(in English): In videogames we frequently come across religions created by game designers for the sole purpose of game development. In these cases religious rituals, symbols and other elements invented for certain needs of videogames are implemented into game design. Those fictional religions differentiate from each other in how they are manifested in narrative structures, audiovisual elements and most importantly in videogame mechanics. This diploma thesis uses formal analysis in order to find out what role do fictional religions play in the context of ten chosen videogames. Game theoretics believe that integration of religion into various layers of game design can create more immersive game experience and richer game world. The analysis confirms and expands upon their findings about the function of religions in world building, ingame architecture and related mechanics. It discovers repetitive motifs like healing, defense, resource production and even punishments which can affect a player's character as a result of interaction with fictional religions.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T18:16:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sergio Gallo.pdf: 5329073 bytes, checksum: 316abf5f6d7b4c9466b187e22654c90e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-05-11 / Starting from the principle that are in the game and for the game that the civilization appears and develops (Huizinga, 2004), this thesis tries to understand and to reflect on the game as element of the culture, as well as identifying the formal characteristics of the game itself. The objective of this thesis is to think the presence and the consequences of the game about the contemporary culture and its dialogue with the technology and the new medias. The research used authors related to the universe of the game (Huizinga, Callois and Gadamer), contemporary culture (Lipovetsky, Jameson, Benjamin), narrative (Aristotle, Barthes, Echo, Murray) and technology (Bairon, Hansen and Santaella). The game is understood as language structure, a significant function that dialogues, therefore, with the current state of the art in the communication area, in which it can be understood in a expanded context. It is possible to think that game and communication are extremely close areas and that, for times, they confuse itself: the game is part of the communication and the communication is part of the game. However, new technologies had added to these new primordial aspects of the game configurations and possibilities, having become more frequent situations as individual games and the establishment of not actual relations between the players, for example. This requirement of an actual relation for the development of the digital games also does not cause what we call modifications in the playing experience , that is, the possibility to play a bigger variety of types of games from a minimum of abilities and abilities (physical variation). However, if the modifications in the experience of playing can represent a bigger democratization, accessibility and diversity of games, supports and situations of game, for another hand, if must have to take care so that it cannot represent a standardization of the games, what it can result in a very limited exploration of game s universe and its expanded concept / Partindo do princípio que é no jogo e pelo jogo que a civilização surge e se desenvolve (Huizinga, 2004), a presente tese procura entender e refletir sobre o jogo como elemento da cultura, bem como identificar as características formais do jogo em si. O objetivo desta tese é pensar a presença e os reflexos do jogo na cultura contemporânea e seu diálogo com a tecnologia e as novas mídias. Parar tanto, a pesquisa se utilizou de autores relacionados ao universo do jogo (Huizinga, Callois e Gadamer), cultura contemporânea (Lipovetsky, Jameson, Benjamin), narrativa (Aristóteles, Barthes, Eco, Murray) e tecnologia (Bairon, Hansen e Santaella). O jogo é entendido como estrutura de linguagem, uma função significante de origem fenomenológica que dialoga, portanto, com o atual estado da arte da comunicação, no qual esta passa a ser entendida em um contexto expandido. É possível ainda pensar que jogo e comunicação são áreas extremamente próximas e que, por vezes, se confundem: o jogo é parte da comunicação e a comunicação é parte do jogo. No entanto, as chamadas novas tecnologias agregaram a estes aspectos primordiais do jogo novas configurações e possibilidades, tornando mais freqüentes situações como jogos individuais e o estabelecimento de relações não presenciais entre os jogadores, por exemplo. Essa não exigência de uma relação presencial para o desenvolvimento dos jogos digitais também ocasiona aquilo que chamamos de "modificações na experiência do jogar", isto é, a possibilidade de jogar uma maior variedade de tipos de jogos a partir de um mínimo de habilidades e competências (variação física). Entretanto, se por um lado as modificações na exepriência do jogar podem representar uma maior democratização, acessibilidade e diversidade de jogos, suportes e situações de jogo, por outro, se deve ter cuidado para que não possa representar uma uniformização e padronização dos jogos, o que pode resultar em uma exploração limitada do universo do jogo e de seu conceito expandido

