Software development processes for games: a systematic literature review

This paper describes the methodology and results from a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of the software processes used in game development. A total of 404 papers were analyzed as part of the review and the various process models that are used in industry and academia/research are presented. Software Process Improvement (SPI) initiatives for game development are dis-cussed. The factors that promote or deter the adoption of process models, and implementing SPI in practice are highlighted. Our findings indicate that there is no single model that serves as a best practice process model for game development and it is a matter of deciding which model is best suited for a particular game. Agile models such as Scrum and XP are suited to the knowledge intensive domain of game development where innovation and speed to market are vital. Hybrid approaches such as reuse can also be suitable for game development where the risk of the upfront investment in terms of time and cost is mitigated with a game that has stable requirements and a longer lifespan

The combined use of the Periodic Table Quiz and Hot Potatoes software in the study of the periodic classification of chemical elements

O tema desta pesquisa é o uso da gamificação para a aprendizagem de Química com alunos do primeiro ano do Ensino Médio de uma escola pública. Nossa questão é: “de que forma o uso da gamificação e do software Hot Potatoes pode constituir uma estratégia pedagógica de aprendizagem e, simultaneamente, de motivação para as aulas?” O nosso objetivo é melhorar o interesse e a aprendizagem significativa dos alunos com o uso de objetos virtuais, abordando o conteúdo a ser compreendido. Identificamos a importância da autonomia e da cooperação dos alunos na construção dos fundamentos de química. Do ponto de vista da abordagem, esta é uma pesquisa qualitativa; de acordo com os objetivos, é uma pesquisa-ação. O aplicativo Quiz Tabela Periódica foi jogado a partir do telefone ou smartphone dos próprios alunos, e as atividades no Hot Potatoes foram realizadas no laboratório de informática da escola. Os resultados indicam que o jogo Quiz Tabela Periódica, associado ao software Hot Potatoes, estimula o desenvolvimento cognitivo, auxiliando na criação de estratégias para a solução de problemas.The subject of this study is the use of gamification in the learning of Chemistry by freshmen students from a public high school. Our question is: "How can the use of the Hot Potatoes software and gamification be a pedagogical strategy to aidth learning process and, at the same time, motivation of students?" Our goal is to improve their interest and learning with the use of virtual objects, addressing the content to be understood. We identified the importance of students' autonomy and cooperation in building the fundamentals of Chemistry. From the point of view of its approach, this is a qualitative study; yet according to its objectives, it is an action research study. The Periodic Table Quiz application was played in the students' own phones or smartphones, and Hot Potatoes activities were conducted in the school's computer lab. The results indicate that the Periodic Table Quiz, associated with the Hot Potatoes software, stimulates cognitive development, helping in the creation of problem-solving strategies.Facultad de Informátic

Using Motion Controllers in Virtual Conferencing

At the end of 2010 Microsoft released a new controller for the Xbox 360 called Kinect. Unlike ordinary video game controllers, the Kinect works by detecting the positions and movements of a user’s entire body using the data from a sophisticated camera that is able to detect the distance between itself and each of the points on the image it is capturing. The Kinect device is essentially a low-cost, widely available motion capture system. Because of this, almost immediately many individuals put the device to use in a wide variety applications beyond video games. This thesis investigates one such use; specifically the area of virtual meetings. Virtual meetings are a means of holding a meeting between multiple individuals in multiple locations using the internet, akin to teleconferencing or video conferencing. The defining factor of virtual meetings is that they take place in a virtual world rendered with 3D graphics; with each participant in a meeting controlling a virtual representation of them self called an avatar. Previous research into virtual reality in general has shown that there is the potential for people to feel highly immersed in virtual reality, experiencing a feeling of really ‘being there’. However, previous work looking at virtual meetings has found that existing interfaces for users to interact with virtual meeting software can interfere with this experience of ‘being there’. The same research has also identified other short comings with existing virtual meeting solutions. This thesis investigates how the Kinect device can be used to overcome the limitations of exiting virtual meeting software and interfaces. It includes a detailed description of the design and development of a piece of software that was created to demonstrate the possible uses of the Kinect in this area. It also includes discussion of the results of real world testing using that software, evaluating the usefulness of the Kinect when applied to virtual meetings

