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This report shares the results of a systematic, quantitative analysis of themes resonant with ambivalent sexism in playable female video game characters. Applying principles of ambivalent sexism's underlying concepts of paternalism, compulsory heterosexuality, and gender differentiation, we developed a coding scheme for assessing themes in character personalities, stories, and other aspects of their characterizations. We sampled games developed in Japan and the United States released between 1983 and 2017 (N = 398) and derived data from primary texts (i.e. video game content) and paratexts (i.e. character wiki entries). Our results provide evidence of sexist portrayals for playable characters. Evidence of sexist portrayals emerged with meaningful associations observed among theoretically relevant concepts (i.e. capability, sexualization, development location). We discuss our findings with respect to ambivalent sexism theory and the sociocultural contexts of video game development in Japan and the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowing about a danger is not enough to avoid it. Our daily lives offer countless examples of occasions in which we act imprudently for various reasons, even though we know we are taking risks. Nevertheless, circumstances in which we lack the necessary knowledge can lead us to run into unpleasant or harmful situations without being aware of it. In cybersecurity, knowledge of the dangers (as well as the mechanics of a possible attack) makes a huge difference. This is why specific training is provided in organizations, along with awareness campaigns. However, security training is often generic, boring, and a mere fulfillment of obligations rather than a tool for behavioral change. Today, we can deliver content through various devices and platforms that people access for both work and leisure, so that learning can happen incidentally and with almost no effort. Distributing knowledge in small, dedicated units creates the conditions for lasting, effective learning and is more effective than teaching through traditional courses (whether delivered in-person or online). In this article, we present an ongoing project on cybersecurity informal learning, including the design of a small video game. The intervention is aimed at helping young adults (18–25 years) to understand the mechanics of cookies and their role in the dynamics of cyberattacks. Consistent with the idea that a comprehensive course may be unsuitable for delivering cybersecurity training, the game covers and deliberately limits itself to that topic only. We also provide detailed considerations related to the evaluation of its effectiveness, although this is outside the scope of the present paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to determine the usefulness of educational video games as a variety applied to the traditional teaching of pharmacology in topics of antifungal and hypolipidemic drugs. Sixty‐six volunteers were divided into control group (n = 33) and experimental group (n = 33). The first group received traditional seminar only, and the second played video game designed with the use of Kahoot! platform after the seminar. The assessment of knowledge was conducted with the use of three tests: pre‐test was presented before seminar, post‐test after seminar (for control group) or after playing the video game (for experimental group), and test no. 3 took place 4 weeks later. Analysis of tests' scores with respect to both topics resulted in the observation that the control and experimental groups show statistically significant improvement in knowledge, whether it was measured after the seminar or 4 weeks later. However, the results of experimental group were statistically better in comparison to the control group. It proves that electronic GBL (game‐based learning) applied to standard educational processes increases short‐ and long‐term knowledge retention compared to traditional seminars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focuses on the study of the virtual community of fans of the procedural video game No Man's Sky and how the contributions of the wiki fandom are projected in the official updates published until February 2024. Using a scientific methodology based on the content analysis of user interactions, we propose an exploratory study consisting of a virtual ethnography that identifies the audio content generated that has led to changes in the production of the updates of the video game analysed, thus establishing an effective correlation with the technological evolution of the title in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repetitive tests on a learning material help schoolchildren to memorize and to learn this material. Psychologists call this phenomenon the testing effect. Skilled teachers use learning plays to embed routine tests in an engaging way. To widespread this practice, we propose a framework to digitize learning plays embedding routine tests into educational videogames. We have identified the smallest set of game design elements required to build an educational videogame out of a learning play. We have used the selfdetermination theory to group game design elements, and to define a breakdown structure for engagement engineering. This structure helps select the appropriate design elements for an engagement driver. We have applied the framework to digitize a learning play. We have tested the digital play with 238 schoolchildren who considered it as a video game. The video game tested a proposed pattern to create challenges allowing an engaging flow experience. The pattern increased responses (9%) and created time distortion (24%). Delivering rewards following variable schedules reduced errors (49%) and increased time distortion (16%). This research explores how to digitize learning plays into engaging educational video games and how to design engaging video games to remediate missed learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the last two decades, new discoveries from microbiome research have changed our understanding of human health. It became evident that daily habits and lifestyle choices shape the human microbiome and ultimately determine health or