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One of the major factors toward the persistence of college freshman with their education as discussed by Vincent Tonto is Social and Academic integration into the life of a university. Social integration is how well the student feels connected to other members of the university community. There has been a significant body of research done on the use of social networks to encourage social integration in a university setting. This project proposes the creation of a synchronous virtual community / social network to not only encourage social integration but also physical integration through use of the network. / Master of Science

<em>Small Tales</em> is a 2D video game with hand drawn and watercolor painted assets that incorporates a series of vignettes centered on the collection of artifacts. Growing up, I experimented with and  investigated a wide variety of media, such as Alice and GameMaker but ultimately decided to  sharpen my fine arts skills and incorporate them in to video game engines in this thesis. A variety  of point and click adventure games such as the <em>King's Quest</em> and <em>Monkey Island</em> series inspired  the development of this game due to their emphasis on narrative and player interaction. This thesis developed from a series of earlier projects that helped me settle on four  primary objectives: vignetted narratives, player choice and consequences, visual and text  components working harmoniously, and replayability via randomized generation. A Processing  sketch emphasized the need for strong visual assets in addition to text-based narrative; in  addition to replayability via randomized strings or text for a unique narrative every iteration.  Afterwards, a Twine game further encouraged visual assets working with text, but solidified a  foundation in player choice and consequences. Finally, my first experiment in Unity with the  Adventure Creator helped me establish a functional workflow to achieve my four goals.   <em>Small Tales</em> itself revolves around a series of vignettes connected by the world of the  player character. Players wander an unfamiliar neighborhood to find artifacts that at the end of  the game reveal tiny stories about other worlds. The game was received well by players during  my defense for its ethereal atmosphere and for creating an engaging story world. But a handful  of suggestions from these same players could push the game to be even better. <em>Small Tales</em> will be available online after these critiques are taken under consideration. / Master of Fine Arts / Small Tales is a 2D video game designed for children ages 8 - 12, with hand drawn assets that incorporates a series of vignettes centered on the collection of virtual artifacts. Growing up, I experimented with and investigated a wide variety of media, but ultimately decided to sharpen my fine arts skills and incorporate them in to video game engines in this thesis. A variety of early adventure games inspired the development of this game due to their emphasis on narrative and player interaction. This thesis developed from a series of earlier projects that helped me settle on four primary objectives: vignetted narratives, player choice and consequences, visual and text components working harmoniously, and replayability via randomized generation. After learning from these experiments, I settled on using the Unity game engine with the Adventure Creator toolkit to establish a functional workflow to achieve my four goals. Small Tales itself revolves around a series of vignettes connected by the world of the player character. Players wander an unfamiliar neighborhood, using their mouse to navigate and find artifacts that at the end of the game reveal tiny stories about other worlds. The game was received well by players during my defense for its ethereal atmosphere and for creating an engaging story world. But a handful of suggestions from these same players could push the game to be even better. Small Tales will be available online after these critiques are taken under consideration.

Over the past few decades, video games have become a popular avenue for dissemination of information and publicity about video games is word-of-mouth sharing. Thus, it is imperative for researchers to examine the social, and individual processes that guide this behavior. Focusing on prerelease sharing behavior specifically, this pair of studies aimed to identify predictors and dimensions of video game information sharing, and explore the impact content characteristics have on individuals' likelihood to share game information either online or to friends. A pretest survey (n = 577) investigated the prominence word-of-mouth communication has on video game information sharing amongst college students, finding it to be the most common method of sharing and obtaining game information. The main experiment (n = 227) examined participants' intent to share information after being exposed to a video game trailer manipulated to emphasize variations of core video game characteristics (control, narrative and mechanics) and emotional appeals (control, awe and hedonic). There were no findings suggesting the manipulations had a significant effect on participants' intent to share; however, those who reported first-person shooters as their favorite genre reported significantly more intent to share. Conceptualized through Social Exchange Theory and Social Identity Theory; the experiment also explored motivations to share based on exchange value, and gamer identity. Implications for our understanding of motivations to share game information based on social networks and content characteristics are discussed. / Master of Arts / Questions about what makes video games highly anticipated and commonly discussed before games are played by the general public were examined through a pretest survey and main experiment. A pretest questionnaire focused on potential motivations driving word-of-mouth information sharing among video game players about particular games. The main experiment further examined motivations to share game information but also considered the impact of content characteristics (games intended for enjoyment vs. awe-inspiring experiences) and game characteristics (games story driven vs. gameplay driven) used in video game trailers on intent to share and heightened anticipation surrounding an upcoming game. Word-of-mouth information sharing and social structures were highly related to participants’ intent to share information about games to friends, but specific content included in video game trailers did not significantly increase intent to share. This thesis contributes to word-of-mouth and marketing research in the context of prerelease video game promotional efforts by examining external and internal motivations which drive the sharing of information or content with friends.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

This study examines the ways that videogames and live performance are informed by play theory. Utilizing performance studies methodologies, specifically personal narrative and autoperformance, the project explores the embodied ways that gamers know and understand videogames. A staged performance, “Shall We Play a Game?,” was crafted using Brechtian theatre techniques and Conquergood’s three A’s of performance, and served as the basis for the examination. This project seeks to dispel popular misconceptions about videogames and performance and to expand understanding about videogaming as an embodied performative practice and a way of knowing that has practical implications for everyday life.

Recently, many researchers have been interested in how videogames can influence the attitude and behavior of children. It has also been questioned if videogames can be a useful teaching tool in the classroom. There are many games that have been created to teach traditional school subjects such as Math and English. But what about creating games to teach about current environmental issues? The goal of my thesis project is to create an educational advocacy game for smartphone devices that will educate children about the effects of overfishing on marine life and how it can negatively affect coastal communities in the Caribbean. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.F.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014.. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The field of video game studies is young and requires innovation in its approach to its object of study. Despite the large number of Japanese games and game developers, most scholars in the West approach video games from a point of view that emphasizes Western thought and that is concerned with either very recent video games or the medium as a whole. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask defies Western interpretations as its inspiration and aesthetics are steeped in a Japanese theatrical tradition that dates to the early Middle Ages, namely Noh theater. The game’s emphasis on masks and possession provides unique commentary on the experience of playing a video game while the structure of the game harkens back to traditional Noh cycles, tying in pre-modern ideas with a modern medium in order to comment on video games and the people who play them. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection