Using Virtual Reality to increase technical performance during rowing workouts

Technology is advancing rapidly in virtual reality (VR) and sensors, gathering feedback from our body and the environment we are interacting in. Combining the two technologies gives us the opportunity to create personalized and reactive immersive environments. These environments can be used e.g. for training in dangerous situations (e.g. fire, crashes, etc), or to improve skills with less distraction than regular natural environments would have. The pilot study described in this thesis puts an athlete who is rowing on a stationary rowing machine into a virtual environment. The VR takes movement from several sensors of the ergo-meter and displays those in VR. In addition, metrics on technique are being derived from the sensor data and physiological data. All this is used to investigate if, and to which extent, VR may improve the technical skills of the athlete during the complex sport of rowing. Furthermore, athletes are giving subjective feedback about their experience comparing a standard rowing workout, with the workout using VR. First results indicate better performance and an enhanced experience by the athlete

Papers, Please and the systemic approach to engaging ethical expertise in videogames

Papers, Please, by Lucas Pope (2013), explores the story of a customs inspector in the fictional political regime of Arstotzka. In this paper we explore the stories, systems and moral themes of Papers, Please in order to illustrate the systemic approach to designing videogames for moral engagement. Next, drawing on the Four Component model of ethical expertise from moral psychology, we contrast this systemic approach with the more common scripted approach. We conclude by demonstrating the different strengths and weaknesses that these two approaches have when it comes to designing videogames that engage the different aspects of a player’s moral expertise

Company-university collaboration in applying gamification to learning about insurance

Incorporating gamification into training–learning at universities is hampered by a shortage of quality, adapted educational video games. Large companies are leading in the creation of educational video games for their internal training or to enhance their public image and universities can benefit from collaborating. The aim of this research is to evaluate, both objectively and subjectively, the potential of the simulation game BugaMAP (developed by the MAPFRE Foundation) for university teaching about insurance. To this end, we have assessed both the game itself and the experience of using the game as perceived by 142 economics students from various degree plans and courses at the University of Seville during the 2017–2018 academic year. As a methodology, a checklist of gamification components is used for the objective evaluation, and an opinion questionnaire on the game experience is used for the subjective evaluation. Among the results several findings stand out. One is the high satisfaction of the students with the knowledge acquired using fun and social interaction. Another is that the role of the university professors and the company monitors turns out to be very active and necessary during the game-learning sessions. Finally, in addition to the benefits to the university of occasionally available quality games to accelerate student skills training, the company–university collaboration serves as a trial and refinement of innovative tools for game-based learning

What Can We Learn from Violent Videogames?

Fears that violent videogames will cause people to be more violent are understandable, but unsupported by current research — social and developmental factors are better predictors of violent behavior. In fact, some violent videogames may actually lead to the development of empathy, understanding, and even moral behavior

Study of emotion in videogames : understanding presence and behaviour

Only when videogames are released are we able to look at them and analyse them. Nowadays, platforms to share our thoughts and opinions about a videogame, or part of it, are everywhere, with both positive and negative commentaries being shared daily. However, what makes a game be seen as a positive experience and what components satisfy and engage players in it? In this Dissertation, we aim to comprehend how players perceive videogames and what motivates and triggers emotions one has during play. We will take a look at several different concepts that all work together when playing a videogame. We will start by understanding what Interaction is and how humans behave. Afterwards, we will better investigate the widely used topic of Immersion, and its unknown and unrecognized brother Presence. From there, we will divide involvement in game play in two parts, the technological side, which relates to natural interfaces and mastery of controls, and the side of design and implementation of content, more specifically the concept of Agency and how it plays a huge part in making players feel part of the game.Só quando um videojogo é lançado é que o podemos analisar e rever. Atualmente, encontramos plataformas para partilhar a nossa opinião acerca de um videojogo, ou parte dele, em qualquer lado, com comentários positivos e negativos a serem partilhados diariamente. No entanto, o que é que faz um jogo ser visto como uma experiência positiva e quais são os componentes que satisfazem e envolvem jogadores? Nesta Dissertação, pretendemos compreender como é que jogadores percecionam um videojogo e que emoções são despoletadas que os motiva a jogar. Iremos analisar diferentes conceitos que contribuem para o jogar de um videojogo. Começaremos por ver o que é a Interação e como é que o ser humano se comporta e age. Prosseguindo, iremos analisar o já bastante usado conceito de Imersão, e o seu desconhecido e menos reconhecido irmão, Presença. Daí iremos dividir o envolvimento com um videojogo em duas partes, no lado tecnológico, relacionado com interfaces naturais e mestria de controlos, e no lado de design e implementação de conteúdo, mais especificamente no conceito de Agência e a maneira como esta integra os jogadores no jogo

Co-operative coevolution for computational creativity: a case study In videogame design

The term procedural content generation (PCG) refers to writing software which can synthesise content for a game (or other media such as film) without further intervention from a designer. PCG has become a rich area of research in recent years, finding new ways to apply artificial intelligence to generate high-quality game content such as levels, weapons or puzzles for games. Such research is generally constrained to a single type of content, however, with the assumption that the remainder of the game's design will be fixed by an external designer. Generating many aspects of a game's design simultaneously, perhaps ultimately generating the entirety of a game's design, using PCG is not a well-explored idea. The notion of automated game design is not well-established, and is not seen as a task distinct from simply performing lots of PCG tasks at the same time. In particular, the high-level design tasks guiding the creative direction of a game are all but completely absent in PCG literature, because it is rare that a designer wishes to hand over such responsibility to a PCG system. We present here ANGELINA, an automated game designer that has developed games using a multi-faceted approach to content generation underpinned by a co-operative co-evolutionary approach which breaks down a game design into several distinct tasks, each of which controlled by an evolutionary subsystem within ANGELINA. We will show that this approach works well to automate game design, can be ported across many game engines and game genres, and can be enhanced and extended using novel computational creativity techniques to give the system a heightened sense of autonomy and independence.Open Acces

