Since TV became the most influential medium globally, the media content followed and as a result, a variety of programmes became international. When it came to entertainment, reality game show Survivor became a pioneer in crossing national borders when the programme’s format was licensed and sold worldwide. The ability of a single reality TV show format to appeal to different nations is remarkable and noteworthy, which consequently makes it an interesting field of research. Therefore, this essay focuses on analysing the narrative structures of the Survivor format productions in Sweden, the USA and Russia in pursuance of revealing representations and reproductions of the nations. It answers the questions about the narrative structures of the programmes, as well as about their common construction, and describes how the national identities are portrayed in a transnational reality game show format. In order to make the study extensive but at the same time significant, a structural narrative analysis with a comparative approach was chosen as a method. The selection was based on the importance of analysing the content of narratives in order to comprehend their illustrations of reality and, among other things, national identities. Mainly referring to a theory of nations as “imagined communities” and a theory about “banal nationalism”, the essay presents an analysis of the narrative structures. These structures, in their turn, expose the nation-specific elements that represent and reproduce the idea of nation. It is argued that national expressions are in general based on traditions and rituals of the nations. These representations are frequently unnoticed in everyday life; however they become noteworthy in the context of reality TV game shows such as Survivor.

This study introduces a comprehensive taxonomy for categorizing participants in Alternate Reality Games (ARGs). The taxonomy emerges from a meticulous analysis of player motivations and behaviors within a self-designed ARG project. By scrutinizing game website logs, chat group interactions, and employing a player motivation questionnaire, this mixed-method exploration sheds light on player behaviors and motivations, based on dimensions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Through this inquiry, distinct player typologies within ARGs are unveiled, unveiling behavioral intricacies and motivational drivers. This research contributes to a nuanced comprehension of the unique realm of ARGs, offering insights valuable to both designers and scholars. By enhancing our understanding of ARG dynamics, this study provides a foundational resource for future design endeavors and scholarly pursuits in the realm of alternate reality gaming.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:23:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4647.pdf: 2401550 bytes, checksum: ef35080b2b92ea2d482d12fca84fed6d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-03 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / Among the current media forms, the alternate reality games (ARG) is in the spotlights due its capability of giving a ludic experience with strong immersive qualities. Setting its fictional world in sync with everyday reality, the ARG seeks to smear the border between fiction and non-fiction, in order to intensify the experience of the audience. This research analyzes the immersion strategies of alternate reality games based on the study of The Lost Experience (LTE), with the purpose of understanding how the immersion process on the fictional world created by ARGS occurs. Therefore, the main characteristics of alternate reality games are studied, from its main principles established in order to make accessible the fictional world connected to the everyday life of the players, trough the interface of the media. In this process, the concept of immersion is problematized, in order to understand the extension this term receives in front of some perspectives that denote its nature. Visions that lead to a common denominator that connects the notion of immersion with the pleasure of being involved in a sensorial, cognitive and emotional degree towards external stimuli, that as an answer leads an action over the experienced environment. The analysis of the immersion strategies in The Lost Experience helps in the comprehension of how it sets up its fictional world in touch with everyday life, with the goal of creating immersive zones that allows the interaction of players with the elements of its universe. / Dentre as atuais formas midiáticas, o alternate reality games (ARG), ou jogo de realidade alternada, se destaca por proporcionar uma experiência lúdica com fortes qualidades imersivas. Configurando seu mundo ficcional em sintonia com a realidade cotidiana, o ARG busca borrar as fronteiras entre a ficção e a não-ficção, a fim de intensificar a experiência vivenciada pelo público. Nesta pesquisa são analisadas as estratégias de imersão dos jogos de realidade alternada a partir de um estudo de The Lost Experience (LTE), com o objetivo de compreender como ocorre o processo de imersão no mundo ficcional criado pelo ARG. Assim, são pesquisadas as principais características que constituem os jogos de realidade alternada, partindo de seus principais preceitos estabelecidos de modo a tornar acessível um mundo ficcional conectado o cotidiano de seus jogadores através da interface dos meios de comunicação. Neste processo, o conceito de imersão é problematizado, a fim de compreender a extensão que esse termo adquire diante de algumas perspectivas que denotem sua natureza. Visões que conduzem a um denominador comum que liga a noção de imersão ao prazer de estar envolvido sensorialmente, cognitivamente e emocionalmente com estímulos externos, que como resposta conduzem a ações sobre o ambiente vivenciado. As análises das estratégias de imersão em The Lost Experience auxiliam na compreensão de como ele configura seu mundo ficcional em contato com a realidade cotidiana, a fim de criar zonas imersivas que possibilitam a interação dos jogadores com os elementos de seu universo.

