Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-08-22T12:17:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Saulo de Oliveira Machado.pdf: 2123394 bytes, checksum: c349146a4877892402785fb3a1e6f964 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T12:17:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Saulo de Oliveira Machado.pdf: 2123394 bytes, checksum: c349146a4877892402785fb3a1e6f964 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The attendant research aims to describe the present relations between the concepts of magic circle and metagame and how they are evidenced in the experience of the player. With the increasing presence of digital and board games in the daily life of society, it seems propitious that we return efforts to decipher the elements that make up the experience lived in the games through the players. Through the review of these two concepts we managed to elaborate how their joint acting is presented through a common player presence in the game. To do so, we start with a review of the concepts of magic circle and metagame, its definitions, its most used approaches and how they focus on the experience that the player has during the game. Finally, we focus on demonstrating the presence of these concepts through the MMORPG, World of Warcraft, a game that constains in its diverse ways of playing, various approaches for the player to have contact with his universe / A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo descrever as relações presentes entre os conceitos de círculo mágico e metajogo e como eles se evidenciam na experiência do jogador. Com a crescente presença dos jogos digitais e de tabuleiro no cotidiano da sociedade, parece propício que voltemos esforços em decifrar os elementos que compõe a experiência vivida nos jogos através dos jogadores. Através da revisão destes dois conceitos conseguir elaborar como sua atuação conjunta se apresenta através de um ator comum presença do jogador no jogar. Para tanto, partimos de uma revisão dos conceitos de círculo mágico e metajogo, suas definições, suas abordagens mais utilizadas e como eles se incidem sobre a experiência que o jogador tem durante o jogar. Por fim, nos concentramos em demonstrar a presença destes conceitos através do MMORPG, World of Warcraft, um game que consegue conter em seus diversificados modos de jogar, diversas abordagens para que o jogador tenha contato com seu universo

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.

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.

Kontextmedvetna spel låter den reella omgivningenpåverka aspekter av spelinnehållet. Då kontextmedvetna spel i en mobil miljö är ett väl utforskat område saknas forskning kring dess möjlighet att även fungera i en stationär miljö. I denna utforskande studie har en modifikation till det stationära spelet Cities: Skylines utvecklats som låter spelarens aktivitet påverka nästkommande spelsession. Modifikationen har sedan använts vid en användarstudie som undersökt hur denna typ av mer löst kopplade kontext där spel och kontext är tidsmässigt separerade påverkar spelarens upplevelse. Studien visar att denna typ av kontextmedvetenhet upplevs önskvärt. Det kan dock krävas någon form av hjälpande länk som förstärker kopplingen mellan spel och kontext samt att kontextmedvetenhetens syfte bör vara att förstärka spelupplevelsen snarare än att vara en drivande faktor.

I denna studie som utgår från Huizingas begrepp ”den magiska cirkeln” undersöksapplikationen Tilt Brush för VR headsetet HTC Vive med avseende på dess bild ochljud samt hur detta tolkas och används under interaktionen med applikationens verktyg.Begreppet utgår ifrån att användaren kan låta sig uppslukas i ett spel så längeförväntningarna enligt spelets regler inte störs. Genom en fallstudie har applikationenstuderats med metoder som autoetnografi och multimodal analys utifrånsocialsemiotiska begrepp, samt öppna intervjuer med inslag av ”think-aloud”. Deliknande iakttagelser som framkommit med hjälp av olika metoder får anses styrkastudiens resultat. Resultaten i studien pekar på att det för interaktionens del är viktigt attvissa aspekter av ljudet, som har med positionering eller fysikens lagar att göra,stämmer överens med våra erfarenheter från verkligheten och att detta i sin tur stämmeröverens med det visuellt representerade. För bildens och ljudens meningserbjudanden iövrigt är användaren beredd att gå med på vilka oerhörda illusioner som helst så längebild och ljud kommuniceras i överensstämmelse och på ett trovärdigt sätt som lever upptill användarens förväntningar inom den magiska cirkeln, platsen för själva spelet.Förväntningarna behöver då inte ha med verkligheten att göra. Vad som uppfattas somhög modalitet styrs av vilken genre användaren förväntar sig att möta. Detta i sin turrelateras till användarens tidigare erfarenheter och sociala och kulturella bakgrund.

This thesis broadens the discussion surrounding the fourth wall and immersion in games; the hypothesis being that there are more ways to manipulate the fourth wall other than breaking it, and that manipulation of the fourth wall does not necessarily break immersion. Four types of fourth wall manipulation have been labeled in this body of work: breaking, expansion, contraction, and grazing. Expansion and contraction derive from Simon Conway (2010), with minor augmentations to the contraction category having been made by this thesis. The term breaking has been narrowed down and specified while grazing was invented for this particular study. The aim is to update terminology surrounding the fourth wall to introduce it as a narrative tool for game designers, where the tool can be used in different ways that underline the narrative experience that designers want to convey. The study was done by a close reading of the games Metal Gear Solid and NieR: Automata, but references other games relevant to the different types of manipulation. The results show that the identified instances of fourth wall manipulation within the two focus games can all fit in the proposed updated terminology, with some instances elevating the play experience.

No description available.