disease. Therefore, we developed 'Tiny Biome Tales' (https://microbiome.gamelabgraz.at/), a science pedagogy video game designed like a scientific review based exclusively on peer‐reviewed articles, to teach about the influence of lifestyle choices on the human microbiome during pregnancy, early and adult life, and related health consequences. Despite the scientific character, it can be played by a broad audience. Here, we also present a scientific assessment and showed that playing the game significantly contributed to knowledge gain. The innovative style of the 'gamified review' represents an ideal platform to disseminate future findings from microbiome research by updating existing and adding new scenes to the game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The influence of video games on the human brain has been a topic of extensive research and discussion. Video games, characterized by their dynamic and immersive qualities, have demonstrated the capacity to impact diverse cognitive processes. In this study, we conducted a detailed analysis of brain response variations to different genres of computer games, specifically focusing on boring, calm, horror, and funny games. To achieve this, we computed the sample entropy and approximate entropy of electroencephalograms (EEG) signals recorded from participants while they engaged with each type of game. Our findings revealed that EEG signals exhibited the highest complexity during the funny game and the lowest complexity during the calm game. This suggests that the brain is most active when playing the funny game and least active during the calm game. These results provide valuable insights into how different types of video game content can influence brain activity. The methodology employed in this study can be extended to explore brain activity under various conditions, potentially offering a broader understanding of how different stimuli impact cognitive processes. This approach can be useful in examining the effects of various interactive media on brain function and could inform the design of video games and other digital experiences to optimize cognitive engagement and mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Amazonia Investiga is the property of PRIMMATE and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Quest design is an important design aspect of video games. The current approach to quest design is dominated by a task-orientated paradigm in which a quest is viewed as a series of tasks to be completed as part of the narrative structure of the game. This paper presents an alternative paradigm that shifts away from the predominant task-based approach to quest design. Based on a study of existing quest models, a dual quest framework of singular and synergy quests is proposed. Within the frameworks, tasks become an intermediary step within the quest which is now focused on the transfiguration of the player character. This approach offers a practical design structure for both procedural and manual quest design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Restoring hand functionality is critical for fostering independence in individuals with neurological disorders. Various therapeutic approaches have emerged to address motor function restoration, with music-based therapies demonstrating notable advantages in enhancing neuroplasticity, an integral component of neurorehabilitation. Despite the positive effects observed, there remains a gap in the literature regarding implementing music treatments in neurorehabilitation, such as Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT), especially in conjunction with emerging fields like wearable devices and game-based therapies. Methods: A literature search was conducted in various databases, including PubMed, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and ACM Digital Library. The search was performed using a literature search methodology based on keywords. Information collected from the studies pertained to the approach used in music therapy, the design of the video games, and the types of wearable devices utilized. Results: A total of 158 articles were found, including 39 from PubMed, 34 from IEEE Xplore, 48 from Scopus, 37 from ACM Digital Library, and 35 from other sources. Duplicate entries, of which there were 41, were eliminated. In the first screening phase, 152 papers were screened for title and abstract. Subsequently, 89 articles were removed if they contained at least one exclusion criterion. Sixteen studies were considered after 63 papers had their full texts verified. Conclusions: The convergence of NMT with emerging fields, such as gamification and wearable devices designed for hand functionality, not only expands therapeutic horizons but also lays the groundwork for innovative, personalized approaches to neurorehabilitation. However, challenges persist in effectively incorporating NMT into rehabilitation programs, potentially hindering its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Adolescence is a critical period for the onset and maintenance of anxiety disorders, which raises the importance of intervening early; one possibility of doing so is via digital interventions. Within that research field, at least two important research paths have been explored in the past years. On the one hand, the anxiolytic effect of casual video games has been tested as such gaming activity may distract away from anxious thoughts through the induction of flow and redirection of attention toward the game and thus away of anxious thoughts. On the other hand, the bidirectional link between weak attentional control and higher anxiety has led to the design of interventions aiming at improving attentional control such as working memory training studies. Taking stock that another genre of gaming, action video games, improves attentional control, game-based interventions that combines cognitive training and action-like game features would seem relevant. This three-arm randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and the efficacy of two video game interventions to document how each may potentially alleviate adolescent anxiety-related symptoms when deployed fully on-line. Methods: The study aims to recruit 150 individuals, 12 to 14 years of age, with