In this thesis, the purpose is to look at how players regard the in-game fashion depending on what genre the game is. As clothes are an important way to communicate and show one’s identity to others, then the way fashion is seen within different genres of digital games affect how fashion is used by the players in different games. To execute this study, the method used in this thesis was to interview players from two games, with the games being from different genres. After interviewing the players, a thematic analysis was made on the data gathered from the interviews. From the thematic analysis, three themes emerged, the Social theme, the Identity theme and the Personal opinion theme. These themes presents both similarities and differences in how the players react to fashion in the different games.

Sociala digitala spel har ökat i popularitet sedan genren etablerades år 2007. Sociala spel är en vardag för många människor och återfinns på- eller runtomkring sociala nätverk, exempelvis Facebook. För att skapa kvalitativa sociala spel kan tydliga direktiv användas för hur design och utvärdering ska genomföras. En brist uppmärksammades av denna typ av direktiv i form av färdigutvecklade heuristiker för att designa och utvärdera sociala spel. För att undersöka hur sociala spel kan designas och utvärderas användes initiala heuristiker som kompletterades via en litteraturstudie. Dessa kompletterade heuristiker undersöktes sedan kvalitativt med hjälp av spelutvecklare och spelare. Denna studie resulterade i utvecklade heuristiker för design och utvärdering av sociala spel med spelbarhet och sociabilitet i fokus.Nyckelord: sociala spel, heuristiker, sociabilitet, spelbarhet / Social digital games have grown in popularity since the genre was established in 2007. Social games are an everyday reality for many people and can be found on- or around social networks such as Facebook. In order to create as qualitative social games as possible, clear directives can be used to know how these games should be designed and evaluated. This study highlights a lack of this type of directives in the form of fully developed heuristics for designing and evaluating social games. To examine how social games can be designed and evaluated initial heuristics were used and then supplemented by a literature review. These complementary heuristics were then examined qualitatively with help of game developers and players. This study resulted in developed heuristics for design and evaluation of social games with playability and sociability in focus.Keywords: social games, heuristics, sociability, playability

Value co-creation is a popular marketing research topic in recent years, and there were already some studies regarding raising consumers’ involvement in co-creation. However, virtual communities such as online games have seldom been addressed in this topic. This thesis aimed to shed light on mobile gamers’ co-creation from the perspective of the characteristics of the virtual community. Hence, this study applied the theory of value co-creation and the characteristics of virtual communities to propose a research model. After analyzing 167 valid online questionnaire respondents from game players, the results indicated that Incentive Mechanism, Members’ Communication, Norm of Reciprocity had significantly positive effects on players’ involvement in co-creation. In addition, the finding’s practical implication suggested that the game companies need to provide unique services so that consumers could voluntarily and actively participate in value co-creation activities.

Although research shows the link between flow and social interaction, this study explores the role of ICT skills in order to experience flow and social interaction. I used constructivism theory as it explains how humans make meaning from personal experiences, social interaction and tools (e.g., language and computer). The theory of flow was applied because it stipulates that people experience flow when they are fully engaged in any activity (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi 2002). Four participants were recruited for this study. A pilot study with three stages was conducted to design a research protocol used in the main study. A pre and post-test was answered to determine the significance of ICT skills in relation to the experience of flow and social interaction during gameplay experience. I described the experiences of each participant using a case study approach and all the participants reported flow and social interaction in relation to their level ICT skills. I found that the participant with low ICT score required more social interaction to experience flow and participants with high ICT score required social interaction to maintain flow.

<p>    </p> <p>Technological advances and gaming have assisted users in becoming energy-efficient or raising awareness about energy efficiency. However, these games typically take place in schools and workplaces. Low-income households, which spend a larger percentage of income on utilities compared to average income households, exhibit greater sensitivity to energy disturbances. Despite this, there has been limited research on applying these technologies in low-income households. </p> <p><br></p> <p>The dissertation addresses the research gap concerning motivating low-income households to adopt new technologies focused on implementing energy-efficient HVAC behaviors. To achieve this objective, a gamification approach is employed, integrating a competitive social game into a cloud-based application named MySmartE. This application offers personalized eco-feedback and enables voice commands using Amazon Alexa. The game is deployed in two multi-residential low-income household communities located in Indiana. The collected data from field studies is analyzed to explore various aspects, including community interactions during the gaming seasons, technology adoption, and factors influencing participation in the social game. The findings reveal a positive correlation between increased gaming interac- tions and the adoption of MySmartE technology within these communities, underscoring the potential of gamification and technology to effectively engage low-income households in adopting energy-efficient practices. </p>

No description available.

