A Framework for Games Literacy and Understanding Games

Based on research that studied the challenges and difficulties faced by students taking games studies and game design courses, this paper proposes that while many students enrolled in games education programs are adept at playing games, they are usually neither games literate nor do they have a deep understanding of games. This article provides a framework that can be used to evaluate and assess games literacy. Using Gee’s notion of literacy, I propose that a deep understanding of games involves having the ability to explain, discuss, describe, frame, situate, interpret, and/or position games (1) in the context of human culture (games as a cultural artifacts), (2) in the context of other games, (3) in the context of the technological platform on which they are executed, (4) and by deconstructing them and understanding their components, how they interact, and how they facilitate certain experiences in players. I describe each of these aspects and also discuss two educational lenses that can be used to help contextualize what it means to understand and learn about games as well as support games literacy in students

Towards an Ontological Language for Game Analysis

Game designers have called for a design language (Costikyan 1994; Church 1999; Kreimeier 2002; Kreimeier 2003), noting that designers currently lack a unified vocabulary for describing the design of existing games and thinking through the design of new games. Many of the proposed approaches focus on offering aid to the designer, either in the form of design patterns (Kreimeier 2002; Bjork et al. 2003), which name and describe design elements, or in the closely-related notion of design rules, which offer advice and guidelines for specific design situations. (Fabricatore et al. 2002; Falstein 2004) Other analyses draw methods and terminology from various humanistic disciplines. For example, games have been analyzed in terms of their use of space (Jenkins 2003), as semiotic sign systems (Kücklich 2003), as a narrative form (Murray 1997; Carlquist 2002), in terms of the temporal relationships between actions and events (Eskelinen 2001), or in terms of sets of features in a taxonomic space, using clusters in this space to identify genres. (Aarseth et al. 2003) Our approach is to develop a game ontology, identifying the important structural elements of games and relationships between these elements. Our use of the term ontology is borrowed from computer science, and refers to the identification and (oftentimes formal) description of entities within a domain. Our ontology hierarchically organizes structural elements. The top level consists of five elements: interface, rules, goals, entities, and entity manipulation (described in more detail below). Often, the elements derive from common game terminology (e.g. level and boss), which we refine by organizing them into more abstract concepts or by breaking them into finer, more precise concepts. An ontology is different than a game taxonomy in that, rather than organizing games by their elements, it is the elements themselves that are organized. Our work is distinct from design rule and design pattern approaches in that we don’t offer imperative advice to designers. We don’t intend to describe rules for creating good games, but rather to identify the abstract commonalities and differences in design elements across a wide range of concrete examples, clarifying common terms such as "level", "game world", etc. Our approach is distinct from genre analyses and from related attempts to answer the question "what is a game." Rather than developing definitions that allow us to distinguish between games/non-games or between different types of games, we’re focusing on an analysis of design elements that cut across a wide range of games. Our goal is not to classify games according to their characteristics and/or mechanics (Lundgren and Bjork 2003), but to describe the design space of games. Our ontology purposefully abstracts the representational details of games. Issues of setting (e.g. medieval castle, spaceship), genre (e.g. horror, sci-fi), and the leveraging of representations from other media (e.g. player’s knowledge of the Star Wars universe) are all bracketed by our analysis. Because our goal is to characterize the game design space, such bracketing is necessary in order to achieve broad coverage without having to abstractly characterize notions of setting and genre. Thus, we avoid the Sisyphean task of building an abstract model of the whole of human culture. A deep reading of any one particular game will, of course, require an analysis of its representational conventions, allusions and connotations. Our ontology would help position the more formal or structural elements of the game within the game design space, while other methods and techniques would be required to unpack representational issues. The top level of the ontology consists of five elements: interface, rules, goals, entities, and entity manipulation. The interface is where the player and game meet, the mapping between the embodied reactions of the player and the manipulation of game entities. It refers to both how the player interacts with the game and how the game communicates to the player. The rules of a game define and constrain what can or can’t be done in a game; they lay down the framework, or model, within which the game shall take place. Rules regulate the development of the game and determine the basic interactions that can take place within it. Goals are the objectives or conditions that define success in the game. Entities are the objects within the game that the player manages, modifies or interacts with at some level. This definition is broader than "game tokens" (Costikyan 1994) since it also includes objects that are not controlled by the player. Finally, entity manipulation encompasses the alteration of the game made either by the player or by in-game entities. Entity manipulation thus refers to the actions or verbs that can be performed by the player and by in-game entities. Each ontology entry consists of a title or name, a few paragraphs of text describing the element, a number of strong and weak examples of games that embody the element, a parent element, potentially one or more child elements, and potentially one or more part elements (elements related by the part-of relation). The examples describe how the element is concretely reified in specific games. Because many of the elements capture family-resemblance concepts (Wittgenstein 1963), we include both strong and weak examples; the weak examples describe border cases of games that partially reify the element. The parent/child relationship captures the notion of subtype (subset); child elements are more specific or specialized concepts than the parent element. Finally, the part-of relation captures the notion of compound elements that are constructed out of other elements (parts). In summary, we present an ontology in which we identify abstract elements that each capture a range of concrete designs. Our ontology allows for generalizations across this range of concrete design choices as embodied in specific games. For example, when thinking about the concept of a "level" in a game it is possible to recognize and describe the commonalities and differences that a "level" has with regards to a "bonus level", "boss level", "wave", "mission" or "world". We hope our ontology, which currently consists of more than 150 elements, will be used as a tool to inform and guide the analysis of games as well as provide a framework for the discussion and exploration of the design space of games. References Aarseth, E., S. Smedstad and L. Sunnanå (2003). A multi-dimensional typology of games. Level Up: Digital Games Research Conference 2003, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Bjork, S., S. Lundgren and J. Holopainen (2003). Game Design Patterns. Level-Up: Digital Games Research Conference, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Carlquist, J. (2002). "Playing the Story: Computer Games as a Narrative Genre." Human IT 6(3): 7-53. Church, D. (1999). Formal Abstract Design Tools. Game Developer. Costikyan, G. (1994). I have no words & I must design. Interactive Fantasy. Eskelinen, M. (2001). "Towards Computer Game Studies." Proceedings of SIGGRAPH 2001, Art Gallery, Art and Culture Papers: 83-87. Fabricatore, C., M. Nussbaum and R. Rosas (2002). "Playability in Action Videogames: A Qualitative Design Model." Human Computer Interaction 17(4): 311-368. Falstein, N. (2004). "The 400 Project." 2004(Oct 29).http://www.theinspiracy.com/400_project.htm Jenkins, H. (2003). Game Design as Narrative Architecture. First Person: New Media as Story, Performance and Game. N. Wardrip-Fruin and P. Harrigan. Cambridge MA, The MIT Press. Kreimeier, B. (2002). "The Case for Game Design Patterns." (Oct 29, 2004).http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20020313/kreimeier_01.htm Kreimeier, B. (2003). "Game Design Methods: A 2003 Survey." (Oct 29, 2004).http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20030303/kreimeier_01.shtml Kücklich, J. (2003). "Perspectives of Computer Game Philology." Games Studies: The International Journal fo Computer Games Research 3(1). Lundgren, S. and S. Bjork (2003). Describing Computer-Augmented Games in Terms of Interaction. Technologies for Interactive Digital Storytelling and Entertainment (TIDSE), Darmstadt, Germany. Murray, J. H. (1997). Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace. New York, The Free Press. Salen, K. and E. Zimmerman (2004). Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. Cambridge, Massachusetts, The MIT Press. Wittgenstein, L. (1963). Philosophical Investigations. New York, The Macmillan Company

