From fears of issues with potential problematic consequences in the gaming industry stemming from a perceived power-disparity between the industry’s two defined“categories” (AAA and Independent), a study was made to investigate. This qualitative study was made to investigate whether or not certain perceived issues in the industry exist, and whether or not they are problematic (and in what way, if any). After interviewing four industry professionals of varying industry experience, it was determined that there are indeed issues stemming from a power-disparity within the industry. Furthermore, these issues can cause problems regarding the safety of the industry’s workers both physically and financially, the artistic and cultural development of the medium, and that some parts of the industry (mainly the independent-part of it) may be in danger should the AAA-part of the industry become too difficult to compete with. This has a host of consequences, such as marginalized developers and cultures being unable to compete and express themselves, and many independent developers losing financial support. This data and the conclusions drawn from them were then used to shape a manifesto with the intent to be used as means to inspire change within the industry and to rally up the medium to unionize and act to counteract the problems presented. Conclusively it seems that there is a power-disparity issue in the gaming industry. Furthermore, it seems that the more experience a worker of the industry has, the morein-depth they could argue and discuss issues and the problematic consequences of them within the industry. Due to this, it is concluded that new workers of the industry may be unaware of many of the problems and issues mentioned by the participants and discussed in the manifesto. This brings a sense of urgency to the manifesto’s spread. To help this, the manifesto is meant to be unveiled at the Sweden Games Conference of 2021, should the logistics go according to plan.

<p>Terrain generation is a convoluted and a popular topic in the VFX industry. Whether you are part of the film/TV or gaming industry, a terrain, is a highly nuanced feature that is usually present. Regardless of walking on a desert like terrain in the film, Blade Runner 2049 or fighting on different planets like in Avatar, 3D terrains is a major part of any digital media. The purpose of this thesis is about developing a workflow for large-scale terrains using complex data sets and utilizing this workflow to maintain a balance between the procedural content and the artistic input made especially for smaller companies which cannot afford an enhanced pipeline to deal with major technical complications. The workflow consists of two major elements, development of the tool used to optimize the workflow and the recording and maintaining of the efficiency in comparison to the older workflow. </p> <p> </p> <p> My research findings indicate that despite the increase in overall computational abilities, one of the many issues that are still present is generating a highly advanced terrain with the added benefits of the artists and users’ creative variations. Reducing the overall time to simulate and compute a highly realistic and detailed terrain is the main goal, thus this thesis will present a method to overcome the speed deficiency while keeping the details of the terrain present.</p>

