­noser indikerer tallene big business og star brugerinteresse (IGDA 2003: 15-28)....

Towards optimizing server performance in an educational MMORPG for teaching computer programming

Science.gov (United States)

Malliarakis, Christos; Satratzemi, Maya; Xinogalos, Stelios

2013-10-01

Web-based games have become significantly popular during the last few years. This is due to the gradual increase of internet speed, which has led to the ongoing multiplayer games development and more importantly the emergence of the Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) field. In parallel, similar technologies called educational games have started to be developed in order to be put into practice in various educational contexts, resulting in the field of Game Based Learning. However, these technologies require significant amounts of resources, such as bandwidth, RAM and CPU capacity etc. These amounts may be even larger in an educational MMORPG game that supports computer programming education, due to the usual inclusion of a compiler and the constant client/server data transmissions that occur during program coding, possibly leading to technical issues that could cause malfunctions during learning. Thus, the determination of the elements that affect the overall games resources' load is essential so that server administrators can configure them and ensure educational games' proper operation during computer programming education. In this paper, we propose a new methodology with which we can achieve monitoring and optimization of the load balancing, so that the essential resources for the creation and proper execution of an educational MMORPG for computer programming can be foreseen and bestowed without overloading the system.

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG): association between its addiction, self-control and mental disorders among young people in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Dinh Thai; Yasuoka, Junko; Poudel, Krishna C; Otsuka, Keiko; Jimba, Masamine

2013-09-01

To explore the association between MMORPG addiction and mental health status, and between self-control ability and mental health status among young male MMORPG players in Hanoi, Vietnam. In this cross-sectional study, 10 computer game rooms were randomly selected out of 77 in five communes in Hanoi. From these game rooms, 350 MMORPG players were purposively recruited as a study group, of whom 344 completed the questionnaire. In the same five communes, 344 non-players were selected as a control group. An online game addiction scale, a self-control scale and the Vietnamese SRQ-20 were used to measure the degree of MMORPG addiction, self-control ability and level of mental disorders. MMORPG players had significantly higher mental disorders scale scores than non-players (p MMORPG addiction scale scores and mental disorders scale scores (r = 0.730, p MMORPG addiction scale score and self-control scale score were considered the best predictors of a higher mental disorders scale score. Young, male MMORPG players with higher addiction scores were more likely to have higher mental disorders scale scores, and such mental status was negatively associated with the level of self-control in Hanoi, Vietnam. Closer attention should be paid to prevent mental disorders among MMORPG players.

A Game Theory Algorithm for Intra-Cluster Data Aggregation in a Vehicular Ad Hoc Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yuzhong; Weng, Shining; Guo, Wenzhong; Xiong, Naixue

2016-02-19

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) have an important role in urban management and planning. The effective integration of vehicle information in VANETs is critical to traffic analysis, large-scale vehicle route planning and intelligent transportation scheduling. However, given the limitations in the precision of the output information of a single sensor and the difficulty of information sharing among various sensors in a highly dynamic VANET, effectively performing data aggregation in VANETs remains a challenge. Moreover, current studies have mainly focused on data aggregation in large-scale environments but have rarely discussed the issue of intra-cluster data aggregation in VANETs. In this study, we propose a multi-player game theory algorithm for intra-cluster data aggregation in VANETs by analyzing the competitive and cooperative relationships among sensor nodes. Several sensor-centric metrics are proposed to measure the data redundancy and stability of a cluster. We then study the utility function to achieve efficient intra-cluster data aggregation by considering both data redundancy and cluster stability. In particular, we prove the existence of a unique Nash equilibrium in the game model, and conduct extensive experiments to validate the proposed algorithm. Results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has advantages over typical data aggregation algorithms in both accuracy and efficiency.

A Game Theory Algorithm for Intra-Cluster Data Aggregation in a Vehicular Ad Hoc Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuzhong Chen

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs have an important role in urban management and planning. The effective integration of vehicle information in VANETs is critical to traffic analysis, large-scale vehicle route planning and intelligent transportation scheduling. However, given the limitations in the precision of the output information of a single sensor and the difficulty of information sharing among various sensors in a highly dynamic VANET, effectively performing data aggregation in VANETs remains a challenge. Moreover, current studies have mainly focused on data aggregation in large-scale environments but have rarely discussed the issue of intra-cluster data aggregation in VANETs. In this study, we propose a multi-player game theory algorithm for intra-cluster data aggregation in VANETs by analyzing the competitive and cooperative relationships among sensor nodes. Several sensor-centric metrics are proposed to measure the data redundancy and stability of a cluster. We then study the utility function to achieve efficient intra-cluster data aggregation by considering both data redundancy and cluster stability. In particular, we prove the existence of a unique Nash equilibrium in the game model, and conduct extensive experiments to validate the proposed algorithm. Results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has advantages over typical data aggregation algorithms in both accuracy and efficiency.

Designing for Immediate Play

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pichlmair, Martin; Mech, Lena; Sicart, Miguel Angel

2017-01-01

This paper is concerned with designing for immediate play, the experience that a player has when joining a game designed for being played without particular preparation. Museum games, urban games, casual sports, and ad-hoc multiplayer video games are kinds of games that facilitate immediate play...... offer using examples and expert opinions. While most practices and game examples mentioned in this paper are from non-digital games, a special focus is put on the role of technology in immediately playable experiences. Still, the examined design dimensions are independent of the technological foundation...... of the game. This paper provides a starting point for designing better immediate play situations....

Balancing the playing field: collaborative gaming for physical training.

