Have you ever asked yourself whether new technology mixed with older might have a great outcome? How about using a modern kind of input control, such as a camera with gesture recognition in an older game? This study is meant to nd out whether or not camera-based input is suitable in older retro games and how it di ers in comparison to standard gamepad input. A modi ed version of In nite Super Mario is used to receive input from a Kinect application and control the character inside the game. Questionnaires and logging is added into the application to collect research data to help in answering the research questions. The evaluation consists of a pre-survey to collect background information about the player, empirical analysis of statistics collected during game play to measure performance and a post-survey to nd out the reactions of the subjects. T-tests are used to nd signi cant di erences in the test results and the participants are grouped based on their preference, former gamepad- and Kinect experience. The results indicate that players with lower gaming experience have a higher satisfaction using the Kinect as input method. Additionally gesture recognition appears to add an another fun factor to the game.

I den här studien undersöks huruvida den tekniskt obsoleta konstformen pixelgrafik, eller ”pixel art” fortfarande är ett relevant medium och vilka kvaliteter som gör det till ett självständigt praktiskt hantverk. I en kvalitativ studie intervjuas fyra erfarna pixel konstnärer om deras definitioner av ”pixel art” samt deras egen praktik. Dessa analyseras sedan med hjälp av befintliga teorier inom design och praktisk kunskap. Studien finner att en anledning till att pixelgrafik fortsatt att vara relevant beror på begräsningarna som har sin bakgrund i tekniska restriktioner i gammal hårdvara ger upphov till kreativitet. Det simpla fyrkantsmönstret som pixelgrafik bygger på är lätt för nybörjare att ta till sig och stimulerar kreativ problemlösning. Begränsningarna tvingar konstnären att kompromissa vad gäller val av färg och form. Pixel art har mer gemensamt med gamla tekniker som korsstygn eller mosaikläggning än andra typer av samtida digital konst. Själva utförandet beskrivs av respondenterna som meditativt och jämförbart med att lägga ett pussel eller att spela Tetris. Trots att det är ett medium som ofta är förknippat med nostalgi och en ”retro-estetik” så är det fortfarande en konstform som utvecklas och som fortsatt att vara populär. / This study seeks to answer what makes the technically obsolete medium of pixel art still relevant and what qualities make it into an independent craft. In a qualitative study four highly experienced pixel artists are interviewed about their own definitions of pixel art and their methodology. The answers are then analyzed through the lenses of existing theories on design and practical knowledge. The study concludes that a reason why pixel art has remained relevant is that the limitations that had their origins in the technical restrictions of early computer hardware gives way to creativity. The simple pixel-grid is easy for beginners to get a grip on and stimulates creative problem-solving, forcing the artist to compromise in regard to the choice of colors and shapes. In that regard it begs comparisons to cross-stitching and mosaics rather than most contemporary digital art. The immediacy of managing these restrictions was described as meditative and can be compared to solving a puzzle or a game of Tetris. Despite its reputation for being a backwards-gazing medium linked with retro videogames the artists insist the artform is still being evolved and elevated today.

[pt] A presente dissertação aborda o fenômeno retrô nos jogos eletrônicos e como o jogador se relaciona com os jogos desse estilo. Um levantamento de como os jogos eletrônicos evoluíram foi realizado, levando-se em consideração elementos fundamentais como jogabilidade, narrativa, linguagem gráfica e áudio, com a intenção de se estabelecer uma base histórica que servisse de referência para o estudo dos jogos retrô. Uma breve análise de como o fenômeno retrô surgiu em outras esferas da sociedade foi conduzida, com o intuito de situar o retrô nos jogos eletrônicos em relação a outras manifestações sociais e artísticas. Para isso, autores como Forty, Guffey e Baudrillard foram estudados. Os motivos que levaram ao surgimento desse fenômeno nos jogos eletrônicos foram analisados, considerando-se a percepção dos jogadores. Alguns jogos foram analisados e uma categorização foi elaborada, considerando-se os elementos que compõem um jogo eletrônico e como eles se comportam e se diferenciam num jogo retrô. Com base na análise de imagens em movimento de Diana Rose, uma metodologia para as análises dos jogos foi desenvolvida. Entrevistas qualitativas com o público alvo de jogadores tradicionais foram realizadas, para se compreender as relações dos jogadores com os jogos eletrônicos. O método utilizado para conduzir as entrevistas foi o Método de Explicitação do Discurso Subjacente, de Nicolaci-da-Costa. A partir do resultado das entrevistas, foi traçado um perfil detalhado do jogador. O ponto de vista do Game Designer foi utilizado ao longo da pesquisa, pois é ele quem cria o jogo tendo a experiência do jogador como seu foco principal. A pesquisa revela, para os interessados no desenvolvimento de novos jogos, informações sobre os elementos que os jogadores valorizam ao selecionar um jogo. Considerações finais são apresentadas, acerca dos motivos que levaram ao fenômeno retrô dos últimos cinco anos nos jogos eletrônicos. / [en] This dissertation discusses, in the context of games, the retro phenomenon, and the players relationship with games of this style. Authors as Forty, Guffey and Baudrillard support an overview of the context. A research on how video games have evolved was performed, using as parameters fundamental elements such as gameplay, storytelling, graphics and audio. The goal was to build a historical reference that would support the study of retro games. A brief overview of how the retro emerged in other spheres of society is presented, in order to establish the place of retrogaming in relation to other social and artistic expressions. The reasons that led to this phenomenon in video games were analyzed, considering the players perceptions. Based on Diana Rose s qualitative method of content analysis in moving images, some games were analyzed and categories were created considering the elements of those games, the way they behave and how they differentiate into a retro game. Qualitative interviews with a target audience of traditional players were performed, in order to understand their relationship with video games. The Method of Explicitness of the Subjacent Discourse, of Nicolaci-da-Costa, was used in the interviews. The whole research was guided from a Game Designer point of view, since he is who creates the game, having as main focus the player s experience. The Game Designer centralizes and coordinates all efforts for the creation of various elements of the game, exploring a convergent approach, with focus on the experience that the player will have when playing a certain game. The research reveals, for those interested in game development, information on the elements that the players take into consideration when choosing a game. Concluding remarks are made concerning the reasons that, in the last five years, led a retro phenomenon to the video games scene.