Ruins of Excess: Computer Game Images and the Rendering of Technological Obsolescence

2021 ◽  
pp. 155541202110053
Author(s):  
Eduardo H Luersen ◽  
Mathias Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Surface Layer ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Industrial Design ◽  
Electronic Waste ◽  
Computer Game ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Design Model ◽  
Design Tools ◽  
Design Models ◽  
Technological Obsolescence

In this article, we describe three layers of ruins related to computer game technology: in a surface layer, we examine the imagery of ruins in digital games, highlighting game design tools for developing in-game ruination. Secondly, we approach the industrial design model of technological obsolescence as an infrastructural layer that intrinsically demands the production of new provisional spaces for material decay. Lastly, through a waste layer, we unfold the geopolitical dimension of technological obsolescence, calling attention to the transcontinental flows of electronic waste, which also underscores a geological stage of ruination. While exploring these different layers of ruins, we wish to perceive how game design models might relate to different forms of contemporary ruination, inquiring what such material traces have to say as strata of the complex deterioration processes of present-day media.

scholarly journals Within the Mainstream: An Ecocritical Framework for Digital Game History // Dentro del canon: Un marco ecocrítico para la historia del videojuego digital

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Joachim Backe
Keyword(s):  
Computer Games ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
San Diego ◽  
Film Studies ◽  
Computer Game ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Game Studies ◽  
Literature And Film

      Ecocriticism of digital games has so far engaged with a rather small corpus of examples, predominantly from a prescriptive perspective and with a quite limited methodological toolkit. This essay systematizes and historicizes some of these commonly found limitations of past research and proposes methods for a more historically and generically diverse exploration of ecological thinking vis-à-vis digital games. The majority of discussions of games from an ecocritical perspective has applied concepts and frameworks borrowed from literature and film studies, thus privileging surface semiotics over game mechanics. More methodically aware studies have oriented themselves toward the popular framework of procedural rhetoric (Bogost 2007), resulting both in a selection bias towards serious games and an author-centric, intentionalist slant inherent in the approach. In general, the discussion revolves around a small number of games with apparent ecocritical potential, such as Myst (Cyan 1993) or Farmville (Zynga 2009), resulting in a selective, a-historic and therefore distorted discussion of ecology in the diverse medium of digital games. This essay discusses strategies for dealing with a larger corpus of digital games through a descriptive matrix for identifying and analyzing the ecological dimension of digital games. It proposes an extension of the ecocritical toolkit by including a more user-centered, ethics-based theoretical framework based on Sicart’s Ethics of Computer Games (2009). The gain of engaging with representation and simulation of the natural environment in mainstream computer game history will be demonstrated in an analysis of two paradigmatic games. In both Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego 2010) and Dishonored (Arkane Studios 2013), we encounter game design geared toward producing ludo-narrative dissonances which are highly inductive of critical engagement with the ecosphere. Resumen      La ecocrítica de los juegos digitales se ha centrado en un corpus de ejemplos muy pequeño. Asimismo, la ecocrítica se ha basado en un número muy limitado de métodos. La mayor parte de los debates sobre juegos han utilizado conceptos y teorías tomados de la teoría literaria y el análisis cinematográfico, haciendo prevalecer por tanto análisis semióticos superficiales sobre el estudio de las mecánicas de juego. Los estudios que aplican métodos de game studies suelen estar basados en la teoría de retórica de procesos (Bogost, 2007), lo que acarrea una selección de ejemplos sesgada hacia los serious games y los juegos de autor. En general, estos debates se centran en un número pequeño de juegos con potencial ecocrítico, como Myst (Cyan 1993) o Farmville (Zynga 2009), lo que deriva en una discusión selectiva y ahistórica de la ecología en un medio tan diverso como los juegos digitales. Este artículo presenta estategias para analizar un corpus de juegos mayor. Este artículo propone una matriz descriptiva para identificar y analizar la dimensión ecológica de los juegos digitales. Metodológicamente, este artículo opera con una extensión de la teoría ecocrítica que incluye un marco teórico centrado en el usuario y basado en The Ethics of Computer Games (Sicart, 2009). Los beneficios de centrarse en la representación y simulación del medio natural en el canon de los juegos digitales serán demostrados a través del análisis de dos juegos paradigmáticos. Tanto Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego 2010) como Dishonored (Arkane Studios 2013) producen disonancias ludo-narrativas que promueven una relación crítica con la ecoesfera.