Malgré des développements récents dans la conception des casques électroencéphalographiques (EEG) et dans l'analyse du signal cérébrale, les interfaces cerveau-machine (ICM) sont toujours restreintes au contexte de la recherche scientifique. Toutefois, les ICM gagneraient à intégrer la réalité virtuelle (VR) car elles diminuent la distance entre l'utilisateur et son avatar en remplaçant les commandes mécaniques, et donc améliorent le sentiment d'immersion. De plus, les ICM fournissent également des informations sur l'état mental de l'utilisateur comme sa concentration, son attention ou ses points d'intérêts dans l'environnement virtuel. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions l'interaction entre ICM et VR, qui constituent une interface homme-machine dont les applications nous semblent prometteuses pour le grand public, particulièrement dans le domaine du divertissement. Nous nous concentrons sur l'utilisation d’une ICM basée sur l'EEG et sur une stimulation visuelle occasionnelle, autrement-dit une ICM basée sur la détection du P300, un potentiel évoqué positif apparaissant dans l’EEG 250 à 600 ms après l’apparition d’un stimulus. Nous étudions l’usage de cette ICM pour interagir avec un environnement simulé grâce à un casque de VR mobile utilisant un smartphone ordinaire, c’est-à-dire un matériel de VR approprié pour une utilisation grand public.Toutefois, l’intégration des ICM dans la VR pour le grand public rencontre aujourd’hui des défis d’ordre technique, expérimental et conceptuel. En effet, l’utilisation d’un matériel mobile pose des contraintes techniques considérables, et une telle technologie n’a pas encore fait l’objet d’une validation. Les facteurs influençant la performance des ICM en VR par rapport à une utilisation sur PC restent flous. Également, les caractéristiques physiologiques de la réponse du cerveau à des stimuli en VR par rapport aux mêmes stimuli présentés sous PC sont inconnues. Finalement, les ICM et la VR admettent des limites considérables, parfois incompatibles. Par exemple, l’utilisateur interagit avec la VR en bougeant, ce qui perturbe le signal EEG et diminue la performance de l’ICM. Il y a donc une nécessité d’adapter le design de l’application pour une technologie mixte ICM+VR.Dans ce travail, nous présentons une contribution dans chacun de ces domaines : une réalisation technique vers une ICM grand public en VR ; une analyse expérimentale de sa performance et une analyse des différences physiologies produites par des stimuli présentés dans un casque de VR par rapport aux mêmes stimuli sous PC - analyses menées à bien grâce à deux campagnes expérimentales portant sur 33 sujets ; une synthèse des recommandations pour un design adapté à la fois aux ICM et à la VR. / In spite of ongoing developments in the conception of electroencephalographic (EEG) headsets and brain signal analysis, the actual use of an EEG-based brain-computer interfaces (BCI) is still restricted to research settings. On the other hand, BCI technology candidates as a good complement to virtual reality as it may diminish the distance between the user and his/her avatar. A BCI can accomplish this by circumventing the usual muscular pathway between the brain and the machine, thus enhancing the immersion feeling in VR applications. Moreover, a BCI provides valuable information on the mental state of the user, such as concentration and attention for the task at hand and for the virtual objects of interest. In this thesis, we study the coupling of BCI and VR technology, a human-machine interface that is potentially ubiquitous, in particular for gaming. We focus on the use of EEG-based BCI with occasional visual stimulation, i.e., BCIs based on the detection of the P300, a positive evoked potential appearing in the EEG 250 to 600 ms after the presentation of a stimulus. We investigate the use of such a BCI to interact with VR environments obtained using a mobile head-mounted display based on an ordinary smartphone, material suiting well the general public.The fusion of BCI technology with VR faces technical, experimental and conceptual limitations. Indeed, the integration of BCI with a mobile head-mounted display is technically burdensome and has not been fully validated. The factors impacting the performance of the BCI in VR remains still unknown. Also, unknown are the physiological characteristics of the brain responses to VR stimuli as compared to the same stimuli displayed on a PC screen. Finally, both BCI and VR technologies are limited, and these limitations sometimes appears contradictory. For example, the EEG is perturbed by the user’s movements while s/he is interacting with the virtual environment, but this movement may be an essential aspect of the VR experience. Thus, it is necessary to operate a synthesis of the existing design recommendations for BCI and VR technologies from the perspective of a mixed BCI+VR application.In this work, we presents three contributions: a technical implementation of a BCI+VR system, paving the way for a general public use; an analysis of its performance and an analysis of the physiological differences produced by VR stimuli as compared to the same stimuli on a PC by means of two experimental campaigns carried out on 33 subjects; a synthesis of the recommendations to adapt the application design to BCI and VR.

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Over the past decades, the scholarly discourse of violent video games as a possible influence for aggressive behaviors has gained much attention, primarily relying on the content of such games. This study aims to explore the environment of competitive multiplayer gaming interms of technicality (e.g. game mechanics), social interactions within a video game, and additional resources outside of the game as possible influential factors for toxic behaviors in competitive multiplayer games. Bourdieusian social theory is applied to gain a better understanding of the relationship between agents (players) and the field (competitive gaming) and the relevance of gaming capital. This study is based on a digital ethnographic approach to gain a comprehensive understanding of the gaming environment, and reports on semi-structured online interviews with 14 participants aged between 17-40, to gain insight on players’ perception and responses towards toxic behaviors in competitive games. This study proposes a spectrum of toxic behaviors in competitive multiplayer games, in which actions may be distinguished based on the form of expression (eg. verbal, physical or in-game). Primary findings suggest there may be a causal relationship between a player’s knowledge ofa game and their conveyance of toxicity, regardless of age and gender. The degree of toxicity may vary depending on the player, and is more frequently performed by men. Lastly, toxic behaviors should not be examined in isolation from contextual factors such as game mechanics or social interactions, but need to be further explored as a medium-specific phenomenon.