[pt] Esta pesquisa se propõe a analisar as formas através das quais a franquia de videogames Sid Meier s Civilization (1991-) lida com a História. Trabalhando com referenciais do campo dos game studies em perspectiva interdisciplinar, tentei construir uma compreensão da História encontrada nos jogos, concentrada, principalmente, em permanências identificáveis ao longo de seus 30 anos de existência. Meus três principais objetivos foram: propor a compreensão dos jogos da franquia como histórias – isto é, como obras que apresentam teses acerca da experiência humana em perspectiva diacrônica; questionar abordagens que limitam a interpretação desses jogos à sua natureza enquanto obras especificamente estadunidenses; e posicioná-los como herdeiros de uma tradição de pensamento histórico que remonta pelo menos ao Iluminismo. / [en] This research aims to analyze the ways through which the Sid Meier s Civilization videogame franchise deals with History. Drawing from the field of game studies in an interdisciplinary manner, I have tried to build an understanding of the History found in the games, focusing mainly in constants found throughout it s 30 years of existence. My three main objectives were: to propose the understanding of the franchise s titles as histories – that is, as works that present theses about the human experience in diachronic perspective; to question approaches that limit the interpretation of these games to their nature as specifically U.S. American works; and to position them as heirs to a tradition of historical thinking that goes back at least to the Enlightenment.

O objetivo deste trabalho é investigar o desenvolvimento e a consolidação da linguagem gráfica dos videogames do ponto de vista de seu design gráfico, separando seus vetores de influência em três grandes eixos: história, tecnologia e linguagem. Enquanto o desenvolvimento da indústria do videogame traz as influências de economia e crescimento de mercado, a evolução da tecnologia mostra a ascendência desta sobre a mídia do videogame determinando e dando forma à sua expressividade do ponto de vista da sintaxe. O amadurecimento da linguagem gráfica dos videogames acontece dentro da lógica da remediação proposta por Bolter e Grusin (1999) e este eixo de influência, construido em paralelo aos outros dois, demonstra como as mídias digitais são permeáveis e emprestam linguagens de outras mídias tradicionais, tanto sintaticamente como semanticamente, estabelecendo assim sua própria linguagem. / The proposal of this work is investigate the development and consolidation of the graphic language of video games, from a graphic design point of view, splitting the influence vector in three axis: history, technology and language. While the development of the video game industry shows the economy influence and the growing of the market, the evolution of technology brings the ascendency in the medium of video game, determining and giving form to its expressivity by the sintax point of view. The matureness of the graphic language od video games happens into the logic of remediation proposal by Bolter and Grusin (1999) and this influence axis, built in parallel with the other two, shows how digital midia are permeable and borrow languages from other tradicional midia, as in sintax as in semantic way, establishing its own language.

Estudo de estruturas narrativas no cinema e nos games construídas a partir do elemento onírico. As obras analisadas são elaboradas como emulação/simulação de sonhos, memórias ou alucinações dos personagens. A análise servirá para o desenvolvimento do roteiro de um jogo eletrônico baseado no conceito de sonho lúcido, fenômeno em que o sujeito adquire consciência da realidade onírica. / The Master Thesis\'s objective is to study narrative structures in cinema and games that is constructed with oneiric elements. The films and games studied are representation or emulation/ simulation of the character\'s dreams, memories or hallucinations. The research will serve as basis to write a screenplay and a Game Design Document to a electronic game based on the concept of Lucid Dreaming. Lucid Dream is when one adquire conscious thought and lucidity in their dream state

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T14:21:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Adriana de Oliveira Barbosa Costa.pdf: 2582331 bytes, checksum: 40a0d568b3778dd007a028bb0f9d6b98 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2002-11-08 / This study has sought to comprehend how the subjectivy in contemporaneidy is being constituted from use of technological instruments such as the television, videogame and the computer. The investigative context was the domestic environment, has the moments when the family members could be found together. These families were contacted from the questionnaire realized by the Projeto Elos Goiás based on the criterions that day were families used technological instruments and were willing to participate in a research of this nature. Four filmed interviews and a video-interview were performed with each of the three families. The methodology was based on the Qualitative Epistemology in which the information was analyzed through a constructive interpretative procedure. The interaction, organization, dynamic and the media tic contents were the main axis of analysis. From this procedure emerged