Videogames feature non-player-characters. Such ingame entities are controlled by artificial intelligence that is sought to match the user＇s skill. Defining and understanding the given human-computer-interaction video...Videogames feature non-player-characters. Such ingame entities are controlled by artificial intelligence that is sought to match the user＇s skill. Defining and understanding the given human-computer-interaction videogame genres can be differentiated in either competitive matches or coherent plays. While artificial intelligence answers in responsive patterns only, natural intelligence holds creative qualities. A match is a game that creates suspense over the question of who is going to prevail. It can thus only be a game that features competing human players, since a computerized opponent is unaware of the game＇s significance. The nature of the match lies within the interactive trial. In a play, however, there is no battle but only cooperation. The aesthetics of such a play unfold to the audience, its purpose is showing rather than experiencing and/or competitively interacting. Artificial intelligence is then a surrogate that is often used in videogames to create an illusion of competition or battle. Its actual purpose is not to feature a worthy opponent, but to be a programmatic loser. In narrative and linear videogames, such as AI takes the role of a supporting actor whose function in the plot is, to signalize the player＇s dominance.展开更多
Background:The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of Problematic Internet Use(PIU)instruments and their correlation with psychological distress and time spent on Internet activities among university s...Background:The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of Problematic Internet Use(PIU)instruments and their correlation with psychological distress and time spent on Internet activities among university students in Ghana.Methods:In the present cross-sectional survey design study,520 participants(35.96% female)were recruited with a mean age of 19.55 years(SD=1.94)from several university departments(i.e.,Behavioral Sciences,Materials Engineering,Nursing and Midwifery,and Biochemistry and Biotechnology)of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(KNUST)between 19 July and 04 August,2023.Participants completed a survey that included the following measures:the Gaming Disorder Test(GDT),Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents(GADIS-A),Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form(IGDS9-SF),Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale(BSMAS),Smartphone Application Based Addiction Scale(SABAS),Nomophobia Questionnaire(NMP-Q),and the external criterion measure:Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21(DASS-21).Confirmatory factor analysis(CFA)was carried out to evaluate the structure of the instruments.Cronbach’s α,McDonald’s ω,and composite reliability were used to evaluate internal consistency.Pearson correlation was used to examine the associations between the scores of instruments assessing PIU,time spent on Internet activities,and the level of psychological distress.Results:Model fits confirmed the(i)unidimensional structure of the GDT,BSMAS,SABAS,IGDS9-SF,(ii)two-factor structure of the GADIS-A,and(iii)four-factor structure of the NMP-Q.Additionally,the study found that different types of PIU were significantly associated with psychological distress and time spent on related Internet activities.Conclusion:The six instruments validated in the present study demonstrated very good to excellent psychometric properties when applied to university students in Ghana.The significant associations between Internet-related disorders,time spent on Internet-related activities,and psychological distress highlight the importance of addressing issues of PIU among this population.展开更多
This article explores the impact of immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality on video game competitions.These electronic games are structured under an analog scheme similar to that of the sports indus...This article explores the impact of immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality on video game competitions.These electronic games are structured under an analog scheme similar to that of the sports industry,which has given rise to a new and rapidly growing global market known as“eSports”.eSports are a confluence of innovation,strategy,and marketing,in which players,or gamers,come together and compete with the same intensity and commitment as professional athletes.Gamers participate in local,national,and worldwide competitions that are broadcast over a variety of media,and are sponsored by large transnational companies/brands.For these companies,the eSports phenomenon represents a new paradigm capable of revolutionizing the very concept of entertainment.In this article,we propose a conceptual framework through which we can analyze the business repercussions of this new technology from an integral perspective that takes into account players,sports clubs,publishers,sponsors(brands),spectators and broadcasters.Through this analysis of representative companies from the eSports sector,we explore their evolution and future tendencies,like virtual-reality and augmented reality.The industry participants agree that such groundbreaking these technologies are going to be crucial to the future of eSports because they will be the new way of playing and a marketing revolution.This project seeks to stimulate further research into the profound technological transformation the entertainment sector is now undergoing with the digitalization and implementation of immersive technologies.Special attention will be paid to the institutionalization and professionalization of video game competitions and their progressive homologation with traditional sports.展开更多
One of the most relevant elements in contemporary narrative systems is the atmosphere creation. Even when talking about new digital media, interactive narratives can still be supported by strategies used by former med...One of the most relevant elements in contemporary narrative systems is the atmosphere creation. Even when talking about new digital media, interactive narratives can still be supported by strategies used by former media like cinema and television; namely, character design as well as the setting bonded to architectural space design. These elements are offered to the players through graphic representations that are intended to convey not only an uncanny atmosphere but also an aesthetic experience for psychological horror narratives in videogames. With narrative proposals close to interactive movies, titles like Heavy Rain manage to create a gloomy mood by using basic elements of style such as form, composition, and light, and also open the opportunity to get emotionally involved with the characters through everyday life choices. Even though Heavy Rain is not considered as an action videogame, its narrative audiovisual system is fully able to create enough tension and suspense in order to offer a quite intense aesthetic experience. However, most of its narrative resources are taken from cinema and television audiovisual strategies to tell stories and to hook the audience. Therefore, the study of former narrative systems both as language and human thought and psyche, could allow designers to create more effective interactive narratives for contemporary audiences.展开更多
This communication proposes to study some language processes, similar in literature and videogames： parapraxis and the choice of a pseudo. It will aim to show how the use of a word reveals the intimacy of the subject...This communication proposes to study some language processes, similar in literature and videogames： parapraxis and the choice of a pseudo. It will aim to show how the use of a word reveals the intimacy of the subject, just like the autobiographical novel, which gives information about the writer. We would therefore have the presages of a self-writing in the creation, naming and storytelling of the avatar of a videogame player. From the example of a young player of the MMORPG （Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games） networking game Dofus, who we met in consultation, we will see how his avatar ＂Deadlop＂ comes from parapraxis and enables the narration of his emotional intimacy. The unconscious elements that led to the creation of the pseudo enabled him to tell his story and grasp some unexplained facets of himself.展开更多
The developments in the area of brain research by analysing brain activity of individuals have given rise to many useful applications, such as diagnosing mental disorders more efficiently, treatment of cognitive disor...The developments in the area of brain research by analysing brain activity of individuals have given rise to many useful applications, such as diagnosing mental disorders more efficiently, treatment of cognitive disorders, and developing of brain-computer interfaces for treatment, communication and entertainment purposes. However, the development of such applications is hindered by a shortage of easy-to-use and comfortable sensors, as well as a lack of high-quality brain activity data. In the first part of this paper, a review of the status of BCI applications is presented followed by a proposal of a framework for developing an intelligent BCI headphone that takes leverages of the huge amount of data coming from playing video games to let the players experience a full immersive gaming experience.展开更多
Background:Active videogames or exergames have been used as an innovative way to promote physical activity(PA)among various populations.A player’s interest in active videogames is associated with the fun and entertai...Background:Active videogames or exergames have been used as an innovative way to promote physical activity(PA)among various populations.A player’s interest in active videogames is associated with the fun and entertaining nature of the games and may trigger situational interest,thus increasing engagement.The goal of this study was to examine the impact of situational interest dimensions on college students’PA when playing the design-based bike exergame Greedy Rabbit(Vescape,Berlin,Germany).Methods:Sixty undergraduate students(age:20.8±1.3 years,mean±SD,18-25 years old;51.7%males)were recruited from the kinesiology department of a university located in the southern region of Belgium.The participants were assigned to an experimental group(n=41)or a control group(n=19)based on an incremental cycling test.Students in the experimental group engaged in 1 session of Greedy Rabbit(Vescape)while students in the control group engaged in 1 session of a placebo version of Greedy Rabbit(Vescape).The length of the sessions ranged from 24 min to 31 min.Results:Results for the control group indicated that the players’PA metrics(cadence:F(19,360)=1.43,p=0.11;heart rate:F(19.360)=1.16,p=0.29;oxygen consumption:F(19,360)=0.83,p=0.67)were stable during the exergame.Results for the experimental group demonstrated the effects of time on the players’PA metrics and revealed significant associations between the change in the players’situational interest dimensions and PA metrics(cadence:F(19,800)=26.30,p<0.01;heart rate:F(19,800)=19.77,p<0.01;oxygen consumption:F(19,800)=10.04,p<0.01).Conclusion:An approach using a design-based exergame may be a relevant strategy for promoting levels of PA that yields positive health-related outcomes among college students.展开更多
