Polish political browser games as generative metaphors: analysis of structures and functions

This article describes a study of 33 Polish political browser games, which are left of the set of 51 applications developed by Polish Internet users from 2005 to 2020. These considerations concern mainly the metaphorical messages conveyed in these games, in particular which features make browser games metaphorical messages, and what game structure is necessary to convey such messages. Differentiation of these game types is equally important. Owing to it, they can participate in expressive and explanatory communication.This article describes a study of 33 Polish political browser games, which are left of the set of 51 applications developed by Polish Internet users from 2005 to 2020. These considerations concern mainly the metaphorical messages conveyed in these games, in particular which features make browser games metaphorical messages, and what game structure is necessary to convey such messages. Differentiation of these game types is equally important. Owing to it, they can participate in expressive and explanatory communication

A collaborative framework for browser games development

This dissertation describes a conceptual model and prototype for a collaborative framework for browser games development using open source and open content. There is an extensive literature review exploring several areas like game development, modding, open source software development, open content and creative commons. The most relevant ideas about game development and collaboration are then used in defining the conceptual model of the framework with the objective of facilitating community creation and collaboration. Finally the implementation of prototype is explained in detail and the practical difficulties in implementing the conceptual model are addressed. This research shows that a collaboration framework for creating open source and open content browser games is possible and paves way for future studies about the community creation in this type of collaborative systems.Esta dissertação descreve um modelo conceptual e um protótipo de um sistema colaborativo para o desenvolvimento de jogos no browser utilizando código aberto e conteúdos abertos. É feita uma revisão extensiva da literatura em várias áreas como desenvolvimento de jogos, modding, desenvolvimento de software open source, conteúdos abertos e Creative Commons. As ideias mais importantes acerca do desenvolvimento de jogos, conteúdos e colaboração são usadas para definir um modelo conceptual do sistema com o objectivo de facilitar a colaboração e criação de uma comunidade forte. Finalmente a implementação de um protótipo do sistema é explicada em detalhe e são referidas as principais dificuldades práticas na implementação do modelo conceptual. Esta pesquisa mostra que é possível criar um sistema colaborativo para a criação de jogos como código e conteúdos abertos e abre caminho para futuros estudos sobre a criação de comunidades neste tipo de sistemas colaborativos

Video gaming in a hyperconnected world : a cross-sectional study of heavy gaming, problematic gaming symptoms, and online socializing in adolescents

Aims: Examining online social interactions along with patterns of video gaming behaviors and game addiction symptoms has the potential to enrich our understanding of disorders related to excessive video game play. Methods: We performed latent class analysis in a sample of 9733 adolescents based on heavy use of games, social networking and instant messaging, and game addiction symptoms. We used latent class regression to determine associations between classes, psychosocial well-being and friendship quality. Results: We identified two types of heavy gaming classes that differed in probability of online social interaction. Classes with more online social interaction reported fewer problematic gaming symptoms than those with less online social interaction. Most adolescents estimated to be in heavy gaming classes had more depressive symptoms than normative classes. Male non-social gamers had more social anxiety. Female social gamers had less social anxiety and loneliness, but lower self-esteem. Friendship quality attenuated depression in some male social gamers, but strengthened associations with loneliness in some male non-social gamers. Conclusions: In adolescents, symptoms of video game addiction depend not only on video game play but also on concurrent levels of online communication, and those who are very socially active online report fewer symptoms of game addiction

"A serious business with plenty to play for: The PC, console and mobile gaming sector"

Not only the gamescom fair in Cologne and the games convention fair in Leipzig have recently shown that the often ridiculed games industry (PC, console and mobile gaming) has long since matured into a serious economic sector on a par with the film industry. Since the days of TV games the gaming sector has been one of the fastest-growing areas of the media business. The process of change within the sector continues apace, driven by technical, societal and economic factors. This change is focused on the distribution channels, the revenue models, the development processes and the target demographics.IT, games, economics, demographics

Socializing Young People to Ethics via Play Experience: Browser Games and Parental Concerns for Safety Online

This paper considers an online game and its relation to safety and privacy, in order to examine social and ethical issues raised by parental concern over harmful content. To gain real insights on the responsibility of adults, it develops a hands-on approach that takes into account the major stakeholders, especially young people and the related circle of people around them. Therefore the research question that is raised is: how do browser games provide reassurance to parents about their children’s safety and privacy? The issue of safety online is explored in three parts, using an ethnographic research framework: it explores a specific online game, it provides a profile of participants, it analyses their types of actions in relation to safety and privacy, and discusses the results in terms of incidence of risk, peer-monitoring and community control. The findings show that there is a rather strong tendency to self-regulation, but that tendency is partly due to a strong presence of mediating adults and peers. The results are discussed in terms of incidence of risk, peer-monitoring and networked means of control on the one hand, and in terms of scientific contribution to socialization theory on the other hand. They lead to final considerations on the repertoire of ethical strategies set up online and its meaning for the concerns of adults towards online risk as well as the need for policies on regulation and self-regulation. They also lead to extensions on the socialization to norms and the appropriation of ethics by young people

