A computer game's player is experiencing not only the game as a designer-made artefact, but also ... more A computer game's player is experiencing not only the game as a designer-made artefact, but also a multitude of social and cultural practices and contexts of both computer game play and everyday life. As a truly multidisciplinary anthology, Extending Experiences sheds new light on the mesh of possibilities and influences the player engages with. Part one, Experiential Structures of Play, considers some of the key concepts commonly used to address the experience of a computer game player. The second part, Bordering Play, discusses conceptual and practical overlaps of games and everyday life and the impacts of setting up, crossing and breaking the boundaries of game and non-game. Part three, Interfaces of Play, looks at games as technological and historical artefacts and commodities. The fourth part, Beyond Design, introduces new models for the practical and theoretical dimensions of game design.
A growing number of game design and development programs in higher education are beginning to inc... more A growing number of game design and development programs in higher education are beginning to incorporate environmental considerations into their curricula. This aligns with the broader push for more responsible and environmentally conscious practices in game production, consumption, and education. This article introduces two ongoing European inter-university projects: the Erasmus+ Greening Games project and the Nordplus-funded Nordic Alliance for Sustainability in Gaming network. Using them as case studies, the article reflects on the lessons learned and the challenges encountered while implementing the projects’ pilot stages, as well as their implications for environmentally conscious game design education more broadly.
The People’s Republic of China has become the largest digital game software market in the world. ... more The People’s Republic of China has become the largest digital game software market in the world. Yet, outside the Chinese game industry itself, very little is known about the local development scene. In this chapter, we approach Chinese regions’ game industry from both a historical and an analytical perspective, particularly by examining how game developers in the PRC, Taiwan, and Hong Kong came to learn game development through copying, imitation, and gradually moving to innovation. The chapter aims at explaining China’s game development history chronologically, starting from the end of the 1980s when Nintendo’s products entered China and pirated products overwhelmed the legally bound regular market until the emergence of indie studios in the 2010s.
Video games have entered the cultural mainstream and now rival established forms of entertainment... more Video games have entered the cultural mainstream and now rival established forms of entertainment such as film or television in terms of economic profits. As careers in video game development become more common, so do the stories about precarious working conditions and structural inequalities within the industry. In Game Production Studies, an international group of researchers takes a closer look at the everyday realities of video game production, ranging from commercial studios to independent creators. Across sixteen chapters, the authors deal with issues related to labour, production routines, or monetization, as well as local specificities. As the first edited collection dedicated solely to video game production, this volume provides a timely resource for anyone interested in how games are made and at what cost.
Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology, 2015
In the field of human-computer interaction the notion of intuitive use describes the extent to wh... more In the field of human-computer interaction the notion of intuitive use describes the extent to which a human user can subconsciously interact with a product by relying on existing knowledge from similar or identical situations. In animal-computer interaction (ACI) the idea of intuitive use holds great potential as it offers a way to conceptualize and further design better interaction. With the aim to inform future design, this paper discusses how the notion of intuitive use can be applied to interaction design for nonhuman animal users. We argue that tangible user interfaces together with knowledge transfer from other domains familiar to the animal may allow intuitive use of digital technology. Examples will be drawn from an ongoing game design research project which aims to build digital games for Bornean orangutans.
