This study investigates the previously neglected literary phenomenon of game novels, a genre that is part of the increasing significance that games are having in culture. Intermedial studies is one of the principal fields that examines these types of phenomena, which provides perspectives for understanding the interactions between media. Furthermore, it forms the foundation for this study that analyses the relation between the four novels by Drew Karpyshyn (Mass Effect: Revelation, 2007; Mass Effect: Ascension, 2008; Mass Effect: Retribution, 2010) and William C. Dietz (Mass Effect: Deception, 2012), and the Mass Effect Trilogy. Differences and similarities between the media are delineated using semiotic theories, primarily the concepts of modalities of media and transfers of media characteristics. The thesis further investigates the narrative discourse, and narrative perspectives in the novels and how these instances relate to the transferred characteristics of Mass Effect. Ultimately, the commonly transferred characteristic in the novels is the storyworld, which reveals both differences and similarities between the media. Regardless of any differences, the similarities demonstrate a relationship where the novels expand the storyworld.

Submitted by Kenia Bernini (kenia.bernini@ufpel.edu.br) on 2017-07-10T19:54:48Z No. of bitstreams: 3 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Rodrigo_Farias_Gama_Dissertação.pdf: 5435129 bytes, checksum: 14901528187c4737e907f03ab649fea6 (MD5) Rodrigo_Farias_Gama_Produto.pdf: 1831322 bytes, checksum: 263f8f04d6de665d3706b48d121287db (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2017-07-11T20:18:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 3 Rodrigo_Farias_Gama_Dissertação.pdf: 5435129 bytes, checksum: 14901528187c4737e907f03ab649fea6 (MD5) Rodrigo_Farias_Gama_Produto.pdf: 1831322 bytes, checksum: 263f8f04d6de665d3706b48d121287db (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2017-07-11T20:18:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 3 Rodrigo_Farias_Gama_Dissertação.pdf: 5435129 bytes, checksum: 14901528187c4737e907f03ab649fea6 (MD5) Rodrigo_Farias_Gama_Produto.pdf: 1831322 bytes, checksum: 263f8f04d6de665d3706b48d121287db (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-11T20:19:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 Rodrigo_Farias_Gama_Dissertação.pdf: 5435129 bytes, checksum: 14901528187c4737e907f03ab649fea6 (MD5) Rodrigo_Farias_Gama_Produto.pdf: 1831322 bytes, checksum: 263f8f04d6de665d3706b48d121287db (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-27 / A presente investigação estuda o uso de jogos digitais e o aplicativo de rede social WhatsApp como artefatos digitais no aprendizado dos conteúdos de função do primeiro e segundo graus. Os sujeitos da pesquisa são alunos de uma turma do primeiro ano do curso Técnico em Mecânica integrado ao Ensino Médio do IFRS – Campus Ibirubá. A questão norteadora da investigação é: “de que forma o uso de jogos digitais podem contribuir para o ensino de funções do primeiro e segundo graus?”. O objetivo do trabalho foi o de utilizar as possibilidades educativas oferecidas pelos jogos em situações de lazer, podendo ser associados com conteúdos matemáticos, bem como promover outros modos de interações entre alunos e professor, propiciadas através do jogo e as redes sociais. A metodologia é de cunho qualitativo, referindo-se em alguns aspectos à pesquisa participante, e da etnografia virtual. Buscou-se aporte teórico sobre os temas juventude, subjetividade, jogos e aprendizagem, cibercultura, redes sociais, mobilidade e aprendizagem ubíqua. A análise dos dados apontou como o uso dos jogos em atividades de sala de aula e provas favorecem o aprendizado de funções do primeiro e segundo graus. Percebeu-se a importância do uso de redes sociais como ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem para estabelecer debates e trocas de ideias, discussões e interação alunos/alunos e alunos/professor. Destacamos os grupos do WhatsApp como uma ferramenta dinâmica e eficiente. Por fim, a exploração de funcionalidades do software GeoGebra resultou em um “manual de utilização deste software aliado a um jogo digital” para auxiliar na produção de material didático e de aprendizagem / This research studies the use of digital games and social networking application WhatsApp as digital artifacts in learning the function of the first and second degrees. The research subjects are students of a class of the first year of the Technical Course in Integrated Mechanical to high school IFRS - Campus Ibirubá. The guiding research question is: "how the use of digital games can contribute to learning the functions of the first and second degree?". The objective was to show students the educational opportunities offered by the games in leisure situations and may be associated with mathematical content and promote other modes of interaction between students and teacher, propitiated through play and social networks. The methodology is qualitative, referring in some ways the participatory research, and virtual ethnography. He sought theoretical contribuition about youth, subjectivity, games and learning, cyberculture, social networks, mobility and ubiquitous learning. Data analysis showed how the game use in classroom activities and assessments favor the learning of functions of first and second degree. It was noted the importance of using social networks as virtual learning environments to establish debates and exchange of ideas, discussion and interaction between students / students and students / teacher. We highlight the WhatsApp groups as a dynamic and efficient tool. Finally , the operation of GeoGebra software functionality resulted in a "user's manual of this software combined with a digital game" to assist in the production of teaching materials