Science.gov (United States)

Mace, Michael; Kinany, Nawal; Rinne, Paul; Rayner, Anthony; Bentley, Paul; Burdet, Etienne

2017-11-20

Multiplayer video games promoting exercise-based rehabilitation may facilitate motor learning, by increasing motivation through social interaction. However, a major design challenge is to enable meaningful inter-subject interaction, whilst allowing for significant skill differences between players. We present a novel motor-training paradigm that allows real-time collaboration and performance enhancement, across a wide range of inter-subject skill mismatches, including disabled vs. able-bodied partnerships. A virtual task consisting of a dynamic ball on a beam, is controlled at each end using independent digital force-sensing handgrips. Interaction is mediated through simulated physical coupling and locally-redundant control. Game performance was measured in 16 healthy-healthy and 16 patient-expert dyads, where patients were hemiparetic stroke survivors using their impaired arm. Dual-player was compared to single-player performance, in terms of score, target tracking, stability, effort and smoothness; and questionnaires probing user-experience and engagement. Performance of less-able subjects (as ranked from single-player ability) was enhanced by dual-player mode, by an amount proportionate to the partnership's mismatch. The more abled partners' performances decreased by a similar amount. Such zero-sum interactions were observed for both healthy-healthy and patient-expert interactions. Dual-player was preferred by the majority of players independent of baseline ability and subject group; healthy subjects also felt more challenged, and patients more skilled. This is the first demonstration of implicit skill balancing in a truly collaborative virtual training task leading to heightened engagement, across both healthy subjects and stroke patients.

From MUDs to MMORPGs: The History of Virtual Worlds

Science.gov (United States)

Bartle, Richard A.

Today's massively multiplayer online role-playing games are the direct descendants of the textual worlds of the 1980s, not only in design and implementation terms but also in the way they are evolving thematically.

Linking online gaming and addictive behavior: converging evidence for a general reward deficiency in frequent online gamers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Tim; Notebaert, Karolien Hilde; Dresler, Thomas; Kowarsch, Linda; Reif, Andreas; Fallgatter, Andreas J

2014-01-01

Millions of people regularly play so-called massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs). Recently, it has been argued that MMORPG overuse is becoming a significant health problem worldwide. Symptoms such as tolerance, withdrawal, and craving have been described. Based on behavioral, resting state, and task-related neuroimaging data, we test whether frequent players of the MMORPG "World of Warcraft" (WoW) - similar to drug addicts and individuals with an increased risk for addictions - show a generally deficient reward system. In frequent players of the MMORPG "World of Warcraft" (WoW-players) and in a control group of non-gamers we assessed (1) trait sensitivity to reward (SR), (2) BOLD responses during monetary reward processing in the ventral striatum, and (3) ventral-striatal resting-state dynamics. We found a decreased neural activation in the ventral striatum during the anticipation of both small and large monetary rewards. Additionally, we show generally altered neurodynamics in this region independent of any specific task for WoW players (resting state). On the behavioral level, we found differences in trait SR, suggesting that the reward processing deficiencies found in this study are not a consequence of gaming, but predisposed to it. These findings empirically support a direct link between frequent online gaming and the broad field of behavioral and drug addiction research, thus opening new avenues for clinical interventions in addicted gamers and potentially improving the assessment of addiction-risk in the vast population of frequent gamers.

Landspotting: Social gaming to collect vast amounts of data for satellite validation

Science.gov (United States)

Fritz, S.; Purgathofer, P.; Kayali, F.; Fellner, M.; Wimmer, M.; Sturn, T.; Triebnig, G.; Krause, S.; Schindler, F.; Kollegger, M.; Perger, C.; Dürauer, M.; Haberl, W.; See, L.; McCallum, I.

2012-04-01

geographically. Every player can play the game for free (i.e. a massive multiplayer online game). Furthermore, it is a social game on Facebook (e.g. invite friends, send friends messages, purchase gifts, help friends, post messages onto the wall, etc). The game is played in a web browser, therefore it runs everywhere (where Flash is supported) without requiring the user to install anything additional. At the same time, the Geo-Wiki system will be modified to use the acquired in-situ validation information to create new outputs: a hybrid land cover map, which takes the best information from each individual product to create a single integrated version; a database of validation points that will be freely available to the land cover user community; and a facility that allows users to create a specific targeted validation area, which will then be provided to the crowdsourcing community for validation. These outputs will turn Geo-Wiki into a valuable system for earth system scientists.

A Method to Design a Multi-Player Educational Scenario to Make Interdisciplinary Teams Experiment Risk Management Situation in a Digital Collaborative Learning Game: A Case of Study in Healthcare

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine Pons Lelardeux

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In recent years, there has been an increasing interest for collaborative training in risk management. One of the critical point is to create educational and entirely controlled training environments that support industrial companies (in aviation, healthcare, nuclear… or hospitals to train (future or not professionals. The aim is to improve their teamwork performance making them understand the importance applying or adjusting safety recommendations. In this article, we present a method to design multi-player educational scenario for risk management in a socio-technical and dynamic context. The socio-technical situations focused in this article involve non-technical skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership, decision-making and situation awareness. The method presented here has been used to design as well regular situations as well as critical situations in which deficiencies already exist or mistakes can be freely made and fixed by the team in a controlled digital environment.

The attitudes, feelings and experiences of online gamers: a qualitative analysis

OpenAIRE

Hussain, Z; Griffiths, MD

2009-01-01

The playing of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) is now a highly popular leisure activity. The present study set out to explore the attitudes, experiences, and feelings of online gamers. The study entailed 71 interviews with online gamers (52 males, 19 females) from 11 different countries. Six main themes emerged from the analyses of the interview transcripts: (a) online gaming and integration into day-to-day lives; (b) online gaming, excessive play, and problems; (c) ...

An Optimized Player Taxonomy Model for Mobile MMORPGs with Millions of Users

OpenAIRE

You, Fang; Liu, Jianping; Guan, Xinjian; Wang, Jianmin; Zheng, Zibin; Tam, Peter

2011-01-01

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have great potential as sites for research within the social and human-computer interaction. In the MMORPGs, a stability player taxonomy model is very important for game design. It helps to balance different types of players and improve business strategy of the game. The players in mobile MMORPGs are also connected with social networks; many studies only use the player's own attributes statistics or questionnaire survey method to predi...

