While a well-established body of empirical work indicates that engaging in mentally stimulating activities is linked to positive physical and mental health outcomes, relatively few studies have specifically examined the impact that video game training can have on cognitive functioning and well-being. Given the substantial implications that such work has for an ever-growing older adult population, this area of research has begun to pique the interest of researchers world-wide. The present study employed an experimental paradigm to explore the impact of a Nintendo DS video game, Brain Age, on the cognitive functioning, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and video game attitudes of adults aged 65 and older. A total of 35 participants were recruited from various Senior Centers located in the San Fernando Valley and were randomly assigned to an intervention group that played Brain Age for five weeks (three hours of supervised training per week) or a control group that was only required to complete an assessment battery before and after a five week period. Findings stemming from ANCOVA analyses in which pre-test scores (and in the case of cognitive outcome variables, a separate cognitive screener) served as covariates indicated significant group differences with regards to brief arithmetic and syllable count assessments, and marginally significant differences on the basis of the Stroop Interference Test. While all the effects for self-efficacy, self-esteem, and a newly developed video game attitudes scale were in the predicted direction, no statistically significant group differences were found. Findings across the 16 examined outcome variables also indicate larger effects among cognitive outcome variables that are directly practiced via the intervention. Such findings also indicate larger effects among timed over non-timed cognitive measures, and among cognitive over affective/attitudinal variables. Notwithstanding limitations concerning the transferability of trained skills to a broader set of cognitive abilities, the current study's evidence suggests that playing a simple, inexpensive, and easily accessible videogame can enhance some aspects of cognitive functioning. These findings hold significant implications for the millions of older Americans looking for technologically-oriented avenues by which to sharpen their cognitive skills.

Older adults in residential care often lead sedentary lifestyles despite physical and cognitive activities being crucial for their well-being. Care facilities face the challenge of encouraging their residents to participate in leisure activities, but as the impact of age-related changes grows, few activities remain accessible. Video games in general – and motion-based games in particular – hold the promise of providing mental, physical and social stimulation for older adults. However, the accessibility of commercially available games for older adults is not considered during the development process. Therefore, many older adults are unable to obtain any of the benefits. In my dissertation, this issue is addressed through the development of motion-based game controls that specifically address the needs of older adults. The first part of this thesis lays the foundation by providing an overview of motion-based game interaction for older adults. The second part demonstrates the general feasibility of motion-based game controls for older adults, develops full-body motion-based and wheelchair-based game controls, and provides guidelines for accessible motion-based game interaction for institutionalized older adults. The third part of this thesis builds on these results and presents two case studies. Motion-based controls are applied and further evaluated in game design projects addressing the special needs of older adults in long-term care, with the first case study focusing on long-term player engagement and the role of volunteers in care homes, and the second case study focusing on connecting older adults and caregivers through play. The results of this dissertation show that motion-based game controls can be designed to be accessible to institutionalized older adults. My work also shows that older adults enjoy engaging with motion-based games, and that such games have the potential of positively influencing them by providing a physically and mentally stimulating leisure activity. Furthermore, results from the case studies reveal the benefits and limitations of computer games in long-term care. Fostering inclusive efforts in game design and ensuring that motion-based video games are accessible to broad audiences is an important step toward allowing all players to obtain the full benefits of games, thereby contributing to the quality of life of diverse audiences.

Built upon symbiotic flow, that is a merging of flow theory (Csikzentmihalyi, 1975) and situated cognition (Gee, 2007) this dissertation presents the findings from a 6-month qualitative study of an elite gamer and his practices and experiences with video games. The study used mediated discourse analysis and case study methods to answer the following question: What does it mean to be an elite gamer, to one life-long player of video games? In addition, the following sub-questions were considered: a) What aspects of elite gaming are important and meaningful to one particular gamer? b) What moments of play does this gamer identify as significant? c) What does sustained play look like for one him? Data sources included interviews, observations of significant gaming (that is gaming in heightened states of enjoyment and success), observation de-briefs, co-analysis interview, and a research journal. The researcher coded observational data for elements of symbiotic flow and in response to interview data. Data are presented in narrative, expository, and graphic forms across the study. This inquiry has resulted in the creation of the Model of Nested Transaction in order to articulate and understand the nature of significant gaming experiences. Additional significant findings include: a) Time is the primary resource and commodity in this particular player's elite gaming world, because it represents a level of dedication and insider status; b) this gamer values particular affordances in his gaming, namely experiences that develop knowledge and skills that can then be applied instantaneously in gaming contexts and be harnessed for longitudinal participation; c) video games provide the participant, and gamers like him, with possibilities for greatness, an aspect of his identity that is both critically important to him and often strikingly absent outside of games. The study argues for productive consideration of video games as a mediational tool of both meaningful learning and powerful identity exploration.

