Cross-cultures impact on video game industry. : Case study: Dota 2’s game design and customer experience.

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the culture’s impact on online game designs, how the game could attract players internationally with culturally adaptive design and last but not least create its own digital culture among its players. The main finding of the thesis was the importance of culture in the current online game industry. Since the players were from all around the world, their cultural impacts on the game’s design could be greater than ever. Companies who are aiming for the international market should take different cross-cultural factors under consideration while having the game developed. By studying Dota 2’s design from basic cross-cultural viewpoints of Hofstede’s theory, it was able to explain partly the success of this phenomenon in e-sports, bring out the reasons how a MMORPG can build up its own borderless empire and digital culture. On the other hand, the thesis also suggested solutions to deal with a few current problems the case game’s in-game features and its item designs

Imageability and Intelligibility in 3D Game Environments Examining Experiential and Cultural Influence on the Design Process

The games industry has developed online multiplayer three-dimensional game worlds that allow players from different geographical locations to engage in competitive and cooperative gameplay together. This has enabled players from different cultures to inhabit the same virtual game world, bypassing any geographical or cultural boundaries found in the real world. These 3D game worlds ask the player to use the basic principles of spatial awareness and movement from the real world, and are often virtual representations of real world environments. These spaces are designed for players from all nationalities to inhabit concurrently. There is now a need to determine design considerations for these multicultural multiplayer game worlds but any investigation must consider the historical evidence from the games industry of cultural differences in gameplay preferences. This thesis discusses the effect of cultural knowledge on the spatial design and interpretation of three-dimensional game environments that are based on real world affordances. A new methodology for the comparative analysis of the design of three-dimensional game environments is established using Space Syntax metrics. This facilitates the discussion of cultural models applied to design thinking for the implementation and interpretation of game environments. Through spatial metrics the analysis of the intelligibility underlying three-dimensional game environments is correlated to the imageability of the projected two-dimensional screen image. The application of this methodology to internationally popular, and culturally specific, game environments establishes new knowledge on tacit cultural influences within game design processes. The analysed intelligibility of the environments indicates cognitive differences between Eastern and Western cultures, already recognised in the interpretation of two-dimensional imagery, also exist within the design and interpretation of three-dimensional game spaces. This study establishes a new methodology through the analysis of intelligibility for design research into game environments. The resulting evaluation of tacit cultural influences within the design of the environments establishes new cultural differences and commonalities. These design characteristics can inform future game design methodologies within industry for the design and implementation of multicultural game environments

How the globalization of video games is changing the way militaries operate

Today more than ever video games are reaching a global audience. In the past the military facilitated the growth of video games, but that dynamic may be changing. Military use of video games to build and operate their army’s is increasing. The first part of this report will look at how video games have grown into a $100 billion industry and where the industry is heading. The second part of this report will focus in on how the military has utilized video game technology as a recruiting and training tool. Then move into how different components of technology in video games is being used in modern warfare. In the end this report will show how the globalization of video games is changing the way the military operates.Kinesiology and Health Educatio

The imagined communities of Overwatch : democratization of US/Russian cross-cultural communication

Begun in 2016, the Overwatch World Cup brings together the best players form across the globe to fight for national pride and the glory of the game. Massive Multiplayer Online games (MMOs) create a new type of space for communities to develop. However, the two communities formed have differing levels of national identity ‘activation.’ With the worsening relationship between Russia and the United States, these spaces could prove to be a new method of cross-cultural communication that could allow Russians and Americans to interact in an unprecedented wayRussian, East European, and Eurasian StudiesGlobal Policy Studie

She’s Reddit: A source of statistically significant gendered interest information

Information about gender differences in interests is necessary to disentangle the effects of discrimination and choice when gender inequalities occur, such as in employment. This article assesses gender differences in interests within the popular social news and entertainment site Reddit. A method to detect terms that are statistically significantly used more by males or females in 181 million comments in 100 subreddits shows that gender affects both the selection of subreddits and activities within most of them. The method avoids the hidden gender biases of topic modelling for this task. Although the method reveals statistically significant gender differences in interests for topics that are extensively discussed on Reddit, it cannot give definitive causes, and imitation and sharing within the site mean that additional checking is needed to verify the results. Nevertheless, with care, Reddit can serve as a useful source of insights into gender differences in interests

