The dissertation’s aim is to highlight the presence of young people in the Central Business District of Pretoria, Tshwane. The proposal aims to provide a facility to entertain the youth in the city while waiting for transport before or after school. An in depth analysis done on the Central Business District (CBD) of Pretoria revealed that there are currently 13 schools, as well as, several Further Education and Training Facilities (FET) in the CBD. These children and students form a huge sector of the population that is currently not catered for in term of entertainment. The project is located in the south eastern quadrant of the CBD, as this is where most of the schools and FET’s are located. The facility will comprise of various child and student based activities and facilities that they can engage in before and after class or school. These include indoor and outdoor activity spaces as well as commercial enterprises. All the facilities are arranged around a central courtyard space where unprogrammed activities may occur. The facility will also incorporate a small transportation node consisting of Taxi’s and Municipal busses. This will reduce the need for children to walk extensive distances between their after school activities and their modes of transportation. As the title ‘Game On’ suggests the dissertation aims to investigate games in both their architectural structure and narrative. Furthermore, the aim is to utilize the design principals and narrative found in games during the design process and using them to determine the hierarchal organization of spaces found at the centre. As in a game, design is a process that follows a narrative as determined by a set of rules and limitations. The imposed restrictions on the design may result in an unsuccessful attempt to overcome it. In games this phenomenon can be seen as reaching a level of difficulty. The player then needs to start over in order re-evaluate the situation or to gain the skills necessary for advancing to the next level. The process of design should be approached in a similar way. When a problem is reached the design should be re-evaluated and the necessary exploration should be done in order to solve to problem. Ultimately the process of design may be compared to the playing of a game, it has to adhere to rules and regulations and what is technically possible. The end product (architecture) can be engaging and may allow the user to interact with their surroundings like in a video game. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Architecture / unrestricted

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Orbital is a virtual reality gaming experience designed to explore the use of traditional narrative structure to enhance immersion in virtual reality. The story structure of Orbital was developed based on the developmental steps of 'The Hero's Journey,' a narrative pattern identified by Joseph Campbell. Using this standard narrative pattern, Orbital is capable of immersing the player quickly and completely for the entirety of play time. / Master of Fine Arts / <i>Orbital</i> is a virtual reality video game, in which an astronaut must navigate an asteroid field and reach a nearby space station prior to running out of fuel. The control of this astronaut was bound to a player’s head mounted display, which tracked the direction a player was looking and placed the player in the immersive experience. This experience was designed as an exploration of how traditional long-form narrative structure (films/books) could be applied to a short virtual reality experience. In the hope that it could provide a more immersive experience for the player. The story structure of <i>Orbital</i> was developed based on the developmental steps of ‘The Hero’s Journey,’ a narrative pattern identified by Joseph Campbell. Using this standard narrative pattern, <i>Orbital</i> is capable of immersing the player quickly and completely for the entirety of play time.

Video game streaming has introduced to consumers a new method of creating branded content. Popular streaming platforms receive millions of broadcasters and viewers every month, and the current examines the influence of this type user-generated content on consumer attitudes and behaviors. The goal of this study is to understand how video game streams function as a marketing tool. To investigate this, a quantitative survey was designed and measured participants’ video gaming habits and their perceptions of credibility, usefulness of content, group identification, and purchase intention. Heavier gaming habits were found to be positively related to perceived credibility in a user-generated stream condition. Group identification and stream familiarity were found to be positively related to perceived credibility. These findings hold implications for using video game streams as a marketing tool, as heavier gamers were found perceive user-generated streams as a credible source of information.