Since its inauguration in 2003, the DiGRA International Conference series has provided a venue fo... more Since its inauguration in 2003, the DiGRA International Conference series has provided a venue for the presentation and discussion of digital games-related research from multiple and diverse areas. DiGRA 2019 was held at the Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan, between 6th and 10th of August. The theme of the conference was 'Game, Play and the Emerging Ludo Mix'. The theme built on the idea of 'media mix' (wasei-eigo, メディアミックス or 'media mikkusu'), inviting "contributors to consider the possibility of 'ludo mix' where games and play increasingly occupy the focal point of such a diversified distribution and consumption model" (Wirman, Furuichi and
Lähikuva – audiovisuaalisen kulttuurin tieteellinen julkaisu
Ranskalaisen sosiologin Michel de Certeaun teoriaa strategiasta ja taktiikasta voidaan soveltaa t... more Ranskalaisen sosiologin Michel de Certeaun teoriaa strategiasta ja taktiikasta voidaan soveltaa tutkimaan pelaajan !iikkumista tietokonepelipelitiloissa ja erottamaan varsinaisen pelin ja sen pelaajan toisistaan. Artikkelissa tutkitaan feminiinisen pelaajan toimintamahdollisuuksia tietokonepelissi de Certeaun teoriaa apuna kiyttien. Koska useimmat pelitutkijat ovat saaneet akateemisen koulutuksensa varsinaisen pelitutkimuksen ulkopuolelta, liihtokohtia tietokonepelitutkimukseen on lukuisia. Tietokonepelejd voidaan tutkia useasta ndkcikulmasta: osana kulttuuria, yhteisdllisend toimintana, oppimisvdlineend, taiteena ja niin edelleen. Tarkoituksenamme tdssd artikkelissa on esitelle Michel de Certeaun teoria strategiasta ja taktiikasta, jota soveltamalla voidaan tutkia pelaajan liikkumista pelitiloissa ja joka on yksi tapa tulkita pelaajan ja tietokonepelin viilistii suhdetta. Havainnollistamme strategiaan ja taktiikkaan liittyviiii tutkimusmetodia omaan tutkimukseemme liittyvien esimerkkien kautta. I Kiiytimme strategian ja taktiikan teoriaa metodologisena ldhtokohtana tutkimuksessa, jossa etsimme feminiinisen pelaajan mahdollisuuksia ja rajoituksia suhteessa tietokonepelien pelaamiseen. Tutkimuksemme tavoitteena oli testata, kuinka aiemmassa pelitutkimuksessa esiteryt olettamukset ominaisuuksista, joista tyttojen ja naisten oletetaan pitiiviin tietokonepeleissii, kiiytdnnrissd toimivat ja millaisia mahdollisuuksia tai rajoituksia ne avaavat pelaajalle. Kerdsimme tutkimusaineiston kolmesta eri tietokonepelistii ja testiryhmdn sijasta pelasimme itse, koska pelikokemus on hyvin henkilokohtainen ja sen analysoiminen ulkopuolelta vaikeaa. Lisiiksi pystyimme paremmin kontrolloimaan pelitilanteessa tehtyjii valintoja itse pelatessamme. Rika Nakamura, tait. yo., mediatiede, Lapin yliopisto Hanna Wirman, tait. yo, mediatiede, Lapin yliopisto 60 Liihikuva. 2-3l2oo4 2 Ludologia on 1990luvulla alkunsa saanut tutkimussuunta, jonka kehittiijid ovat mm. Gonzalo Frasca ja Jesper Juul. Ludologia ei keskity ainoastaan elektronisiin peleihin vaan tutkii kaikenlaisia peleji. Lisdi mm. Gonzalo Frasca, "Ludologists Love stories, too: Notes from a debate that never took place".
This article discusses researchers' personal safety by examining a case of studying game arcades ... more This article discusses researchers' personal safety by examining a case of studying game arcades in Hong Kong. We approach personal safety from three perspectives as we focus on 1) safety risks associated with speci c spaces, 2) risks in meeting and being acquainted with speci c people, and 3) risks that are brought along by the theme of a research that may be sensitive. While interview data suggests arcade-goers' worries over 'triad' stereotypes exaggerated by popular culture, police reports and news articles helped us to understand the true and worrying linkages between game arcades and organised crime in Hong Kong even though criminality can by no means be generalised to encompass all arcades.
This paper investigates existing digital games developed and used in Hong Kong for serious needs.... more This paper investigates existing digital games developed and used in Hong Kong for serious needs. Based on a review done online and by interviewing experts in the field, over 300 games were found being used and developed in Hong Kong. The games are mostly available online for free use. The identified games are categorized into eight types based on their general theme. These are health, special needs, awareness raising (for general public), political games, culture, children’s and youth education (all levels), professional training, and marketing and advertisement. While discussing the summarized results of the review, this paper details funding support for serious games and introduces the main contributors to the field in Hong Kong.