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:23:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Caio Assis Capasso.pdf: 1551637 bytes, checksum: c0c126f85ced7a9208f93a493d6d39d8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-12 / This research aims to verify how videogames allow the creation, sharing and collaboration of user-generated content, and the characteristics of fan communities that are created to such objective. For this work we minimally define videogames as digital games that are dependent of a computational support for its realization. Some useful videogames for the better understanding of the activities of creation and alteration of content by players and the manner they happen, particularly the creation of mods: the name commonly used to refer to the practice of alteration of a videogame s characteristics through the manipulation of files and/or processes that are constitute it, resulting in a different experience from the one originally planned by its developer. With this we try to offer clues and pointers towards a deeper understanding of the manners the roles of producer and consumer, author and user, player and fan are transforming with the ascension of new technologies and now (digital) media. With this intent we give special attention to the players turned modders amateur content creators for a specific videogame -, through the online communities engaged in the creation and distribution of this kind of content. Three author groupings are used as theoretical foundation for this research. The first é composed by authors that helps us to think questions regarding participatory culture and the promises of the internet, among them we can cite Howard Rheingold, Sherry Turkle, clary Shirky, Axel Bruns and particularly Mizuko Ito and Henry Jenkins. In the second grouping Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman and Jesper Juul offer the concepts that allow us to take into account the expressive dimensions od videogames. The third grouping, with a special emphasis in the works of Olli Sotamaa, David Nieborg and Julian Kucklich that offers us empirical study cases for us to study the questions related to modding as a productive practice. We attempt to operationalize a theoretical perspective that deal with the expressive potential of videogames and how the interventions characterized as mods are one of the most intriguing ways to subvert the author/user and producer/consumer relationships. We also attempt to suggest similarities and differences between videogames and other media. Other objective is to enrich the debate regarding online participation and the artifacts it produces, trying to think participatory culture and the media convergence in the contemporary consumption and production practices through videogames / Nesse trabalho discutimos videogames, definidos como jogos digitais dependentes de um suporte computacional para sua realização, que nos ajudam a entender melhor as formas que as atividades de criação e alteração de conteúdo por jogadores se dão. Atenção especial é dada à criação de mods : termo comumente utilizado para denominar a alteração de características de um videogame através da manipulação de arquivos e/ou processos que o constituem e que resultam em uma experiência diferente da originalmente pretendida. A intenção dessa pesquisa é verificar como os videogames permitem a criação, troca e colaboração de conteúdo criado por usuários e as características das comunidades de entusiastas que são formadas para tais fins. Os videogames, e o modding em particular, são objeto de estudo valioso num período onde a crescente agência de consumidores sobre objetos midiáticos pode ser percebida tanto como estratégia de libertação quanto de exploração, pois se encontra na interseção entre atividade lúdica e trabalho, produção amadora e indústria. São fornecidos pistas e apontamentos na direção de um entendimento mais profundo das maneiras como os papéis de produtor e consumidor, autor e usuário, jogador e fã vêm se transformando com o desenvolvimento das novas tecnologias e das mídias digitais, a partir de um ponto de vista sociológico e historiográfico. Também damos atenção especial e aos modders jogadores que se tornam criadores amadores de conteúdo para videogames. Utilizamos três grupos de autores na fundamentação teórica. O primeiro é composto por autores que ajudam a pensar questões referentes à cultura participativa e as potencialidades da internet, especialmente Mizuko Ito e Henry Jenkins. No segundo Katie Salen e Eric Zimmerman e Jesper Juul oferecem os conceitos que permitem considerar as dimensões expressivas dos videogames. O terceiro grupo, com ênfase especial a Olli Sotamaa e Julian Kucklich, oferecem os casos práticos utilizados para estudar as questões relativas ao modding enquanto prática produtiva. Nossa intenção é operacionalizar uma perspectiva teórica que trabalhe o potencial expressivo de um videogame e como as intervenções que classificamos como mod são uma das maneiras mais intrigantes de subversão das relações autor/usuário e produtor/consumidor. Pretendemos também apontar semelhanças e diferenças entre videogames e outras mídias e enriquecer o debate a respeito da participação online e dos artefatos que ela produz, e pensar a cultura participativa e a convergência midiática nas práticas de consumo e produção da sociedade contemporânea através dos videogames