„Der kluge Spieler und die Ethik des Computerspielens“ ist eine moralphilosophische Analyse der sogenannten „Killerspiel-Diskussion“. Als Aufhänger dient der Amoklauf von Winnenden, in dessen Nachgang Diskussionen über Computerspiele, speziell solche mit gewalthaltigem Inhalt, aufkamen. In der öffentlichen Meinung wird häufig davon ausgegangen, dass das Spielen solcher Computerspiele auch in der Realität zu gewalttätigem Verhalten führt. Einige Politiker stellen diese Spiele sogar mit Kinderpornographie gleich. Mithilfe dreier bekannter normativer ethischer Theorien – dem Konsequentialismus (Mill), der Deontologie (Kant) und der Tugendethik (Aristoteles) – werden die wissenschaftlichen Argumente contra Computerspiele analysiert und bewertet. Die Computerspielgegner konzentrieren sich auf den Inhalt und die grafische Darstellung der Spiele (narratologischer Ansatz). Am Ende einer ausführlichen Darstellung ihrer Argumente stellt sich heraus, dass keines davon haltbar ist, wenn man die ethischen Theorien auf sie anwendet. Einzig der tugendethische Ansatz scheint Ansätze zu bieten, auf denen man aufbauen kann, allerdings nicht gegen, sondern für Spiele. Diesem wird im zweiten Teil des Buches nachgegangen. Miguel Sicarts Werk „The Ethics of Computer Games“ versucht, eine konkrete Ethik des Computerspiels zu entwickeln. In „Der kluge Spieler und die Ethik des Computerspielens“ wird Sicarts Werk zum ersten Mal im Deutschen vorgestellt, in seine einzelnen Bestandteile zerlegt und re-strukturiert. In Sicarts Ethik-Konzept für Computerspiele werden die Inhalte und die Grafik der Computerspiele komplett außen vor gelassen. Sein Ansatz ist ein ludologischer (spielwissenschaftlicher), der das Regelwerk und System der Spiele in den Vordergrund schiebt. Die drei Kernelemente seiner Theorie werden dargestellt: 1. das Computerspiel als moralisches Objekt, 2. der Computerspieler als moralisches Subjekt und 3. das Computerspielen als moralische Handlung. Diese drei Aspekte wirken zusammen und miteinander. Es entsteht eine Wechselwirkung zwischen dem Spiel und dem Spieler, in den auch das Nicht-Spieler-Subjekt einbezogen wird. Ein Mensch spielt ein Computerspiel und wird dadurch zum Spieler dieses Spiels. Er nimmt das Regelwerk auf und ruft seine vorhandene Erfahrung aus früheren Spielen ab, um somit ein möglichst gelungenes Spielen zu bewerkstelligen. Damit ist gemeint, dass er nicht schummelt, dass er keine Tricks anwendet, dass er in Mehrspielerspielen Fairplay walten lässt etc. Zusätzlich ist dieser Spieler aber nicht nur ein Spieler, sondern er befindet sich in sozialen Kontexten, hat Werte und Ansichten und diese fließen in sein Spieler-Repertoire ein. In solch einer Wechselwirkung verhält sich der Spieler moralisch korrekt, wenn er dem Spiel zu dem verhilft, was es ist: eine Erfahrung. Das Spiel ist nämlich zweierlei: 1. Das Objekt, also eine CD in einer Hülle mit einer Spielanleitung etc. 2. Das Spiel, das am Bildschirm tatsächlich erfahren wird, indem es gespielt wird. Sieht das Spiel eine gewalthaltige Lösung vor, ist es in Sicarts Ethik des Computerspiels moralisch richtig, diese zu vollziehen. Was Sicart mit seiner Theorie letztendlich zeichnet, ist das Bild eines „klugen Spielers“. Der dritte Teil des Buches analysiert Sicarts Ethik des Computerspiels und zeigt mithilfe eines praktischen Beispiels seine Schwachstelle auf. Während die Computerspielgegner sich ausschließlich auf den Inhalt und die Grafik konzentrieren, ignoriert Sicart sie gänzlich. Somit stellen beide Ansätze Extrempositionen dar. Sicarts Ansatz wird in eine „Ethik des Computerspielens“ uminterpretiert und anschließend auf die Diskussionen rund um den Amoklauf von Winnenden angewendet. Dadurch können die Ausgangsargumente gegen Killerspiele endgültig wissenschaftlich widerlegt werden. Im letzten Teil des Buches wird die Brücke zum tugendethischen Ansatz des Aristoteles geschlagen: der gemäßigte Mittelweg führt zu einem guten Leben. Eine komplette Computerspielethik muss beide Aspekte beinhalten: den grafisch-inhaltlichen („narratologischen“) und den spieltechnischen („ludologischen“) Ansatz. Nur im Zusammenspiel beider kann eine umfassende Computerspielethik gesucht und gefunden werden. Hierzu wird ein Grundgerüst vorgeschlagen sowie zwei Ideen, welche für weitere Forschung auf dem Gebiet verwendet werden können. / “The Prudent Player and the Ethics of Computer Gaming” is a moral philosophical analysis of the so called “killergame-controversy”. After the gun rampage of Winnenden, heavy discussions arose in Germany about video games, especially those with violent content. The public opinion is that violent video games cause violent behaviour in real life. Some German politicians even claimed that such games would be on one level with child pornography. With the help of three known normative ethical theories – consequentialism (Mill), deontology (Kant) and virtue ethics (Aristoteles) – the scientific arguments against video games are analysed and evaluated. The opponents of video games focus on the content and graphics of the games (narratological approach). After an extensive presentation of their arguments, it turns out that none remains valid after applying the ethical theories to them. Solely the virtue ethics approach seems to be of help, however not against but in aid of video games. This is dealt with in the second part of the book. Miguel Sicart’s