Music can positively affect game play and help players to understand underlying patterns in the game, or the effects of their actions on the characters. Conversely, inappropriate music can have a negative effect on players. While game makers recognize the effects of music on game play, solutions that provide users with a choice in personal music have not been forthcoming. I designed and evaluated an algorithm for automatically adapting any music track from a personal library so that is plays at the same rate as the user plays the game. I accomplish this without access to the video game's souce code, allowing deployment with any game and no modifications to the system.

Fourteen volunteers were asked to participate in an experiment, along with answering a survey, toevaluate the performance of three peripherals: the Xbox 360 Wired Controller, a keyboard, and theRock Band Fender Stratocaster Wired Guitar Controller. The participants played a prototype madein Unity, and their accuracy scores were analyzed in R using ANOVA. However, no significantquantifiable difference was found based on which peripheral was being used. The scores were alsoanalyzed using Pearson's Product-Moment correlation, and we were able to determine that thevariation in accuracy scores was directly linked to the participant's specific test run in theexperiment. Taking this into consideration along with results of our observational data andparticipant feedback, we found that there were more factors at play, in regards to playability andaccuracy, than just the input device itself. The learning effect of repetitive play of the prototype andinput devices, the control input scheme, and the participant's chosen peripheral manipulationmethod all had an impact. / I syfte att utvärdera prestandan av de tre kringutrustningarna handkontroll till Xbox 360, ett vanligttangentbord samt Rock Bands gitarrkontroll Fender Stratocaster deltog fjorton frivilliga personer i ettexperiment samt svarade på en enkät. Deltagarna spelade en prototyp gjord i spelmotorn Unity somsamlade in deras precisionspoäng som senare kunde analyseras i programmet R med metoden ANOVA.Dock hittades ingen signifikant mätbar skillnad mellan de olika kringutrustningarnas prestanda.Precisionspoängen analyserades även med hjälp av Pearsons produkt-moment korrelation där vi kundekonstatera att variationen i precisionspoängen var direkt kopplade till deltagarens specifika testrunda iexperimentet. Med hänsyn till detta tillsammans med resultaten från våra observationer samt feedbackfrån deltagarna fann vi att det fanns fler faktorer än inmatningsenheten som påverkade spelbarheten ochprecisionen: deltagarnas val vid hanteringen av kringutrustningen, de olika kontrollschemana samtinlärningseffekten som uppstod vid upprepat spelande av prototypens testbana och användandet avkringutrustningen.

Visuella vägledande element kan höja eller sänka en spelupplevelse. Därför har vi gjort en studie kring hur man kan uppnå intuitiv visuell navigation med fyra beprövade visuella vägledande element, nämligen ljussättning, färgkulör, färgmättnad samt objektplacering. Dessa element har använts för att skapa ett visuellt språk i en bana som vi har låtit ett antal respondenter spela och simultant kommentera. Resultaten har varit som väntat, att ljussättning fungerar som det starkast vägledande elementet, samt att respondenterna reagerade på, samt vägleddes av, nämnda element. / Visual navigation elements can make or break a game. Therefore we have conducted a study of how to achieve intuitive visual navigation using four visual guiding elements, namely lighting, color, saturation and object placement. We have used these elements to create a visual language for a level, and have had a number of respondents play the level whilst commenting. The results have been as predicted, that light gives the strongest guidance, and that the respondents reacted to, and was guided by, named elements.

Video games are a part of modern culture. As video game spaces begin to enter a new generation’s spatial lexicon, it is important for architects, curators of spatial design, to understand this new medium of space. This thesis aims to introduce two concepts specific to video game design, the magic circle and flow, to architects as a means of understanding the design of video game spaces. First coined by the Dutch historian Johann Huizinga in Homo Ludens, and later adapted by video game designers Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman, the magic circle refers to the boundary created by the rules of a game that separate reality from the fantasy of the game. Within the magic circle, the rules of play can transform and give new meaning to spatial organizations that could be considered problematic in real world architectural design. Flow is a psychological concept introduced by Hungarian psychology professor Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. When completing a task, flow occurs when both the skill level of the participant and the challenge level of the task are equally high. When a state of flow is achieved, the task becomes enjoyable and can be carried out indefinitely until the balance is broken. Effective video games spaces are specifically designed to contribute to flow experiences, while ineffective spaces can make a game too easy or too hard, creating a boredom or anxiety for the player. Through a series of explorations and video game case studies, specifically in the first-person and third person shooter genre, this thesis first observes the transformation of implied spatial meanings in the magic circle. It then introduces the unique spatial languages used to generate spaces that support the creation of flow alongside the gameplay and narrative of a video game. This thesis culminates with the design and execution of an original capture the flag map created with the Unreal Engine that tests the concepts of the magic circle and flow in video game spaces. As video games become increasingly ubiquitous, this thesis acts as means of entry for architects to understand the unique properties of an emerging form of spatial design.