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:23:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Izana Weber Vieira.pdf: 3774125 bytes, checksum: a82d5a0ccd1b4cad1f3af12ac55aa72a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-11-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Contemporary technologies favor the process of teaching and learning, construction of knowledge and awareness. In this proposal we are considering the diversity of media that today converge to a structured technological base through digital resources. Contribute to progress towards digital and social inclusion, in the areas of teaching and learning, production and distribution of knowledge. This research aims to contribute to the advancement of academic, educational, and social studies that take into account the interactive products and computer systems that allowed intense cultural exchange and reflection on specific themes: arts, sciences, games and new technologies. Providing significant findings in relation to the processes of teaching and learning and the production and distribution of knowledge on social networks and through identifying the possibilities of use of online interactive games as focused on the teaching of art history educational tools the child of 08 to 10. We draw dialogues with researchers such as Lev S. Vygotsky, Charles S. Peirce, Ana Mae Barbosa, Lucia Santaella and Hermes Renato Hildebrand, addressing issues related to the teaching and learning of children using games for educational development. As a result, the research proposes the analysis of educational games available on the internet and the modification of the game "face to face" that presents the possibility of generating educational content in visual arts, in addition to the development of a suitable prototype game "cara a cara" to through print and digital / As tecnologias contemporâneas favorecem o processo de ensino e aprendizagem, de construção de conhecimento e de tomada de consciência. Nesta proposta, estamos considerando a diversidade dos meios de comunicação que, hoje, convergem para uma base tecnológica estruturada, por meio dos recursos digitais. Também se pretende contribuir para o avanço no sentido da inclusão digital e social, nas áreas de ensino e aprendizagem, produção e distribuição de conhecimento. Esta pesquisa propõe a elaboração de estudos acadêmicos e educacionais que levem em conta os produtos interativos com sistemas computacionais, os quais possibilitaram intensas trocas culturais e reflexão sobre temáticas específicas nas áreas de artes, jogos e novas tecnologias. O estudo busca refletir sobre pontos significativos em relação aos processos de ensino e aprendizagem e da produção e distribuição de conhecimento, por meio da identificação de possibilidades de uso dos jogos interativos modificados, como ferramentas educacionais voltadas para o ensino de História das Artes de crianças de 08 aos 10 anos. Para isso, traçamos diálogos com pesquisadores, como: Lev S. Vygotsky, Charles S. Peirce, Ana Mae Barbosa, Lucia Santaella e Hermes Renato Hildebrand, abordando aspectos relativos ao ensino e à aprendizagem de crianças que utilizam jogos educacionais para seu desenvolvimento. Como resultado, a pesquisa propõe a análise de jogos educacionais disponíveis na internet e a modificação do jogo cara a cara que apresenta possibilidade de gerar conteúdo educacional em artes visuais, além da elaboração de um protótipo adaptado do jogo cara a cara para meio impresso e digital

The aim of this thesis is to explore and analyse the development of the Swedish video and computer game industry. The main focus is on the Swedish game development industry. The research was conducted with two different methods. First with a macro approach where all Swedish game developers were identified and general data from the annual reports was collected. The second part is a case study with three Swedish game developing companies focusing on the production and development of the firms. The game industry has expanded and some of the successful games have generated spectacular revenues. In Sweden the industry has received attention from different actors like universities, government bodies and media. Yet little research has been done about the Swedish game industry. In general the game industry outside the larger videogame producing countries USA, Japan and the UK has been ignored to a large part in academic research. The first computer games were made for some of the very first computers in the 1940’s and 1950’s. In the 1970’s, a market for games was created when arcade machines and somewhat later home consoles were introduced. The industry has grown and today it includes some of the largest companies in the world. The Swedish industry follows the international pattern. Evidence suggests that the first Swedish games were created in the 1950’s at the large university computers. But a game developing industry seems to have developed a bit later than internationally when the first Swedish game companies were founded in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. The Swedish industry entered an introduction phase from the middle of 1980’s, a couple of years after the introduction of personal computers, until the end of the 1990’s. An expansion phase started in 1998. The expansion was strong between 1998 to 2002 and 2006 to 2008. In 2008 the number of people employed in the industry had increased to over 1300. During the studied period the industry seems to have had constant problems making a profit. Especially in 2002 and 2003 the industry had economic problems and some of the larger companies went bankrupt. The distribution among the companies shows that the concentration within the industry is growing. A few companies have expanded rapidly and have well over a hundred employees. The industry is very gender segregated and the number of women working in the industry is under ten percent. To study the development on a micro level, three Swedish game developing companies were selected. The focus was the development and change in production and organisation. The structure of the industry seems to have been changing with the fast technical development. A more modular structure seems to be emerging within the industry. In a number of areas a modular system has emerged. It is possible to buy more parts and productions capacity on the market. It is possible to buy game engines and outsource motions-capture work to other specialized companies. The relation to game publishers seems to influence the companies and create uncertainty for the game developers when they do not own the rights to the intellectual properties. The three game developers also have a similar development being founded by computer interested young men wanting to pursuit their interest as a job. The Swedish subculture around the so called “demoscene” seems to have been a factor in the early development of the industry and a recruitment base for the early developers.