work “The Ethics of Computer Games” tries to develop a tangible ethics for computer games. “The Clever Player and the Ethics of Computer Gaming” presents Sicart’s theory for the first time in German and re-structures it’s content by focussing on the main ingredients of his theory. Sicart’s concept does not include any content or graphical aspects. It is a strictly ludological (game studies) approach which focuses on the rules and the system of the games. The three main elements of his theory are: 1. the video game as a moral object, 2. the player as a moral subject and 3. playing video games as a moral act. These three aspects work together. The result is an interaction between the game and the player which also includes the non-playing-subject of the player. A person starts playing a video game and hence becomes the player of this game. He acts according to the rules and uses his previous experience with other games in order to play as properly as possible. This means that he does not cheat, does not use tricks, acts with fair play in multiplayer games etc. Since the player is more than just a player, he also uses his virtues and perspectives from the real world as a player-tool. The player acts morally correct in such an interaction, if he helps the game become an experience rather than a mere object (CD/DVD). Only when a game is experienced on the screen by a player, it becomes a real game as intended by it’s designers. And if this game needs a violent on-screen solution for solving a problem, then the player ought to do so. The player which Sicart describes is a “clever player” and not some sort of zombie without thoughts and evaluation of what is happening. The third part of the book analyses Sicart’s framework and shows his weakness with the help of a practical example. While the opponents of video games focus on the content and graphics only, Sicart’s approach does not include them at all. Therefore, both positions are extreme and Sicart’s point of view is re-interpreted into an “Ethics of Computer Gaming”, pointing out the active part of his theory. Now it is scientifically possible to prove all arguments against video games following the Winnenden-controversy wrong at one go. The last part of the book goes back to Aristoteles’ view on ethics: living a good life means finding the middle ground between extremes. Hence, a complete ethics of computer games needs both approaches: the narratological (graphics and content) and the ludological (rules and game systems). Only when both are combined, a real ethics of computer games is possible. A framework for such a theory is proposed as well as two ideas which can be helpful for further research in this field.

In the months following the Sandy Hook elementary school tragedy, there has been increased attention and debate regarding violent video games and how they affect those who play them. While some lobby for increased regulation of their sale, others argue that video games are not the reason such tragedies continue to happen. In this report, I approach the debate from social, personal and political dimensions to better identify the inconsistencies regarding how violent video games are presented to and received by the public. I also interview video game developers, critics, and researchers to uncover solutions and new strategies to increase video game education and perception about the use of violence in a video game. / text

The videogame now occupies a unique territory in contemporary culture that offers a new perspective on conceptions of high and low art. While the fear that the majority of videogames 'pacify' their audience in an Adornian "culture industry" is not without justification, its reductionism can be countered by a recognition of the diversity and aesthetic potential of the medium. This has been proposed by sociologist, Graeme Kirkpatrick, although without close attention to the role of music. Videogame music often operates in similar ways to music in other mixed-media scenarios, such as film, or opera. In the same way that film music cannot be completely divorced from film, videogame music is contingent on and a crucial part of the videogame aesthetic. However, the interactive nature of the medium - its différance - has naturally led to the development of nonlinear musical systems that tailor music in real time to the game's dynamically changing dramatic action. Musical non-linearity points beyond both music and videogames (and their respective discourses) toward broader issues pertinent to contemporary musicology and critical thinking, not least to matters concerning high modernism (traditionally conceived of as resistant to mass culture). Such issues include Barthes's "death of the author", the significance of order/disorder as a formal spectrum, and postmodern conceptions and experiences of temporality. I argue that in this sense the videogame medium - and its music - warrants attention as a unique but not sui generis aesthetic experience. Precedent can be found for many of the formal ideas employed in such systems in certain aspects of avant-garde art, and especially in the aleatoric music prevalent in the 1950s and 60s. This thesis explores this paradox by considering videogames as both high and low, and, more significantly, I argue that the aesthetics of videogame music draw attention to the centrality of "play" in all cultural objects.