high levels of anxiety as reported by the parents' online form of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders questionnaire. This trial contrasts a child-friendly, "action-like" video game designed to improve attentional control abilities in a progressive and stepwise manner (Eco-Rescue), a casual puzzle video game selected to act as a positive distraction tool (Bejeweled) and finally a control group with no assigned training intervention to control for possible test-retest effects (No-training). Participants will be assigned randomly to one of the three study arms. They will be assessed for main (anxiety) and secondary outcomes (attentional control, affective working memory) at three time points, before training (T1), one week after the 6-week training (T2) and four months after completing the training (T3). Discussion: The results will provide evidence for the feasibility and the efficacy of two online video game interventions at improving mental health and emotional well-being in adolescents with high levels of anxiety. This project will contribute unique knowledge to the field, as few studies have examined the effects of video game play in the context of digital mental health interventions for adolescents. Trial registration: The trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05923944, June 20, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing accessibility of Virtual reality (VR) technology presents an opportunity for enhancing human immersion in several domains (Industrial, Social, Media, Cultural heritage, etc.). Moreover, it has huge impact to leverage its interaction and engagement; to un-dominate person on live, work, and diversion. The development of innovative VR-driven method is a sign of evolvement witnessed by the interaction design industry. In this respect, the work presents a complete framework for the design of virtual reality-based game; offering features, mechanisms, and 3D models that facilitate the development of interactive scenes, which reveal of the city's historic monuments reality. The main research question focuses on empirically establishing the impact of virtual reality on video game design, including its influence on in-game cultural placement and its potential to enhance the retention of legacy game experiences within players' memories. The results show that the game experience is felt original, enjoyable, and appealing for the user's target group. Also, participants appreciate the use of VR technologies to explore cultural scenes and product; and to enhance empathy within a virtual experience. Furthermore, our research extends recent studies, proposing a VR-based design methodology, as well as, an assessing process. It guides the creation of visual representation of monuments, artifacts, and culture. Moreover, it improves user's point of view and knowledge of the place they visit, within playing the WallysCar Crash Team Racing (WCTR) game. Our project intended to achieve a twofold purpose related to the Tunisian context: discovering the popular "Sfax City" with historical and patrimonial monumental heritage, while promoting the local industry creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serious Games (SGs) intended for educational purposes can improve the quality of learning in many contexts and at all levels. However, their use in schools remains minimal despite their many educational and pedagogical benefits. This lack of interest is partly due to educational SGs' visibility problem. Indeed, they are mainly indexed in catalogues containing all types of SGs (not necessarily educational). Also, the existing catalogues, often designed by video game editors, do not offer relevant and practical filters to help teachers find SGs suited to their specific needs. This article proposes JENPlanet, a catalogue designed from several research contributions to help teachers find existing educational SGs. A comparative study is carried out on its usability, relevance, and utility against those of two other major catalogues. 50 teachers explored the different catalogues and evaluated them through questionnaires. The results show that the JEN-Planet catalogue better meets teachers' needs. This catalogue could therefore improve the visibility of educational SGs for teachers, improving their searchability by teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Children in developed countries spend a significant portion of their waking hours engaging with audiovisual content and video games. The impact of media consumption on children's health and well‐being has been widely studied, including its effects on tic disorders. Previous studies have shown that tic frequency can both increase and decrease during activities like gaming and television watching, resulting in mixed findings. Methods: To better understand the impact of audiovisual media on tics, we conducted a fine‐grained tic manifestation analysis. We focused on the effects of the impact of a movie scene with suspensful elements and a video game designed to heighten anticipation, thought to stimulate phasic and striatal dopamine release. We closely monitored tic frequency throuhghout these experiences based on moment‐to‐moment tic annotation. The study included 20 participants (19 males aged 7‐16) diagnosed with tic disorders (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale≥8), and we tested the replicability of our findings with an independent group of 36 children (15 females, aged 7‐15) with tic disorders. Results: During film viewing, we observed significant synchronization in the temporal tic patterns of various individuals despite diversity in their tic profiles. Furthermore, employing a video game developed for our study, we found that tic frequency increases during anticipation of a pending reward. This finding was replicated in a second experiment with an independent cohort. Conclusions: Our results indicate that tic frequency is affected by media elements in the short‐term, and call for further investigation of the long‐term impacts of exposure to such tic triggers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescence is a critical period for the onset and maintenance of anxiety disorders, which raises the importance of intervening early; one