Which features of a computer game contribute to the player’s enjoyment of it? How can we automatically generate interesting and satisfying playing experiences for a given game? These are the two key questions addressed in this dissertation. Player satisfaction in computer games depends on a variety of factors; here the focus is on the contribution of the behaviour and strategy of game opponents in predator/prey games. A quantitative metric of the ‘interestingness’ of opponent behaviours is defined based on qualitative considerations of what is enjoyable in such games, and a mathematical formulation grounded in observable data is derived. Using this metric, neural-network opponent controllers are evolved for dynamic game environments where limited inter-agent communication is used to drive spatial coordination of opponent teams. Given the complexity of the predator task, cooperative team behaviours are investigated. Initial candidates are generated using off-line learning procedures operating on minimal neural controllers with the aim of maximising opponent performance. These example controllers are then adapted using on-line (i.e. during play) learning techniques to yield opponents that provide games of high interest. The on-line learning methodology is evaluated using two dissimilar predator/prey games with a number of different computer player strategies. It exhibits generality across the two game test-beds and robustness to changes of player, initial opponent controller selected, and complexity of the game field. The interest metric is also evaluated by comparison with human judgement of game satisfaction in an experimental survey. A statistically significant number of players were asked to rank game experiences with a test-bed game using perceived interestingness and their ranking was compared with that of the proposed interest metric. The results show that the interest metric is consistent with human judgement of game satisfaction. Finally, the generality, limitations and potential of the proposed methodology and techniques are discussed, and other factors affecting the player’s satisfaction, such as the player’s own strategy, are briefly considered. Future directions building on the work described herein are presented and discussed.

This article will attempt to further understanding as far as music and computer games are concerned. More specifically, it will focus on "Interactive Music". Interactivity in music has been developed and experimented upon since the early 1990's, and has many other applications besides its use in computer games. For instance, there are "Interactive Music Performances" and "Interactive Compositions" etc. Such areas of interactivity will not be explored and are too broad a topic to mention in this article. For the purposes of explaining concepts and ideas, comparisons will be drawn with media such as film, as they have some important similarities with computer games but are perhaps better understood and on the whole more accessible. To this end a terminology section has been included to provide the inexperienced computer user some idea of concepts, tools and language used in the computer world. / Thesis (M.Mus.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

This project aims to discover if there is useful overlap between the recommended rhetorical responses to crises as defined by organizational communication specialists and the rhetorical responses frequently portrayed in various forms of mass media entertainment. Specifically, it investigates the potential effectiveness of these mass mediated crisis portrayals and identifies whether the rhetoric of crisis depicted in them could help inform and educate organizational responders to better communicate internally in crisis scenarios. This research may provide a better understanding of how rhetoric in real and fictive contexts works to shape real-world responses to crises.

Dataspelsproblematik är ett eskalerande problem som har visat sig påverka många unga människors utveckling och välbefinnande. Syftet med denna studie var därför att undersöka ungas dataspelsproblematik, vilka konsekvenser ett överdrivet dataspelande medför samt vilken behandling som ges till unga med dataspelsproblematik. Empirin erhölls genom kvalitativa intervjuer med professionella som arbetar med denna typ av problematik vid verksamheterna Game Over och Theory in Action. Resultatet visade att dataspelsproblematik idag inte har en bestämd definition och att det är ett problem som inte är tillräckligt uppmärksammat. Synen på orsaker till dataspelsproblematik hos unga är komplext då det kan tänkas bero på många olika faktorer. Konsekvenserna av ett problematiskt dataspelande är många och allvarliga och kan påverka den unges hela livssituation. Behandling av unga med dataspelsproblematik har visats sig ske på varierande sätt med olika utgångspunkter beroende på vad man anser är orsaken till problematiken. / Computer game related problems are an escalating problem that has been shown to affect many young people's development and well-being. The purpose of this study was to investigate young people's computer game problems, the consequences of excessive computer game playing and the treatment that is given to young people with computer game related problems. The empirical data were obtained through interviews with professionals who work with this type of problem in the institutions Game Over and Theory in Action. The results showed that computer game related problems do not today have a specific definition, as well as it is a problem that is not sufficiently recognized. The view of the causes of young people’s computer game related problems is complex as it may be caused by many different factors. The consequences of a problematic computer game playing are many and serious, which can affect a young person's entire life situation. Treatment of young people with computer game related problems have been shown to occur in various ways with different starting points depending on what you believe is the cause of the problem.