Parlem de videojocs i cinema. Parlem de dos objectes totalment diferenciats o podem trobar-los to... more Parlem de videojocs i cinema. Parlem de dos objectes totalment diferenciats o podem trobar-los tots dos inclosos en cada un d'ells? Si hi ha un mitja que deixa una empremta substancial en la construccio de molts videojocs es el cinema. Als videojocs es desenvolupen histories i el format mes proper del que es beu per donar-los forma es el cinematografic. Pero aquesta relacio de dependencia inicial ha anat evolucionant sobretot recolzada en l'eix interactivitat i accio del jugador, que no espectador. Una de les vies d'exploracio que apareix amb mes potencial de transformacio en la posicio de l'espectador-jugador esta vinculada a la innovacio en entorns tridimensionals. D'aquests plantejaments es inevitable preguntar-se si es possible que sorgisquen hibrids del cinema i els videojocs. A mes, les generacions mes joves estan modificant substancialment els esquemes classics de relacio amb els mitjans. No nomes fan servir mes nous productes mediatics com Internet i els ...
Proceedings of the International Conference on Game Jams, Hackathons, and Game Creation Events, 2018
This paper presents a report from Global Game Jam site in Hong Kong. Global Game Jam Hong Kong ha... more This paper presents a report from Global Game Jam site in Hong Kong. Global Game Jam Hong Kong has been among the largest jam sites of this international event for several years and grown steadily since its initiation in 2013. This report introduces the practical arrangements and participation statistics from the past 6 years focusing on 2018 and reflects on industry collaboration and event scheduling.
A computer game's player is experiencing not only the game as a designer-made artefact, but also ... more A computer game's player is experiencing not only the game as a designer-made artefact, but also a multitude of social and cultural practices and contexts of both computer game play and everyday life. As a truly multidisciplinary anthology, Extending Experiences sheds new light on the mesh of possibilities and influences the player engages with. Part one, Experiential Structures of Play, considers some of the key concepts commonly used to address the experience of a computer game player. The second part, Bordering Play, discusses conceptual and practical overlaps of games and everyday life and the impacts of setting up, crossing and breaking the boundaries of game and non-game. Part three, Interfaces of Play, looks at games as technological and historical artefacts and commodities. The fourth part, Beyond Design, introduces new models for the practical and theoretical dimensions of game design.
A growing number of game design and development programs in higher education are beginning to inc... more A growing number of game design and development programs in higher education are beginning to incorporate environmental considerations into their curricula. This aligns with the broader push for more responsible and environmentally conscious practices in game production, consumption, and education. This article introduces two ongoing European inter-university projects: the Erasmus+ Greening Games project and the Nordplus-funded Nordic Alliance for Sustainability in Gaming network. Using them as case studies, the article reflects on the lessons learned and the challenges encountered while implementing the projects’ pilot stages, as well as their implications for environmentally conscious game design education more broadly.
The People’s Republic of China has become the largest digital game software market in the world. ... more The People’s Republic of China has become the largest digital game software market in the world. Yet, outside the Chinese game industry itself, very little is known about the local development scene. In this chapter, we approach Chinese regions’ game industry from both a historical and an analytical perspective, particularly by examining how game developers in the PRC, Taiwan, and Hong Kong came to learn game development through copying, imitation, and gradually moving to innovation. The chapter aims at explaining China’s game development history chronologically, starting from the end of the 1980s when Nintendo’s products entered China and pirated products overwhelmed the legally bound regular market until the emergence of indie studios in the 2010s.