Tree-based server-middleman-client architecture: improving scalability and reliability for voting-based network games in ad hoc wireless networks

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Y.; Fujinoki, H.

2006-10-01

The concept of a new tree-based architecture for networked multi-player games was proposed by Matuszek to improve scalability in network traffic at the same time to improve reliability. The architecture (we refer it as "Tree-Based Server- Middlemen-Client architecture") will solve the two major problems in ad-hoc wireless networks: frequent link failures and significance in battery power consumption at wireless transceivers by using two new techniques, recursive aggregation of client messages and subscription-based propagation of game state. However, the performance of the TBSMC architecture has never been quantitatively studied. In this paper, the TB-SMC architecture is compared with the client-server architecture using simulation experiments. We developed an event driven simulator to evaluate the performance of the TB-SMC architecture. In the network traffic scalability experiments, the TB-SMC architecture resulted in less than 1/14 of the network traffic load for 200 end users. In the reliability experiments, the TB-SMC architecture improved the number of successfully delivered players' votes by 31.6, 19.0, and 12.4% from the clientserver architecture at high (failure probability of 90%), moderate (50%) and low (10%) failure probability.

Providing healthcare services on-the-fly using multi-player cooperation game theory in Internet of Vehicles (IoV environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neeraj Kumar

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Internet of Vehicles (IoV is a leading technology of the present era. It has gained huge attention with respect to its implementation in wide variety of domains ranging from traffic safety to infotainment applications. However, IoV can also be extended to healthcare domain, where the patients can be provided healthcare services on-the-fly. We extend this novel concept in this paper and refer it as “Healthcare services on-the-fly”. The concept of game theory has been used among the vehicles to access the healthcare services while traveling. The vehicles act as players in the game and tend to form and split coalitions to access these services. Learning automata (LA act as the players for interaction with the environment and take appropriate actions based on reward and penalty. Apart from this, Virtual Machine (VM scheduling algorithm for efficient utilization of resources at cloud level has also been formulated. A stochastic reward net (SRN-based model is used to represent the coalition formation and splitting with respect to availability of resources at cloud level. The performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated using various performance evaluation metrics. The results obtained prove the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in comparison to the best, first, and random fit schemes.

Inchiesta sulle condizioni di vita e sanitarie degli immigrati presenti nella cittá di Messina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Alfino

2003-05-01

Full Text Available A Messina e nella sua provincia vivono circa 7328 stranieri con regolare permesso di soggiorno (dati aggiornati al 31/12/02 Questura di Messina Ufficio Immigrati ai quali si deve aggiungere una quota di soggetti, irregolari e clandestini, stimata intorno al 25% dei regolari (fonte dati Caritas, Kirone. Le Comunità maggiormente presenti sono quelle provenienti dalle Filippine, Marocco, Sri Lanka. Al fine di valutare il livello di assistenza sanitaria fornita agli immigrati, nel periodo compreso tra Dicembre 2002 e Maggio 2003, abbiamo intervistato un campione di immigrati relativamente alle loro abitudini di vita, sul tipo di lavoro svolto, sullo stato di salute attuale e pregresso, sull’eventuale ricorso alle strutture del Servizio Sanitario Locale e sulle vaccinazioni praticate nel Paese di origine e in Italia. Sono stati intervistati 1204 soggetti (42,19% Sri Lanka, 24,75% Marocco, 25,91% Filippine, 3,15% Tunisia, 1,82% Senegal, 0,16% Algeria. La comunità cinese, anch’essa significativamente presente nella città, si è dimostrata diffidente e non interessata alla nostra indagine. Sono state evidenziate notevoli carenze del Servizio Sanitario locale, per mancanza di un sistema di monitoraggio e prevenzione rivolto agli immigrati. Il 99% degli intervistati pur essendo iscritto al S.S.N.ed avendo nell’84% il medico di famiglia, non possiede il libretto sanitario, è stato sottoposto alle vaccinazioni obbligatorie del Paese di origine, ma non le ha integrate con quelle Italiane, ad eccezione del 2,3% di soggetti che ha praticato quella antiinfluenzale e dell’ 1,2% che si è sottoposto a quella antitifica ed antiepatite A per motivi occupazionali. Malgrado l’intervista mirasse a sondare il livello di assistenza sanitaria, ha svelato altri dettagli: il 79,2% dei soggetti cerca di mantenere le abitudini alimentari originarie; solo lo 0,5% ha dichiarato di aver subito un infortunio, mentre riguardo al tipo di attività svolta si rilevano

The acoustic ecology of the First-Person Shooter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grimshaw, Mark Nicholas

2007-01-01

This thesis contributes to the field of Game Studies by presenting the hypothesis that the player(s) and soundscape(s) in the first-person shooter (FPS) game, and the relationships between them, may be construed as an acoustic ecology. It explores the idea that the single-player FPS game acoustic...... ecology has the basic components of player and soundscape and that the relationships between these two lead to the creation and perception of a variety of spaces within the game world constituting a significant contributing factor to player immersion in that world. Additionally, in a multiplayer FPS game...

"She is just stupid"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rehm, Matthias

2008-01-01

A multiplayer dice game was realized which is played by two users and one embodied conversational agent. During the game, the players have to lie to each other to win the game and the longer the game commences the more probable it is that someone is lying, which creates highly emotional situations....... We ran a number of evaluation studies with the system. The specific setting allows us to compare user–user interactions directly with user–agent interactions in the same game. So far, the users’ gaze behavior and the users’ verbal behavior towards one another and towards the agent have been analyzed...