The time loss effect in gaming: an exploration of gamers' time perception from a dual-process perspective

Gaming Disorder has been included in the 11th revision of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases as a recurrent gaming behaviour with a lack of control from the gamer. One important aspect of gaming disorder, and gaming in general, is the time loss effect which can be defined as the underestimation of the time spent on an activity (i.e., gaming in this case). Since this process may lead the gamers to experience multiple negative consequences (e.g., conflicts with education and occupation, relationship problems, etc.) due to the increased time spent on videogames, the main objective of this thesis was to explore a potential underlying mechanism of time loss: time perception. This thesis contributed to knowledge by (i) systematically reviewing the variables commonly associated with both gaming (i.e., healthy and disordered) and time perception, allowing a deeper understanding of these two variables’ interaction; (ii) testing the Dual-Process Contingency Model of time perception within durations above one minute; (iii) testing both the prospective and retrospective time perception of the gamers in comparison to non-gamers in a neutral setting; and (iv) testing how emotion and cognition affect the gamers’ retrospective time perception. The new primary data from this thesis were collected using quantitative approaches, utilizing both experimental (i.e., computer tasks) and psychometric (i.e., online survey) data collection. These data from three experimental studies and one psychometric study were analysed through multiple types of analysis such as ANOVAs, regressions, or general linear models. The results first indicated that the Dual-Process Contingency Model of time perception, unifying RTP and PTP, was not valid for longer time durations. Second, the results showed that the gamers exhibited a better PTP (but a similar RTP) than non-gamers when estimating time in a neutral setting. However, the gamers underestimated time when processing gaming pictures, this effect being stronger when the task to complete was more complicated. In conclusion, it appears from the studies carried out that the reason underlying the observed time loss effect experienced by gamers was impaired retrospective time perception occurring when aroused by gaming stimuli

Investigation of Videogame Flow: Effects of Expertise and Challenge

The number of participants in this expertise and videogame flow test totaled 80 from multiple target locations. Participants engaged in various levels of the videogame SuperMario Bros. Twenty experts and twenty novices experienced the easier level of World 1-2 while the other twenty experts and novices were exposed to the more difficult level World 6-1. After gameplay, participants completed a modified survey measuring flow. This survey, along with overall percentage game score, was analyzed. A significant interaction was found between game level (challenge level) and skill levels in perceived immersion, with significant main effects for expertise in perceived skill, for game level (challenge level) in perceived challenge, and for game level (challenge level) in overall percentage score. No significant correlation was found between perceived skill and overall percentage score, between perceived challenge and overall percentage score, or between perceived immersion and overall percentage score. These findings are relevant for understanding videogame flow in videogames of varying degrees of challenge and in players of different expertise levels. Discussion on these findings highlights the purpose of this paper

In The Game : An Exploration of the Concept of Immersion in Video-Games and its Usage in Game Design

This thesis outlines a research project whose aim was to develop a design taxonomy for the creation of immersion in video-games. These guidelines can then be used in-sync with different stages in video-game design and development to ensure an immersive experience. Integral to this is the \u27suspension of disbelief\u27 the end user experiences when fully immersed in a video-game (Holland, 2002; Mediacollage.com, 2006). A review of the literature has identified the major contributing theory to the concept of immersion as flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1991). Flow embodies cognitive elements of involvement such as concentration on a task, completing a challenge, having control over the environment and so on. This cognitive flow is also integrated with affective components such as the loss of self consciousness and sense of \u27oneness\u27 with the environment. A model of immersion has been proposed that embraces the cognitive aspects of flow through the gameplay elements that have been integrated as well as the affective dimension of identification which can be achieved through the integration of narrative elements. Immersive gameplay is framed within the nature of the challenges the user faces. These vary, such as the psychomotor challenges inherent in platform games and shooters through cognitive challenges of quizzes and tutorials through to social challenges such as multiplayer online environments. The criteria for cognitive flow embrace but also extend on traditional theories of motivation. Concepts such as challenge and control (Astleitner & Weisner, 2004) combine with the relevance and confidence inherent in Keller\u27s ARCS theory of motivation (Rezabek, 1994) to describe the contingent aspects of gameplay. An understanding of these within the context of game goals, challenges, rules, boundaries and feedback can assist designers in applying appropriate criteria to ensure deep cognitive engagement on the part of the end user. Playing a game, however, is also an emotional and aesthetic experience. The term \u27emotioneering\u27 (Freeman, 2003) has been used to describe the ways in which designers create a sense of involvement with the game. These include traditional motivational constructs such as curiosity/attention, satisfaction and fantasy, and can be disaggregated to a range of criteria that may be used to guide the development of the affective aspects of gaming including player enacted narrative and role·play, the affective and the range of \u27interesting\u27 and \u27deepening\u27 techniques that can add emotional depth and complexity to the game world (Freeman, 2003) through visual and narrative design elements. The criteria developed from the immersion model are proposed as a lens to assist designers in understanding this state-of-mind. These criteria have been applied through the analysis of the use of existing games in a study on undergraduate students in game design and culture to ascertain their validity, and with the goal of providing guidelines for the future design of entertainment as well as serious games