Building Community and Collaboration Applications for MMOGs

Supporting collaborative activities among the online players are one of the major challenges in the area of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG), since they increase the richness of gaming experience and create more engaged communities. To this direction, our study has focused on the provision of services supporting and enhancing the players' in-game community and collaboration activities. We have designed and implemented innovative tools exploiting a game adaptation technology, namely, the In-game Graphical Insertion Technology (IGIT), which permits the addition of web-based applications without any need from the game developers to modify the game at all, nor from the game players to change their game installation. The developed tools follow a design adapted to the MMOG players' needs and are based on the latest advances on Web 2.0 technology. Their provision is performed through the core element of our system, which is the so-called Community Network Game (CNG) Server. One of the important features provided by the implemented system's underlying framework is the utilization of enhanced Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technology for the distribution of user-generated live video streams. In this paper, we focus on the architecture of the CNG Server as well as on the design and implementation of the online community and collaboration tools

Productive Efficiency And Optimal Firm Size: The Case Of US Health Services Industry

This paper examines the link between firm size and productive efficiency. In so doing, it attempts to determine optimal firm sizes in terms of market capitalization and total asset thereby allowing firms to achieve higher level of productive efficiency. The results indicate that the optimal firm size in terms of market capitalization is $13.1 billion. In terms of total asset, the optimal firm size is$10.3 billion. The results also suggest that there is a threshold above which an increase in firm size adversely affects the level of productive efficiency. The results have important implications for managerial policies regarding firm restructuring. To achieve higher productive efficiency, smaller firms have to pursue expansion strategies through mergers and acquisitions. Larger firms, on the other hand, have to pursue divestment strategies to reduce the size of their assets, particularly by refocusing on core competencies

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF DIVERSIFICATION ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE: THE CASE OF THE US GROCERY STORE INDUSTRY

This paper examines the impact of diversification on the financial performance of publicly traded grocery stores. Using three different approaches, we find that diversification has a positive and significant effect on the financial performance of grocery stores. In addition, multivariate regression analysis shows that while diversification positively impacts financial performance, other factors such as size, market share, and leverage cannot be ignored in explaining financial performance of grocery stores. The results of this paper suggest that diversification into non-food products is a profitable business strategy for grocers