Plataforma Web 2.0 para la Sincronización Distribuida de Contenidos Multimedia e Interacción Social

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.A. Montagud Climent (Mario); F. Boronat (Fernando); J. Belda (Jordi); J. Pastor (Javier)

2015-01-01

htmlabstractShared media experiences between geographically distributed users are gaining momentum. Relevant examples are Social TV, synchronous e-learning and multi-player online games. This paper presents a first release of Wersync, an adaptive web-based platform that provides distributed media

Linking online gaming and addictive behavior: Converging evidence for a general reward deficiency in frequent online gamers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim eHahn

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Millions of people regularly play so-called Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs. Recently, it has been argued that MMORPG overuse is becoming a significant health problem worldwide. Symptoms such as tolerance, withdrawal and craving have been described. Based on behavioral, resting state and task-related neuroimaging data, we test whether frequent players of the MMORPG World of Warcraft (WoW – similar to drug addicts and individuals with an increased risk for addictions – show a generally deficient reward system. In frequent players of the MMORPG World of Warcraft (WoW-players and in a control group of non-gamers we assessed 1 trait sensitivity to reward, 2 BOLD responses during monetary reward processing in the ventral striatum and 3 ventral-striatal resting state dynamics. We find a decreased neural activation in the ventral striatum during the anticipation of both small and large monetary rewards. Additionally, we show generally altered neurodynamics in this region independent of any specific task for WoW players (resting state. On the behavioral level, we found differences in trait sensitivity to reward, suggesting that the reward processing deficiencies found in this study are not a consequence of gaming, but predisposed to it. These findings empirically support a direct link between frequent online gaming and the broad field of behavioral and drug addiction research, thus opening new avenues for clinical interventions in addicted gamers and potentially improving the assessment of addiction-risk in the vast population of frequent gamers.

Game Theory of Tumor–Stroma Interactions in Multiple Myeloma: Effect of Nonlinear Benefits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javad Salimi Sartakhti

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Cancer cells and stromal cells often exchange growth factors with paracrine effects that promote cell growth: a form of cooperation that can be studied by evolutionary game theory. Previous models have assumed that interactions between cells are pairwise or that the benefit of a growth factor is a linear function of its concentration. Diffusible factors, however, affect multiple cells and generally have nonlinear effects, and these differences are known to have important consequences for evolutionary dynamics. Here, we study tumor–stroma paracrine signaling using a model with multiplayer collective interactions in which growth factors have nonlinear effects. We use multiple myeloma as an example, modelling interactions between malignant plasma cells, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts. Nonlinear benefits can lead to results not observed in linear models, including internal mixed stable equilibria and cyclical dynamics. Models with linear effects, therefore, do not lead to a meaningful characterization of the dynamics of tumor–stroma interactions. To understand the dynamics and the effect of therapies it is necessary to estimate the shape of the benefit functions experimentally and parametrize models based on these functions.

Stayin Alive: What are Persistent Synthetic Environments

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-01

worlds (vWorlds) and Massive Multiplayer Online Games ( MMORPGs ) or Online Role-Playing Games. In these commercial products, the requirements for...extremely attractive. Of these two technologies, vWorlds is the more general, while MMORPGs can be seen as a sub-set instantiated for a specific...Second Life is largely built and operated by its users and has a wide variety of environments. MMORPGs [7], on the other hand, have typically

Anticipatory Governance Practical Upgrades: Equipping the Executive Branch to Cope with Increasing Speed and Complexity of Major Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-01

participate in gaming exercises, and therefore do not benefit from what they can best offer: the hands-on experience of stress-testing alternatives against...Ultimately, online videogames and massive multiplayer games may offer the potential for a “holodeck” for policy. Intelligence is concerned with providing...creative change, and there is a tendency to purposefully withhold options and information that would benefit national-level missions if the internal

A CyberCIEGE Traffic Analysis Extension for Teaching Network Security

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-01

Information Technology LAN Local Area Network MAADNET Military Academy Attack/Defense Network MAC Media Access Control MMORPG Massively...ready to launch its latest massively multiplayer online role-playing game ( MMORPG ) “SyberSIEGE”! The product is currently in the final stages of

Envisioning the Educational Possibilities of User-Created Virtual Worlds

Science.gov (United States)

Antonacci, David M.; Modaress, Nellie

2008-01-01

Educational games and simulations can engage students in higher-level cognitive thinking, such as interpreting, analyzing, discovering, evaluating, acting, and problem solving. Recent technical advances in multiplayer, user-created virtual worlds have significantly expanded the capabilities of user interaction and development within these…

Adapting playware to multiple players

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Þorsteinsson, Arnar Tumi; Lund, Henrik Hautop; Mastorakis, Nikos

2011-01-01

With the creation of playware as intelligent hardware and software that creates play, it is possible to adapt the play tool to the individual user, and even to multiple users playing at the same time with the play tool. In this paper, we show how it is possible to implement adaptivity in modular...... to such differences, and argues that adaptivity is needed to make games fit to the individual users in both single-player games and multi-player games. As a case study, we implemented such adaptivity on modular interactive tiles for the single-user game ColorTimer, and for the multiple-user games PingPong, in which...

Alternate Reality Games as an Informal Learning Tool for Generating STEM Engagement among Underrepresented Youth: a Qualitative Evaluation of the Source

Science.gov (United States)

Gilliam, Melissa; Jagoda, Patrick; Fabiyi, Camille; Lyman, Phoebe; Wilson, Claire; Hill, Brandon; Bouris, Alida

2017-06-01

This project developed and studied The Source, an alternate reality game (ARG) designed to foster interest and knowledge related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) among youth from populations underrepresented in STEM fields. ARGs are multiplayer games that engage participants across several media such as shared websites, social media, personal communications, and real-world settings to complete activities and collaborate with team members. The Source was a five-week summer program with 144 participants from Chicago aged 13 to 18 years. The Source incorporated six socio-contextual factors derived from three frameworks: Chang's (ERIC Digest, 2002) recommendations for engaging underrepresented populations in STEM careers, Lave and Wenger's (Cambridge University Press, 1991) situated learning model, and Barron's (Human Development, 49(4); 193-224, 2006) learning ecology perspective. These factors aligned with the program's aims of promoting (1) social community and peer support, (2) collaboration and teamwork, (3) real-world relevance and investigative learning, (4) mentoring and exposure to STEM professionals, (5) hands-on activities to foster transferable skill building, and (6) interface with technology. This paper presents results from 10 focus groups and 10 individual interviews conducted with a subset of the 144 youth participants who completed the game. It describes how these six factors were realized through The Source and uses them as a lens for considering how The Source functioned pedagogically. Qualitative findings describe youth's perception of The Source's potential influence on STEM interest, engagement, and identity formation. Despite limitations, study results indicate that underrepresented youth can engage in an immersive, narrative, and game-based experience as a potential mechanism for piquing and developing STEM interest and skills, particularly among underrepresented youth.