在數位時代來臨的今日，利用數位媒體或科技將虛擬的遊戲世界與現實的世界連結整合的隨境遊戲，乃是未來趨勢上相當重要的一種行銷手段。然而目前學界上卻沒有確切關於隨境遊戲的一套設計方法。有鑒於此，本研究先蒐集相關的理論與研究，進而發展出隨境遊戲模型與刺激閾模型。利用這兩個模型設計一個以推廣流浪動物TNR為議題的隨境遊戲—Trap paw。在Trap paw中，玩家可以透過各種不同的方式與情境在現實世界裡面尋找線索來進行遊戲。之後，研究者採用半結構式的深度訪談法，訪談了六位不同身份背景的玩家，以探詢他們對於遊戲的回饋與建議。綜合此訪談結果與創作經驗，除了修正Trap paw的遊戲內容外，也提出了關於使用上述兩個模型進行創作的幾點建議。 在實作之後，發現這兩個模型宛若隨境遊戲的基石般穩固、實用性也很高，沒有需要特別修改之處。只不過若要應用在行銷活動式隨境遊戲設計上的話，針對隨境遊戲模型的使用可提供三點建議：（1）考慮先從明顯易見的空間擴增發想遊戲架構。（2）嘗試創造可見的魔法圈界。（3）舉辦效果良好的慶典式遊戲活動。至於使用刺激閾模型的部分，則建議：將「權變因子」這個因素作為主動促使個體逆轉成容易接受遊戲的行為導向狀態；將「厭膩」與「挫折」這兩個因素作為尋找個體已經是處於行為導向狀態的情境。透過這兩種面向的思考，以求在正確的時間與場合讓個體接觸到遊戲，使其容易接受遊戲而成為真正的玩家。 / In this digital marketing generation, the pervasive games which connected the game world with the reality by ubiquitous computing or digital medias get more and more attentions as a method for marketing. However, there are still not specific design theories or methods of the pervasive games. For that I developed two models that can be used to design the pervasive game: pervasive game model and liminal model by the collections of concerned theories and studies. By the pervasive game model and the liminal model, I created a pervasive game which is about promoting TNR-—Trap paw. In the Trap paw, players can find clues in a wide range of ways and in the different scenario out of their imagines. Qualitative interview is adopted as a research method and I interviewed six people to look for the feedbacks and suggestions about the game. Combined with the outcomes of interviews and my personal experience, I modified parts of the game. In the end, I give some suggestions about creating a pervasive game by using these two models. After completing the game, I find out that the two models are not only stable as the foundation stones of the pervasive games, but they can be applied widely. No further modifications are needed. However, when applying the pervasive game model to the field of promoting campaign, there are three suggestions: (1) begin with the space expansion (2) try to make some visible or tangible magic circles (3) through some gaming ceremonies. As for using liminal model to developing a game, I suggest that “contingent events” can be used to be an active factor to reverse individuals from telic state into paratelic state and concerning “frustration” and “satiation” to be factors to define whether an individual is in the paratelic states. Through these kinds of thinking, game might contact to the target audience in the right time and space. In this way, it’s easier for them to embrace the game and become real players.