Surface electrochemistry : structured electrode, synthesis, and characterization

From introduction: The aim of this special issue is to show, through recent updated significant examples, how the electrochemical techniques allow the unique characterization of specific properties of micro- and nanostructured materials that offer varied possibilities of uses and the preparation of specific types of ordered materials that take advantage of electrochemical synthetic methods such as structuring nanosized wires and dots, to cite only two examples

Surface electrochemistry : structured electrode, synthesis, and characterization

From introduction: The aim of this special issue is to show, through recent updated significant examples, how the electrochemical techniques allow the unique characterization of specific properties of micro- and nanostructured materials that offer varied possibilities of uses and the preparation of specific types of ordered materials that take advantage of electrochemical synthetic methods such as structuring nanosized wires and dots, to cite only two examples

Measuring Flow Experience of Computer Game Players

This research-in-progress paper reports on the development of an instrument for measuring flow experience of computer game players. Flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1993) has been widely adopted in various research fields such as information systems (IS), human-computer action (HCI), and computer games. We argue that flow experience in computer game play leads to enjoyment and therefore can be measured as a dimension of enjoyment in addition to emotion. Development process of the instrument is discussed in this paper

Electrocatalysis of oxidation of 2-mercaptoethanol, L-cysteine and reduced glutathione by adsorbed and electrodeposited cobalt tetra phenoxypyrrole and tetra ethoxythiophene substituted phthalocyanines

Catalytic activity of cobalt tetra ethoxythiophene and cobalt tetra phenoxypyrrole phthalocyanine complexes towards oxidation of 2-mercaptoethanol, L-cysteine and reduced glutathione is reported. It was found that the activity of the complexes depends on the substitution of the phthalocyanine ring, pH, film thickness and method of electrode modification. The high electrocatalytic activity obtained with adsorbed complexes in alkaline medium clearly demonstrates the necessity of modifying bare carbon electrodes to endow them with the desired behaviour

Tuning the redox properties of Co-N4 macrocyclic complexes for the catalytic electrooxidation of glucose

Graphite electrodes modified with four different cobalt N4 macrocyclics, namely Co tetrapentapyridinophthalocyanine, (CoTPenPyrPc), Co tetrapyridinoporphyrazine (CoTPyPz), Co octa(hydroxyethylthio)phthalocyanine (CoOEHTPc) and Co tetranitrophthalocyanine (CoTNPc) exhibit catalytic activity for the oxidation of glucose in alkaline media. The purpose of this work is to establish correlations between the catalytic activity of these complexes and their redox potential. The activity of the different modified electrodes was tested by linear voltammetry under hydrodynamic conditions using the rotating disk technique. Tafel plots constructed from mass-transport corrected currents give slopes ranging from 0.080 to 0.160 V/decade for the different catalysts which suggests that a first one-electron step is rate controlling with the symmetry of the energy barrier depending on the nature of the ligand of the Co complex. A plot of log I versus the Co(II)/(I) formal potential gives a volcano curve that also includes catalysts studied previously. This illustrates the concept that the formal potential of the catalyst needs to be tuned to a certain value for achieving maximum activity. A theoretical interpretation of these results is given in terms of Langmuir isotherms for the adsorption of glucose on the Co sites of the surface-confined metal complexes

Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity

ARIA digital anamorphosis : Digital transformation of health and care in airway diseases from research to practice

Digital anamorphosis is used to define a distorted image of health and care that may be viewed correctly using digital tools and strategies. MASK digital anamorphosis represents the process used by MASK to develop the digital transformation of health and care in rhinitis. It strengthens the ARIA change management strategy in the prevention and management of airway disease. The MASK strategy is based on validated digital tools. Using the MASK digital tool and the CARAT online enhanced clinical framework, solutions for practical steps of digital enhancement of care are proposed.Peer reviewe