Video game engagement testing with prototypes: comparing video game prototypes in different development stages by testing these on six to eleven years old kids

The goal of this thesis is to research how fun and engaging the game is during different development and prototyping stages. Need for this research comes from real life. Game developers usually make several prototypes or proof of concepts of a game to find out if the core mechanics are fun. This thesis helps to find out how comprehensive these prototypes have to be to test the engagement of the game so in the future game developers can maybe spend far less time developing the prototypes. This is important because from the authors’ experience every next logical step in the prototype design increases the scope of the development multiple times. For example creating a paper prototype may take only several hours to make but developing a working playable game prototype may take several days up to several weeks. There is very little academic research done in the field of game development and game design as the field itself is still quite young — only about 30 years. There is very little academic work regarding playtesting especially with children. Testing object of this research is an educational kids’ iPad game that authors have been developing with a small team themselves. This game is also going to be released in 2015 to the public. So the research focuses on playtesting with kids who are 6 to 11 years old. Testing was conducted mostly at the public school with the help of teachers who already use video games in their curriculum. Playtesting has been divided into three parts as there were three game prototypes to represent the different stages of game prototyping: paper prototype, low fidelity prototype and high fidelity prototype. Pretest and posttest surveys were created based on Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s theory of flow and psychology of optimal experience but during the tests authors also used the observation of kids and how they played the game. Authors consider the low fidelity prototype to be optimal in the context of game testing and measuring the flow with elementary school kids.http://www.ester.ee/record=b4419045~S1*es

Supporting tech founders—a needs‑must approach to the delivery of acceleration programmes for a post‑pandemic world

Along with most economic sectors, the COVID-19 crisis has had a strong impact on start-up accelerators, forcing them to seek urgent and imaginative solutions to quickly adapt to a new environment. The enforced change brought challenges that have been exacerbated by the sudden slowdown in economic activity. Despite these difficulties, it has become clear that the accelerated digital transformation that emerged through a needs-must approach to engage with start-ups through remote means has also presented new opportunities for accelerators to improve their programmes. This article analyses the impact of the COVID crisis on the organisation and results obtained by a European accelerator, which delivers programmes for growth stage technology start-ups. For this purpose, two very similar programmes have been analysed and compared: one focused on industrial technologies (delivered in 2019–2020) and another one focused on products and services built on space technologies (2020–2021). The research has been undertaken using observational techniques, reinforced through the collection of primary and secondary data throughout the study duration. The result of the analysis point to a possible post-COVID accelerator model that blends online and remote delivery as a new way of improving the experience of start-ups and optimising the use of scarce resourcesThis work has been partially funded by the European Commission under the project “Space End: Endeavour Space Hub” (GA #870480)

Turku Centre for Computer Science – Annual Report 2013

Due to a major reform of organization and responsibilities of TUCS, its role, activities, and even structures have been under reconsideration in 2013. The traditional pillar of collaboration at TUCS, doctoral training, was reorganized due to changes at both universities according to the renewed national system for doctoral education. Computer Science and Engineering and Information Systems Science are now accompanied by Mathematics and Statistics in newly established doctoral programs at both University of Turku and &Aring;bo Akademi University. Moreover, both universities granted sufficient resources to their respective programmes for doctoral training in these fields, so that joint activities at TUCS can continue. The outcome of this reorganization has the potential of proving out to be a success in terms of scientific profile as well as the quality and quantity of scientific and educational results.&nbsp; International activities that have been characteristic to TUCS since its inception continue strong. TUCS&rsquo; participation in European collaboration through EIT ICT Labs Master&rsquo;s and Doctoral School is now more active than ever. The new double degree programs at MSc and PhD level between University of Turku and Fudan University in Shaghai, P.R.China were succesfully set up and are&nbsp; now running for their first year. The joint students will add to the already international athmosphere of the ICT House.&nbsp; The four new thematic reseach programmes set up acccording to the decision by the TUCS Board have now established themselves, and a number of events and other activities saw the light in 2013. The TUCS Distinguished Lecture Series managed to gather a large audience with its several prominent speakers. The development of these and other research centre activities continue, and&nbsp; new practices and structures will be initiated to support the tradition of close academic collaboration.&nbsp; The TUCS&rsquo; slogan Where Academic Tradition Meets the Exciting Future has proven true throughout these changes. Despite of the dark clouds on the national and European economic sky, science and higher education in the field have managed to retain all the key ingredients for success. Indeed, the future of ICT and Mathematics in Turku seems exciting.</p

Vaasan Indie-pelituotannon prosessimallit

Vaasan seudun Indie-pelituotanto on hyvässä nosteessa. Kuitenkaan jostain syystä Vaasan seudulta ei ole vielä noussut merkittävää pelialan toimijaa, mikä alueen kokoon nähden on huolestuttavaa. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, miten Vaasan seudun Indiepelikehittäjät kehittävät pelejä. Tutkimuksessa keskitytään kolmen Vaasan seudulla toimivan pelialan yrityksen pelinkehitykseen. Tavoitteena on selvittää, miten vaasalaiset Indie-toimijat tuottavat pelejä, käyttävätkö yritykset selkeitä ketterän ohjelmistokehityksen malleja ja onko kehitystiiminjäsenillä yhteistä selkeää kuvaa ohjelmistotuotannon prosesseista. Tutkimukseen otettiin mukaan kolme Vaasalaista Pelialalla toimivaa yritystä. Näiden yritysten henkilöstömäärä vaihteli 2–10 henkilön välillä. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin yritysten käyttämät prosessimallit ja myös se, käyttivätkö pelikehittäjät tarkoituksenmukaisesti ketteränohjelmistokehityksen malleja. Tutkimus toteutettiin tapaustutkimuksena ja siinä keskityttiin keräämään laadullista tutkimusaineistoa haastatteluiden avulla. Haastattelu yritysten edustajien kanssa tapahtui kasvotusten. Paikalla oli vähintään yksi yrityksen edustaja ja edustajalla oli mahdollisuus täsmentää vastauksia jälkikäteen. Haastattelutilanteet nauhoitettiin älypuhelimella. Saatuja tuloksia verrattiin ohjelmistokehityksen malleihin. Pelialan yritykset tuntevat hyvin kirjallisuudessa esiintyvät mallit, mutta niiden hyödyntäminen tuotannossa on vähäistä. Tämä ei toisaalta ollut yllättävää ottaen huomioon pelikehitystiimien koon. Kaikki yritykset painottivat prototyypityksen merkitystä osana tuotantoa. Vaasalaisien pelialan yritysten tulisi dokumentoida enemmän.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format