relevant information: the technologic instruments especially the televisions have mediated the family relationships; the communication established between the members to meet hand through contents of media modified the interactions and to make new forms of organization that included these instruments been created; the children s introduced forms differently of subjection from each family vision about usually these instruments; the psychologies functions higher seem to shape that constant usually technologic instruments. / Este estudo buscou compreender como o uso dos instrumentos tecnológicos, a televisão, o videogame e o computador, está constituindo a subjetividade infantil na contemporaneidade. O contexto investigativo foi o ambiente doméstico, nos horários em que os membros da família se encontravam reunidos. Estas famílias fora contatadas a partir da enquête realizada pelo "Projeto Elos - Goiás" seguindo os critérios de serem famílias que tivessem crianças em idade de 0 a 11 anos, que utilizassem instrumentos tecnológicos e se dispusessem a participar de uma videoentrevista com cada uma das três famílias. A metodologia foi baseada na Epistemologia Qualitativa em que as informações fora analisadas através de um processo construtivo-interpretativo. A interação, os conteúdos midiáticos e a organização os foram eixos principais de análise. Deste processo surgiram informações relevantes: os instrumentos tecnológicos, em espeicial a televisão, tem mediado as relações familiares; a comunicação estabelecida entre os membros se encontra perpassada por conteúdos da mídia modificando as interações e fazendo com que novas formas de organização que incluem tais instrumentos sejam criadas; as crianças apresentaram formas diferentes de subjetivação a partir da visão de cada família sobre o uso destes instrumentos; as funções psicológicas superiores parecem se reconfigurar com o uso constante dos instrumentos tecnológicos

En quelques années, l’image de la Corée du Sud s’est radicalement transformée. Elle apparaît aujourd’hui comme un pays d’une grande modernité, reconnu pour son développement technique et économique. Ses prouesses dans le domaine de l’informatique ont été érigées en « destin national » (Oh et Larson 2013). Cette thèse analyse la construction de cette modernité technique à partir d’un terrain de neuf mois dans une entreprise engagée dans un projet national d’informatisation de la société. En 2006, deux amis fondent une petite société pour « révolutionner l’éducation » grâce à un jeu vidéo, qui sera implanté dans une centaine d’écoles dans la région de Séoul. Le jeu porte la promesse de faciliter aux enfants l’apprentissage des caractères chinois, réputé l’un des plus pénibles du programme scolaire obligatoire. L’ethnographie met en évidence les multiples doutes des acteurs face à ces discours officiels, et la grande ambivalence de l’objet jeu vidéo, perçu à la fois comme salvateur et dangereux. Les professionnels du jeu vidéo, très intimes avec ces machines investies d’une mission sociale, se révèlent extrêmement critiques envers les projets de l’entreprise et de la société coréenne. Ils se réclament d’une contre-culture qui transparait dans les détails de leur quotidien. A travers leurs activités au travail, les concepteurs multiplient les apprentissages pour se préparer à accomplir un rêve : participer à la création d’une œuvre artistique digne de ce nom. A travers leurs récits, ils se présentent comme des victimes devenues héros. A travers la construction de leurs relations de travail, ils dessinent les contours d’une cité utopique libérée de tous les déterminismes. / South Korea’s image has changed radically in the past few years. It is considered today as a highly modern country, especially because of its technical and economic achievements. Its state-of-the-art information technology has been praised and even labelled “national destiny” (Oh and Larson 2013). This thesis examines the construction of Korean technical modernity, based on nine-months fieldwork conducted in one of the companies committed to the national project of computerisation.In 2006, two friends created a small business in order to bring “a revolution in the field of education”. This revolution would be accomplished by a videogame, that would later be played in more than a hundred schools around Seoul. The game is supposed to make it easier for pupils to learn the Chinese characters, which are known to be one of the most tiresome subjects of the mandatory syllabus. The ethnography reveals the many doubts of the actors regarding these official positions. It also shows the deep ambivalence of videogames, which are perceived as salutary and dangerous at the same time. Game professionals are very close to these machines, yet they criticize the purposes they serve: they strongly disagree with their company’s project as well as with national projects. They claim a counterculture of their own and show it in small details of their daily life. Through their activities in the workplace, game designers engage in multiple learning processes in order to prepare for a dream: to participate in the creation of a real work of art. Through their stories, they present themselves as victims become heroes. Through the relationships they build at work, they outline a utopian city free of all determinism.