Reindeer & Wolves: Exploring Sensory Deprivation in Multiplayer Digital Bodily Play

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Finnegan, Daniel; Velloso, Eduardo; Mitchell, Robb

2014-01-01

Games designed around digital bodily play involve bodily movement and expression to create engaging gameplay experiences. Most feedback in these games takes the form of visual stimuli. To explore the gameplay mechanics afforded by depriving players from these visual cues, we designed Reindeer...

TacTower

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Majken Kirkegaard; Jürgensen, Christine

2009-01-01

Learning from the multiplayer interaction in sports, we describe our project TacTower; a flexible system for professional elite handball players to train game perception and kinesthetic em- pathy. The design is founded in ideas of Collective Interaction and qualities that is inherent in sport...

An architectural approach to level design

CERN Document Server

Totten, Christopher W

2014-01-01

Explore Level Design through the Lens of Architectural and Spatial Experience TheoryWritten by a game developer and professor trained in architecture, An Architectural Approach to Level Design is one of the first books to integrate architectural and spatial design theory with the field of level design. It explores the principles of level design through the context and history of architecture, providing information useful to both academics and game development professionals.Understand Spatial Design Principles for Game Levels in 2D, 3D, and Multiplayer ApplicationsThe book presents architectura

Supermodular Games and Potential Games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brânzei, R.; Mallozzi, L.; Tijs, S.H.

2001-01-01

Potential games and supermodular games are attractive games, especially because under certain conditions they possess pure Nash equilibria. Subclasses of games with a potential are considered which are also strategically equivalent to supermodular games. The focus is on two-person zero-sum games and

Mathematical games, abstract games

CERN Document Server

Neto, Joao Pedro

2013-01-01

User-friendly, visually appealing collection offers both new and classic strategic board games. Includes abstract games for two and three players and mathematical games such as Nim and games on graphs.

Social Studies Special Issue: Civic Literacy in a Digital Age

Science.gov (United States)

VanFossen, Phillip J.; Berson, Michael J.

2008-01-01

Young people today consume large amounts of information through various media outlets and simultaneously create and distribute their own messages via information and communication technologies and massively multiplayer online gaming. In doing so, these "digital natives" are often exposed to violent, racist, or other deleterious messages.…

Analysis for Non-Traditional Security Challenges: Methods and Tools

Science.gov (United States)

2006-11-20

C’EST LA VIE! - Hard Issues "* Will the violence continue to escalate? * Trend analysis of web text searches such as Blacklight; Public poll analysis...System M&S Modeling and Simulation MCO Major Contingency Operation MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology MMOG Massively Multiplayer Online Game (WG

Metabolic pathway analysis using a nash equilibrium approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lucia, Angelo; DiMaggio, Peter A.; Alonso-Martinez, Diego

2018-01-01

A novel approach to metabolic network analysis using a Nash Equilibrium (NE) formulation is proposed in which enzymes are considered players in a multi-player game. Each player has its own payoff function with the objective of minimizing the Gibbs free energy associated with the biochemical

A game is a game is a game

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Ida Kathrine Hammeleff

2017-01-01

Recently self-referentiality have occurred as a trend among game designers and have also enjoyed sporadic attention in academia. However, in academia, discussions of self-referential games often rest on proceduralist arguments and a too exclusive focus on the game object. This paper draws...... on the typology of meta-pictures developed by art historian J.W.T. Mitchell. Based on this typology, this paper discusses the notion of meta-games and suggest a broad conception of such games that includes not only the game object, but also the player and the discourse in which it is interpreted....

Strangers and Friends: Collaborative Play in World of Warcraft

Science.gov (United States)

Nardi, Bonnie; Harris, Justin

We analyze collaborative play in an online video game, World of Warcraft, the most popular multiplayer video game with 11 million players in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. 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 tightknit groups.

Nett Warrior C3Conflict Experiment: Measuring the Effect of Battlefield Awareness in Small Units

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

C3Conflict is a distributed, computer-based, multiplayer , small unit war game designed to elicit measures of leader performance focusing on command...has raised the specter of even more violence . While the level of violence has plunged from the carnage of 2006 and 2007, suicide bombers continue

Convex games versus clan games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brânzei, R.; Dimitrov, D.A.; Tijs, S.H.

2008-01-01

In this paper we provide characterizations of convex games and total clan games by using properties of their corresponding marginal games. We show that a "dualize and restrict" procedure transforms total clan games with zero worth for the clan into monotonic convex games. Furthermore, each monotonic

Convex Games versus Clan Games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brânzei, R.; Dimitrov, D.A.; Tijs, S.H.