Video games have entered the cultural mainstream and now rival established forms of entertainment... more Video games have entered the cultural mainstream and now rival established forms of entertainment such as film or television in terms of economic profits. As careers in video game development become more common, so do the stories about precarious working conditions and structural inequalities within the industry. In Game Production Studies, an international group of researchers takes a closer look at the everyday realities of video game production, ranging from commercial studios to independent creators. Across sixteen chapters, the authors deal with issues related to labour, production routines, or monetization, as well as local specificities. As the first edited collection dedicated solely to video game production, this volume provides a timely resource for anyone interested in how games are made and at what cost.
Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology, 2015
In the field of human-computer interaction the notion of intuitive use describes the extent to wh... more In the field of human-computer interaction the notion of intuitive use describes the extent to which a human user can subconsciously interact with a product by relying on existing knowledge from similar or identical situations. In animal-computer interaction (ACI) the idea of intuitive use holds great potential as it offers a way to conceptualize and further design better interaction. With the aim to inform future design, this paper discusses how the notion of intuitive use can be applied to interaction design for nonhuman animal users. We argue that tangible user interfaces together with knowledge transfer from other domains familiar to the animal may allow intuitive use of digital technology. Examples will be drawn from an ongoing game design research project which aims to build digital games for Bornean orangutans.
Since its inauguration in 2003, the DiGRA International Conference series has provided a venue fo... more Since its inauguration in 2003, the DiGRA International Conference series has provided a venue for the presentation and discussion of digital games-related research from multiple and diverse areas. DiGRA 2019 was held at the Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan, between 6th and 10th of August. The theme of the conference was 'Game, Play and the Emerging Ludo Mix'. The theme built on the idea of 'media mix' (wasei-eigo, メディアミックス or 'media mikkusu'), inviting "contributors to consider the possibility of 'ludo mix' where games and play increasingly occupy the focal point of such a diversified distribution and consumption model" (Wirman, Furuichi and
Lähikuva – audiovisuaalisen kulttuurin tieteellinen julkaisu
Ranskalaisen sosiologin Michel de Certeaun teoriaa strategiasta ja taktiikasta voidaan soveltaa t... more Ranskalaisen sosiologin Michel de Certeaun teoriaa strategiasta ja taktiikasta voidaan soveltaa tutkimaan pelaajan !iikkumista tietokonepelipelitiloissa ja erottamaan varsinaisen pelin ja sen pelaajan toisistaan. Artikkelissa tutkitaan feminiinisen pelaajan toimintamahdollisuuksia tietokonepelissi de Certeaun teoriaa apuna kiyttien. Koska useimmat pelitutkijat ovat saaneet akateemisen koulutuksensa varsinaisen pelitutkimuksen ulkopuolelta, liihtokohtia tietokonepelitutkimukseen on lukuisia. Tietokonepelejd voidaan tutkia useasta ndkcikulmasta: osana kulttuuria, yhteisdllisend toimintana, oppimisvdlineend, taiteena ja niin edelleen. Tarkoituksenamme tdssd artikkelissa on esitelle Michel de Certeaun teoria strategiasta ja taktiikasta, jota soveltamalla voidaan tutkia pelaajan liikkumista pelitiloissa ja joka on yksi tapa tulkita pelaajan ja tietokonepelin viilistii suhdetta. Havainnollistamme strategiaan ja taktiikkaan liittyviiii tutkimusmetodia omaan tutkimukseemme liittyvien esimerkkien kautta. I Kiiytimme strategian ja taktiikan teoriaa metodologisena ldhtokohtana tutkimuksessa, jossa etsimme feminiinisen pelaajan mahdollisuuksia ja rajoituksia suhteessa tietokonepelien pelaamiseen. Tutkimuksemme tavoitteena oli testata, kuinka aiemmassa pelitutkimuksessa esiteryt olettamukset ominaisuuksista, joista tyttojen ja naisten oletetaan pitiiviin tietokonepeleissii, kiiytdnnrissd toimivat ja millaisia mahdollisuuksia tai rajoituksia ne avaavat pelaajalle. Kerdsimme tutkimusaineiston kolmesta eri tietokonepelistii ja testiryhmdn sijasta pelasimme itse, koska pelikokemus on hyvin henkilokohtainen ja sen analysoiminen ulkopuolelta vaikeaa. Lisiiksi pystyimme paremmin kontrolloimaan pelitilanteessa tehtyjii valintoja itse pelatessamme. Rika Nakamura, tait. yo., mediatiede, Lapin yliopisto Hanna Wirman, tait. yo, mediatiede, Lapin yliopisto 60 Liihikuva. 2-3l2oo4 2 Ludologia on 1990luvulla alkunsa saanut tutkimussuunta, jonka kehittiijid ovat mm. Gonzalo Frasca ja Jesper Juul. Ludologia ei keskity ainoastaan elektronisiin peleihin vaan tutkii kaikenlaisia peleji. Lisdi mm. Gonzalo Frasca, "Ludologists Love stories, too: Notes from a debate that never took place".