possibility of doing so is via digital interventions. Within that research field, at least two important research paths have been explored in the past years. On the one hand, the anxiolytic effect of casual video games has been tested as such gaming activity may distract away from anxious thoughts through the induction of flow and redirection of attention toward the game and thus away of anxious thoughts. On the other hand, the bidirectional link between weak attentional control and higher anxiety has led to the design of interventions aiming at improving attentional control such as working memory training studies. Taking stock that another genre of gaming, action video games, improves attentional control, game-based interventions that combines cognitive training and action-like game features would seem relevant. This three-arm randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and the efficacy of two video game interventions to document how each may potentially alleviate adolescent anxiety-related symptoms when deployed fully on-line. Methods: The study aims to recruit 150 individuals, 12 to 14 years of age, with high levels of anxiety as reported by the parents' online form of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders questionnaire. This trial contrasts a child-friendly, "action-like" video game designed to improve attentional control abilities in a progressive and stepwise manner (Eco-Rescue), a casual puzzle video game selected to act as a positive distraction tool (Bejeweled) and finally a control group with no assigned training intervention to control for possible test-retest effects (No-training). Participants will be assigned randomly to one of the three study arms. They will be assessed for main (anxiety) and secondary outcomes (attentional control, affective working memory) at three time points, before training (T1), one week after the 6-week training (T2) and four months after completing the training (T3). Discussion: The results will provide evidence for the feasibility and the efficacy of two online video game interventions at improving mental health and emotional well-being in adolescents with high levels of anxiety. This project will contribute unique knowledge to the field, as few studies have examined the effects of video game play in the context of digital mental health interventions for adolescents. Trial registration: The trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05923944, June 20, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elaborate sound design, including background music, ambient sounds (sounds describing the game world), and character sounds (sounds generated by the character's actions), plays a pivotal role in modern video games. However, the influence of these different types of sound on the player's experience has not been extensively researched. This study examines the influence of these sound types on immersion, avatar identification, fun, and perceived competence. In two experiments, participants played League of Legends under four different sound conditions. The first experiment (N1 = 32) revealed a non-significant trend in the effect of character sounds on avatar identification. Ambient sounds, however, were limited because the task restricted participants' movement across the game map. Consequently, we adapted the task to allow for a wider variety of ambient sounds in the second experiment (N2 = 32). Here, a significant impact of character sounds on immersion, avatar identification, and fun was observed, as well as an interaction effect of character sounds and ambient sounds on fun. Furthermore, we observed a trend, though not statistically significant, suggesting that ambient sounds may influence the player's sense of flow. These findings underline the distinct effects of different sound types, and we discuss implications for the design of sound in video games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical scientific and societal challenge involves developing and evaluating interventions that reduce prejudice towards outgroups. Video games appear to be a promising method, but several holes in the current scientific literature prevent fully understanding the sizeable potential impact of video games on reducing prejudice. The present study investigated to what extent a video game designed to reduce prejudice towards minorities in a fictional society has the potential to reduce prejudice towards non-fictional minorities. Participants played either a recently developed game designed to reduce prejudice towards non-fictional minorities (hereafter referred to as the test game) or a control game. After playing at home, participants performed two tasks in a lab context. We observed overall a positive effect of playing the test game compared to the control game on attenuating prejudice towards an outgroup individual. We indeed observed that players of the control game had increased midfrontal theta activity, reflecting a higher degree of cognitive conflict when they acted prosociality towards the outgroup participant and a lower neural response to the outgroup participant's pain than compared to the ingroup participants. These effects were attenuated for players of the test game. We also observed that players of the test game had a higher sense of agency when they decided to help the outgroup participant than when they did not help the outgroup participant, an effect not observable in control game players. These results are promising as they support evidence that using fictional characters in video games may induce positive changes toward non-fictional individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nachrichten aus der Chemie is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Guidelines recommend Advance Care Planning (ACP) for seriously ill older adults to increase the patient-centeredness of end-of-life care. Few interventions target the inpatient setting. Objective: To test the effect of a novel physician-directed intervention on ACP conversations in the inpatient setting. Design: Stepped wedge cluster-randomized design with five 1-month steps (October 2020–February 2021), and 3-month extensions at each end. Setting: A total of 35/125 hospitals staffed by a nationwide physician practice with an