2006-01-01

In this paper we provide characterizations of convex games and total clan games by using properties of their corresponding marginal games.We show that a "dualize and restrict" procedure transforms total clan games with zero worth for the clan into monotonic convex games.Furthermore, each monotonic

Game on! : Evaluation malaria games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rob Willems

2014-01-01

The goal of GameOn! is to develop a serious video game. The object: to develop a serious game that aims to change behavior through awareness. The setup A multidisciplinary group which unites expertise from didactic and game production backgrounds produces an educational game for an international

Game mechanics : advanced game design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Adams, Ernest; Dormans, Joris

2012-01-01

Game Mechanics is aimed at game design students and industry professionals who want to improve their understanding of how to design, build, and test the mechanics of a game. Game Mechanics will show you how to design, test, and tune the core mechanics of a game—any game, from a huge role-playing

個人化服務應用於大型多人線上角色扮演遊戲之研究 A Study of Personalized Service in Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao-Chin Hsu

2004-12-01

Full Text Available 大型多人線上角色扮演遊戲的個人化服務設計可解釋為遊戲廠商與玩家之間的獨特互動，係指針對不同玩家的需求與分析，提供相對應的遊戲設計或互動服務，玩家可以在過程中營造出獨特且貼心的遊戲經驗。本研究藉由文獻整理與現況分析釐清大型多人線上角色扮演遊戲中的個人化服務與設計，利用電腦網路問卷調查了解國內玩家對於線上遊戲中個人化服務設計之需求，最後經由業界專家的深度訪談，探討遊戲廠商對於個人化服務設計的因應策略。研究結果顯示線上遊戲中的個人化應用是真實生活經驗的體現，將現實生活中人與人之間的互動經驗轉移到線上遊戲中，而個人化的核心則在於目標族群的分析上，須因應不同玩家提供相對應的設計，才能符合其需求。隨著市場本身的發展以及技術上的提升，個人化服務設計將是未來大型多人線上角色扮演遊戲的應用趨勢，遊戲廠商若能應用個人化之優勢掌握玩家需求，必能從激烈的線上遊戲競爭中脫穎而出。The design of personalized services in a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game can be viewed as a unique interaction between a player and a service provider. According to different requirements and profile of each player, a service provider could provide corresponding design or interactive service, so that the game can provide online players an individual and exquisite experience. This research outlines the personalized services designed in a MMORPG at present based on a literature review. A web questionnaire is conducted to investigate the domestic players’ needs for personalized services in a MMORPG.The result of this research reveals that personalization in MMORPG should reflect on real-life experience, which is to shift experience of interaction in the real world to a virtual MMORPG world. Moreover

A Globalization Simulation to Teach Corporate Social Responsibility: Design Features and Analysis of Student Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Bos, Nathan D.; Shami, N. Sadat; Naab, Sara

2006-01-01

There is an increasing need for business students to be taught the ability to think through ethical dilemmas faced by corporations conducting business on a global scale. This article describes a multiplayer online simulation game, ISLAND TELECOM, that exposes students to ethical dilemmas in international business. Through role playing and…

[Evaluation of the characteristics of addiction to online video games among adolescents and young adults].

Science.gov (United States)

Schmit, S; Chauchard, E; Chabrol, H; Sejourne, N

2011-06-01

The objectives of this study are to assess the social characteristics, coping strategies, self-esteem and depressive symptoms in a population-dependent and not dependent on video games online, in order to investigate the correlations existing between these characteristics. The study was conducted among 193 subjects. Data were collected through a global questionnaire constituted of several scales. The global questionnaire consisted of a sociodemographic part (age, sex, social status, most played game, number of hours per week devoted to the game), a questionnaire assessing dependence and abuse according to the DSM -IV-TR, the feeling of social belonging scale (or ESAS which was doubled to collect information about the belonging in real life and virtual life), the Ways of coping check-list (WCCL), the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (EES), the Quality of interpersonal relations scale (EQRI), the UCLA Loneliness scale and the Center for epidemiologic studies depression scale (CES-D). The questionnaire was broadcasted on the Internet, specifically in the forums dedicated to "massively multiplayer online role-playing games" and in young people's forums in specific subject headings. The results show that there are significant differences between the two populations, especially regarding the social characteristics, depressive symptoms, self-esteem and coping strategies. In the entire population, 66 subjects (42%) were considered dependent on online video games and 92 subjects (58%) were not considered dependent. In the dependent population, the number of hours spent playing per week, the score of social belonging in the virtual life, the coping focused on the emotion, the score of loneliness or social isolation and the score obtained on the CES-D appeared more important than the scores obtained by the non-dependent. Moreover, the average age, the scores of social belonging in real life, self-esteem and sub-dimensions "family" and "friends" of the quality of interpersonal

The Uses of Teaching Games in Game Theory Classes and Some Experimental Games.

Science.gov (United States)

Shubik, Martin

2002-01-01

Discusses the use of lightly controlled games, primarily in classes in game theory. Considers the value of such games from the viewpoint of both teaching and experimentation and discusses context; control; pros and cons of games in teaching; experimental games; and games in class, including cooperative game theory. (Author/LRW)

Exploring User Experiences as Predictors of MMORPG Addiction

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Shang Hwa; Wen, Ming-Hui; Wu, Muh-Cherng

2009-01-01

The overuse of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) is becoming a significant problem worldwide, especially among college students. Similar to Internet addiction, the pathological use of MMORPG is a kind of modern addiction that can affect students' lives on both a physical and a psychological level. The purpose of this study…

Serious computing, big fun

CERN Multimedia

Lohr, S

2002-01-01

Butterfly.net Inc company plans to announce today its Butterfly Grid, software development tools and a network for so-called massively multiplayer video games, which can be played by thousands of people at a time. One of the first applications of Grid technology outside of scientific data analysis and research (1/2 page).

Games on Games. Game Design as Critical Reflexive Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni Caruso

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Can video game design be compared to more formalized practices of scientific research or speculation within game studies? And, by virtue of an intellectual leap that in itself calls for discussion, can video games be considered as an efficient vehicle for the presentation of certain kinds of knowledge, in the same way in which papers, conference presentations, and books are? What Ratto defines as critical making (2011, the practice of producing artifacts of different sorts in order to supplement and extend critical reflection, may apply to video games as well. Forms of research through design (Zimmerman, Forlizzi and Evenson, 2007, of carpentry (Bogost, 2012, and speculative design (Dunne and Raby, 2013 have been analyzed, discussed, and maybe most importantly, put into practice in different fields of cultural and scientific production. To address this gap and to map the current (and future state of self-reflexive games, we asked both researchers and designers to imagine an application of these concepts to video games. Paraphrasing Zimmerman, Forlizzi and Evenson, what does research through game design might mean? What epistemological insights can we derive from the act of designing, making and playing video games?