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-04-17T12:08:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 JOSÉ ANTÔNIO LEAL DE FARIAS - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGCC 2014..pdf: 3257698 bytes, checksum: cea41aeb45f4b269f2356f8ecad15069 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-17T12:08:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JOSÉ ANTÔNIO LEAL DE FARIAS - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGCC 2014..pdf: 3257698 bytes, checksum: cea41aeb45f4b269f2356f8ecad15069 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-05 / Recompensas em Crowdsourcing Computação por Humanos é uma abordagem que utiliza seres humanos para obter resultados mais satisfatórios em áreas em que os atuais recursos computacionais não conseguem atender adequadamente. Diversas técnicas e aplicações foram desenvolvidas para suportar essa abordagem e algumas delas utilizam recompensas financeiras como forma de estímulo aos indivíduos, enquanto outras se utilizam de jogos criados especialmente para suportar uma determinada tarefa e ao mesmo tempo como meio para aumentar a participação e o engajamento dos participantes. Este estudo descreve os resultados de um experimento que utilizou jogos comuns, não associados a qualquer tarefa ou atividade específica, criados apenas para entretenimento, como forma de recompensa para esses indivíduos. Nossos resultados mostram que jogos são um meio eficiente de estímulo ao engajamento na execução de Computação por Humanos. / Human Computation is an approach that uses humans to get more satisfactory results in areas where current computational infrastructures cannot meet properly. Several techniques and applications have been developed to support this approach and some of them use financial rewards as a stimulus to individuals, while others make use of games specifically designed to support a particular task and, at the same time, as a means to increase the participation and engagement of his participants. This study describes the results of an experiment that used regular games, not associated with any specific task or activity, created just for entertainment, as a reward for these individuals. Our results show that games are an effective means of stimulating the involvement in the execution of Human Computations.

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-06-10T18:11:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DANIEL LEITE COSTA - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGDsign 2017..pdf: 8286965 bytes, checksum: 3d5d2c433df754acf30ecf88a2748f57 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-10T18:11:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DANIEL LEITE COSTA - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGDsign 2017..pdf: 8286965 bytes, checksum: 3d5d2c433df754acf30ecf88a2748f57 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-30 / O propósito da presente pesquisa foi conceber e parametrizar uma abordagem de avaliação semântica de aspectos visuais e de design de interfaces humano-computador de jogos digitais, incorporando-a à abordagem metodológica multimétodos concebida por Queiroz (2001). A proposição da instância da referida abordagem a jogos digitais justifica-se a partir das particularidades contextuais desta categoria de aplicações de software, em relação a outras categorias, principalmente no que concerne à motivação de uso, sendo necessários processos de avaliação da usabilidade que considerem suas especificidades. A pesquisa também se justifica por expandir o escopo da abordagem original, considerando, além dos aspectos sintáticos, os aspectos de significado e de compreensão. A abordagem foi validada a partir de um estudo de caso, envolvendo o jogo digital Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, no qual se investigou o impacto da inclusão da componente semântica ao processo de avaliação. Assim sendo, foram realizados dois experimentos, com 30 usuários cada. No primeiro grupo, considerou-se unicamente a componente sintática de avaliação, composta por: (i) avaliação heurística, (ii) mensuração do desempenho de uso e (iii) satisfação subjetiva do usuário. No segundo grupo, a componente semântica de avaliação foi incorporada à abordagem multimetodológica. O método de pesquisa foi misto, visando à coleta de dados de natureza qualitativa e quantitativa, sob uma premissa teóricopragmática. O confronto dos resultados obtidos a partir dos quatro diferentes enfoques considerados permitiu inferir impactos e contribuições positivas da integração da componente semântica à abordagem original, o que possibilita tornar mais abrangente e robusto o processo de avaliação da usabilidade da interface considerada / The purpose of this research was double fold: (i) conceiving and parameterizing a semantic approach for evaluating visual and design aspects of human-computer interfaces of digital games; (ii) integrating it into the multi-method approach conceived by Queiroz (2001). Such a research effort can be justified by the contextual particularities of this software application category with regard to other ones, mainly in what concerns use motivation and, the consequent need for a specific usability evaluation approach. The research is also justified by expanding the scope of the original approach, considering, in addition to the syntactic aspects, the aspects of meaning and understanding. The approach was validated from a case study, involving the digital game Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, in which the impact of the inclusion of the semantic component on the evaluation process was investigated. Thus, two experiments were performed, with 30 users each. In the first group, only the syntactic component of evaluation was considered, consisting of: (i) heuristic evaluation, (ii) measurement of performance of use and (iii) subjective satisfaction of the user. In the second group, the semantic component of evaluation was incorporated into the multi-method approach. The research method was mixed, aiming at the collection of data of a qualitative and quantitative nature, under a theoretical-pragmatic premise. The comparison of the results obtained by the considered evaluation strategies revealed positive impacts and contributions of and including semantic aspects to the original approach. This makes it possible to enrich the usability evaluation process of a game interface, by producing complementary and more robust results.

