Defining Configurable Virtual Reality Templates for End Users

This paper proposes a solution for supporting end users in configuring Virtual Reality environments by exploiting reusable templates created by experts. We identify the roles participating in the environment development and the means for delegating part of the behaviour definition to the end users. We focus in particular on enabling end users to define the environment behaviour. The solution exploits a taxonomy defining common virtual objects having high-level actions for specifying event-condition-Action rules readable as natural language sentences. End users exploit such actions to define the environment behaviour. We report on a proof-of-concept implementation of the proposed approach, on its validation through two different case studies (virtual shop and museum), and on evaluating the approach with expert users

End-user development for serious games

End-User Development (EUD) is a topic that finds application in varied domains but so far it has only been marginally considered in digital games research. However, there are several games that would benefit from a EUD approach, in particular for those games designed for a purpose other than entertainment, such as learning or training. These processes are permeated by large individual variation; as a consequence, the teacher must have a control over the game to use it like any other educational resource. In this chapter we present the state of the art in research on EUD for serious games from academic and industrial perspectives. We discuss a case study investigating the design process and evaluation of the Actors' Programming Environment (APE), a EUD tool for modelling the behaviour of Non-Player Characters (NPCs). Starting from the literature review and empirical experience gathered over a time span of two years, the chapter provides a set of guidelines for the design of EUD tools for serious games, reflecting on their importance and complexity. It concludes with a set of heuristics that may advance research in the topic. © Springer International Publishing AG 2017