Assessing the advantage of morphological changes in Candida albicans: a game theoretical study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna M Tyc

2014-02-01

Full Text Available A range of attributes determines the virulence of human pathogens. During interactions with their hosts, pathogenic microbes often undergo transitions between distinct stages, and the ability to switch between these can be directly related to the disease process. Understanding the mechanisms and dynamics of these transitions is a key factor in understanding and combating infectious diseases. The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans exhibits different morphotypes at different stages during the course of infection (candidiasis. For example, hyphae are considered to be the invasive form, which causes tissue damage, while yeast cells are predominant in the commensal stage. Here, we described interactions of C. albicans with its human host in a game theoretic model. In the game, players are fungal cells. Each fungal cell can adopt one of the two strategies: to exist as a yeast or hyphal cell. We characterized the ranges of model parameters in which the coexistence of both yeast and hyphal forms is plausible. Stability analysis of the system showed that, in theory, a reduced ability of the host to specifically recognize yeast and hyphal cells can result in bi-stability of the microbial populations’ profile. Inspired by the model analysis we reasoned that the types of microbial interactions can change during invasive candidiasis. We found that positive cooperation among fungal cells occurs in mild infections and an enhanced tendency to invade the host is associated with negative cooperation. The model can easily be extended to multi-player systems with direct application to identifying individuals that enhance either positive or negative cooperation. Results of the modelling approach have potential application in developing treatment strategies.

Assessing the advantage of morphological changes in Candida albicans: a game theoretical study

Science.gov (United States)

Tyc, Katarzyna M.; Kühn, Clemens; Wilson, Duncan; Klipp, Edda

2014-01-01

A range of attributes determines the virulence of human pathogens. During interactions with their hosts, pathogenic microbes often undergo transitions between distinct stages, and the ability to switch between these can be directly related to the disease process. Understanding the mechanisms and dynamics of these transitions is a key factor in understanding and combating infectious diseases. The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans exhibits different morphotypes at different stages during the course of infection (candidiasis). For example, hyphae are considered to be the invasive form, which causes tissue damage, while yeast cells are predominant in the commensal stage. Here, we described interactions of C. albicans with its human host in a game theoretic model. In the game, players are fungal cells. Each fungal cell can adopt one of the two strategies: to exist as a yeast or hyphal cell. We characterized the ranges of model parameters in which the coexistence of both yeast and hyphal forms is plausible. Stability analysis of the system showed that, in theory, a reduced ability of the host to specifically recognize yeast and hyphal cells can result in bi-stability of the microbial populations' profile. Inspired by the model analysis we reasoned that the types of microbial interactions can change during invasive candidiasis. We found that positive cooperation among fungal cells occurs in mild infections and an enhanced tendency to invade the host is associated with negative cooperation. The model can easily be extended to multi-player systems with direct application to identifying individuals that enhance either positive or negative cooperation. Results of the modeling approach have potential application in developing treatment strategies. PMID:24567730

Gamers on Games and Gaming : Implications for Educational Game Design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Staalduinen, J.P.

2012-01-01

In the past two decades, there has been a steadily increasing interest in the use of games for educational purposes. This has led to an increased design, use and study of educational games; games where the players learn through playing. However, experiments with the educational use of games have not

'/Y WoW': een exploratief onderzoek naar de motivaties voor het spelen van MMORPG's bij 1691 World of Warcraft spelers

OpenAIRE

De Vocht, Melanie; Van Looy, Jan; Courtois, Cédric; De Marez, Lieven

2010-01-01

In het voorbije decennium zijn Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) uitgegroeid tot een wereldwijd fenomeen. De populairste MMORPG is World of Warcraft (WoW) waarin miljoenen gamers elkaar elke dag ontmoeten (GameOgre.com, 2009). In deze paper wordt een onderzoek beschreven naar de motivaties voor het spelen van WoW. Het dominant paradigma in mediamotivatieonderzoek is de ‘Uses & Gratifications’ benadering waarbij wordt nagegaan op welke manier het gebruik van me...

Addictive Online Games: Examining the Relationship Between Game Genres and Internet Gaming Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemmens, Jeroen S; Hendriks, Stefan J F

2016-04-01

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is the most recent term used to describe problematic or pathological involvement with computer or video games. This study examined whether this disorder is more likely to involve pathological involvement with online (i.e., Internet) games as opposed to offline games. We also explored the addictive potential of nine video game genres by examining the relationship between IGD and 2,720 games played by a sample of 13- to 40-year olds (N = 2,442). Although time spent playing both online and offline games was related to IGD, online games showed much stronger correlations. This tendency is also reflected within various genres. Disordered gamers spent more than four times as much time playing online role-playing games than nondisordered gamers and more than thrice as much time playing online shooters, whereas no significant differences for offline games from these genres were found. Results are discussed within the frame of social interaction and competition provided by online games.

The standard set game of a cooperative game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bumb, A.F.; Hoede, C.

2003-01-01

We show that for every cooperative game a corresponding set game can be defined, called the standard set game. Values for set games can be applied to this standard game and determine allocations for the cooperative game. On the other hand, notions for cooperative games, like the Shapley value, the

Systematizing game learning analytics for serious games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alonso-Fernandez, Cristina; Calvo Morata, Antonio; Freire, Manuel; Martinez-Ortiz, Ivan; Fernandez-Manjon, Baltasar

2017-01-01

Applying games in education provides multiple benefits clearly visible in entertainment games: their engaging, goal-oriented nature encourages students to improve while they play. Educational games, also known as Serious Games (SGs) are video games designed with a main purpose other than

Gaming Device Usage Patterns Predict Internet Gaming Disorder: Comparison across Different Gaming Device Usage Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Hyun; Chun, Ji-Won; Jeong, Jo-Eun; Kim, Dai-Jin