Objetivo: Avaliar presença de dor, síndromes músculo-esqueléticas, alterações ortopédicas e uso de computador e videogame em adolescentes. Métodos: Um estudo transversal avaliou 100 adolescentes consecutivos com obesidade e 100 eutróficos a partir de um questionário confidencial, auto-aplicável, incluindo dados demográficos, prática esportiva, sintomas dolorosos do sistema músculo-esquelético e uso de computador e videogame. Pré-teste e re-teste do questionário foram realizados. O exame físico avaliou seis síndromes músculo-esqueléticas e sete alterações ortopédicas. Resultados: O índice de Kappa entre pré-teste e re-teste foi de 0,724. Dor e síndromes músculo-esqueléticas foram igualmente prevalentes nos dois grupos (44% vs. 56%, p=0,09; 12% vs. 16%, p=0,541; respectivamente). Entretanto, alterações ortopédicas (98% vs. 76%, p=0,0001), encurtamento de quadríceps (89% vs. 44%, p=0,0001) e geno valgo (87% vs. 24%, p=0,0001) foram significativamente mais evidenciados nos obesos versus controles. As medianas do tempo de uso do computador no dia anterior a pesquisa, nos sábados e domingos foram menores nos obesos (30 vs. 60minutos, p=0,0001; 1 vs. 60minutos, p=0,001; 0 vs. 30 minutos, p=0,02; respectivamente). Uso de minigame foi menor nos obesos (2% vs. 11%, p=0,003), não havendo diferença no uso de videogame nos dois grupos (p>0,05). Comparações entre obesos com e sem dor evidenciaram maior frequência no gênero feminino (59% vs. 39%, p=0,048) e maior mediana de tempo de uso nos domingos [0 (0-720) vs. 0 (0-240)minutos, p=0.028]. Conclusões: Obesidade pode causar danos ao sistema ósteo-articular no início da adolescência, principalmente nos membros inferiores. Programas específicos para adolescentes obesos do sexo feminino com dor músculo-esquelética precisam ser desenvolvidos / Objective: To evaluate the presence of pain, musculoskeletal syndromes and orthopedic abnormalities and the use of computers and videogames in adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a self-applicable questionnaire to assess 100 obese adolescents and 100 healthy controls included demographic data, sports, musculoskeletal painful symptoms and the use of computer and videogames. A pretest and its replication were performed. The physical examination evaluated six musculoskeletal syndromes and seven orthopedics alterations. Results: The Kappa index between the pretest and its replication was 0.724. Pain and musculoskeletal syndromes were similar in both groups (44% vs. 56%, p=0.09; 12% vs. 16%, p=0.541; respectively). However, orthopedics alterations (98% vs. 76%, p=0.0001), tight quadriceps (89% vs. 44%, p=0.0001) and genu valgum (87% vs. 24%, p=0.0001) were significantly observed in obese versus controls. The median time spent using computer on the prior to the research and on Saturdays and Sundays were lower in obese (30 vs. 60minutes, p=0.0001; 1 vs. 60minutes, p=0.001; 0 vs. 30minutes, p=0.02; respectively). Minigame use was lower in obese (2% vs. 11%, p=0.003), without any differences in the use of videogames in both groups (p>0.05). Comparisons between obese adolescents with and without musculoskeletal pain demonstrated higher frequency in females (59% vs. 39%, p=0.048). Conclusions: Obesity can induce damages to the osteoarticular system at the beginning of the adolescence, mainly in the inferior limbs. Specific programs for female obese adolescents with musculoskeletal pain should be established

Objetivo: Avaliar presença de dor, síndromes músculo-esqueléticas, alterações ortopédicas e uso de computador e videogame em adolescentes. Métodos: Um estudo transversal avaliou 100 adolescentes consecutivos com obesidade e 100 eutróficos a partir de um questionário confidencial, auto-aplicável, incluindo dados demográficos, prática esportiva, sintomas dolorosos do sistema músculo-esquelético e uso de computador e videogame. Pré-teste e re-teste do questionário foram realizados. O exame físico avaliou seis síndromes músculo-esqueléticas e sete alterações ortopédicas. Resultados: O índice de Kappa entre pré-teste e re-teste foi de 0,724. Dor e síndromes músculo-esqueléticas foram igualmente prevalentes nos dois grupos (44% vs. 56%, p=0,09; 12% vs. 16%, p=0,541; respectivamente). Entretanto, alterações ortopédicas (98% vs. 76%, p=0,0001), encurtamento de