The democratization of new media technologies, particularly the software tools though which "content" can be manipulated, has invited a seemingly vast array of modes through which people can express themselves. Conversations in fan studies, for example, cite the novel ways in which new media allow fans to alter texts in the expression of their subcultural needs, while theorizations of media often reverse the paradigm by arguing how advances in technology will revolutionize how we interact with, and hence, know the world. Frequently overlooked are the ways in which these technologies and communities co-construct engagement and the extent to which this engagement spurs novel ways of interaction. This dissertation addresses these problems by theorizing the role of the medium as a ludic negotiation between text and fan, informed--but not determined--by the rules and strictures that construct both these discrete media artifacts and the communities in which these texts circulate. Nowhere are these concerns more evident than in the subcultural realm of anime fan translations, where an eclectic blend of tech-savvy, Japanese language proficient, culturally competent individuals from different backgrounds converge to form groups who have self-nominated themselves to spread anime through timely, efficient, and accurate translations. To be successful, they must navigate multiple linguistic and cultural currents as they move between Japanese and their target language, deftly avoid running aground on the shores that structure the boundaries of container media, all the while remaining mindful of ideological and subcultural discursive shoals as they scan the horizon for alternate paths to their translation goal. These fan translators are, to be less dramatic, limited in the types of translations they can provide by the formal properties of the selected medium, but these limitations should be conceived as a generative process motivating translators to seek novel ways of engagement with the medium to meet both their translation needs and the needs of the communities in which their translations circulate.

This bachelor thesis seeks to find out what players’ experiences with randomness in Teamfight Tactics (TFT) are like, what makes these experiences good and bad, and what a game developer can learn from them. TFT and Auto-Battlers in general are a topic that has not seen much research despite their immense popularity since their inception. In this research, we interviewed TFT players using semi-structured qualitative interviews asking them about their experiences with randomness, which ones they particularly remember, like or dislike and what they think about the way the game uses randomness in general. Overall, we found that players liked the random aspects of the game and thought that these mostly increase their enjoyment of the game as they provide replayability. Players also noted that skill matters much more than randomness when determining the outcome of a game. The most important takeaway from this study was that players, despite the fact that the larger community often speaks negatively and complains about the randomness, ultimately consider randomness a positive aspect of the game. This also echoes previous research on how randomness can enhance the play experience. Giving players sufficient control over their situation by offering them meaningful choices in the face of randomness is the main way that this can be done.

<p>Abstract</p><p>Title: The game of playing: A media ethnographic study of children playing videogames on a Swedish after school recreation centre. Spelet om spelandet: En medieetnografisk studie av barns dataspelande på en fritidsklubb.</p><p>Number of pages: 46</p><p>Author: Peter Brandberg</p><p>Tutor: Amelie Hössjer</p><p>Period: Spring term 2008</p><p>Course: Media and Communication studies D</p><p>University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University</p><p>Purpose/Aim: The aim with this study is to describe how children play video games in an everyday context. In this study this context consists of a Swedish after school recreation centre. By combining three different aspects on the activity this study tries to understand how both the video game and the social and cultural context in which the activity takes place in influences it. This by taking one analyse of the specific game that the children played at the time of the study and how the overall environment is structured into account. Together these two perspectives contribute to the understanding of the playing as a complex and dynamic activity.</p><p>Material/Method: The material and method consists primary of a participatory observation which were conducted for eight days in an after school recreation centre. The analyse of the video game uses specific parts from the ludologist Aki Järvinens “applied ludology” to understand the game Guitar Hero.</p><p>Main results: The main results of this study shows how the social context influences the play activity in which the children needs to negotiate about the resources needed to play. They used different strategies to try to gain control over the interfaces to the game. The study also shows how the children didn’t relate to the fact that these interfaces looked like guitars in their use of them. Instead the children used knowledge about other interfaces and played the game by “pressing buttons in the right time”.</p><p>Keywords: media ethnographic, participatory observation, ludology, applied ludology, video game, game studies, guitar hero, children, after school recreation centre, situated play</p>