PENGEMBANGAN GAME EDUKASI BERBASIS INTERTEKSTUAL UNTUK MENGKONSTRUKSI MODEL MENTAL SISWA PADA SIFAT ASAM BASA LARUTAN GARAM SECARA MANDIRI

Penelitian dilakukan bertujuan untuk menghasilkan produk game edukasi berbasis intertekstual untuk mengkonstruksi model mental siswa pada sifat asam-basa larutan garam secara mandiri. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode Penelitian dan Pengembangan (R&D) dalam skala kecil. Hasil yang didapatkan berupa game edukasi pada konsep sifat asam-basa larutan garam dengan mempertautkan aspek konten, pedagogi, dan multimedia yang telah dinyatakan valid oleh lima ahli dengan latar belakang bidang kimia, pendidikan kimia dan multimedia. Berdasarkan hasil TDM-IAE menunjukkan bahwa game edukasi tersebut dapat mengkonstruksi model mental siswa secara mandiri. Pada awalnya sebagian besar siswa memiliki model mental yang salah, benar sebagian, ataupun tidak ada jawaban terkait spesi dalam larutan garam, persamaan kimia untuk reaksi hidrolisis yang melibatkan ion-ion garam, dan alasan suatu garam dapat bersifat netral, asam, atau basa. Setelah menggunakan game edukasi dalam jangka waktu tiga sampai dengan delapan hari, seluruh siswa dapat mengkonstruksi model mental yang benar secara mandiri. Pada umumnya guru memberikan respon positif pada cara menjelaskan konsep sifat asam-basa larutan garam, kejelasan karakter/animasi dan video, kemudahan navigasi, dan penerapan prinsip-prinsip belajar. Siswa pengguna memberikan respon positif untuk ketertarikan, keterlibatan, pemahaman konsep, tampilan, dan kegunaan game edukasi. Kata kunci: game edukasi, intertekstual, model mental, sifat asam-basa larutan garam This research aims to produce an intertextual-based educational game product to construct students' mental models on the acid-base properties of salt solutions independently. The research method used is the Research and Development (R&D) method on a small scale. The results obtained are educational games on the concept of acid-base properties of salt solutions by linking content, pedagogy, and multimedia aspects which have been declared valid by five experts with backgrounds in chemistry, chemistry education and multimedia. Based on the results of TDM-IAE, it shows that the educational game can construct students' mental models independently. At first, most of the students had wrong or partially correct mental models regarding the species in salt solution, the hydrolysis reaction equation involving salt ions, and the reason a salt could be neutral, acidic, or basic. After using educational games for a period of three to eight days, all students can construct the correct mental model independently. Several teachers gave positive responses on how to explain the concept of acid-base properties of salt solutions, clarity of characters/animations and videos, ease of navigation, and application of learning principles. User students gave positive responses to the interest, involvement, understanding of the concept, appearance, and usability of educational games. Keywords : acid-base properties of salt solutions, educational games, intertextual, mental model

Analyzing the Impact of Spatio-Temporal Sensor Resolution on Player Experience in Augmented Reality Games

Along with automating everyday tasks of human life, smartphones have become one of the most popular devices to play video games on due to their interactivity. Smartphones are embedded with various sensors which enhance their ability to adopt new new interaction techniques for video games. These integrated sen- sors, such as motion sensors or location sensors, make the device able to adopt new interaction techniques that enhance usability. However, despite their mobility and embedded sensor capacity, smartphones are limited in processing power and display area compared to desktop computer consoles. When it comes to evaluat- ing Player Experience (PX), players might not have as compelling an experience because the rich graphics environments that a desktop computer can provide are absent on a smartphone. A plausible alternative in this regard can be substituting the virtual game world with a real world game board, perceived through the device camera by rendering the digital artifacts over the camera view. This technology is widely known as Augmented Reality (AR). Smartphone sensors (e.g. GPS, accelerometer, gyro-meter, compass) have enhanced the capability for deploying Augmented Reality technology. AR has been applied to a large number of smartphone games including shooters, casual games, or puzzles. Because AR play environments are viewed through the camera, rendering the digital artifacts consistently and accurately is crucial because the digital characters need to move with respect to sensed orientation, then the accelerometer and gyroscope need to provide su ciently accurate and precise readings to make the game playable. In particular, determining the pose of the camera in space is vital as the appropriate angle to view the rendered digital characters are determined by the pose of the camera. This defines how well the players will be able interact with the digital game characters. Depending in the Quality of Service (QoS) of these sensors, the Player Experience (PX) may vary as the rendering of digital characters are affected by noisy sensors causing a loss of registration. Confronting such problem while developing AR games is di cult in general as it requires creating wide variety of game types, narratives, input modalities as well as user-testing. Moreover, current AR games developers do not have any specific guidelines for developing AR games, and concrete guidelines outlining the tradeoffs between QoS and PX for different genres and interaction techniques are required. My dissertation provides a complete view (a taxonomy) of the spatio-temporal sensor resolution depen- dency of the existing AR games. Four user experiments have been conducted and one experiment is proposed to validate the taxonomy and demonstrate the differential impact of sensor noise on gameplay of different genres of AR games in different aspect of PX. This analysis is performed in the context of a novel instru- mentation technology, which allows the controlled manipulation of QoS on position and orientation sensors. The experimental outcome demonstrated how the QoS of input sensor noise impacts the PX differently while playing AR game of different genre and the key elements creating this differential impact are - the input modality, narrative and game mechanics. Later, concrete guidelines are derived to regulate the sensor QoS as complete set of instructions to develop different genres or AR games

