Neste estudo busca-se a compreensão de como projetar os lugares do brincar por meio da análise da relação entre o ambiente e o comportamento infantil em áreas de lazer de edifícios residenciais multifamiliares, que funcionam como a nova “rua” para o lazer das crianças, pois esta já foi um lugar do brincar. Hoje, com o crescimento das cidades, as pessoas diminuíram a sua apropriação do espaço público no cotidiano devido ao aumento da violência, à insegurança e à grande circulação de carros. Consequentemente, os pais não permitem que seus filhos brinquem na rua, ou seja, fora dos limites residenciais. Em decorrência deste contexto urbano e do aumento da área construída na cidade, aumentando o custo do solo urbano, que as casas vêm sendo substituídas por edificações verticais que, supostamente, oferecem maior segurança, muitas delas com área muito pequena nos apartamentos. À criança, como possibilidade de brincadeira livre e socialização, restam os espaços de lazer dos edifícios, que, habitualmente, funcionam como argumento de venda, parte de um processo de “placemarketing”. Os projetos atuais para o lazer infantil nos edifícios por vezes são compostos por elementos chamativos, lúdicos, muitas cores, e até um certo rebuscamento no sentido de enfeitar excessivamente, características que encantam e vendem, porque transmitem a sensação visual de um lugar aprazível para as crianças. Contudo, muitos estudiosos abordam outras características físicas positivas em espaços para este público. Esse estudo investigou esta questão, no intuito de compreender como os projetos de áreas de lazer de edifícios, e de lugares do brincar de modo geral, devem ser elaborados para atender as necessidades inerentes ao desenvolvimento da criança. Foi feito um estudo de caso nas áreas de lazer de um edifício e de em um condomínio vertical em Porto Alegre-RS, cada um de uma construtora e com características físicas diferentes. Foram observados os locais mais utilizados pelas crianças e os tipos de interação entre elas, o que evidenciou que há relação entre o ambiente e em como as crianças interagem entre si. / This study seeks to understand how to design the places of play through the analysis of the relationship between the environment and the behavior of children in recreational areas of multifamily residential buildings that act as the new "street" for children’s leisure, because this has been the place of playing children. Nowadays, with the growth of cities, people reduced their daily appropriation of public space due to increased violence, insecurity and widespread circulation of cars. Consequently, parents do not allow their children plays in the street, so outside the residential limits. Because of this urban context and the increase of the built area in the city, increasing the urban land cost, that the houses are being replaced by vertical buildings that supposedly offer greater security, many of these with a very small area in the apartments. To the child, as the possibility of free play and socialization, left leisure spaces of buildings, which generally work as a selling point, part of a process of "placemarketing". Current projects for children's play in buildings are sometimes composed of flashy elements, entertainment, many colors, characteristics that enchant and sell, because they transmit the visual sensation of a pleasant place for children. However, many scholars of child development approach other positive physical characteristics in spaces for this audience. This study investigated this issue in order to understand how buildings recreation areas projects must be designed to satisfy the necessities of child development, through the analysis of recreational area of a building and a vertical condominium in Porto Alegre-RS, each one of the buildings were built of different construction company and have different physical characteristics. The places were observed most frequently used by children and types of interaction between them, which showed that there is a relationship between the environment and how children interact with each other.

The decision of which business model to follow, when developing a game, has become one of the most important choices a company has to make. In our re- search we have compared and evaluated different kinds of freemium based busi- ness models. The objective with the research is to follow a constructed business model when developing a game. The game concept is based on an existing game called GoSupernova complemented with a litarature-based study. Which parts of the concept that has been implemented follow the client’s requests, but also discussions on which parts are most essential for the gameplay. The goal with the game concept is to have good potential to consolidate a continuous playing behaviour. To accomplish this we had to take many different factors into account that could affect the user’s opinion of the game, both in short and long term. The game should be satisfying enough to get users to play, but unsatisfying enough so users to have something to work for. This can also benefit in-app purchases, when users try to achive different goals.

The goal of the dissertation Marketing of PC game from the view of Youtuber is to characterize the latest practices in influencing masses of players of War Thunder PC game through video service Youtube and social network Facebook. This is a real project during which author created a large community of fans around the game counting more than 10 000 people on Youtube and almost 4 500 people on Facebook. Author applied the latest trends and the most innovative practices in connection with a traditional promotion of gaming content. This work shows that both channels can have a positive impact on the gaming company revenue from microtransactions based on freemium business model. Author also describes detailed and comprehensive view on one of the biggest gaming phenomenon in history.