This paper concerns the creation and evaluation of a branching story written by the author. Branching storylines are unique in that each branch delivers a different experience, wherefore this paper poses and attempts to answer the question, is it possible to offer similar learning experiences regardless of which story path is taken in a branching story structure? As a case study, the story is written for a pervasive game, an application for Android phones. Due to the game’s design and wishing to motivate the players to move around on their own, it was written to be segmented and yet have linear, branching storylines. The case study consisted of creating a game set at a historical site, specifically Karlsborg fort, where the story would give the players an idea of how a day in the life of a sergeant could have looked in 1865. After testing and knowledge-based questionnaires, the data body proved minute, wherefore no significant conclusions are reached; however, it is suggested story nodes are useful for giving each player equal possibility of gleaning specific knowledge from the game, gathering all storylines in event scenes where the specific knowledge is presented.

The Global Village Playground (GVP) was a capstone learning experience designed to address institutional assessment needs while providing an integrated, contextualized, and authentic learning experience for students. In the GVP, students work on simulated and real-world problems as a design team tasked with developing an alternate reality game that makes an impact on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the design of the GVP as a capstone experience. The research design follows a qualitative case study approach to gather and analyze data collected from the instructors and students participating in the pilot implementation of the GVP. Results of the study show predominantly favorable reactions to various aspects of the course and its design. Students reported to have learned the most through interactions with peers and through applying and integrating knowledge in developing the alternate reality game that was the central problem scenario for the course. What students demonstrated to have learned included knowledge construction, social responsibility, open-mindedness, big picture thinking, and an understanding of their relationship to the larger society and world in which they live. Challenges that resulted from the design included the amount of necessary to build consensus and then develop an overarching game concept, the tension between guided and directed instruction, and the need to foster greater interdependence among students while encouraging them to become more self-directed.

For my thesis project for the Masters of Fine Art in Film and Digital Media, I designed and produced Evelyn Offscreen, an alternate reality game (ARG) that was facilitated by interactive performance. The goal was to create an interactive experience that allowed several players to collaboratively create story across numerous media within the field of alternate reality gaming. The approach used in Evelyn Offscreen was intended to provide a degree of creative freedom to the players that has not been demonstrated in other ARG experiences and to use digital media to capture information about the relative effectiveness of the different techniques that were employed. During the month of October 2009, Evelyn Offscreen invited players to participate in an overarching story as characters. The game existed simultaneously through several media platforms such as Ning, twitter, and blogger as well as scenes located in Central Florida where players could embody their character in a real world setting. The results revealed insights into techniques for massive collaboration of story and player reactions to this hybrid form of alternate reality gaming and interactive performance.

Virtual reality tech is new, exciting and full of opportunities.Despite this the gaming section of virtual reality does not grow asfast as it was predicted it would be. Headsets and games areexpensive and perhaps a market model similar to the mobile gamingmarket would do the new tech good. A model that is heavily reliant onadvertisements and low prices.The purpose of this thesis is to show that virtual reality games areas viable an advertising target as mobile games that are a popularadvertisement medium. The study uses 2D billboard advertisements asthey are a non-intrusive advertisement format that can be implementedin a similar fashion on a mobile game and VR game.For this study two games were developed, one that runs on a OculusQuest VR headset and one for mobile Android devices. The games are asclose to each other as possible in terms of objective and settingwith the same advertisements implemented in them, each game featurestwo levels, one level contains advertisements and one does not.Surveys are used to find data regarding how the advertisementsaffected the game experience on both platforms. Interviews were thenconducted to find more qualitative information and to explain theresults as well as to find out what makes an advertisement good ortolerable.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:23:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5832.pdf: 2261692 bytes, checksum: ede99af3ddeae2cf732575bcfea3aea3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-18 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The main goal of this dissertation is to introduce the alternate reality game as a new narrative for multiplatform. By new narratives are understood the forms of storytelling arising from the current development of digital technology; and for multiplatform the variety of means by which the contents of these stories can travel. For this main objective is reached, two main hypotheses are formulated: 1) ARGs are stories for multiple platforms using code-breaking with playful and narrative functions; and 2) they are developed from an intense transtextuality guided by pop mythology that flourished during the twentieth century. Based on this starting point, this thesis will examine two ARGs, Uncertain Zone and Why So Serious?, in a way that it contributes to the hypothesis that Alternate Reality Games are a native narrative form of convergence culture founded on an extensive base of pop culture references. In the chapter dedicated to Uncertain Zone will be listed the various media used during the performance of the ARG, that together with interviews with the developers and testimonials from participants will weave a more descriptive overview of how alternate reality games are composed as multiplatform narratives. In addition, a brief discussion on the playful and narrative functions of the code-breaking in ARGs will be outlined. With Why So Serious? the analysis will focus on the intense transtextuality that alternate reality games establish to what will be called pop mythology in this dissertation and in the relationship between ARGs and market. Incidentally issues related to participatory culture will be raised throughout the text, but without further reflection, since, worth reiterating, the main goal of this thesis is the demonstration of a contemporary narrative form from some elements previously submitted, this form is the alternate reality game. / O principal objetivo da presente dissertação é apresentar o ARG (Alternate Reality Game) como uma nova narrativa para multiplataformas. Por nova narrativa, entendemse as formas de contar histórias decorrentes do desenvolvimento atual da tecnologia digital; e por multiplataforma os variados meios através dos quais os conteúdos dessas histórias podem trafegar. Para que esse objetivo principal seja atingido, duas hipóteses principais serão formuladas: 1) os ARGs são narrativas para múltiplas plataformas que utilizam a quebra de código com função lúdica e narrativa; e 2) são desenvolvidos a partir de uma intensa transtextualidade pautada pela mitologia pop que floresceu durante o século XX. Partindo desse ponto de partida, esta dissertação analisará dois ARGs, Zona Incerta e Why So Serious?, de modo a apresentar as características que corroboram a hipótese de que os Jogos de Realidade Alternada são uma forma narrativa nativa da cultura de convergência fundamentada sobre uma extensa base de referências à cultura pop. No capítulo dedicado ao Zona Incerta serão elencadas as diversas mídias utilizadas durante a realização do ARG, que em conjunto com entrevistas com os realizadores e depoimentos de participantes tecerão um panorama mais descritivo de como os Jogos de Realidade Alternada se compõem enquanto narrativas multiplataformas. Além disso, uma breve discussão sobre o caráter lúdico e narrativo da quebra de código nos ARGs será esboçada. Já com Why So Serious? as análises irão se focar na intensa transtextualidade que os Jogos de Realidade Alternada estabelecem com aquilo que nesta dissertação será chamada de mitologia pop e nas relações que os objetos mantêm com o mercado. Incidentalmente questões relacionadas à cultura participativa serão levantadas por todo o texto, porém sem um maior aprofundamento, uma vez que, vale reiterar, o objetivo principal desta dissertação será a demonstração de uma forma narrativa contemporânea a partir de alguns elementos previamente apresentados, essa forma são os Jogos de Realidade Alternada.