Low-Cost Sensors and Biological Signals

Many sensors are currently available at prices lower than USD 100 and cover a wide range of biological signals: motion, muscle activity, heart rate, etc. Such low-cost sensors have metrological features allowing them to be used in everyday life and clinical applications, where gold-standard material is both too expensive and time-consuming to be used. The selected papers present current applications of low-cost sensors in domains such as physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and affective technologies. The results cover various aspects of low-cost sensor technology from hardware design to software optimization

A Digital Game Maturity Model

Game development is an interdisciplinary concept that embraces artistic, software engineering, management, and business disciplines. Game development is considered as one of the most complex tasks in software engineering. Hence, for successful development of good-quality games, the game developers must consider and explore all related dimensions as well as discussing them with the stakeholders involved. This research facilitates a better understanding of important dimensions of digital game development methodology. The increased popularity of digital games, the challenges faced by game development organizations in developing quality games, and severe competition in the digital game industry demand a game development process maturity assessment. Consequently, this study presents a Digital Game Maturity Model to evaluate the current development methodology in an organization. The objective is first to identify key factors in the game development process, then to classify these factors into target groups, and eventually to use this grouping as a theoretical basis for proposing a maturity model for digital game development. In doing so, the research focuses on three major stakeholders in game development: developers, consumers, and business management. The framework of the proposed model consists of assessment questionnaires made up of key identified factors from three empirical studies, a performance scale, and a rating method. The main goal of the questionnaires is to collect information about current processes and practices. This research contributes towards formulating a comprehensive and unified strategy for game development process maturity assessment. The proposed model was evaluated with two case studies from the digital game industry

The Future Evolution of the Creative Content Industries - Three Discussion Papers

This report is one of the outcomes of the EPIS06 Project ¿ European Perspectives on the Information Society ¿ carried out by the ETEPS (European Techno-Economic Policy Support) network in cooperation with the Joint Research Centre¿s Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (JRC IPTS) with the aim of providing strategic intelligence to policy makers by taking a prospective view on the evolution of ICT. The report forms one of the main building blocks of the EPIS06 project, the analysis of the potential evolution of the creative content sector. It combines three discussion papers with a view to gaining an in-depth understanding of the creative content sector, the ultimate goal being to provide strategic intelligence and recommendations in support of policy making. Discussion Paper 1 describes the state of the art of the creative content sector in Europe and establishes a present scenario, in market, industrial, technology and business terms, for a set of sub-sectors (books, music, audiovisual production, video games and cultural spaces) engaged in the mass production of creative goods. Discussion Paper 2 analyses the impact of ICT innovations on the industrial structure and dominant business models of these sub-sectors, while Discussion Paper 3 focuses on factors related to consumer demand, and social and institutional issues that might drive or hinder the adoption of these innovations. The three discussion papers were presented at a workshop (May 2007) and validated by stakeholders from different parts of the creative content sector. The papers were also used as a basis to define theses for a Delphi survey that was carried out in June-July 2007. Finally, the discussion paper findings helped define scenarios for the future of the creative content. These scenarios may be the subject of a separate publication.JRC.J.4-Information Societ