The impact of playing a transnational on-line game on Korean EFL learners’ L2 identity and their offline learning dispositions

The rapid growth of computer-mediated communication (CMC) which has become available through the development of new communication technologies provides many English learners with relatively more opportunities for exposure to international communicative activities in English than they had in the pre-digital era. This phenomenon has attracted research attention to the question of the use of digital literacy practices as a means of second language education. There have been many studies on CMC and second language education, however, little is known about EFL learners’ L2 identity (second language identity) development in online gaming communities and its possible significant effects on L2 learners’ motivation and learning success. Through narrative interviews with 10 Korean EFL learners in their twenties, this research explores how young adult Korean EFL learners’ online communication experiences in English while playing a massively multiplayer online game, League of Legends, influenced their L2 identity evolvement and how their constructed L2 identity impacted their offline learning attitudes. Narrative interviews were conducted and the interview data were processed with a thematic analysis in order to identify thematic patterns while trying to allow categories which could be identified from the data as well. The findings indicated that the participants had realized important factors of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) paradigm through text-based interactions in online gaming contexts. They realized that English is used as a contact language in a global community, that there are varieties of English as well as so-called native English speakers’ in the community, and that pragmatic use of English focusing on intelligibility rather than on accuracy is important for efficient communication. Their realization of some concepts of ELF paradigm was helpful for them to be confident and motivated in using and learning their target language not only in online communities but also in offline situations. Although it is a small-scale study, it has been able to fill some gaps in knowledge into what sort of factors can positively influence EFL learners’ L2 identity construction and how out-of-class virtual activities can affect EFL learners’ overall learning dispositions such as their confidence and motivation in using and learning the language. Even though adverse effects stemming from the addiction to video games have caused social problems around the world, the insights gained from this study could demonstrate that there are a number of potential qualities of online gaming communities. The characteristics of the online gaming community that were found to positively influence EFL learners’ learning attitudes might be conducive to the classroom practice or utilized as out-of-class learning activities, especially for young adult learners. For example, the egalitarian relationship among the gaming community members might be an important factor that English teachers could reflect on in terms of creating a constructive learning environment in their classes. Also, EFL learners might utilize the opportunities of using English in various online communities according to their interests to enhance the overall construction of their positive L2 identity and ultimate learning success

Derogatory, Racist, and Discriminatory Speech (DRDS) in Video Gaming

Video games have been examined for their effects on cognition, learning, health, and physiological arousal, yet research on social dynamics within video gaming is limited. Studies have documented the presence of derogation, racism, and discrimination in this anonymous medium. However, gamers‟ firsthand experiences are typically examined qualitatively. Thus, this study aimed to establish a quantitative baseline for the frequency of derogatory, racist, and discriminatory speech (DRDS) in gaming. DRDS frequency, sexual harassment, and hate speech measures were administered to 150 individuals from online forums and social media groups. Descriptive and inferential analyses were used to gauge which factors affected DRDS rates. Sex, intergroup and fast-paced game types, time played with others, and identity portrayal showed positive correlations with DRDS. Results indicate an array of complex social and developmental factors contribute to experiencing, perceiving, and personally using DRDS. Implications include psychosocial health impacts similar to everyday harassment, with women being at a higher risk and age as a contributing factor

eスポーツを通じたリーダーシップ育成

早大学位記番号:新7317早稲田大

The Procedural Rhetoric of War: Ideology, Recruitment, and Training in Military Videogames

In light of the increasing popularity of military-themed videogames, as well as the U.S. military’s substantial investment in both the development and consultation of such games, there exist very pertinent questions regarding the effects that this particular media has over its consumers. Although this topic has been previously examined using official military serious games, largely absent in the literature is the study of entertainment-based videogames. In this thesis, I investigate the relationship between the military and videogame culture. In particular, I explore how recruitment, training, and ideology are promoted by the military through the design and production of both educational and recreational games. I apply theories of game/play, procedural rhetoric, and discourse analysis to videogames to determine the precise mechanisms behind the medium’s effectiveness as an implement for neomilitarism. I also demonstrate how the videogame industry is both theoretically and aesthetically intertwined with that of the film industry. Using the America’s Army and Call of Duty franchises as case studies, the results show that, while there exists notable procedural differences between serious and entertainment videogames, both categories effectively contribute to the military’s mission of fostering potential recruits among the young male demographic