Will Love Tear Us Apart: Adapting the Lyrical to the Ludic

CounterText ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-235
Author(s):  
Gordon Calleja
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Design Decisions ◽  
The Core ◽  
Lyrical Poetry ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Made In

This paper gives an insight into the design process of a game adaptation of Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart (1980). It outlines the challenges faced in attempting to reconcile the diverging qualities of lyrical poetry and digital games. In so doing, the paper examines the design decisions made in every segment of the game with a particular focus on the tension between the core concerns of the lyrical work being adapted and established tenets of game design.

Player Types, Play Styles, and Play Complexity

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Javier Rademacher Mena
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Main Work ◽  
Play Styles

In a previous work the author created the Education and Entertainment Grid by combining various taxonomies from the fields of play and learning. In this paper, a section of this grid known as the Entertainment Grid will be extended by including previously unused elements of Richard Bartle’s online player types and Robert Caillois’ play complexity. This Extended Entertainment Grid is then analyzed, revealing an interesting synergy between both men’s ideas. The main work of this paper, the Updated Entertainment Grid, is then created as a result of this analysis. This grid can be used by teachers as an interesting introduction and application of these taxonomies, by researchers interested in better understanding digital games and their players, and by designers interested in using the grid as part of their game design process.

Gerontoludic Design

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob De Schutter
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Population Ageing ◽  
Design Approach ◽  
Design Framework ◽  
Physical Decline

Considering the popularity of digital games among older adults and the challenge of population ageing, this article identified a need for an integrated game design framework aimed at older audiences. An analysis of the literature on play in later life demonstrated how the literature is dominated by two themes, i.e., the benefits of playing digital games and the issue of accessibility. While this underlying model has been demonstrated to contribute to successful designs, it also risks reducing games to its motivational characteristics and ageing to cognitive and physical decline. The author therefore reviewed the literature on game design and later life to develop a design approach that considers the multi-faceted nature of ageing as well as the intrinsic value of digital games. The resulting “Gerontoludic Design Framework” sets meaningful play as the intended outcome of game design for older adults, identifies iterative player-centered design as its preferred design approach, and extends the MDA framework by suggesting age-specific aesthetics and mechanics.

scholarly journals Digital games, cognitive skills, and motivation:

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 123-135
Author(s):  
Daniela Ramos ◽  
Bruna Santana Anastácio ◽  
Gleice Assunção da Silva ◽  
Clarissa Venturieri ◽  
Naomi Stange ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
School Year ◽  
Active Player ◽  
School Learning ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Level Of Motivation

In addition to entertainment, games have been recognized as enhancers of cognition and associated with increased motivation in the school learning context. The possibility of immersion and active player participation is considered a distinguished aspects of game design. Therefore, this study proposed the application of Brain School’s digital games using tablets during a school year, with weekly interventions of 50 minutes in a class of the second year of elementary school. Twenty-five students were analyzed with an average of eight years old. At the end of the interventions, the evaluation was carried out through individual interviews. The results revealed that most of children felt motivated to participate in the games activities. However, there was no association between level of motivation and cognitive skills investigated (attention and problem solving), nor between preferred games and cognitive skills trained. However, qualitative data showed that children liked using games and acknowledged that the activity contributed with the exercise of their abilities. In general, this research contributed to reinforcing the importance of the diversification of methodological strategies which include the use of digital games in education.

scholarly journals A Systematic Approach towards Transformation of Presentation Web Goal Oriented Requirements Language to Presentation Design Model

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 7-17
Author(s):  
Sangeeta Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Model Transformation ◽  
Web Applications ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
System Development ◽  
Requirements Analysis ◽  
Design Model ◽  
Specific Design ◽  
Uml Profile ◽  
Design Models ◽  
The Web

A number of modeling approaches are being used to design web applications.However, they mostly focus on design aspects and many a times they are unable to meet the real goal and expectations of the users. Goal Oriented Requirement Engineering is a popular approach for Information system development but has not been explored much for Web applications. Goal driven requirements analysis helps in capturing stakeholders’ goals very finely, they enhance the requirements analysis in many ways, as the requirement clarification and the conflicts between requirements can be detected at an early stage and design alternatives can be evaluated and selected to suit the require ments. In this paper, we take a step from the requirements phase to the design phase. While adheringto the web based goal oriented requirements engineering in the first phase we move to the A-OOH design models using a model transformation strategy to derive web specific design models supported by a UML profile. This helps in seamlessly generating the web specific design models namely the content, navigation, presentation, business process and adaptivity models. In this paper the focus is on transformation of WebGRL Presentation model to its Presentation design model. The model transformation approach aims at automatic transformation of the repeatedly refined and resolved alternatives presented by us in the WEBGRE framework as an input to the design models supported by a UML profile. This would lead to a better design and high quality of product development which captures the stakeholders’ goals very closely.