Aubrey Anable, Playing with Feelings: Video Games and Affect

In lieu of an abstract, here is the review\u27s first paragraph: Audrey Anable provides a succinct overview of her book early in the introduction: “I make a case for why media theory is not finished with representation and subjectivity” (p. xi). Of course, as you might imagine, making that case is anything but simple. As Anable discovers, much of game studies as a field fetishizes mechanics and computation as the distinguishing feature of gaming (and therefore the most important aspect for analysis). There are also profound and troubling reactions from various members of the gameplaying public when representation is discussed. This, she argues, has left game studies ill equipped to address how feeling and emotion impact and enhance game play, a deficiency she notes is not limited to game studies. In response, Anable presents affect, which she defines as “the aspects of emotions, feelings, and bodily engagement that circulate through people and things but are often registered only at the interface—at the moment of transmission or contact—when affect gets called up into representation” (p. xviii). This definition provides an excellent outline of the main points she explores in her work

Sistema inteligente para redes de football gameplaying

Sistemas de recomendação utilizam métodos de inteligência artificial para fornecerem recomendações num determinado contexto que, na presente dissertação, assenta sobre os browser games de jogos de liga fantasia de futebol. Browser games são jogos, maioritariamente, de múltiplos jogadores que funcionam dentro de qualquer navegador de internet. Tal como os jogos de computador, nos jogos de navegador também existe uma grande diversidade de escolha, à medida que os browser games foram adquirindo popularidade estenderam-se a variados género e temas. Jogos de treinadores são aqueles em que os jogadores desempenham o papel de técnico e são colocados no centro de tomada de decisão de uma equipa. Dentro deste tipo de jogo interessa perceber o que são os jogos de liga fantasia, categoria esta que se enquadra na solução descrita no presente documento. Jogos de liga fantasia pertencem a um modo de jogo online onde os participantes criam as suas equipas virtuais compostas por jogadores reais de um deporto profissional e competem com base no desempenho estatístico dos seus jogadores nos jogos reais. Perante este enquadramento, o objetivo principal desta dissertação foi o desenvolvimento de um sistema de recomendação que fornecesse um conjunto de indicadores que possibilitassem potenciar os resultados dos utilizadores dos jogos de liga fantasia em cada jornada. A ideia foi criar uma plataforma que conseguisse gerar previsões acertadas sobre as prestações dos jogadores de futebol numa determinada jornada de um jogo de liga fantasia e, posteriormente, a partir desses dados e da análise do plantel de cada utilizador fornecesse recomendações de trocas de jogadores. Com este sistema, em traços gerais conseguiu-se: • Analisar a equipa de um utilizador e nomear o “elo mais fraco”. • Explorar o mercado de transferências e identificar a melhor solução para substituir o jogador encontrado no ponto anterior. • Mostrar a sugestão de troca ao utilizador tendo em vista aumentar os seus pontos. Desta forma, criou-se um conceito que conseguiu trazer valor acrescentado aos utilizadores dos jogos de liga fantasia, motivado pela possibilidade de os ajudar a melhorar o desempenho das suas equipas na competição.Recommendation systems use artificial intelligence methods to provide recommendations in a context that, in this dissertation, is based on browser games of fantasy football leagues. Browser games are multiplayer games that work inside any internet browser. Like computer games, in browser games there is also a great diversity of choice, as the browser games were gaining popularity and spread across many genres and themes. Manager games are those in which players have the role of coach and are placed in the centre of a team’s decision-making. Within this game type it is important to realize what fantasy league games are. Fantasy league games belong to an online game mode where the participants create their virtual teams composed of real players of a professional sport and compete based on the statistical performance of their players in the real games. Against this background, the main objective of this dissertation is the development of a recommendation system that provides a set of indicators that allows to enhance the results of the fantasy league games users in each matchday. The idea is to create a platform that can generate accurate predictions about the performance of football players in a round of a fantasy league game, and then from that and analysis of the user’s squad provide recommendations for exchanges of players. With this system is intended: • Analyse a user's team and name the weakest player. • Explore the transfer market and identify the best solution to replace the player found in the previous point. • Show the exchange suggestion to the user to increase his points. In this way, it is intended to create a concept that can bring added value to fantasy league games users, motivated by the possibility of helping them to improve the performance of their teams in the competition