This study researches the possibility of video games being a helpful tool when it comes to English vocabulary knowledge, by comparing the English vocabulary knowledge of those that play video games to those that do not play video games. The study also focuses on comparing the English vocabulary knowledge of those that play video games frequently to those that play video games seldomly and discuss why this might make a difference. 37 students were asked to fill in a questionnaire with questions focusing on if they play video games or not, how often they play and what sort of games they played. The second part of the study was a vocabulary test containing 51 words one might encounter whilst playing video games, in this vocabulary test the students were asked to give an English synonym and a Swedish translation of these words. The results of the study revealed that there were differences between the groups, as those that did play video games scored higher on the vocabulary test compared to those that did not play video games. There was also a difference in terms of performance on the vocabulary test depending on how often the students played video games. / Denna studie undersöker videospels möjlighet till att vara ett hjälpmedel när det gäller kunskaper i engelskt ordförråd genom att jämföra ordförrådskunskaperna hos de som spelar videospel med de som inte spelar videospel. Studien fokuserar också på att jämföra de engelska ordförrådskunskaperna hos dem som ofta spelar videospel med de som sällan spelar videospel och diskuterar varför detta kan göra en skillnad. 37 elever ombads att fylla i ett frågeformulär med frågor med fokus på om de spelar videospel eller inte, hur ofta de spelar och vilken typ av spel de spelade. Den andra delen av studien var ett ordförrådstest innehållande 51 ord som kan stötas på i videospel, i detta ordförrådstest ombads eleverna att ge en engelsk synonym och en svensk översättning av dessa ord. Resultaten av studien visade att det fanns skillnader mellan grupperna, eftersom de som spelade videospel fick högre poäng på ordförrådstestet jämfört med de som inte spelade videospel. Det fanns också skillnader prestationsmässigt i ordförrådstestet beroende på hur ofta eleverna spelade videospel.

This dissertation investigates to use and increase existing vibrancy to revitalize an urban environment. The urban response is to consolidate existing functions within Rua De Bagamoyo, as a night- life precinct through the introduction of gaming as an extension of the existing night- life activity. The architectural response is to focus on a building that houses a casino and facility for prostitutes that challenges the private-public relationships of place by extending the street into the built form and the form into the street through a series of threshold spaces that explore the notions of visual and physical access. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Architecture / unrestricted