quadríceps (89% vs. 44%, p=0,0001) e geno valgo (87% vs. 24%, p=0,0001) foram significativamente mais evidenciados nos obesos versus controles. As medianas do tempo de uso do computador no dia anterior a pesquisa, nos sábados e domingos foram menores nos obesos (30 vs. 60minutos, p=0,0001; 1 vs. 60minutos, p=0,001; 0 vs. 30 minutos, p=0,02; respectivamente). Uso de minigame foi menor nos obesos (2% vs. 11%, p=0,003), não havendo diferença no uso de videogame nos dois grupos (p>0,05). Comparações entre obesos com e sem dor evidenciaram maior frequência no gênero feminino (59% vs. 39%, p=0,048) e maior mediana de tempo de uso nos domingos [0 (0-720) vs. 0 (0-240)minutos, p=0.028]. Conclusões: Obesidade pode causar danos ao sistema ósteo-articular no início da adolescência, principalmente nos membros inferiores. Programas específicos para adolescentes obesos do sexo feminino com dor músculo-esquelética precisam ser desenvolvidos / Objective: To evaluate the presence of pain, musculoskeletal syndromes and orthopedic abnormalities and the use of computers and videogames in adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a self-applicable questionnaire to assess 100 obese adolescents and 100 healthy controls included demographic data, sports, musculoskeletal painful symptoms and the use of computer and videogames. A pretest and its replication were performed. The physical examination evaluated six musculoskeletal syndromes and seven orthopedics alterations. Results: The Kappa index between the pretest and its replication was 0.724. Pain and musculoskeletal syndromes were similar in both groups (44% vs. 56%, p=0.09; 12% vs. 16%, p=0.541; respectively). However, orthopedics alterations (98% vs. 76%, p=0.0001), tight quadriceps (89% vs. 44%, p=0.0001) and genu valgum (87% vs. 24%, p=0.0001) were significantly observed in obese versus controls. The median time spent using computer on the prior to the research and on Saturdays and Sundays were lower in obese (30 vs. 60minutes, p=0.0001; 1 vs. 60minutes, p=0.001; 0 vs. 30minutes, p=0.02; respectively). Minigame use was lower in obese (2% vs. 11%, p=0.003), without any differences in the use of videogames in both groups (p>0.05). Comparisons between obese adolescents with and without musculoskeletal pain demonstrated higher frequency in females (59% vs. 39%, p=0.048). Conclusions: Obesity can induce damages to the osteoarticular system at the beginning of the adolescence, mainly in the inferior limbs. Specific programs for female obese adolescents with musculoskeletal pain should be established

The author narrative and the player narrative are distinct and separate parts that make up the whole of videogame literature. The videogame medium encourages a mixed-media understanding of conventions and the rejection of essentialism that leads to, inspires, and facilitates the player narrative. Videogame literatures require discreet actions that, as part of any possible reading, the player must do-- and in doing the player must make a choice with mind and body that involves a human-to-machine expression of agency within constraints that define the player narrative. So the decision making process in videogame storytelling is that human-to-machine interaction that can be understood as both the means by which the videogame story progresses, and the process by which the player wields his or her narrative within the procedural possibility space. Videogame literary analysis requires understanding how players make those decisions, understanding how the player leverages media conventions in order to wield power over the narrative, and understanding what role the player has in videogame storytelling. The choice dynamics of a videogame narrative are the key narrative elements within videogame literature that provide players and researchers tools for evaluating choice opportunities within videogame literature toward forming a better understanding of the space between and connection to the author narrative and the player narrative. All of these analyses combine to form a picture of decision making processes in videogame literature that are complex and contradictory path making endeavors that define the narrative experience in videogame literature, and the interconnected dynamics of the author and player narrative space.