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The article presented the rationale and description of a universal classification model of computer games. The basis of its development was the principle of systematic and psychosemiotic approach that afforded considering both semantic and syntactic (formal) features of a game as factors mediating its effect on gamers. A computer game came under consideration as a system entity whose classification profile took shape following unique combination of thirty-four components that were interconnected in the manner of mutual cooperation. They combined into seven levels, two of which were: the game-play and setting — attributed to the fundamentals inherent to any game, while five were variable: the narrative, semantic, personal, communicative and ethic. Criteria to determine intensity of manifestation of the described components in a game that served as the basis for its expert evaluation, were presented. The results of investigation of «The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt» computer game were quoted. The study involved ten experts (8 men and 2 women) with a higher education and a great interactive gaming experience. The participants were made familiar with the classification algorithm of video games assessment and, in the process of complete ‘play-through’ of a game under consideration, categorized it into thirty-four components. Statistical processing of the data demonstrated high degree of consistency of the estimates: the value of α-Kronbach index amounted to 0.971. That afforded grounds to infer that the Master Form presented may serve as a reliable basis to analyze games and propose hypotheses about the nature of their effect on gamers.

The article is aimed at analysis of current studies of the link between video games experience and creativity. The impact of video game playing on the psychological specificity of gamers has repeatedly become a subject of many studies, though higher-level cognitive abilities, such as creativity, were rarely the subject of interest, remaining unexplored in the context of video games. Contrary to the earlier predictions that the increased amount of «readymade» visual information will reduce the imaginative ability, most of the current works show positive links between some types of creativity (in particular — visual) and playing video games. The latter becomes not only a source of inspiration but also a platform for creative realization. Many authors draw attention to possible negative aspects of creativity, in particular, the possibility of its antisocial applications. In this regard, the importance of studying the aggressiveness and empathy of computer players is increasing but the research data in this area is particularly contradictory.

We analyze the results of the study of the influence of sociocultural determinants on the formation of youth subcultures. An introduction to the subculture is understood as one of the stages of individualization and formation of the young person as a member of society. In the described study, we tested the assumption that the orientation of adolescents on a subculture or the dominant culture is due to different sociocultural determinants (society, small group and personality). The participants were 304 high schools students, average age 15.2 years. With the use of a number of diagnostic techniques and factor analysis, we revealed the sociocultural determinants of adolescents’ orientation on the dominant culture or gamers subculture. Experts attention is drawn to the consideration of the specific of identified sociocultural determinants that will boost the effectiveness of the preventive and remedial work programs aimed at developing in teenagers the means of constructive intercultural interaction, focused on different levels of the organization culture.