The study investigated the thinking game theory by Malone ¡]1981¡^ and game design program by Fang, Sheng-Wen¡]1994¡^ , to develop design structure for computer instructional games and expect that has any help in the future. In compliance with this structure to design computer instructional game, further explored (1)the related with the background and learning interests; (2)the influence of the game vision¡Binterest drama and learning interests¡Blearning effectiveness; (3)the related with using computer degree and city; (4)the influence of similarities of using computer degree and learning interests, effectiveness; (5)Is there any related with learning effectiveness and leaning instruction content or not? (6)There has what kind of learning effectiveness in using computer instructional game. The instructional computer game is to assist community subject¡¦s first unit at fifth grade in primary school, total of 124 participants (include 5th and 4th grade students). Analyzed with Chi-square test, Mc-Nemar test, Gamma coefficient and G2 test. The study found from statistical analysis that (1) Instructional computer game can increase learning interests, no matter what students¡¦ background are; (2) Fun script and good screen design can increase learning interests, but can¡¦t get learning effectiveness higher; (3)The students who didn¡¦t like social study, indeed have higher learning interests after using this instructional computer game; (4)Students who like instructional computer game or not, will effect learning effectiveness; (5)The degree of using computer between city and county is about the same; (6)Learning effectiveness for memory questions is increased after play this instructional compuetr game; (7)Students who had learned the subject matter efore or not, would effect learning effectiveness.

The aim of this study was to investigate 10-14 year old Thai School children’s habits related to television, computer games and eating, and to make comparisons regarding these issues between genders as well as between a rural and an urban area of Thailand. A descriptive comparative, cross-sectional study with a quantitative method was used. Data were collected at two schools, one in Bangkok and another in Ayuttahaya, Thailand. A purposive sample consisting of 441 participants was included in the study, from grade 5, 6 and 7. The chosen theoretical framework was Virginia Henderson´s nursing theory. The result showed that most children watch television 1-4 hours/day and play computer games 30min-1hour/day. Significant differences between the genders or areas regarding television viewing were not found. Habits of playing computer games were similar in the urban and rural area, although boys played more computer games than girls. The children in the urban and rural area ate quite healthy food regarding intake of fruits and vegetables. However fast food and snacks while watching television and playing computer games were more common among children in urban area than rural area. A different between genders was also found, showing that girls eat more than boys, both healthy alternatives and more unhealthy while watching TV and playing computer games.  Limitation and reduction of television watching and playing computer games are needed for the children and also motivation to more physical activity as well as healthier food choices.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Mus.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

This study focused on game physics, an area of computer game design where physics is applied in interactive computer software. The purpose of the research was a fresh analysis of game physics in order to prove that its current usage is limited and requires advancement. The investigations presented in this dissertation establish constructive principles to advance game physics design. The main premise was that transdisciplinary approaches provide significant value. The resulting designs reflected combined goals of game developers, artists and physicists and provide novel ways to incorporate physics into games. The applicability and user impact of such new game physics across several target audiences was thoroughly examined. In order to explore the transdisciplinary nature of the premise, valid evidence was gathered using a broad range of theoretical and practical methodologies. The research established a clear definition of game physics within the context of historical, technological, practical, scientific, and artistic considerations. Game analysis, literature reviews and seminal surveys of game players, game developers and scientists were conducted. A heuristic categorization of game types was defined to create an extensive database of computer games and carry out a statistical analysis of game physics usage. Results were then combined to define core principles for the design of unconventional new game physics elements. Software implementations of several elements were developed to examine the practical feasibility of the proposed principles. This research prototype was exposed to practitioners (artists, game developers and scientists) in field studies, documented on video and subsequently analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of the elements on the audiences. The findings from this research demonstrated that standard game physics is a common but limited design element in computer games. It was discovered that the entertainment driven design goals of game developers interfere with the needs of educators and scientists. Game reviews exemplified the exaggerated and incorrect physics present in many commercial computer games. This “pseudo physics” was shown to have potentially undesired effects on game players. Art reviews also indicated that game physics technology remains largely inaccessible to artists. The principal conclusion drawn from this study was that the proposed new game physics advances game design and creates value by expanding the choices available to game developers and designers, enabling artists to create more scientifically robust artworks, and encouraging scientists to consider games as a viable tool for education and research. The practical portion generated tangible evidence that the isolated “silos” of engineering, art and science can be bridged when game physics is designed in a transdisciplinary way. This dissertation recommends that scientific and artistic perspectives should always be considered when game physics is used in computer-based media, because significant value for a broad range of practitioners in succinctly different fields can be achieved. The study has thereby established a state of the art research into game physics, which not only offers other researchers constructive principles for future investigations, but also provides much-needed new material to address the observed discrepancies in game theory and digital media design.

Rapporten beskriver en undersökning av om undertexter är en distraktion för spelare av äventyrsspel så som andra studier visat är fallet för film. Artefakten var två varianter av ett spel, en variant med och en utan undertext. Respondenterna fick svara på en kvantitativ enkät ämnad att ta reda på hur mycket de mindes av det visuella, 13 personer deltog. Undersökningen indikerade att undertexter inom ramarna för ett äventyrsspel inte är distraherande men resultatet är inte slutgiltigt. Fortsatt arbete krävs och kan leda till att användandet av undertexter, dess utformning och funktion kan evalueras och förbättras.

<p>This thesis addresses computer game play activities from the perspective of embodied and situated cognition. From such a perspective, game play can be divided into the physical handling of the game and the players' understanding of it. Game play can also be described in terms of three different levels of situatedness "high-level" situatedness, the contextual "here and now", and "low-level" situatedness. Moreover, theoretical and empirical implications of such a perspective have been explored more in detail in two case studies.</p> / Report code: LiU-Tek-Lic-2008:17.