Abstract Title: The game of playing: A media ethnographic study of children playing videogames on a Swedish after school recreation centre. Spelet om spelandet: En medieetnografisk studie av barns dataspelande på en fritidsklubb. Number of pages: 46 Author: Peter Brandberg Tutor: Amelie Hössjer Period: Spring term 2008 Course: Media and Communication studies D University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University Purpose/Aim: The aim with this study is to describe how children play video games in an everyday context. In this study this context consists of a Swedish after school recreation centre. By combining three different aspects on the activity this study tries to understand how both the video game and the social and cultural context in which the activity takes place in influences it. This by taking one analyse of the specific game that the children played at the time of the study and how the overall environment is structured into account. Together these two perspectives contribute to the understanding of the playing as a complex and dynamic activity. Material/Method: The material and method consists primary of a participatory observation which were conducted for eight days in an after school recreation centre. The analyse of the video game uses specific parts from the ludologist Aki Järvinens “applied ludology” to understand the game Guitar Hero. Main results: The main results of this study shows how the social context influences the play activity in which the children needs to negotiate about the resources needed to play. They used different strategies to try to gain control over the interfaces to the game. The study also shows how the children didn’t relate to the fact that these interfaces looked like guitars in their use of them. Instead the children used knowledge about other interfaces and played the game by “pressing buttons in the right time”. Keywords: media ethnographic, participatory observation, ludology, applied ludology, video game, game studies, guitar hero, children, after school recreation centre, situated play