2017-01-01

Gaming behaviors have been significantly influenced by smartphones. This study was designed to explore gaming behaviors and clinical characteristics across different gaming device usage patterns and the role of the patterns on Internet gaming disorder (IGD). Responders of an online survey regarding smartphone and online game usage were classified by different gaming device usage patterns: (1) individuals who played only computer games; (2) individuals who played computer games more than smartphone games; (3) individuals who played computer and smartphone games evenly; (4) individuals who played smartphone games more than computer games; (5) individuals who played only smartphone games. Data on demographics, gaming-related behaviors, and scales for Internet and smartphone addiction, depression, anxiety disorder, and substance use were collected. Combined users, especially those who played computer and smartphone games evenly, had higher prevalence of IGD, depression, anxiety disorder, and substance use disorder. These subjects were more prone to develop IGD than reference group (computer only gamers) (B = 0.457, odds ratio = 1.579). Smartphone only gamers had the lowest prevalence of IGD, spent the least time and money on gaming, and showed lowest scores of Internet and smartphone addiction. Our findings suggest that gaming device usage patterns may be associated with the occurrence, course, and prognosis of IGD. PMID:29206183

Gaming Device Usage Patterns Predict Internet Gaming Disorder: Comparison across Different Gaming Device Usage Patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Paik, Soo-Hyun; Cho, Hyun; Chun, Ji-Won; Jeong, Jo-Eun; Kim, Dai-Jin

2017-12-05

Gaming behaviors have been significantly influenced by smartphones. This study was designed to explore gaming behaviors and clinical characteristics across different gaming device usage patterns and the role of the patterns on Internet gaming disorder (IGD). Responders of an online survey regarding smartphone and online game usage were classified by different gaming device usage patterns: (1) individuals who played only computer games; (2) individuals who played computer games more than smartphone games; (3) individuals who played computer and smartphone games evenly; (4) individuals who played smartphone games more than computer games; (5) individuals who played only smartphone games. Data on demographics, gaming-related behaviors, and scales for Internet and smartphone addiction, depression, anxiety disorder, and substance use were collected. Combined users, especially those who played computer and smartphone games evenly, had higher prevalence of IGD, depression, anxiety disorder, and substance use disorder. These subjects were more prone to develop IGD than reference group (computer only gamers) (B = 0.457, odds ratio = 1.579). Smartphone only gamers had the lowest prevalence of IGD, spent the least time and money on gaming, and showed lowest scores of Internet and smartphone addiction. Our findings suggest that gaming device usage patterns may be associated with the occurrence, course, and prognosis of IGD.

Gaming Device Usage Patterns Predict Internet Gaming Disorder: Comparison across Different Gaming Device Usage Patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soo-Hyun Paik

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Gaming behaviors have been significantly influenced by smartphones. This study was designed to explore gaming behaviors and clinical characteristics across different gaming device usage patterns and the role of the patterns on Internet gaming disorder (IGD. Responders of an online survey regarding smartphone and online game usage were classified by different gaming device usage patterns: (1 individuals who played only computer games; (2 individuals who played computer games more than smartphone games; (3 individuals who played computer and smartphone games evenly; (4 individuals who played smartphone games more than computer games; (5 individuals who played only smartphone games. Data on demographics, gaming-related behaviors, and scales for Internet and smartphone addiction, depression, anxiety disorder, and substance use were collected. Combined users, especially those who played computer and smartphone games evenly, had higher prevalence of IGD, depression, anxiety disorder, and substance use disorder. These subjects were more prone to develop IGD than reference group (computer only gamers (B = 0.457, odds ratio = 1.579. Smartphone only gamers had the lowest prevalence of IGD, spent the least time and money on gaming, and showed lowest scores of Internet and smartphone addiction. Our findings suggest that gaming device usage patterns may be associated with the occurrence, course, and prognosis of IGD.

Authoring of digital games via card games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Valente, Andrea; Marchetti, Emanuela

2014-01-01

Literature and previous studies show that creative play is easy to emerge when children interact with tangible, low-tech toys and games than with digital games. This paradoxical situation is linked to the long-standing problem of end-users (or players) authoring of digital contents and systems. We...... are to show how card games can represent digital games, how playful play can emerge in card games and digital games, and to begin defining a new way to express game behavior without the use of universal programming languages....... propose a new scenario in which trading card games help making sense and re-design computer games, to support players express themselves aesthetically and in a highly creative way. Our aim is to look for a middle ground between players becoming programmers and simply editing levels. The main contributions...

Disconnected: Youth, New Media, and the Ethics Gap. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning

Science.gov (United States)

James, Carrie

2014-01-01

Fresh from a party, a teen posts a photo on Facebook of a friend drinking a beer. A college student repurposes an article from Wikipedia for a paper. A group of players in a multiplayer online game routinely cheat new players by selling them worthless virtual accessories for high prices. In "Disconnected", Carrie James examines how young…

Gaming Device Usage Patterns Predict Internet Gaming Disorder: Comparison across Different Gaming Device Usage Patterns

OpenAIRE

Soo-Hyun Paik; Hyun Cho; Ji-Won Chun; Jo-Eun Jeong; Dai-Jin Kim

2017-01-01

Gaming behaviors have been significantly influenced by smartphones. This study was designed to explore gaming behaviors and clinical characteristics across different gaming device usage patterns and the role of the patterns on Internet gaming disorder (IGD). Responders of an online survey regarding smartphone and online game usage were classified by different gaming device usage patterns: (1) individuals who played only computer games; (2) individuals who played computer games more than smart...

Online Games

OpenAIRE

Kerr, Aphra; Ivory, James D.

2015-01-01

When we agreed to edit the theme on online games for this Encyclopedia our first question was, “What is meant by online games?” Scholars of games distinguish between nondigital games (such as board games) and digital games, rather than between online and offline games. With networked consoles and smartphones it is becoming harder and harder to find players in the wealthy industrialized countries who play “offline” digital games. Most games developers now include ...