Developing an interactive web browser based game

This projects aims to develop an internet web browser based strategy game application. Strategy games engage the player for a long time and improve cognitive skills. This game application is divided into two sections. First section of game is virtual betting in which the user gets virtual money and uses that money to bet on real time sports. The money made in the betting section will be used in the second section of the game i.e. Business strategy game. This business strategy game is similar to the monopoly game in which user has to buy sections of the game and earn by renting it. To develop this web application we are using internet programming languages i.e. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery and PHP. The main aim of the game is to enhance users planning and thinking skills along with providing entertainment

Examining Social Anxiety and Depression Among Excessive Online Gamers

The main purpose of this study was to examine the correlations between social anxiety, depression, and other psychological factors among online gamers in order to better understand the differences between excessive gamers (whose habits interfere with relationship, occupational, social, or health issues) and enthusiastic gamers (who spend much of their free time playing games but do not report any significant functional impairment as a result). A literature review revealed diverse conceptualizations of excessive gaming as well as differing opinions of what classifies gaming to be excessive/addicting/problematic, suggesting a need to more specifically analyze gaming habits in terms of coexisting pathology among particular genres of online gamers. Using data obtained from a survey of over 600 online gamers, differences in psychopathology, quality of life, and severity of excessive gaming habits were compared across three gaming media (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Play Games, Internet browser games, and online console games). Statistical analyses revealed differences between excessive and enthusiastic gamers as well as differences across gaming genres. The results show that social anxiety and depression combined are significant predictors of excessive gaming among MMORPG and Internet browser gamers with depression being a significantly stronger predictor. Excessive Internet browser gamers reported the highest level of depression. Additionally, excessive gamers also reported significantly lower qualities of life. Results and implications for practice and future research are discussed

ЯК ПЕРЕТВОРИТИ НАВЧАННЯ ЛЕКСИЦІ АНГЛІЙСЬКОЇ МОВИ В ЗАДОВОЛЕННЯ ЗА ДОПОМОГОЮ ОН-ЛАЙН ІГОР

The article is devoted to one of the innovative, alternative tools of teaching vocabulary in EFL classroom and offers students the ways to enhance English vocabulary through browser games. Seven browser games have been presented in the paper. The author considers that games are a source of fresh ideas and relieve the monotony of education. Alongside traditional vocabulary presentations, games play a very important role in language teaching and learning. Moreover, games are a good way to raise students’ motivation for learning English as a foreign language and to improve and extend learning skills, which is essential for language learning. The evidence shows that online games significantly diversify the entire educational process. Based on our teaching experience, we can state that introducing vocabulary through online games greatly facilitates students’ understanding, raises their engagement into the lesson, makes them interested to advance in their learning, provides new ideas and brings variety into the classroom.Статья посвящена одному из альтернативных средств обучения английскому языку как иностранному и предлагает студентам способы расширить словарный запас с помощью браузерных игр. В статье представлено восемь браузерных игр. Автор статьи выражает мнение, что игры являются источником новых идей и привносят разнообразие в обучение. Наряду с традиционными способами презентации лексического материала игры имеют важное значение в преподавании и изучении языка. Кроме того, он-лайн игры – хороший способ повысить мотивацию студентов к обучению, усовершенствовать и расширить учебные навыки, что необходимо при изучении языка. Факты свидетельствуют о том, что игры в значительной степени разнообразят весь учебный процесс. Опираясь на наш профессиональный опыт, мы можем утверждать, что презентация лексики через игры значительно облегчает понимание материала, повышает уровень активности студентов на занятии, поощряет их к дальнейшему прогрессу в обучении, является источником новых идей и привносят разнообразие в обучение.Стаття присвячена одному з альтернативних засобів навчання англійській мові як іноземній і пропонує студентам способи розширити словниковий запас англійської мови за допомогою браузерних ігор.  У статті  представлено вісім браузерних ігор.  Автор статті висловлює думку, що ігри є джерелом нових ідей і привносять різноманітність в навчання. Поряд із традиційними способами презентації лексичного  матеріалу, ігри відіграють важливу роль у викладанні та вивченні мови.  Окрім того, он-лайн ігри – гарний спосіб підвищити мотивацію студентів до навчання, вдосконалити та розширити навчальні навички, що є необхідним при вивченні мови. Факти свідчать, що ігри значною мірою розмаїтять увесь освітній процес. Спираючись на наш професійний досвід, ми можемо стверджувати, що презентація лексики через ігри значно полегшує розуміння матеріалу, підвищує рівень активності студентів на занятті,  заохочує їх до подальшого прогресу в навчанні, є джерелом нових ідей та привносять різноманітність у навчання