Children who have grown up with the Internet as a dominant form of cultural production bring to their identity development a complex and unique set of expectations and assumptions about identity fluidity and presentation. In addition, these "cyberchildren" are spending much of their social-interaction time in environments populated and controlled by adults, and yet beyond the purview or authority of the adults in their "real" lives. Understanding the nature of their identity development in virtual spaces and its implications for their real-world behaviors offers new opportunities for interventions that more effectively empower children to navigate and negotiate their experiences in relationship with online audiences. The study proposes that Goffman's dramaturgical metaphor can be productively applied to cyberspace, where children are rehearsing their identity performances in backstage, virtual environments; transferring their most salient and valuable identities to middle-stage spaces in real life, where they are performed for their peers and friends; and finally adopting them for presentation in front-stage, public spheres. The work draws on sociological interaction, dramaturgical analysis, information flow theory, and cyberstudies theory to propose a new theoretical framework. Its mixed-methodology approach incorporates a quantitative online survey, including benchmark questions drawn from three national surveys, and open-ended questions analyzed through qualitative methodologies. Taken together, the results confirmed the author's hypotheses that: (1) Cyberchildren have access to adult information and situations; (2) Traditional interventions to protect children in cyberspace are largely ineffective; (3) Cyberchildren maintain distinct online and real-life identities; and (4) Cyberchildren perceive of their virtual identities as valuable and salient.

As video game designers focus on immersive interactive stories, the number of game object interactions grows exponentially. Most games use manually-programmed scripts to control object interactions, although automated techniques for generating scripts from high-level specifications are being introduced. For example, ScriptEase provides designers with generative patterns that inject commonly-occurring interactions into games. ScriptEase patterns generate scripts for the game Neverwinter Nights. A kind of generative pattern, the quest pattern, generates scripting code controlling the plot in story-based games. I present my additions to the quest pattern architecture (meta quest points and abandonable subquests), a catalogue of quest patterns, and the results of two studies measuring their effectiveness. These studies show that quest patterns are easy-to-use, substantially reduce plot scripting errors, and their catalogue is highly-reusable between games. These studies demonstrate ScriptEase generative quest patterns are a desirable alternative to manual plot scripting in commercial, story-based games.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how secondary school media educators might best meet the needs of students who prefer practical production work to ‘theory’ work in media studies classrooms. This is a significant problem for a curriculum area that claims to develop students’ media literacies by providing them with critical frameworks and a metalanguage for thinking about the media. It is a problem that seems to have become more urgent with the availability of new media technologies and forms like video games. The study is located in the field of media education, which tends to draw on structuralist understandings of the relationships between young people and media and suggests that students can be empowered to resist media’s persuasive discourses. Recent theoretical developments suggest too little emphasis has been placed on the participatory aspects of young people playing with, creating and gaining pleasure from media. This study contributes to this ‘participatory’ approach by bringing post structuralist perspectives to the field, which have been absent from studies of secondary school media education. I suggest theories of media learning must take account of the ongoing formation of students’ subjectivities as they negotiate social, cultural and educational norms. Michel Foucault’s theory of ‘technologies of the self’ and Judith Butler’s theories of performativity and recognition are used to develop an argument that media learning occurs in the context of students negotiating various ‘ethical systems’ as they establish their social viability through achieving recognition within communities of practice. The concept of ‘ethical systems’ has been developed for this study by drawing on Foucault’s theories of discourse and ‘truth regimes’ and Butler’s updating of Althusser’s theory of interpellation. This post structuralist approach makes it possible to investigate the ways in which students productively repeat and vary norms to creatively ‘do’ and ‘undo’ the various media learning activities with which they are required to engage. The study focuses on a group of year ten students in an all boys’ Catholic urban school in Australia who undertook learning about video games in a three-week intensive ‘immersion’ program. The analysis examines the ethical systems operating in the classroom, including formal systems of schooling, informal systems of popular cultural practice and systems of masculinity. It also examines the students’ use of semiotic resources to repeat and/or vary norms while reflecting on, discussing, designing and producing video games. The key findings of the study are that students are motivated to learn technology skills and production processes rather than ‘theory’ work. This motivation stems from the students’ desire to become recognisable in communities of technological and masculine practice. However, student agency is not only possible through critical responses to media, but through performative variation of norms through creative ethical practices as students participate with new media technologies. Therefore, the opportunities exist for media educators to create the conditions for variation of norms through production activities. The study offers several implications for media education theory and practice including: the productive possibilities of post structuralism for informing ways of doing media education; the importance of media teachers having the autonomy to creatively plan curriculum; the advantages of media and technology teachers collaborating to draw on a broad range of resources to develop curriculum; the benefits of placing more emphasis on students’ creative uses of media; and the advantages of blending formal classroom approaches to media education with less formal out of school experiences.