[pt] O objeto dessa pesquisa lida com a problemática nacional de produção de jogos eletrônicos. Tendo como principal problema a carência de conhecimentos dos agentes produtivos sobre como aplicar competências e habilidades adquiridas no processo de criação e desenvolvimento de jogos eletrônicos independentes no país, a hipótese é que atividades metodológicas iterativas e interdisciplinares, que conjuguem as habilidades e competências de seus agentes, propiciam melhoras qualitativas e quantitativas nesta situação. O objetivo é desenvolver e verificar a Experiência Gamerama, uma experiência de ensino de produção de jogos junto a agentes interessados. Intenta-se averiguar se ela se constitui como proposta metodológica de ensino, ancorada no Design e seus princípios. Busca-se identificar na Experiência os valores vigentes, os procedimentos recorrentes, e os papéis assumidos pelos participantes na metodologia desenvolvida para ensino de produção de jogos. A pesquisa sustenta-se em autores como Imbezi, Love, Couto e Bomfim (Design); Salen e Zimmerman, Schell, Schuytema, Fullerton e Brathwaite e Schereiber (jogos eletrônicos). Por meio de Experimentos, pesquisa exploratória de atividades semelhantes, análise de conteúdo e de dados de ocorrências de campo, vinculados à Experiência, conclui-se que o Design, como campo de conhecimento de natureza tecnológica e vocação interdisciplinar, pode fornecer métodos e princípios para a criação e o desenvolvimento de jogos amparados em valores, procedimentos e papéis, dinamizando o mercado nacional independente. / [en] The focus of this research deals with the issue of the Brazilian production of electronic games. Understanding as a main problem the lack of knowledge on behalf of production agents on how to apply skills acquired through the process of creation and development of independent electronic games in the country; the hypothesis is that interactive and interdisciplinary methodological activities offer substantial gains to production agents. The objective of this research is to develop and verify the Gamerama Experience, an educational game development experience. The aim is to identify if this experience establishes itself as a methodological proposal of education, based on Design and its principles, and the values prevailing in the Experience, recurrent procedures, and the roles assumed by the participants on the methodology developed for teaching game production. The research is supported by authors such as Imbezi, Love, Couto and Bomfim (Design); Salen and Zimmerman, Schell, Schuytema, Fullerton and Brathwaite and Schereiber (electronic games). Through experiments, exploratory research of similar activities, content analysis and event data field, tied to experience, it is concluded that design, as a field of knowledge and technological nature interdisciplinary vocation, can provide methods and principles for the creation and development of supported games on values, roles and procedures, improving the local independent market.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:23:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ernane Guimaraes Neto.pdf: 18724840 bytes, checksum: 7a8b5d588ce400e5c7c89815d31174ae (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-14 / This dissertation investigates ontological attributes of electronic games and books. This approach is founded on Philosophy, Communication and Ludology authors, contrasted and connected to each other. The principles in Nelson Goodman s nominalist philosophy ground the dialogue among different authors. A philosophy of language is constructed, aiming for the combination of concepts such as Heidegger s errancy and the thoughts on fiction since Plato and Aristotle. The tools obtained from this structure of relations are used for an interpretation of the Final Fantasy VII electronic game. Game researchers, such as Gonzalo Frasca and James Paul Gee, as well as Ludology epitomes such as Johan Huizinga and Roger Caillois, are summoned to support the understanding of this specific subject. From that game emerges a functional separation between independent narrative planes, related either to the fictional plot or playability. Following reflections on the ontology of electronic games, an exercise of translating Final Fantasy VII to e-book format is proposed. Marshall McLuhan helps thinking about the inherent potential in every new expressive medium; Walter Benjamin bridges traditional Western fiction and features of the reception experience, which are regained by digital media-laden interaction. Marie-Laure Ryan, among others who applied Literary Studies to understand games, complements the resulting e-book s conception. As a result, this research intends to accomplish a threefold role. It discusses language fundamentals and their ethical consequences for the work of communicators; analyzes a culturally relevant document in its mechanics and its fictional structure; presents an interactive book as an example of the electronic media potential in enriching the reading experience of fictional texts, even for non-game products / Esta dissertação investiga atributos ontológicos de jogos e livros eletrônicos. A abordagem fundamenta-se em autores da Filosofia, da Comunicação e da Ludologia, contrastados e articulados. Os princípios da filosofia nominalista de Nelson Goodman baseiam esse diálogo entre autores. Constrói-se uma filosofia da linguagem que vise a combinação de conceitos como a errância de Heidegger e a ficção desde Platão e Aristóteles. Os instrumentos desenvolvidos a partir dessa estrutura de relações são aplicados a uma interpretação do jogo eletrônico Final Fantasy VII. Pesquisadores de jogos, como Gonzalo Frasca e James Paul Gee, passando por referências da Ludologia como Johan Huizinga e Roger Caillois, são invocados em apoio à compreensão específica desse objeto. Emerge nesse jogo uma separação funcional entre planos narrativos independentes, relacionados ao roteiro ficcional ou à jogabilidade. A partir de reflexões sobre a ontologia do jogo eletrônico, propõe-se um exercício de tradução de Final Fantasy VII para o formato de livro eletrônico. Marshall McLuhan auxilia a pensar sobre o potencial inerente a cada novo meio de expressão; Walter Benjamin faz a ponte entre a tradição ficcional ocidental e características da experiência da recepção, resgatadas pela interatividade proporcionada pelos meios digitais. Marie- Laure Ryan, entre outros autores que utilizaram o repertório dos Estudos Literários para a compreensão dos jogos, complementa a concepção do livro eletrônico produzido. Como resultado, a pesquisa pretende cumprir um triplo papel. Discute conceitos fundamentais da linguagem e suas consequências éticas para o trabalho dos comunicadores; analisa um documento cultural relevante em suas mecânicas e em sua estrutura ficcional; apresenta um livro interativo como exemplo do potencial dos meios eletrônicos de enriquecer a experiência de leitura do texto ficcional, mesmo para produtos que não sejam jogos

This thesis examines the evolution of gaming criticism (specifically ludology and narratology) and games as a medium of expression through the use of case studies. These case studies look at some of the core aspects of four major titles (The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, various BioWare games and Journey) and survey how these games work to effectively employ a narrative while maintaining an immersive, intuitive system for the player to interact with. Through these titles, the thesis suggests that in order to gain a full scope of a game’s intentions, studies should analyze more than the base story or gameplay, but rather the correlations between them as well as the ways that the visuals and audio aspects interact and enhance the narrative. Furthermore, it suggests the importance of creating gameplay that works with the story in order to ensure that the player always feels as though they have a stake in the outcome of the game, regardless of the nature of the narrative.

