An analysis of persistent non-player characters in the first-person gaming genre 1998-2007: a case for the fusion of mechanics and diegetics

This paper describes the results of an analysis of persistent non-player characters (PNPCs) in the first-person gaming genre 1998-2007. Assessing the role, function, gameplay significance and representational characteristics of these critical important gameplay objects from over 34 major releases provides an important set of baseline data within which to situate further research. This kind of extensive, genre-wide analysis is under-represented in game studies, yet it represents a hugely important process in forming clear and robust illustrations of the medium to support understanding. Thus, I offer a fragment of this illustration, demonstrating that many of the cultural and diegetic qualities of PNPCs are a product of a self-assembling set of archetypes formed from gameplay requirements

Fiction and video games:towards a ludonarrative model

Abstract. This thesis presents an evolutionary (rather than revolutionary) step towards a more holistic understanding of narrative meaningfulness in the medium commonly known as video games, based on the intrinsic semiotics of interactivity. The aim of the thesis is to highlight the narrative meaningfulness of not just the written or scripted content of a work, but also the emergent qualities, which may offer the player a serious tool for self-expression and co-authoring the experience. The concepts of coherence and cohesion are also discussed as they pertain to interactive mixed-media experiences. These concepts form the basis for a ludonarrative model that is intended for the examination, analysis and critique of narrative video games. The model is then further explicated by applying it to the examination of the commercially successful The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.Tiivistelmä. Tämä tutkielma esittelee pienehkön kehitysaskeleen kohti tarinallisuuden kokonaisvaltaisempaa ymmärtämistä videopeleiksi kutsumassamme mediaformaatissa. Sen pohjana toimii videopeleille luontainen, vuorovaikutuspohjainen semiotiikan teoria. Tutkielman tarkoitus on korostaa pelien tarinallista merkittävyyttä kirjoitettujen ja käsikirjoitettujen sisältöjen lisäksi myös emergenteissä eli pelaamalla syntyvissä kokemuksissa, jotka voivat mahdollistaa laajankin itseilmaisun ja kanssakirjoittamisen muodon pelaajalle. Tutkielmassa käsitellään myös koheesiota ja koherenssia, sikäli kun ne koskettavat mediaa, joka yhdistelee erilaisia ilmaisun muotoja. Nämä konseptit muodostavat pohjan ludonarratiiviselle mallille, jonka tarkoituksena on mahdollistaa tarinallisten videopelien tarkastelu, analysointi ja kritisointi. Lopuksi mallia avataan soveltamalla sitä kaupallisestikin menestyneen The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild -videopelin tarkasteluun

Realistic Dialogue Engine for Video Games

The concept of believable agent has a long history in Artificial Intelligence. It has applicability in multiple fields, particularly video games. Video games have shown tremendous technological advancement in several areas such as graphics and music; however, techniques used to simulate dialogue are still quite outdated. In this thesis, a method is proposed to allow a human player to interact with non-player characters using natural-language input. By using various techniques of modern Artificial Intelligence such as information retrieval and sentiment analysis, non-player characters have the capability of engaging in dynamic dialogue: they can answer questions, ask questions, remember events, and more. This conversation system is highly customizable, so the types of responses that non-player characters give can be modified to fit within a game’s storyline. Although the system only currently allows for simple dialogue, it illustrates the potential for a more robust way to simulate believable agents in video games