existing quality improvement initiative to increase ACP (enhanced usual care). Participants: Physicians employed for ≥ 6 months at these hospitals; patients aged ≥ 65 years they treated between July 2020–May 2021. Intervention: Greater than or equal to 2 h of exposure to a theory-based video game designed to increase autonomous motivation for ACP; enhanced usual care. Main measure: ACP billing (data abstractors blinded to intervention status). Results: A total of 163/319 (52%) invited, eligible hospitalists consented to participate, 161 (98%) responded, and 132 (81%) completed all tasks. Physicians' mean age was 40 (SD 7); most were male (76%), Asian (52%), and reported playing the game for ≥ 2 h (81%). These physicians treated 44,235 eligible patients over the entire study period. Most patients (57%) were ≥ 75; 15% had COVID. ACP billing decreased between the pre- and post-intervention periods (26% v. 21%). After adjustment, the homogeneous effect of the game on ACP billing was non-significant (OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.88–1.06; p = 0.42). There was effect modification by step (p < 0.001), with the game associated with increased billing in steps 1–3 (OR 1.03 [step 1]; OR 1.15 [step 2]; OR 1.13 [step 3]) and decreased billing in steps 4–5 (OR 0.66 [step 4]; OR 0.95 [step 5]). Conclusions: When added to enhanced usual care, a novel video game intervention had no clear effect on ACP billing, but variation across steps of the trial raised concerns about confounding from secular trends (i.e., COVID). Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov; NCT 04557930, 9/21/2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "new" Great Game suggests that, like the imperial competition of the past, we are witnessing a trans-imperial moment whereby Japan and China are vying for hegemony in East Asia. This is a new moment because East Asia, unlike Europe, has never had two co-existing superpowers. The prospect of a new imperial competition is complicated by the still-present American military power and the non-statist arena, especially in popular culture, where the imperial games are played out. Using two popular anti-Japan videogames, Glorious Mission Online (2013) and The Invisible Guardian (2019) as case studies, I argue these games are symptomatic of the relations between warfare and game in general. I then outline the trend in game development that subverts conventional wargames. Finally, I speculate on alternative game design over the disputed territories in the Southern China Sea that prioritizes ecology over human conflict and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic Arts' The Godfather: The Game uses Mario Puzo's novel and Francis Ford Coppola's films as the raw material for new representations of Italian American ethnicity. In the game, viewers design their avatar. Unusual in the world of game design, this interface, dubbed "Mob Face," limits players' choices to narrow, stereotypically Italian American male physiognomy. After choosing everything from physical features to clothing, the player enters the game space as an in-group member of the Corleone Italian American crime family. The game's rules further complicate this construction of ethnicity by requiring players to engage in acts of violence and extortion in order for the narrative to progress. Despite reminders that players are not really Italian American gangsters, the game's design romanticizes regressive masculine norms and offers a fantasy of an all-powerful, exclusively White ethnic, male group creating troubling notions of ethnic, racial, and gender identities. Ultimately, The Godfather: The Game reframes not only the original text(s) on which it is based but also the meaning of Italian American ethnicity (and, by extension, other identity categories) in a digital space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important problem in single-player video game design is how to sequence game elements within a level (or "chunk") of the game. Each element has two critical features: a reward (e.g., earning an item or being able to watch a cinematic) and a degree of difficulty (e.g., how much energy or focus is needed to interact with the game element). The latter property is a distinctive feature in video games. Unlike passive services (like a trip to the spa) or passive entertainment (like watching sports or movies), video games often require concerted effort to consume. We study how to sequence game elements to maximize overall experienced utility subject to the dynamics of adaptation to rewards and difficulty and memory decay. We find that the optimal design depends on the relationship between rewards and difficulty, leading to qualitatively different designs. For example, when the proportion of reward-to-difficulty is high, the optimal design mimics that of more passive experiences. By contrast, the optimal design of games with low reward-to-difficulty ratios resembles work-out routines with "warm-ups" and "cool-downs." Intermediate cases may follow the classical "mini-boss, end-boss" design where difficulty has two peaks. Numerical results reveal optimal designs with "waves" of reward and difficulty with multiple peaks. Level designs with multiple peaks of difficulty are ubiquitous in video games. In summary, this paper provides practical guidance to game designers on how to match the design of single-player games to the relationship between reward and difficulty inherent in their game's mechanics. Our model also has implications for other interactive services that share similarities with games, such as summer camps for children. This paper was accepted by Jeannette Song, operations management. Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Project 72201210] and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [Grant RGPIN-2020-06488]. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4665. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a collaborative art project by Dri Chiu Tattersfield and Ames Ma that explores the intersection of Asian American nostalgia and critique of supply chain capitalism through the lens of the popular drink, Yakult. The artists examine the multinational networks involved in the production and distribution of Yakult, highlighting the exploitation of Asian women in the labor process. They argue that engaging with supply chain capitalism and practicing international solidarity is crucial for Asian American feminism and envisioning futures beyond capitalism and borders. The art project incorporates archival materials and raw substances to reimagine community stewardship, science, and care. [Extracted from the article]