The video game is, as we know, one of the most popular and quickly growing mediums in the United States and the world in whole. Because of its success, the video game industry has been able to use their resources to advance technology of many kinds. Two very important technologies which have been advanced by the game industry are artificial intelligence and graphic design. With advances in the videogame industry constantly increasing the realism of gaming, those who game are finding themselves rapidly transported into new worlds. The Combination of the elements of narrative transportation, character identification, a videogames ability to enable mediated experience create a situation in which players may be able to rapidly learn very complex concepts. This project begins with a classification of videogame moral systems, both on a theoretical and logistic level. Given this understanding of how videogames themselves define moral involvement, the project then seeks to answer how the players understand their own moral involvement in the game by directly involving player/participants in the conversation. The data produced strongly suggests that videogames have great potential to teach even the most complex concepts of right and wrong to players.

Klassifikationen von Computerspielen widmet sich den Begriffen, mit denen Computerspiele zu Klassifikationszwecken versehen werden. Eine repräsentative Auswahl an derartigen Klassifikationsmodellen, die die Arbeiten von Designern, Journalisten, Pädagogen, Laien und expliziten Computerspielforschern abdeckt, wird vorgestellt und hinsichtlich ihrer Anwendbarkeit zur eindeutigen Bestimmung konkreter Spiele bewertet. Dabei zeigen sich zwei grundlegend verschiedene Herangehensweisen an die Problematik: „Kategorisierungen“ stellen feste Kategorien auf, in die einzelne Spiel eindeutig einsortiert werden sollen, während „Typologien“ die einzelnen Elemente von Spielen untersuchen und klassifizieren. Beide Ansätze werden analysiert und ihre jeweiligen Vor- und Nachteile aufgezeigt. Da offensichtlich wird, dass die Klassifikation von Computerspielen in bedeutendem Maße vom jeweiligen zugrunde liegenden Verständnis davon, was ein „Computerspiel“ sei, abhängt, ist der Untersuchung der Klassifikationsmodelle eine Betrachtung dieser problematischen Begriffsdefinition vorangestellt, die beispielhaft an vier ausgewählten Aspekten durchgeführt wird. / Classifications of computer games is concerned with the terms that are used to label computer games for classificatory purposes. A representative selection of such classification models, that covers the works of designers, journalists, pedagogues, laymen and explicit computer game researchers, are introduced and assessed with regard to their ability to classify specific games unambiguously. Two essentially different approaches to this problem are identified: “categorizations” establish rigid categories to which single games are to be assigned unambiguously, while “typologies” examine and classify single elements of games and not games as a whole. Both methods are analysed and their advantages and disadvantages are shown. As it becomes obvious that classifying computer games is highly dependent on the respective basic understanding of what a computer game is, the study of the classification models is preceded by an overview which discusses four chosen aspects as examples of this problematic definition.

The focuses of this paper are narrative structures and mythological elements in the video game Chrono Trigger. A qualitative method was used to code the game world's seven eras into themes of symbolism, quest-themes, and, characters. These themes were compared with Northrop Frye's archetypal myth theory from Anatomy of Criticism. The results show that each age relates to a season and moves due to the player's influence according to a cyclical pattern. Six out of seven epochs show high correlation to Frye's archetypal model whereas options such as to discard the main hero illustrates the player's control. The seventh era pictures a more female symbolism than the male dominant template proposed by Frye. A hypothesis is presented with the concept of a fluent surface which argues that the player manipulates the basic story to build a personal narrative. Furthermore, the hypothesis emphasizes that the specific game mechanics stimulates the player's sensitivity to the narrative elements when constructing an individual ideal story.