This article discusses researchers' personal safety by examining a case of studying game arcades ... more This article discusses researchers' personal safety by examining a case of studying game arcades in Hong Kong. We approach personal safety from three perspectives as we focus on 1) safety risks associated with speci c spaces, 2) risks in meeting and being acquainted with speci c people, and 3) risks that are brought along by the theme of a research that may be sensitive. While interview data suggests arcade-goers' worries over 'triad' stereotypes exaggerated by popular culture, police reports and news articles helped us to understand the true and worrying linkages between game arcades and organised crime in Hong Kong even though criminality can by no means be generalised to encompass all arcades.
This paper investigates existing digital games developed and used in Hong Kong for serious needs.... more This paper investigates existing digital games developed and used in Hong Kong for serious needs. Based on a review done online and by interviewing experts in the field, over 300 games were found being used and developed in Hong Kong. The games are mostly available online for free use. The identified games are categorized into eight types based on their general theme. These are health, special needs, awareness raising (for general public), political games, culture, children’s and youth education (all levels), professional training, and marketing and advertisement. While discussing the summarized results of the review, this paper details funding support for serious games and introduces the main contributors to the field in Hong Kong.
Parlem de videojocs i cinema. Parlem de dos objectes totalment diferenciats o podem trobar-los to... more Parlem de videojocs i cinema. Parlem de dos objectes totalment diferenciats o podem trobar-los tots dos inclosos en cada un d'ells? Si hi ha un mitja que deixa una empremta substancial en la construccio de molts videojocs es el cinema. Als videojocs es desenvolupen histories i el format mes proper del que es beu per donar-los forma es el cinematografic. Pero aquesta relacio de dependencia inicial ha anat evolucionant sobretot recolzada en l'eix interactivitat i accio del jugador, que no espectador. Una de les vies d'exploracio que apareix amb mes potencial de transformacio en la posicio de l'espectador-jugador esta vinculada a la innovacio en entorns tridimensionals. D'aquests plantejaments es inevitable preguntar-se si es possible que sorgisquen hibrids del cinema i els videojocs. A mes, les generacions mes joves estan modificant substancialment els esquemes classics de relacio amb els mitjans. No nomes fan servir mes nous productes mediatics com Internet i els ...
Proceedings of the International Conference on Game Jams, Hackathons, and Game Creation Events, 2018
This paper presents a report from Global Game Jam site in Hong Kong. Global Game Jam Hong Kong ha... more This paper presents a report from Global Game Jam site in Hong Kong. Global Game Jam Hong Kong has been among the largest jam sites of this international event for several years and grown steadily since its initiation in 2013. This report introduces the practical arrangements and participation statistics from the past 6 years focusing on 2018 and reflects on industry collaboration and event scheduling.