scholarly journals A 9-Step Theory- and Evidence-Based Postgraduate Medical Digital Education Development Model: Empirical Development and Validation (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert de Leeuw ◽  
Fedde Scheele ◽  
Kieran Walsh ◽  
Michiel Westerman
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Design ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Instructional Design Model ◽  
Design Model ◽  
Medical Professionals ◽  
Technology Enhanced Learning ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Design Models ◽  
Digital Education ◽  
Step Model

BACKGROUND Digital education tools (e-learning, technology-enhanced learning) can be defined as any educational intervention that is electronically mediated. Decveloping and applying such tools and interventions for postgraduate medical professionals who work and learn after graduation can be called postgraduate medical digital education (PGMDE), which is increasingly being used and evaluated. However, evaluation has focused mainly on reaching the learning goals and little on the design. Design models for digital education (instructional design models) help educators create a digital education curriculum, but none have been aimed at PGMDE. Studies show the need for efficient, motivating, useful, and satisfactory digital education. OBJECTIVE Our objective was (1) to create an empirical instructional design model for PGMDE founded in evidence and theory, with postgraduate medical professionals who work and learn after graduation as the target audience, and (2) to compare our model with existing models used to evaluate and create PGMDE. METHODS Previously we performed an integrative literature review, focus group discussions, and a Delphi procedure to determine which building blocks for such a model would be relevant according to experts and users. This resulted in 37 relevant items. We then used those 37 items and arranged them into chronological steps. After we created the initial 9-step plan, we compared these steps with other models reported in the literature. RESULTS The final 9 steps were (1) describe who, why, what, (2) select educational strategies, (3) translate to the real world, (4) choose the technology, (5) complete the team, (6) plan the budget, (7) plan the timing and timeline, (8) implement the project, and (9) evaluate continuously. On comparing this 9-step model with other models, we found that no other was as complete, nor were any of the other models aimed at PGMDE. CONCLUSIONS Our 9-step model is the first, to our knowledge, to be based on evidence and theory building blocks aimed at PGMDE. We have described a complete set of evidence-based steps, expanding a 3-domain model (motivate, learn, and apply) to an instructional design model that can help every educator in creating efficient, motivating, useful, and satisfactory PGMDE. Although certain steps are more robust and have a deeper theoretical background in current research (such as education), others (such as budget) have been barely touched upon and should be investigated more thoroughly in order that proper guidelines may also be provided for them.

The Travelling Rose

Gamification ◽  
2015 ◽  
pp. 1296-1311
Author(s):  
Valentijn Visch ◽  
Ingrid Mulder ◽  
Wessel Bos ◽  
Richard Prins
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Game Design ◽  
User Studies ◽  
Design Model ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Final Version ◽  
Persuasive Game

The persuasive game, Travelling Rose, aims to enhance walking activities of elderly residents living in neighbourhoods characterized by a low socioeconomic status. The game consists of a wooden pass-on box containing user-reports and instructions on how to find a companion, how to generate a surprise together, how to give this surprise a fellow neighbourhood member, and how to pass on the Travelling Rose box. The persuasive catch of the Travelling Rose is present when the companions are generating the surprise and are instructed to take a walk in the neighbourhood for easing social communication and flourishing creative ideas. In this chapter, the design process leading to the final version of the Travelling Rose is described, involving user studies, concept testing, and iterative prototyping. Secondly, the final prototype is presented and framed using the theoretical Persuasive Game Design model.

Hacking Well-Being

2019 ◽  
pp. 617-634
Author(s):  
Luca Argenton ◽  
Federica Pallavicini ◽  
Gabriele Barone ◽  
Andrea Zini ◽  
Giacomo Garcea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Integration ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Case Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Design Models ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Collective Experience ◽  
New Generation

Serious Games (SGs) have been able to shape new opportunities for human training and empowerment, imparting knowledge or skills in an engaging and motivating way to a new generation of learners. Further, they can be used to improve the quality of both individual and collective experience. In particular, SGs can nurture positive emotions promote engagement, as well as enhance social integration and connectedness. An in-depth analysis of each of these aspects will be presented in the chapter, with the support of concrete examples and case-analysis. Eventually, a game design practice will be discussed. Knowledge and awareness of hedonic, eudaimonic and social principles improve user-centered design models can be both fundamental to enhance learning effectiveness and retention and to improve players' well-being, contributing to the development of sustainable communities of practices.

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