Regaining lost abilities via the formation of new neural pathways as a result of extensive practice and retraining is a key feature of the rehabilitation process. However, patient boredom is a big issue in rehabilitat...Regaining lost abilities via the formation of new neural pathways as a result of extensive practice and retraining is a key feature of the rehabilitation process. However, patient boredom is a big issue in rehabilitation owing to the extensive practice that is necessary. Awareness of the value of haptic (touch-enabled) interfaces in computer applications has grown because to the emergence of games with buzzing joysticks and consumer electronics with touchpads. Some forms of haptics, however, are paving the way for cutting-edge computer-based rehabilitation solutions, such as “serious games,” which are only one use of haptics’ potential to enhance clinical treatment. In this paper, we aim to review the methods and technologies of haptic feedback that are used for medical treatment and rehabilitation. Developing and innovating better haptic feedback technology has the potential to expand and improve access to virtual healthcare such as the doctor being able to “feel” a patient’s tumor from miles away by being paired with robotic devices.展开更多
In this essay I focus on a subject that has not been treated at any great length in the past,that is,the relationship between magical realism and the videogame.This is surprising because even a cursory glance at the t...In this essay I focus on a subject that has not been treated at any great length in the past,that is,the relationship between magical realism and the videogame.This is surprising because even a cursory glance at the types of videogames that are currently available on the market shows that they are full of techniques and surprises and wonders that are characteristic of the genre of magical realism.This essay focuses on the overlap between the videogame genre and other related genres such as literature and film,particularly in terms of its use of the technique of magic.展开更多
This research examines the micro-level correlation between traditional marketing actions(TV ads and public relations) and pre-release consumers’ social learning about videogame consoles(Wii and PS3, launched in 2006)...This research examines the micro-level correlation between traditional marketing actions(TV ads and public relations) and pre-release consumers’ social learning about videogame consoles(Wii and PS3, launched in 2006). We evaluate consumers’ learning processes via the perusal of information in online communities using "pageview" data for multiple websites from a clickstream panel as indicators. We propose a bivariate Bayesian learning model combined with complementary purchase choices.The proposed model enables simpler estimation of parameters and allows to accommodate detailed information about interactions between social and personal learning processes. From the results, we find empirical evidence that companies’ traditional marketing actions have a greater impact on social learning than on regular personal learning during the pre-launch period. When consumers make purchase decisions, their social beliefs about product quality are weighed at least three times more heavily than their personal beliefs. Counterfactual simulations suggest that by optimizing marketing actions,firms can stimulate consumers’ learning and promote increased product engagement.展开更多
文摘Videogames feature non-player-characters. Such ingame entities are controlled by artificial intelligence that is sought to match the user＇s skill. Defining and understanding the given human-computer-interaction videogame genres can be differentiated in either competitive matches or coherent plays. While artificial intelligence answers in responsive patterns only, natural intelligence holds creative qualities. A match is a game that creates suspense over the question of who is going to prevail. It can thus only be a game that features competing human players, since a computerized opponent is unaware of the game＇s significance. The nature of the match lies within the interactive trial. In a play, however, there is no battle but only cooperation. The aesthetics of such a play unfold to the audience, its purpose is showing rather than experiencing and/or competitively interacting. Artificial intelligence is then a surrogate that is often used in videogames to create an illusion of competition or battle. Its actual purpose is not to feature a worthy opponent, but to be a programmatic loser. In narrative and linear videogames, such as AI takes the role of a supporting actor whose function in the plot is, to signalize the player＇s dominance.
基金supported in part by Higher Education Sprout Project,Ministry of Education to the Headquarters of University Advancement at National Cheng Kung University(NCKU)supported in part by(received funding from)the National Science and Technology Council,Taiwan(NSTC 112-2410-H-006-089-SS2).
