The role of game rules in architectural design environments

'Experimenting' and 'observing' are crucial actions in architectural design thinking. They rely heavily on the representation environment used (e.g. sketching, scale models, sketch tools, CAD tools, etc.) and the 'game rules' at play in these environments. In this brief paper, we study the role of this representation environment in the overall architectural design thinking process. From this brief study, we indicate two design and implementation approaches to implement and design with such game rules in virtual design environments

The relationship between game rules and team cohesion: an empirical study

Multiplayer games (both face-to-face and online) frequently feature teams. This study investigates whether it is possible to use the rules of a game to alter the team cohesion. Game rules from two face-to-face games were analyzed using Social Identity Theory to predict which will lead to more cohesive teams. Significant differences in team cohesion ratings given by the players after the games suggest that the game rules may indeed affect the team cohesion as predicted

A study of team cohesion and player satisfaction in two face-to-face games

In this paper we investigate the link between game rules, team cohesion and players’ satisfaction with their teams within face-to-face team-based games. To measure team cohesion, rules from two games were analysed from the perspective of Social Identity Theory in order to form a hypothesis as to which game would be more likely to lead to more cohesive teams, where team cohesion is measured by the extent to which each player identifies with their team. Player satisfaction was measured by looking at three factors: communication within the team, player outcome versus team outcome, and fairness. Significant differences were found in the team cohesion measure suggesting that, as predicted by Social Identity Theory, team cohesion can be fostered by game rules. Team cohesion also correlated positively with player satisfaction. Taken together, this suggests that for games in which team cohesion is an important part, game designers can incorporate game rules in such as a way as to increase the likelihood of both team cohesion and player satisfaction

Game rules and morality

This study investigated the premise that game rules can be used as instruments for teaching morality. Gowin's philosophic method of inquiry was utilized. It consists of the development of major hypotheses and their attendent sub-hypotheses. Major hypotheses were developed concerning the concept of morality, the nature of moral rules, the essence of games, the nature of game rules, the relationship of moral rules to game rules, and the use of games as a vehicle for teaching morality. Concepts which emerged as a result of investigating the hypotheses suggested that all cultures have games and systems of morality of which rules are an essential part. However, game rules and moral rules are not philosophically congruent in either the play domain or the real world. Evidence suggested instead, that moral rules are analogous to implicit game rules, that morality is analogous to the spirit of the game, and that official game rules are congruent with real life laws. Although the official rules were not found to be the instruments through which games could be used to teach morality, games do contain moral elements in the form of implicit rules. It was therefore concluded that games could be instruments for teaching moralit

Blue-White Spring Game Rules Released

Blue-White Spring Game Rules Release

Poverty eradication: the need for good citizenship

This paper makes use of game theory to argue that poverty and inequality can be understood as the outcome of a repeated game in which the players are caught in a poverty trap, or “prisoners’ dilemma”. They can escape this dilemma by means of cooperation and co-ordination, requiring appropriately designed “institutions” or “game rules”. However, such institutions or game rules may be only a necessary, not a sufficient condition for this. From the perspectives of evolutionary biology and evolutionary psychology a case is made for the indispensability of good citizenship to poverty eradication