ABSTRACT Previous research successfully addresses how digital play fits into the social relations... more ABSTRACT Previous research successfully addresses how digital play fits into the social relations of urban space, often disrupting or enriching them (e.g., Montola [2005]. ‘Exploring de Edge of the Magic Circle: Defining Pervasive Games’. Proceedings of the Digital Arts and Culture 2005 Conference. Copenhagen: IT University of Copenhagen) and the seamless transitions between digital and physical spheres (e.g., de Souza e Silva [2006]. ‘From Cyber to Hybrid: Mobile Technologies as Interfaces of Hybrid Spaces’. Space and Culture 9:3, 261–78). Considering the social, temporal and spatial context of a play activity, it typically exists parallel to other forms of play. Be it an insider or an outsider, it is further important for people to be able to recognise activities of play as they take place. This article applies Huizinga’s idea of play demarcation to build an analytical frame ‘coincident play’ to aid in understanding contexts of play, especially in urban space. A single park in Hong Kong serves as a case and provides around 20 parallel play activities to study. The proposed approach allows us to identify and analyse socially, temporally and spatially coexisting play and playful activities and to recognise the richness that ensues in specific physical spaces.
Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture, 2012
This article discusses the advantages and challenges of email interviewing in player research tha... more This article discusses the advantages and challenges of email interviewing in player research that concentrates on players’ identity work online. Building on the Cultural Studies tradition of ethnographic interviewing and feminist researchers’ interest in ethically accountable researcher– participant relationships, the article explores how email supports the creation of more equal interview settings and allows benefi ts such as cross-fertilization and generous disclosure of players’ experiences due to asynchrony and remote exchange. The study concentrates on players who create new and altered content, game modifi cations, for The Sims 2 game, and share these with their peers on a Finnish The Sims 2 online forum.
Very few game scholars have discussed and/or analysed games thematised round sex and eroticism. H... more Very few game scholars have discussed and/or analysed games thematised round sex and eroticism. However, even lesser, if not nonexistent, is the body of work on how players may become tempted, aroused or simply reminded of their sexualities during gameplay also when the content of the game does not directly suggest such experience to take place. An example of a game facilitating such encounters during gameplay is Bejeweled Blitz, a Facebook application and a timed version of the widely popular flash game Bejeweled. While multiplayer games offer endless possibilities for exploring (cyber)sex and sexualities, my presentation will set out a frame of thought for considerations on gender and sexuality in single player games. It will be based on two tiny snapshot-like materials; 1) an interview with the sound designer of Bejeweled Blitz and 2) forum discussions on a very specific feature of the game: a sound feedback snippet triggered by a successful move in the game. In Bejeweled Blitz, the player is commended with single-word feedback audio clips saying “Good.” and “Excellent.” with a sensual, mature male voice. The same voice welcomes the player to the game with deep “One minute, go.” and finishes the game with “Time up.”. And his sound seems to be exciting for many. The presentation will encourage discussion that bears in mind the studies that suggest casual games as primarily adult female leisure for stay-at-home mothers.
Players within contemporary computer game cultures are increasingly able to alter and intervene i... more Players within contemporary computer game cultures are increasingly able to alter and intervene in the games they play using a range of techniques, such as ‘skinning’ (i.e. altering the looks of characters with new textures) and ‘modding’ (i.e. making game modifications such as creating new levels or weapons), to create games that seem to better respond to their playing preferences. For women especially, these practices also offer ways to rework games that are predominantly designed by men for a male game-playing constituency. This paper explores the practice of computer game skin making or skinning among a group of Finnish The Sims 2 female players. It concentrates on the construction of player identities emerging within such a practice. Players present their identities in relation to the usual representations of a ‘computer game player’ or a ‘gamer’ and articulate cultural values and meanings originating from their gender as well as characteristics of the game they play, their technological expertise and their playing styles. Drawing on material collected by in-depth interviews conducted myself, the paper suggests several ways in which the women involved discuss and construct their identities through excluding certain typical notions of a player. It discusses the interview material in relation to the history of women’s leisure as productive and instrumental.
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technological expertise and their playing styles. Drawing on material collected by in-depth interviews conducted myself, the paper suggests several ways in which the women involved
discuss and construct their identities through excluding certain typical notions of a player. It discusses the interview material in relation to the history of women’s leisure as productive and instrumental.