文摘Background:The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of Problematic Internet Use(PIU)instruments and their correlation with psychological distress and time spent on Internet activities among university students in Ghana.Methods:In the present cross-sectional survey design study,520 participants(35.96% female)were recruited with a mean age of 19.55 years(SD=1.94)from several university departments(i.e.,Behavioral Sciences,Materials Engineering,Nursing and Midwifery,and Biochemistry and Biotechnology)of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(KNUST)between 19 July and 04 August,2023.Participants completed a survey that included the following measures:the Gaming Disorder Test(GDT),Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents(GADIS-A),Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form(IGDS9-SF),Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale(BSMAS),Smartphone Application Based Addiction Scale(SABAS),Nomophobia Questionnaire(NMP-Q),and the external criterion measure:Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21(DASS-21).Confirmatory factor analysis(CFA)was carried out to evaluate the structure of the instruments.Cronbach’s α,McDonald’s ω,and composite reliability were used to evaluate internal consistency.Pearson correlation was used to examine the associations between the scores of instruments assessing PIU,time spent on Internet activities,and the level of psychological distress.Results:Model fits confirmed the(i)unidimensional structure of the GDT,BSMAS,SABAS,IGDS9-SF,(ii)two-factor structure of the GADIS-A,and(iii)four-factor structure of the NMP-Q.Additionally,the study found that different types of PIU were significantly associated with psychological distress and time spent on related Internet activities.Conclusion:The six instruments validated in the present study demonstrated very good to excellent psychometric properties when applied to university students in Ghana.The significant associations between Internet-related disorders,time spent on Internet-related activities,and psychological distress highlight the importance of addressing issues of PIU among this population.
文摘This article explores the impact of immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality on video game competitions.These electronic games are structured under an analog scheme similar to that of the sports industry,which has given rise to a new and rapidly growing global market known as“eSports”.eSports are a confluence of innovation,strategy,and marketing,in which players,or gamers,come together and compete with the same intensity and commitment as professional athletes.Gamers participate in local,national,and worldwide competitions that are broadcast over a variety of media,and are sponsored by large transnational companies/brands.For these companies,the eSports phenomenon represents a new paradigm capable of revolutionizing the very concept of entertainment.In this article,we propose a conceptual framework through which we can analyze the business repercussions of this new technology from an integral perspective that takes into account players,sports clubs,publishers,sponsors(brands),spectators and broadcasters.Through this analysis of representative companies from the eSports sector,we explore their evolution and future tendencies,like virtual-reality and augmented reality.The industry participants agree that such groundbreaking these technologies are going to be crucial to the future of eSports because they will be the new way of playing and a marketing revolution.This project seeks to stimulate further research into the profound technological transformation the entertainment sector is now undergoing with the digitalization and implementation of immersive technologies.Special attention will be paid to the institutionalization and professionalization of video game competitions and their progressive homologation with traditional sports.
文摘One of the most relevant elements in contemporary narrative systems is the atmosphere creation. Even when talking about new digital media, interactive narratives can still be supported by strategies used by former media like cinema and television; namely, character design as well as the setting bonded to architectural space design. These elements are offered to the players through graphic representations that are intended to convey not only an uncanny atmosphere but also an aesthetic experience for psychological horror narratives in videogames. With narrative proposals close to interactive movies, titles like Heavy Rain manage to create a gloomy mood by using basic elements of style such as form, composition, and light, and also open the opportunity to get emotionally involved with the characters through everyday life choices. Even though Heavy Rain is not considered as an action videogame, its narrative audiovisual system is fully able to create enough tension and suspense in order to offer a quite intense aesthetic experience. However, most of its narrative resources are taken from cinema and television audiovisual strategies to tell stories and to hook the audience. Therefore, the study of former narrative systems both as language and human thought and psyche, could allow designers to create more effective interactive narratives for contemporary audiences.
文摘This communication proposes to study some language processes, similar in literature and videogames： parapraxis and the choice of a pseudo. It will aim to show how the use of a word reveals the intimacy of the subject, just like the autobiographical novel, which gives information about the writer. We would therefore have the presages of a self-writing in the creation, naming and storytelling of the avatar of a videogame player. From the example of a young player of the MMORPG （Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games） networking game Dofus, who we met in consultation, we will see how his avatar ＂Deadlop＂ comes from parapraxis and enables the narration of his emotional intimacy. The unconscious elements that led to the creation of the pseudo enabled him to tell his story and grasp some unexplained facets of himself.