This paper investigates if the social aspects of playing with friends and participate in clans can increase long-term retention for mobile games. Specifically for the game Edge of Combat developed by the company Level Eight. To gain knowledge about how the players and industry perceive these features, a background study was conducted. The study reveals that playing with friends increases long-term retention in mobile games. It also indicates that participating in clans increases long-term retention but the evidence is not that strong. The next phase of the project indicates that playing with friends also increases long-term retention in Edge of Combat. Finally, participating in clans were investigated more thoroughly. The industry is very positive towards clans but that does not seem to reflect the player’s opinions about clans. Because of this the research question ”Can clan participation increase long-term retention in mobile games?” can not be confirmed. That clan participation could increase long-term retention in Edge of Combat could not be confirmed either. However, to be certain of this more research is needed on clans in mobile games taking into account the demographics of the participants in the project.

Social games have become popular on social media such as Facebook and MySpace. While there are plenty of market reports regarding social media, the related academic research is limited. This study applies Homans’ cost‐reward structure from Social Exchange Theory to investigate how social games change people’s social behavior on social media. The concepts of rewards are drawn from the gratifications of social media use, and the concepts of costs are drawn form the symptoms of media addiction. In a survey of 323 college students, participants’ perceived rewards and costs of Facebook use and game play are measured. The results indicate social game players perceived significantly higher costs of Facebook use than non‐players. In addition, costs of Facebook use and costs of game play also play important roles to influence social game players’ willingness to play more social games. Discussion and limitations are provided. / text

Frequently in MMORPGs, players will encounter something known to players as farming or grinding. Grinding is a controversial matter in the gaming community, as many do not enjoy it and see it as a sign of lazy and poor game design. However, it is a difficult topic to argue as whatever is a grind, differs for each person. To elevate the discussion about grinds in the gaming community, this paper aims to give a definition of grinds and answer how they are perceived by players and designers alike. Grinds are argued to be dull, tedious and monotonous, but they are ever prevalent in games today.  To find what differentiates between a satisfying or waste of time grinding, this paper also aims to discover what makes a grind enjoyable, and when they are appropriate.  The results of this paper are built upon previous works and media on game design and grinds. Interviews were held with players that grind to get a deeper understanding of what drives players to grind. The results define grinds as the act of doing something repeatedly for one's own gain. Seven sub-grinds that are found in different games were defined, each with varying characteristics. Grinds are not inherently bad, despite the negative connotations. They are like any other aspect of a game, they can be executed well or poorly. The developers' responsibility is to design a well-balanced grind that does not hinder players from doing what they like and deliver a satisfying experience.

This thesis addresses a game design matter with an interaction design perspective, arguing that both are strongly related and can learn from each other. It explores the topic of designing mechanics for asymmetric cooperation in hybrid social co-located games. Co-located social games are games played in a same space, and hybrid games merge analog and digital features. When dealing with asymmetric cooperation mechanics, players work together towards the same goal but with different mechanics (different ability to act or to access to information). Cooperation is more and more popular in the game field and, among with other benefices, asymmetry can strengthen it by making the performances of the players fully complementary. In hybrid games, this kind of mechanics could make people bridge the gap between physical and digital materials through cooperation, by combining actions or sharing information. Following a theoretical investigation on the matter, this paper presents several experiments of asymmetric cooperation mechanics involving digital aspects thanks to a smartphone, and sparking strong social interactions. A discussion is drawn upon them to share the resulting observations on hybrid asymmetric cooperation and on the process of prototyping game mechanics.