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Several changes are caused by aging, among them, the higher prevalence of mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Some evidences have indicated positive effects of some types of exercise on reduction of depression and anxiety. The aims of the present study were: a) to evaluate the acute effects of exercise in the Xbox Kinect on the mood of the untrained elderly people; b) investigate possible correlations between the degree of enjoyment in the activity and improvement in mood. We selected twenty-nine elderly (15 men and 14 women), with age of 66,4 ± 0,8 years (mean ± standard error). The participants were evaluated in two conditions: Control Condition (CC), in which volunteers watched the film "The March of the Penguins" (60 minutes) and Experimental Condition (EC), which consisted of one session of exercise with the Xbox Kinect (60 minutes). The order of conditions was randomly defined. The mood state was evaluated in the pre and post-interventions using the POMS questionnaire (Profile of Mood States). The PACES Scale (Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale) was used to evaluate the degree of enjoyment. For both conditions, there was a significant reduction in the scores of tension-anxiety, depression and total mood disorder (p ≤ 0,05). There were not significant differences between the conditions for all studied variables. There was a significant negative correlation at the EC, between the percentage of enjoyment and the scores of tension-anxiety (r = -0.40), depression (r = -0.40) and total mood disorder (r = -0.49), evaluated by POMS (p ≤ 0,05). On the other hand, no significant correlations were found in the CC for the same variables. Thus, we could conclude that both activities promote improvements in mood state in untrained elderly, however, the effect sizes observed after CC were lower (smaller) those observed after EC (median), indicating most significant clinical effects in the EC. Moreover, higher enjoyment during the activity in the Xbox Kinect was associated with greater improvement in mood states. / O envelhecimento populacional é considerado um fenômeno de amplitude mundial. Diversas alterações são provocadas pelo envelhecimento, entre elas, o aumento da prevalência de transtornos do humor, como a depressão e a ansiedade. Evidências científicas demonstram efeito positivo de diversos tipos de exercício físico na redução desses sintomas. Os objetivos do presente estudo foram: a) avaliar o efeito agudo de atividades realizadas no Xbox Kinect sobre o estado de humor de idosos destreinados; b) verificar as possíveis relações entre o grau de diversão da atividade e a melhora no humor. Foram selecionados vinte e nove idosos (15 homens e 14 mulheres), com idade de 66,4 ± 0,8 anos (média ± erro padrão). Os participantes foram avaliados em duas condições: Condição Controle (CC), na qual os participantes assistiram ao filme “A Marcha dos Pinguins” (60 minutos) e Condição Experimental (CE), que consistiu em uma sessão de atividades no Xbox Kinect com duração de 60 minutos. A ordem das condições foi definida de forma aleatória. O estado de humor foi avaliado nos momentos de pré e pós-intervenções através da aplicação do questionário de POMS (Profile of Mood States). A Escala de PACES (Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale) foi utilizada para avaliar o grau de diversão das atividades. Para ambas as condições, houve uma redução significante dos escores de tensão-ansiedade, de depressão e do distúrbio total de humor (p ≤ 0,05). Não foram observadas diferenças significantes entre as condições nas variáveis estudadas. Houve uma significante correlação negativa, na CE, entre o percentual de diversão e os deltas dos escores de tensão-ansiedade (r= -0,40), depressão (r= -0,40) e o distúrbio total de humor (r= -0,49), avaliado pelo POMS (p ≤ 0,05). Por outro lado, não foram encontradas correlações significantes na CC, para as mesmas variáveis. Assim, pode-se concluir que a sessão aguda de atividade no Xbox Kinect, bem como a condição controle (filme) promoveram melhoras no estado de humor de idosos destreinados, no entanto, os tamanhos de efeito observados após a CC foram inferiores (pequenos) aos observados após a CE (médios), indicando efeitos clínicos mais significantes na CE. Além disso, quanto maior foi a diversão durante a atividade realizada no Xbox Kinect, maior foi a melhora no estado de humor.