文摘The developments in the area of brain research by analysing brain activity of individuals have given rise to many useful applications, such as diagnosing mental disorders more efficiently, treatment of cognitive disorders, and developing of brain-computer interfaces for treatment, communication and entertainment purposes. However, the development of such applications is hindered by a shortage of easy-to-use and comfortable sensors, as well as a lack of high-quality brain activity data. In the first part of this paper, a review of the status of BCI applications is presented followed by a proposal of a framework for developing an intelligent BCI headphone that takes leverages of the huge amount of data coming from playing video games to let the players experience a full immersive gaming experience.
文摘Background:Active videogames or exergames have been used as an innovative way to promote physical activity(PA)among various populations.A player’s interest in active videogames is associated with the fun and entertaining nature of the games and may trigger situational interest,thus increasing engagement.The goal of this study was to examine the impact of situational interest dimensions on college students’PA when playing the design-based bike exergame Greedy Rabbit(Vescape,Berlin,Germany).Methods:Sixty undergraduate students(age:20.8±1.3 years,mean±SD,18-25 years old;51.7%males)were recruited from the kinesiology department of a university located in the southern region of Belgium.The participants were assigned to an experimental group(n=41)or a control group(n=19)based on an incremental cycling test.Students in the experimental group engaged in 1 session of Greedy Rabbit(Vescape)while students in the control group engaged in 1 session of a placebo version of Greedy Rabbit(Vescape).The length of the sessions ranged from 24 min to 31 min.Results:Results for the control group indicated that the players’PA metrics(cadence:F(19,360)=1.43,p=0.11;heart rate:F(19.360)=1.16,p=0.29;oxygen consumption:F(19,360)=0.83,p=0.67)were stable during the exergame.Results for the experimental group demonstrated the effects of time on the players’PA metrics and revealed significant associations between the change in the players’situational interest dimensions and PA metrics(cadence:F(19,800)=26.30,p<0.01;heart rate:F(19,800)=19.77,p<0.01;oxygen consumption:F(19,800)=10.04,p<0.01).Conclusion:An approach using a design-based exergame may be a relevant strategy for promoting levels of PA that yields positive health-related outcomes among college students.
文摘Regaining lost abilities via the formation of new neural pathways as a result of extensive practice and retraining is a key feature of the rehabilitation process. However, patient boredom is a big issue in rehabilitation owing to the extensive practice that is necessary. Awareness of the value of haptic (touch-enabled) interfaces in computer applications has grown because to the emergence of games with buzzing joysticks and consumer electronics with touchpads. Some forms of haptics, however, are paving the way for cutting-edge computer-based rehabilitation solutions, such as “serious games,” which are only one use of haptics’ potential to enhance clinical treatment. In this paper, we aim to review the methods and technologies of haptic feedback that are used for medical treatment and rehabilitation. Developing and innovating better haptic feedback technology has the potential to expand and improve access to virtual healthcare such as the doctor being able to “feel” a patient’s tumor from miles away by being paired with robotic devices.
文摘In this essay I focus on a subject that has not been treated at any great length in the past,that is,the relationship between magical realism and the videogame.This is surprising because even a cursory glance at the types of videogames that are currently available on the market shows that they are full of techniques and surprises and wonders that are characteristic of the genre of magical realism.This essay focuses on the overlap between the videogame genre and other related genres such as literature and film,particularly in terms of its use of the technique of magic.
文摘This research examines the micro-level correlation between traditional marketing actions(TV ads and public relations) and pre-release consumers’ social learning about videogame consoles(Wii and PS3, launched in 2006). We evaluate consumers’ learning processes via the perusal of information in online communities using "pageview" data for multiple websites from a clickstream panel as indicators. We propose a bivariate Bayesian learning model combined with complementary purchase choices.The proposed model enables simpler estimation of parameters and allows to accommodate detailed information about interactions between social and personal learning processes. From the results, we find empirical evidence that companies’ traditional marketing actions have a greater impact on social learning than on regular personal learning during the pre-launch period. When consumers make purchase decisions, their social beliefs about product quality are weighed at least three times more heavily than their personal beliefs. Counterfactual simulations suggest that by optimizing marketing actions,firms can stimulate consumers’ learning and promote increased product engagement.