This thesis sets out to explore why people engage in, and how to design for, play in a public setting. It does this by separating design for play from design of games, describing play as a socially and mentally understood activity, and a playful approach to engaging in that activity. It emphasises that while play is voluntary, design can help shape the players’ mode of engagement. The thesis uses a qualitative and inductive approach to research, with an understanding of knowledge as being constructed in the individual. The research is grounded in human computer interaction and interaction design, and closely related to game studies and design science. The research question concerns how design can influence the player activity in order to create a desired player experience in public, by harnessing playful engagement. It’s foundation is a theory of play which describes play as a framed, or hedged-off, activity with a fragile border; where knowledge and feelings can leak both in and out of the activity, and affect the play as well as what is around it. The theory of enjoyment of play is discussed, and the problem of treating this as ‘fun’ is addressed, concluding in a presentation of how playful engagement can be harnessed through design. The theory is applied in five design cases: I’m Your Body, a locative storytelling app; Codename Heroes, a pervasive game of personal empowerment; Passing On, a slow-paced game about communication; Busking Studies, which involves observing street performers and their shows; and DigiFys, an architectural design exploration of playgrounds and play paths. Finally, three concepts, or design tools, are presented, which address: 1) a structure for understanding a design through three layers, constructs designed by the designer, inspiring play activity with the player, leading to experience; 2) an approach to designing invitations to play; and finally 3), a four faceted structure for understanding play engagement when players engage in non intended ways.

Pour respecter les droits d’auteur, la version électronique de ce mémoire a été dépouillée de certains documents visuels et audio-visuels. La version intégrale du mémoire a été déposée au Service de la gestion des documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal. / La constitution du jeu en objet de science et l’institutionnalisation du jeu vidéo font en sorte d’évincer l’essence, et donc le sens du sujet qu’elles entendent définir. L’objet jeu et l’espace de la représentation ludique ont pris le pas sur l’expérience du jouer. Le phénomène jeu reste un objet subjectif: en définissant l’objet, on minimise cette dimension subjective et ses variables expérientielles, et tout particulièrement le temps et le mouvement. En s’appuyant sur des théories pluridisciplinaires telles que la phénoménologie, la sémiologie et la linguistique cognitive, ce mémoire cherche à réhabiliter le temps, le joueur et l’expérience vécue du jouer. Le premier chapitre examine l’ambiguïté du mot jeu, qui renvoie à la fois à l’objet jeu et à l’activité jouer, et interroge la primauté du game sur le play au sein des études du jeu. Le deuxième chapitre questionne la conception dualiste du jeu, telle que véhiculée par le modèle du cercle magique, qui oppose le jeu au réel. Le chapitre trois propose la métaphore conceptuelle du temps suspendu dans l’espace afin d’expliquer d’une part, le rôle structurant de l’espace dans le processus cognitif, et d’autre part la surenchère spatiale des discours vidéoludiques. Finalement, il s’agit de tenir et de maintenir l’équilibre dynamique entre la structure du game et l’expérience du play, et de souligner l’importance de l’unité espace-temps. / The game constitution as an object of science and the institutionalization of the video game oust the essence, and therefore the meaning of the subject they intend to define. The game itself and its playful representation took precedence over the experience of the player. The game phenomenon remains a subjective object: when defining the object, this subjective dimension and its experiential variables are subjectively minimized, especially time and movement. Based on multidisciplinary theories such as phenomenology, semiotics and cognitive linguistics, this paper seeks to rehabilitate the time, the player and the experience of playing. The first chapter examines the ambiguity of the word game, which refers to both the object and the game playing activity, and questions the primacy of game over play in the game studies. The second chapter questions the dualistic conception of game, as conveyed by the magic circle model, which opposes gaming to reality. Chapter three provides the conceptual metaphor of time suspended in space to explain firstly, the structuring role of space in the cognitive process, and also the spatial outbid of the video game discourse. Finally, it is about holding and maintaining the dynamic balance between the gaming structure and the experience of playing, and stress the importance of space-time unity.

Exploramos aspectos da espacialidade nos videogames, aplicando o conceito de círculo mágico como abordado por Johan Huizinga, refletindo sobre a experiência da imersão e da observação externa. Empregamos, como objeto do pensamento, ferramentas provenientes da teoria dos games, geometria, semiótica, fenomenologia, psicologia, informática e pós-estruturalismo. Observamos a estrutura triádica na percepção do jogador alicerçada sobre três categorias espaciais: físico-tátil, imagético- narrativa e intencional. Levantamos informações relativas aos sistemas de objetos próprios dos jogos eletrônicos. Classificamos esquemas espaciais utilizados para a apresentação do espaço diegético na tela. Aplicamos o conceito de flow, criado por Csikszentmihalyi, para avaliar a imersão e o engajamento do jogador. Investigamos possíveis extrapolações do círculo mágico formado pelo jogar. Observamos modos de virtualização e atualização na interface dos games. Abstraímos o jogo como obra de metadesign, considerando modos de autoria pelo interator. Verificamos processos de embodiment através do agenciamento via avatar. Contemplamos aspectos topológicos de rede e estruturas labirínticas. Ponderamos sobre as possibilidades abertas pelo game thinking, como processos de ludificação e simulação. Por fim, divisamos as circunstâncias de transcendência do espaço do jogo por meio da alteridade e da expansão do círculo mágico. / We explored aspects of video game spatiality, using the magic circle concept, as approached by Johan Huizinga, pondering upon the experience of immersion and external observation. We applied, as object of thought, tools originated from the theory of gaming, geometry, semiotics, phenomenology, psychology, computing and post-structuralism. We observed the triadic structure of the player\'s perception based on three spatial categories: physical-tactile, imagery-narrative and intentional. We collected data related to the system of objects used in electronic games. We classified spatial diagrams utilized in the presentation of diegetic space on screen. We applied the flow concept, created by Csikszentmihalyi, to valuate immersion and engagement of players. We explored possible surpassing of the magic circle created by the act of playing. We observed modes of virtualization and updating of the gaming interfaces. We abstracted gaming as a work of metadesign, considering means of authorship by the interactor. We verify embodiment processes via avatar agency. We observed topological aspects of network and labyrinth structures. We pondered the possibilities opened by game thinking, like processes of gamification and simulation. Finally we glimpsed the circumstances of gaming space transcendence by the means of alterity and the expansion of the magic circle.