The aim of this essay is to explore which preservation method is the most suitable to preserve digital games with focus on Minecraft. This essay will compare emulation, migration and conversion. This will be done through a comparative literature study. The material of this essay is therefore previous research on preservation of digital games and preservation of digital information. The result is that a combined method of emulation and migration is preferable when it comes to the preservation of digital games. / Denna uppsats ämnar att undersöka vilken eller vilka bevarandemetoder som kan vara bäst lämpat för att bevara digitala spel med fokus på Minecraft. Denna uppsats kommer att jämföra emulering, migrering och konvertering. Detta kommer att ske genom en komparativ litteraturstudie. Materialet har således varit tidigare forskning kring bevarande av digitala spel samt bevarande av digital information. Resultatet är att en kombinerad metod av emulering och migrering är att föredra när det kommer till bevarande av digitala spel.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:30:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Capa.pdf: 123089 bytes, checksum: 2ae875641ee7e18854f9b9d586f074a3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-05-02 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This work is an exploratory study on entertainment messages processing. The objective of this work was to test a model of message processing dedicated to understand digital games. In order to accomplish the objective an extensive research on the observational techniques was conducted in order to analyze the final user s reaction upon software and different kinds of media, thus learning the qualities and limitations of each technique. Another research was conducted on the message processing models on new and traditional media. The result made possible to propose a new model for analysis of entertainment message processing. The development methodology required empirical tests. With this in mind a data collection tool was structured. Later, the tool was tested with digital gamers of different ages on their personal PCs and on an interactive digital television, thus finding how the different elements correlate. The following step of this research was to collect data from gamers used to play games on cell phones. The objective with this was to collect data on the users experience in a media that has several limitations such as size of the screen and size of the keyboard, to name a few. The research result was that games played at media such as a PCs attract their users for its aesthetics aspects, while games played on a cellular phone depend highly on its ability to be interactive - much more so than a game played on a PC. With the results it is possible to say that entertainment message processing rely upon the designer s ability to understand the limitation of each media and adequately construct the elements that compose the game s setting, thus guaranteeing the approval of its target.(AU) / O trabalho é um estudo exploratório sobre o processamento de mensagens de entretenimento. O objetivo do trabalho foi propor e testar um modelo de processamento de mensagens dedicado à compreensão de jogos digitais. Para realizar tal tarefa realizou-se um extenso levantamento de técnicas de observação de usuários diante de softwares e mídias, para conhecer as qualidades e limitações de cada uma dessas técnicas, bem como de sua abordagem do problema. Também foi realizado um levantamento dos modelos de processamento de mensagens nas mídias tradicionais e nas novas mídias. Com isso foi possível propor um novo modelo de análise de processamento de mensagens de entretenimento. Uma vez criado o modelo teórico, fez-se preciso testar se os elementos propostos como participantes desse processo estavam corretos e se seriam capazes de capturar adequadamente as semelhanças e diferenças entre a interação entre jogadores e as diferentes mídias. Por essa razão, estruturou-se uma ferramenta de coleta de dados, que foi validada junto a designers de jogos digitais, uma vez que esses profissionais conhecem o processo de criação de um jogo, seus elementos e objetivos. Posteriormente, foi feito um primeiro teste, junto a praticantes de jogos digitais de diversas idades em computadores pessoais e TV digital interativa, a fim e verificar como os elementos do modelo relacionavam-se entre si. O teste seguinte fez a coleta de dados de praticantes de jogos digitais em aparelhos celulares, tendo como objetivo capturar como se dá a formação de uma experiência através do processamento da mensagem de entretenimento num meio cujas limitações são inúmeras: tamanho de tela e teclas, para citar algumas delas. Como resultado, verificou-se, por meio de testes estatísticos, que jogos praticados em meios como computadores pessoais atraem mais por seus aspectos estéticos, enquanto a apreciação de um jogo em aparelhos celulares depende muito mais de sua habilidade de manter a interação que um jogo praticado em PC. Com isso conclui-se que o processamento das mensagens de entretenimento depende da capacidade dos seus criadores em entender os limites de cada meio e usar adequadamente os elementos que compõe o ambiente de um jogo, para conseguir levar à apreciação do mesmo.(AU)