Denna studie utgår från perspektivet att alla elever i den svenska gymnasieskolan på ett eller annat sätt är flerspråkiga. Den virtuella kontexten och globalisering har bidragit till att ungdomar i gymnasieåldern möter och engagerar sig i sociala kontexter där engelskan fyller ett viktigt kommunikativt syfte. Det teoretiska underlaget för studien är sociolingvistisksuperdiversitet vilket är en vidareutveckling av Vertovecs (2007) teori om hur migration påverkar och utvecklar språket. Data samlades in genom en videoinspelning omfattande ungefär två timmar när deltagarna spelade spelet It Takes Two, ett co-op spel som bygger påatt spelarna samarbetar. Data bearbetades via en teoridriven innehållsanalys som fokuserade på att identifiera och analysera funktionen av engelska i kommunikationen mellan två svensktalande personer. Resultatet av studien visar att kommunikationen sker genom ett transspråkande där deltagarna fritt varierar och blandar och använder sig av alla sina tillgängliga språkliga resurser. Detta resultat är viktigt för driva frågan om språkundervisning enbart ska drivas på målspråket. Digitaliseringen och globaliseringen har bidragit till att engelskan blir ett allt mer vardagligt språk för elever i 2020-talets svenska skola. Detta är en resurs som skolan inte tillvaratar. På så vis måste frågan lyftas om vilket språk som ska tillåtas i svenskundervisningen då språkanvändarna fortsatt, som alltid, skapar språket som de behöver. / Tämän tutkimuksen perustana toimii näkökulma, jonka mukaan jokainen ruotsalainen lukiolainen on tavalla tai toisella monikielinen. Tutkimus perustuu teoreettiseen käsitteeseen sosiolingvistinen superdiversiteetti, joka on jatko Vertovecin (2007) teoriaan siitä miten muuttoliike vaikuttaa ja kehittää kieltä. Tiedot kerättiin noin kaksi tuntia kestävän videotallenteen kautta, jossa osallistujat pelasivat yhteistyöhön perustuvaa ja vaativaa videopeliä It Takes Two. Tietoja käsiteltiin teorialähtöisellä sisältöanalyysillä, joka keskittyi tunnistamaan ja analysoimaan englannin kielen käyttöä kahden ruotsinkielisen lukiolaisenvälisessä viestinnässä. Tutkimuksen tulokset viittaavat siihen, että englannin kielen käyttö on suuri osa kommunikaatiota. Se joka tulee esiin limittäiskielisyydessä jossa osallistujat vapaasti vaihtelevat ja sekoittavat kieliä, ja käyttävät kaikkia saatavilla olevia kieliresurssejaan kommunikoidakseen. Tämän tutkimuksen tulos kyseenalaistaa näkemyksen, jonka mukaan kielenopetus pitäisi aina tehdä kohdekielellä. Yhteiskunnan digitalisoituminen ja globalisoitumen on johtanut siihen, että englannin kieli on tullut oppilaille enemmän ja enemmän arkikäyttöön 2020-luvun koulussa Ruotsissa. Tämä on resurssi, jota koulu ei hyödynnä. On siis nostettava esiin kysymys siitä, kieli pitäisi sallia ruotsin äitinkielenopetuksessa, kun kielenkäyttäjät jatkavat tarvitsemansa kielen luomista myös jatkossa. / This study is based on the perspective that each student attending the Swedish upper-secondary education is bilingual. This bilingualism stems from the fact that young in the digitalized world of the 2020s spend more time in social activities, such as videogames, or other forms of media with English as the primary language. Based on the theoretical framework of sociolinguistic superdiversity which is an evolution of the theory first introduced by Vertovec in 2007. Data was collected through a two-hour-long video recording when the participants played the video game It Takes Two, a co-op game that requires cooperation and teamwork to progress. The data were analyzed through theory-driven content analysis which focused on identifying and analyzing the function of English in communication between two Swedish-speaking students. The results suggest that the use of English constitutes a large part of the communication, this takes its form through translanguaging as the participants used all of their available linguistic resources to create meaning. The result of this study challenges the view that language education should always be conducted in the target language. In the digitalized and globalized society of the 21st century, the use of English is becoming more widespread and is already an integral part of most students’ everyday vocabulary. Therefore, it is important to question the current, mostly negative, views on translanguaging in first language education (L1 education).

This thesis aim was to find the answer the following research question: What do queer gamers think of the game Monster Prom. The material gathered for this thesis was through a participant observation with four people from the LGBTQIA+ community playing the game Monster Prom and a subsequent focus group interview with these people. The material was analysed using Queer Game Studies research. In this paper I came to the conclusion that representation does matter to queer gamers. According to my interviewees, there is a need for representation in games and that it needs to be diverse and made undramatic. The interviewees brought forward how and why this design of an avatar system gives the player freedom, queer possibilities, and being positively received by queer players. The interviewees also brought forward how and when one should/shouldn't write a story surrounding the representation of queer oppression from a queer player´s point of view.