This study focused on the digital design practices of Raul, a 15-year-old participant at a summer video game design camp for adolescents. As Raul developed his original game, You Will Perish, I wondered what his design process might reveal about (a) the practice of affectively and procedurally literate video game design and (b) the literacy pedagogies that can support such design. Guided by the concept of serendipity, I describe Raul's design practice as an open process characterized by bouts of failure, chance, and discovery, and I examine how such forces shaped the emergence of his game. Using transversal analysis, I trace Raul's design through an account of frustration and failure, perseverance and pride, showing how the challenges of the game's creator become those of the game's players. The study highlights the generative potential of serendipitous literacies wherever and whenever literacy happens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When we give meanings to a physical space, we engage in place-making. With technologies, the place-making activities can be extended to virtual and hybrid spaces. In games, actual or virtual space can gain narrative and meaning transforming into a playce (i.e., a place for play). We suggest that playce-making (i.e., transforming a space into a playce) activities in the classroom may provide adolescents with a rich learning context for teamwork, problem-solving, and knowledge creation. In our study, we observed ninth graders' engagements in game design projects at a Canadian suburban school. We discuss how learners created their own learning paths in transforming the actual space of their school, conceptually and typologically, into hybrid and virtual playces. Our research indicates that the typological transformation of space motivates learners to create or adopt narratives meaningful to them and their community from familiar spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a review of research works from the last several years in automated story generation systems. These systems are categorised into interactive story generation systems and non-Interactive story generation systems. Interactive systems are those that collaborate with a user/author during the process of creating and/or executing the story. The extent of user interaction varies across systems but remains an integral part of the creation and/or the unfolding of the story. Non-Interactive systems concentrate on complete automation of the creative process involved in narrative generation to create diverse and interesting stories. Interactive story generators specifically designed for video game narratives are reviewed as a separate sub-class of interactive story generation systems. Also reviewed are the methods used for evaluation of story generation systems as a way to explore the possibility of having standard methods of evaluation within the research community. The paper includes a discussion of trends and directions of the research discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a study in which the cognitive concentration levels of participants were evaluated using electroencephalogram (EEG) measures while they were playing three different categories of virtual reality (VR) video games: Challenging Puzzlers, Casual Games, and Exergames. Thirty-one voluntary participants between the ages of 17 and 35 were recruited. EEG data were processed to analyze the brain's electrical activity in the alpha band. The values of power spectral density (PSD) and individual alpha frequency (IAF) of each participant were compared to detect changes that could indicate a state of concentration. Additionally, frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) between the left and right hemispheres of the brain was compared. The results showed that the Exergame category of video games elicited higher average cognitive concentration in players, as indicated by the IAF and FAA values. These findings contribute to understanding the cognitive effects of VR video games and their implications for designing and developing VR experiences to enhance cognitive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competition is a fundamental feature of video games. However, the influence of competition-outcome feedback on players' flow experience is not clearly understood. This study aims to examine this effect and explore its mechanisms and boundaries. In the experiment, 108 male participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups (based on the condition of receiving winning feedback, losing feedback, and no feedback) in competitive video game playing. The results showed that receiving continuous winning feedback enhanced the players' flow experience, while receiving losing feedback impaired the players' flow experience. In addition, moderated mediation model analysis revealed that the relative effect of receiving winning feedback was mediated by anxiety that was further moderated by trait competitiveness. Only in those with high trait competitiveness can receiving winning feedback relieve their anxiety and facilitate the flow experience in turn. These results develop our understanding of the role of competition in video games and provide insights into video game design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 20 years, the proposal that immersive media, such as video games, can be leveraged to enhance brain plasticity and learning has been put to the test. This expanding literature highlights the extraordinary power of video games as a potential medium to train brain functions, but also the remaining challenges that must be addressed in developing games that truly deliver in terms of learning objectives. Such challenges include the need to: (1) Maintain high motivation given that learning typically requires long-term training regimens, (2) Ensure that the content or