Story beats in videogames as value-driven choice-based unit operations

We present a framework of story beats, defined as microunits of dramatic action, as a tool for the ludonarrative analysis of videogames. First, we explain the Goal - Action - Reaction - Outcome model of the story beat. Then, we present six types of story beats, Action, Interaction, Inaction, Mental, Emotion, and Sensory, providing videogame examples for each category. In the second half of the paper, we contextualise this framework in the classic game studies theory of videogame narrative and player action: unit operations, gamic action, anatomy of choice, and game design patterns, wrapping it up in the most recent trends in cognitive narratology. Ultimately, we present the story beat as a ludonarrative unit, working simultaneously as a ‘unit operation’ in the study of games as systems, and as a microunit of character action in narrative analysis. The conclusion outlines prospective directions for using story beats in formal, experiential, and cultural game research.We present a framework of story beats, defined as microunits of dramatic action, as a tool for the ludonarrative analysis of videogames. First, we explain the Goal - Action - Reaction - Outcome model of the story beat. Then, we present six types of story beats, Action, Interaction, Inaction, Mental, Emotion, and Sensory, providing videogame examples for each category. In the second half of the paper, we contextualise this framework in the classic game studies theory of videogame narrative and player action: unit operations, gamic action, anatomy of choice, and game design patterns, wrapping it up in the most recent trends in cognitive narratology. Ultimately, we present the story beat as a ludonarrative unit, working simultaneously as a ‘unit operation’ in the study of games as systems, and as a microunit of character action in narrative analysis. The conclusion outlines prospective directions for using story beats in formal, experiential, and cultural game research

Putting the Video Back in Video Games: Opportunities and Challenges for Visual Studies Approaches to Video Game Analysis

I argue for the application of visual studies in video game analysis. This approach presents opportunities for the intersectional analysis of video game visuals as games are brought into dialogue with other visual media like film and painting. This approach also presents challenges due to ontological distinctions between different media as well as due to academic divisions regarding the study of different art and media objects. Despite the challenges presented, a visual studies approach is particularly useful as a critical window into contemporary visual culture at large. I outline the fields of game studies and visual studies, marking their distinctions as well as the areas in which they overlap. I provide examples of visual studies approaches to video game analysis through an emphasis on the visual characteristics of video games. As visual studies is generally considered an interdisciplinary endeavor, I contextualize my analyses through comparisons with other visual media, in particular finding intersections with art history and film studies. Specifically, I argue that perspective is an integral visual trait of many video games, relating the use of linear perspective and isometric perspective, used in some genres of games, with the development of perspective in painting. I examine various cinematic techniques used in video games and discuss their ideological potency. I also cover ways in which video games subvert conventional norms, such as through self-reflexivity, to open up novel avenues for visual expression

Archaeological Storytelling in Games

Digital games have been increasingly recognized in recent years for their existing and potential contributions as a medium for promoting engagement with history and cultural heritage. Rather than focus on how games can help the public engage with a known (to scholars) past, here we consider instead how the core problems and processes of archeology themselves might be applied as a story-telling technique in games. We consider what this might look like in games and contrast with archeogaming, existing environmental storytelling approaches and examples. Finally, we consider how these techniques could also be applied to developing games to support students learning about archaeology and material culture