The aim of this dissertation is to lay the groundwork for an integrated approach to violin instruction for children who are not being groomed explicitly for professional careers as instrumentalists. The study presents a particular focus on the age of middle school children, in order to showcase a more specialized and definitive result of research without, however, distinguishing between advantages and limitations of different age groups of children who study music and learn to play the violin. My first goal is to craft a sample method of teaching with a premise that not all students studying music must or need to become professional musicians in their future. I promote an approach based on the premise that music has universal value available to all and that any kind of music education encourages the growth, personality development, and imagination of children. My second goal is to explore how music education functions in 21st century western culture. Research is based on teachings and methods established by Suzuki, Kodaly, Jaques-Dalcroze, and Orff, among others.

Bakgrund Skador är vanligt förekommande i den professionella herrfotbollen och skador på det främre korsbandet (anterior cruciate ligament, ACL) är en skada med lång rehabiliteringstid. Efter en ACL-skada tar det i snitt 6,6 månader att återgå till träning och 7,4 månader att återgå till matchspel för spelare. 90% av spelare som skadat ACL återvänder till matchspel inom ett år, men det är inte känt om spelare får lika mycket speltid som tidigare. Syfte I vilken utsträckning återvänder spelare till sin tidigare nivå och finns det en korrelation mellan skadefrånvaro och speltid? Metod 40 professionella herrfotbollsspelare med bekräftad ACL-skada identifierades varav 34 uppfyllde inklusionskriterierna i denna retrospektiva kohortstudie. Skadefrånvaro, skada och spelardata identifierades via databaserna Transfermarkt.com, fbref.com och whoscoored.com Resultat Säsong 1 efter skada (S1ES) fick spelare 19,3 minuter mindre speltid jämfört med Säsong 1 innan skada (S1IS) (p<0,01). Säsong 2 efter skada (S2ES) fick spelare 6,4 minuter mindre speltid (p=0,20). Det fanns en icke-signifikant (p=0,60) svag negativ korrelation (r=-,094) mellan differensen av genomsnittlig speltid i minuter/match S1IS mot S1ES och skadefrånvaro i dagar. Det fanns en icke-signifikant (p=0,60) svag positiv korrelation (r=,094) för S2ES. S1ES fick spelare speltid i 14,8% (p=<0,01) färre matcher och S2ES fick spelare speltid i 5,7% (p=0,15) färre matcher jämfört med S1IS Slutsats Spelare är tillbaka till sin tidigare nivå vid två säsonger efter skadan. Längd på skadefrånvaron påverkar inte nivån som spelaren återvänder till. Spelare sitter mer på avbytarbänken säsongen efter skadan än tidigare. / Background Injuries are common in professional men's football and injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are injuries with a long rehabilitation period. After an ACL injury, it takes an average of 6.6 months to return to training and 7.4 months to return to match play for players. 90% of players who have injured their ACL return to match play within a year, but it is not known if players get as much playing time as before. Purpose To what extent do players return to their previous level and is there a correlation between injury absence and playing time? Method 40 professional men's football players with confirmed ACL injury were identified, 34 of whom met the inclusion criteria in this retrospective cohort study. Absence, injury, and player data were identified via the databases Transfermarkt.com, fbref.com and whoscoored.com Results Season 1 after injury, players got 19.3 (p<0.01) minutes less playing time compared to season 1 before injury. Season 2 after injury, players received 6.4 (p=0.20) minutes less playing time. There was a non-significant (p=0.60) weak negative correlation (r=-,094) between the difference of average playing time in minutes/match season 1 before injury against season 1 after injury and injury absence for days. There was a non-significant (p=0.60) weak positive correlation (r=.094) for season 2 after injury. Season 1 after injury, players played in 14.8% (p=0.00003) fewer matches and season 2 after injury, players played in 5.7% (p=0.15) fewer matches. Conclusion Players are back to their previous level two seasons after the injury. Length of injury absence does not affect the level to which the player returns. Players sit more on the bench the season after the injury than before.

Background: In the last couple years, the free to play sector in gaming has taken a rise compared to their pay to play counterparts, being able to generate up to 85% of all gaming revenue. More and more game developers have opted to change their game from a paid model to a free-to-play business model, with prominent cases being games like CS:GO and Overwatch. It all started with cosmetics and skins, but companies started to develop new ways to get players into the cycle of spending money in free-to-play games. Purpose: For this reason, the purpose of this study focuses on exploring how the purchase of microtransactions in free-to-play games impacts the way players experience flow. Similarly, we also aim to learn what happens after the initial purchase and how, by using money in this way, players can enhance the quality of their overall play time. Method: We conduct a qualitative study examining how microtransactions impact flow through conducting a set of 21 interviews with players from different platforms and games, 4 individual think aloud protocols, and various relevant reddit posts. Conclusion: Our findings build upon past research, illustrating how there are contrasting effects regarding how microtransactions impact flow. The results challenge previous flow literature, incorporating the novel view that microtransactions and the social context can also help trigger and destroy flow.