skills to be learned are indeed mastered in the face of many possible distractions, and (3) Produce knowledge transfer beyond the proximal learning objectives. Game design elements that have been proposed to support these learning objectives are reviewed, along with the underlying psychological constructs that these elements rest upon. A discussion of potential pitfalls is also included, as well as possible paths forward to consistently ensure impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite gaming disorder now being diagnosable by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as a new mental disorder due to addictive behaviors, little is known about the concrete reasons for which people seek treatment for their videogame play. As the current literature is mainly based on children and adolescents, there is a strong need for better understanding adult treatment-seekers in particular. This preregistered study responds to the gap in research by qualitatively investigating the reasons for treatment-seeking with 110 participants who had sought help for their videogame play from a Finnish treatment program. We applied template analysis to the open-ended data, which consist of the participants' personal accounts regarding their problems. Additionally, we report the game titles that the participants had problems with, as well as Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10) scores, which were measured from 89 participants. The template analysis suggested five themes, which cover the main reasons for treatment-seeking: social reasons, existential reasons, practical reasons, self-perceived addiction, and wish for support. Many of these themes overlap with the ICD-11 description of gaming disorder, but several issues, such as loss of meaning and financial harms, are not part of the current diagnosis. The average IGDT-10 score among participants was 3.86 (SD = 2.55) and 37 (42%) individuals met the disorder cutoff (5.00). Numerous videogames with different designs were mentioned as sources of problems, of which 26 were mentioned more than once. The study indicates that adults seek treatment for many kinds of games and gaming-related problems, including but not limited to those, which are described part of the ICD-11 gaming disorder diagnoses. We recommend both researchers and practitioners to implement an expanded perspective on gaming behaviors, acknowledging that adults may seek treatment for diverse gaming-related problems, some of which not necessarily relevant to gaming disorder or mental disorders in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the representation and utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) in video games. Topics explored include the depiction of AI antagonists in the games "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" and "Portal," the emergence of the science fiction video game genre during the Cold War, and the gameplay produced by AI systems for the first-person shooter horror video game "Left 4 Dead."

After demonstrating the efficacy of adapting visual references (3D renders and photos) to concept art for high-budget game development and film production, this contribution suggests a specific approach for the digital artist to produce the uncanny valley when designing monsters. This article illustrates the importance of embedding visual references into the artwork for time efficiency, correct use of perspective and establishment of believable textures. In particular, the search for realism shows to be advantageous in design uncanny monsters. Visual references can be manipulated in software such as Photoshop to prepare not only the blueprints for the 3D modelling/sculpting stage but also to design the special effects makeup for live-action monsters. This contribution fills a gap between our current understanding of the uncanny valley and the process of designing characters; it suggests an efficient approach to monster-making for entertainment and sheds a light on contemporary concept art practices. This is important for a dual reason: (a) it moves knowledge forward in the field of the uncanny valley's applications to concept art since this has not been investigated in depth in other works; (b) it helps professional concept artists in shaping and controlling the uncanniness of antagonistic characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Gaming disorder (GD) is a mental health concern that has been heavily contested by experts. This scoping review synthesizes the literature to identify the structural features of video game design that can contribute to GD. Furthermore, a taxonomy of the structural features implicated with GD is proposed, revised from earlier work. Methods: Seven databases, in addition to Google Scholar, were searched. Peer-reviewed studies were included if they assessed a link between gaming structural characteristics and GD or a proxy. The final pool included 105 articles. Results: Avatar creation and customizability, multiplayer characteristics, and reward and punishment features were highly represented in the literature. There was no evidence for three categories in the original taxonomy: support network features, sexual content, and explicit language. Furthermore, structural feature sub-categories emerged that were absent from the previous taxonomy, such as general socialization features, type of virtual world, and in-game currency. Manipulation and control features and presentation features were less represented than social features, narrative and identity features, and reward and punishment features. The reviewers propose two broad classes of addictive gaming structural features: 'features enhancing in-game immersion and realism' and 'gambling-like features'. Discussion and conclusions: Numerous studies found a relationship between social, narrative and identity, and reward and punishment structural characteristics with GD. Two broad classes of gaming structural features were associated with addiction. The first, 'features enhancing in-game immersion and realism,' including social gameplay, avatar creation, storytelling, and graphics/sound. The second, 'gambling-like features,' included different mechanisms of rewards-and-punishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]