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Cette thèse vise à détecter et améliorer l’état cognitif de l’apprenant. Cet état est défini par la capacité d’acquérir de nouvelles connaissances et de les stocker dans la mémoire. Nous nous sommes essentiellement intéressés à améliorer le raisonnement des apprenants, et ceci dans trois environnements : environnement purement cognitif Logique, jeu sérieux LewiSpace et jeu sérieux intelligent Inertia. La détection de cet état se fait essentiellement par des mesures physiologiques (en particulier les électroencéphalogrammes) afin d’avoir une idée sur les interactions des apprenants et l’évolution de leurs états mentaux. L’amélioration des performances des apprenants et de leur raisonnement est une clé pour la réussite de l’apprentissage. Dans une première partie, nous présentons l’implémentation de l’environnement cognitif logique. Nous décrivons des statistiques faites sur cet environnement. Nous avons collecté durant une étude expérimentale les données sur l’engagement, la charge cognitive et la distraction. Ces trois mesures se sont montrées efficaces pour la classification et la prédiction des performances des apprenants. Dans une deuxième partie, nous décrivons le jeu Lewispace pour l’apprentissage des diagrammes de Lewis. Nous avons mené une étude expérimentale et collecté les données des électroencéphalogrammes, des émotions et des traceurs de regard. Nous avons montré qu’il est possible de prédire le besoin d’aide dans cet environnement grâce à ces mesures physiologiques et des algorithmes d’apprentissage machine. Dans une troisième partie, nous clôturons la thèse en présentant des stratégies d’aide intégrées dans un jeu virtuel Inertia (jeu de physique). Cette dernière s’adapte selon deux mesures extraites des électroencéphalogrammes (l’engagement et la frustration). Nous avons montré que ce jeu permet d’augmenter le taux de réussite dans ses missions, la performance globale et par conséquent améliorer l’état cognitif de l’apprenant. / This thesis aims at detecting and enhancing the cognitive state of a learner. This state is measured by the ability to acquire new knowledge and store it in memory. Focusing on three types of environments to enhance reasoning: environment Logic, serious game LewiSpace and intelligent serious game Inertia. Physiological measures (in particular the electroencephalograms) have been taken in order to measure learners’ engagement and mental states. Improving learners’ reasoning is key for successful learning process. In a first part, we present the implementation of logic environment. We present statistics on this environment, with data collected during an experimental study. Three types of data: engagement, workload and distraction, these measures were effective and can predict and classify learner’s performance. In a second part, we describe the LewiSpace game, aimed at teaching Lewis diagrams. We conducted an experimental study and collected data from electroencephalograms, emotions and eye-tracking software. Combined with machine learning algorithms, it is possible to anticipate a learner’s need for help using these data. In a third part, we finish by presenting some assistance strategies in a virtual reality game called Inertia (to teach Physics). The latter adapts according to two measures extracted from electroencephalograms (frustration and engagement). Based on our study, we were able to enhance the learner’s success rate on game missions, by improving its cognitive state.