Background: P2W games (Pay-to-Win) occupy a significant position in the Chinese gaming market, attracting a large number of players to participate and spend money. However, there is still a knowledge gap in understanding the motivational factors behind the behavior and psychology of Chinese players in terms of their purchase motivation in specific games Diablo: Immortal. Purpose: The objective of this study is to use the TCV framework to explore in depth the purchase motivations of Chinese players in the P2W game Diablo Immortal and to find out what factors have the greatest impact on the purchase of virtual items within this game. Method: In the method section, the article uses a qualitative research method to conduct semi-structured interviews. Convenience sampling and snowball sampling were conducted through friends close to the author, and 8 respondents were selected who met the research criteria. After data collection, a thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data.  Conclusion: This study reveals that Chinese players in the P2W game Diablo: Immortal are motivated to purchase virtual items based on five key themes: functional value, social value, emotional value, conditional value, and monetary value. Among these, social value emerges as the strongest motivator, followed closely by conditional value, emotional value, functional value, and monetary value. The findings highlight the importance of enhancing the social aspects of the game, such as fostering player interactions and creating a sense of community. Additionally, developers should consider offering attractive discounts and promotions to stimulate player buying behavior. These insights provide valuable guidance for game developers and operators seeking to understand and cater to the motivations of Chinese players in the context of virtual item purchases.

In free-to-play (F2P) games, development has rapidly progressed in recent years with the introduction of numerous new games as well as new revenue models. In 2014, a survey was conducted to understand how game developers themselves viewed the genre and its revenue models, but since then, there have been changes in the F2P model and the gaming industry. This survey aims to again examine how developers currently perceive the model and its evolution in recent years. Among players, there has been a perceived sense of unfairness regarding the F2P model, and the revenue models have been perceived as intrusive and aggressive. Some of these revenue models have also been linked to problematic gaming behavior due to their design. The research question underlying this study is: How do game developers view the current in-app purchase (IAP) model in mobile games? Is it possible to design it in a way that is not perceived as intrusive and unfair, while still serving as a viable revenue model for companies? To answer this question, the study employed a qualitative approach, conducting several semi-structured interviews with individuals working in the gaming industry. The interviews were then subjected to thematic analysis to identify codes and themes. The results indicate that developers generally have a positive attitude towards the F2P model. However, they do see issues with how some of the revenue models are implemented and presented to players. The interviewees expressed optimism about the future of F2P games, but they also believe that the revenue models may undergo changes.

The United Nations have issued concerns regarding children’s right to play, which is one of the rights that are written in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). One prominent concern revolves around how increasing educational requirements push the right to free play aside in order to offer education to children. This study aims to shine light on how preschool teachers in Sweden describes free play, how hey motivate it and how they work with it. This study is based on interviews with five preschool teachers to get their understanding of these questions. By using theoretical concepts of: instutionalization, the threatened play and play enrichment, the information told by the participants have been analyzed.    The result of the study shows that play is rated highly by the teachers and that they motivate it mostly from the perspective of its function to teach. Even though the preschool teachers work in different ways, all of them aspires to foster free play in preschool. However, the study shows that there is a tendency from the adults to only define something as play if they find a purpose in what the children are doing. If they don’t find a purpose in the children’s actions then it is not considered play and gets interrupted by the teacher. This means that there is a risk that some play is not approved by the teachers in preschool, and that the children might be limited in their ways to play.

Due the fear of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), parents have been putting infants on their backs. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) started to recommend balancing sleeping in supine with prone play - also called Tummy Time-to encourage optimal, healthy infant development (Zachry & Kitzman, 2011). Due to various reasons, parents avoid putting the infants in the prone position even when awake. Evidence-based literature has shown that infants sleeping in supine without spending time in prone can lead to motor delay in their first year of life (Barlett & Fanning Kneale, 2003; Dudek-Shriber & Zelazny, 2007). Evidence also shows that weight bearing in prone is associated with motor development (Salls et al. 2002). This doctoral project attempts to identify the links between prone activities, postural control and fine motor development through research on evidence-based literature. It also provides a theoretical foundation, investigates the evidence and best practice in designing an educational package on prone play for typically developing and high risks infants. It also advocates best practice in occupational therapy by addressing a lack of evidenced based literature and attempts to add to the knowledge base in regards to tummy time and its effect on fine motor development. The target audiences are parents and caregivers of infants; the health care professionals that work with them; the funding agencies and policy makers. The qualitative and quantitative benefits of the parent education program will align with health promotion and wellness initiatives of the Ontario government. The project will describes a detailed evaluation plan and dissemination of results with estimated budgets. This will include presentation to the community and the ministries in the government. The project will contribute to these areas of occupational therapy: (1) addressing evidence-based practice in tummy time with typically developing and high risks infants; (2) providing best practice for implementing a Prone to Play program to foster upper extremity motor development; and (3) promoting health and wellness initiatives in occupational therapy.