Be my player 2? Collective problem solving in collaborative games

Denne masteroppgaven undersøker karakteristiske trekk ved kollaborative samarbeidsspill ved å analysere tre spill, og har som formål å forstå hvordan disse fremmer felles problemløsning gjennom gameplay og historiefortelling. Ved hjelp av tekstlig analyse undersøker denne studien spillenes egenskaper og deres potensielle innvirkning på samarbeid mellom spillerne. Utgangspunktet for denne studien argumenterer for at det er en forskjell mellom kollaborative og kooperative samarbeidsspill, tatt fra et utgangspunkt i Zagal et al.s (2006, p. 25) definisjon av kollaborative samarbeidsspill. Denne oppgaven hevder at et tillegg til denne definisjonen er nødvendig for bedre å kunne skille mellom de to sjangrene, og legger til behovet for gjensidig engasjement og avhengighet for at et spill kan kalles kollaborativt. Denne påstanden tar utgangspunkt i læringsteori, og dette kravet viser seg å være oppfylt i samtlige av analysespillene. Funnene viser at kollaborative samarbeidsspill gir spillerne kompletterende roller og ferdigheter som gjør at de er gjensidig avhengige av hverandre. Spillene hadde også en betydelig mangel på distraksjoner fra samarbeidsoppgaven ved å ha et lineært nivådesign og en lineær historie, ved å minimere rollene til ikke-spillbare karakterer og ved å ha et begrenset rom for utforskning på egenhånd og å ta egoistiske avgjørelser. De kollaborative samarbeidsspillene som viste ulik informasjon til hver spiller la vekt på kommunikasjon gjennom verbal interaksjon, mens det siste spillet hadde som mål å fremme lagbasert problemløsning ved å inkorporere en rik historie som illustrerte betydningen og virkningen av samarbeid. Disse funnene fremhever potensialet for kollaborative samarbeidsspill som et verktøy for å forbedre kollektiv problemløsning og lagarbeid. Funnene gir også innsikt i designprinsipper som kan fremheve effekten av slike spill for utdanningsmessige eller profesjonelle formål.This thesis investigates the distinctive features of collaborative games by analysing three games in order to understand how they foster collective problem solving through gameplay and narrative. Using textual analysis, this study examines the games' characteristics and their potential impact on player collaboration. The starting point of this study argues that there is a difference between collaborative and cooperative games, taking a basis in Zagal et al.’s (2006, p. 25) definition of collaborative games. This thesis claims that an addition to the definition is needed in order to better distinguish the terms and adds the requirement of mutual engagement and dependence for a game to be truly collaborative. This claim takes a basis in learning theory and the requirements are proved to be present in the games of analysis. The findings were that collaborative games feature complementary roles and abilities that make the players interdependent on each other. The games also featured a noticeable lack of distraction from the task of collaboration, by featuring linear level design and narrative, minimising the roles of non-playable characters and having little room for exploration on their own and selfish decisions. The collaborative games that displayed various information on their screens emphasized communication through verbal interaction, whereas the final game aimed to promote team problem solving by incorporating a rich narrative to illustrate the significance and impact of collaboration. These findings highlight the potential of collaborative games as a tool for possibly enhancing collective problem solving and teamwork. They also provide insights into the design principles that could enhance the effectiveness of such games for educational or professional purposes.

Dark Horse

Dark Horse is a turn-based strategy game developed over the past 11 months using the Unity 2D engine as a Major Qualifying Project for the Interactive Media and Game Development program. The game focuses on delivering a strong narrative set in a city consumed by crime while providing deep tactical gameplay. We developed Dark Horse using a modularized programming framework in C# that allowed for quick and easy iterative design of levels and mechanics. Our game contains custom backgrounds, tilesheets, and portraits and also features original sound effects and background music. Dark Horse followed an iterative design process, gathering playtester feedback periodically to lead future design. Our report describes the entirety of our development process in detail and reflects on our project

between Bound and Abzû

UID/EAT/00693/2019Videogames, being an audio-visual media which makes use of presentation and visual techniques mainly linked to cinema, are distinguished due to their focus on interactivity and the relationship between media and user. Interaction is key not only for the image itself but for the music that accompanies it. And the soundtrack of a videogame only exists if there’s an agent that controls the universe, allowing its audition and perception. However, it’s possible to note the convergence between videogames and visual characteristics of films regarding image and what’s present on the screen in the last decade of the mainstream overview – videogames aim to be, in a growing rate, more cinematic. The absence, or reduction of informative elements in the screen, the increased development of graphic quality and design, alongside the notion of spatiality and open environments, are being frequently integrated and invested in by not only big companies but also independent studios. Through two case studies — Bound (Plastic Studios 2016) and Abzû (Giant Squid 2016)—, this paper examines the role of cinematicability and its use as a narrative tool where music builds an ergodic process of communication, meaning and interactivity. The soundtrack, game mechanics and the cinematic compose an interactive musical experience where the user is, at the same time, the interactive and performative agent in the narrative universe.publishersversionpublishe