Indie Developers And The Queer Content Renaissance In Video Games, 2013-2017,
2022
University of Windsor
Indie Developers And The Queer Content Renaissance In Video Games, 2013-2017, Shane Michael Hansaruk Mr.
Major Papers
Queer content in video games has existed since the 1970s, but as time and technology have progressed, so too have the potential for queer content in video games. During the mid-2010’s, a sudden increase in the number of games with queer content began, lasting between the years 2013 and 2017. This research project examines this period in great detail to determine the cause of this drastic increase. Through examining queer games literature, two queer games databases, and two select titles from this period, I determine that independent, or “indie” developers, have a substantial impact on the increase of queer games …
The Lighthouse Is Calling Me,
2022
Northern Illinois University
The Lighthouse Is Calling Me, Ina Muphy
Graduate Artistry Projects and Performances
This is a story about the longing for and pursuit of Home when confronted with the reality that one has been resigned to settling their heart in exile.
Metamosque – Envisioning The Mosque As A Virtual Public Space,
2022
Virginia Commonwealth University
Metamosque – Envisioning The Mosque As A Virtual Public Space, Alaa Albarazy
Theses and Dissertations
Historically, the mosque was not only a space for a communal prayer but also a place for building a community. Today, however, with conflicts and diseases fragmenting society, people are less able to gather physically in large spaces. Out of necessity, people rely on technology to get together and interact virtually. In this context, my research challenges the notion of the mosque as a physical space, proposing, instead, its extension into virtual space. Recent global events pose the question: Can the metaverse offer an opportunity for the mosque to reassert itself as a public space. I propose that a MetaMosque …
Humans And The Core Partition: An Agent-Based Modeling Experiment,
2022
Old Dominion University
Humans And The Core Partition: An Agent-Based Modeling Experiment, Andrew J. Collins, Sheida Etemadidavan
Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications
Although strategic coalition formation is traditionally modeled using cooperative game theory, behavioral game theorists have repeatedly shown that outcomes predicted by game theory are different from those generated by actual human behavior. To further explore these differences, in a cooperative game theory context, we experiment to compare the outcomes resulting from human participants’ behavior to those generated by a cooperative game theory solution mechanism called the core partition. Our experiment uses an interactive simulation of a glove game, a particular type of cooperative game, to collect the participant’s decision choices and their resultant outcomes. Two different glove games are considered, …
Towards A Model Of The Design Process For Games,
2022
Technological University Dublin
Towards A Model Of The Design Process For Games, John Healy, Charlie Cullen
Conference Papers
In this paper, we present an approach to studying the game design process by drawing upon general models of design to support research into the process of game design. Several general models of design exist to consider the processes through which designers work. Many of these fit within a structure of analysis, synthesis and evaluation that was first proposed by Christopher Jones in 1963 and later adapted by Bryan Lawson to account for the messy nature of design and the undertaking of these activities while negotiating between problem and solution. This paper proposes the adaptation of Lawson’s model of design …
Ready Raider One: Exploring The Misuse Of Cloud Gaming Services,
2022
Old Dominion University
Ready Raider One: Exploring The Misuse Of Cloud Gaming Services, Guannan Liu, Daiping Liu, Shuai Hao, Xing Gao, Kun Sun, Haining Wang
Computer Science Faculty Publications
Cloud gaming has become an emerging computing paradigm in recent years, allowing computer games to offload complex graphics and logic computation to the cloud. To deliver a smooth and high-quality gaming experience, cloud gaming services have invested abundant computing resources in the cloud, including adequate CPUs, top-tier GPUs, and high-bandwidth Internet connections. Unfortunately, the abundant computing resources offered by cloud gaming are vulnerable to misuse and exploitation for malicious purposes. In this paper, we present an in-depth study on security vulnerabilities in cloud gaming services. Specifically, we reveal that adversaries can purposely inject malicious programs/URLs into the cloud gaming services …
Artists As Assets: Labor And Capital In The Unity Asset Store,
2022
Old Dominion University
Artists As Assets: Labor And Capital In The Unity Asset Store, D'An Knowles Ball
English Faculty Publications
The Unity Asset Store sells amateur designers and artists a promise of being able to participate in an idealized, rationalized vision of how the game design industry operates. However, the Unity Asset Store depends on marketing the content created by amateur artists in ways that require the artists to essentially package their work as labor and to mask their role as artists. This essay views labor and capital in the Unity Asset Store through a Marxist lens, informed by Kline, Dyer-Witheford, and de Peuter's (2003) model of technological, cultural, and marketing forces as "three circuits of interactivity" in the mediatized …
Utilizing Game-Based Learning To Promote Mental Health Advocacy In Black And Brown Communities,
2022
Prairie View A&M University
Utilizing Game-Based Learning To Promote Mental Health Advocacy In Black And Brown Communities, Ashlyn Stewart, Tracey L. Moore, Hira Roberts
Pursue: Undergraduate Research Journal
The aim of this project was to explore the effectiveness of video games and game-based learning as a means of mental health advocacy within People of Color (POC) and their communities. Research has shown that within black and brown communities, a heightened stigma is attached to the discussion of mental health, often preventing those who are affected from seeking treatment. This unwillingness to accept and care for mental illness within communities of color is highly detrimental, especially in the context of conditions such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, where African-Americans and Hispanics are at a significantly higher risk of developing these …
Winter 2021,
2021
DePaul University
Winter 2021
In The Loop
2021 Emmy Nominees; Animator Tapped by Cartoon Network; IndieCade Horizons 2021; Hack4Space; Security Daemons Prevail; Role Models: DePaul Originals Game Studio students build industry-level skills that benefit themselves and others; Frames and Fortune: Eugene Bush programmed his indie video studio with patience and planning; Reality Check: Heather Snyder Quinn augments reality to question systems of unchecked power
Mechanics Of Ascension Through Genshin Impact,
2021
San Jose State University
Mechanics Of Ascension Through Genshin Impact, Megan Chao
ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies
Genshin Impact, or Genshin for short, is a free roleplaying, open-world, adventure video game released for Playstation 4, Microsoft Windows, iOS, and Android on September 28th, 2020. Since its initial release, the game has gained considerable recognition for its storytelling ability, in-depth lore, and amazing character and world-building design. They were awarded Apple’s “Game of the Year” in 2020 and have grossed over $100 million from in-app iOS purchases alone.
Difficulty In Video Games,
2021
San Jose State University
Difficulty In Video Games, Jason Bechdolt
ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies
Throughout time games have been utilized for a great variety of purposes: relaxing leisure, competitive activity, intellectual exercise, and many other sources of enjoyment. The element of difficulty has existed in various degrees throughout all of those game styles, usually found through the skill of an opponent, but lately many games have been designed to have a digital opponent to provide that difficulty. With access to more information than ever before, people have gotten the chance to witness lives and worlds that they can never physically enjoy, and this has led to a considerable market for games that can provide …
Acceleration Skinning: Kinematics-Driven Cartoon Effects For Articulated Characters,
2021
Clemson University
Acceleration Skinning: Kinematics-Driven Cartoon Effects For Articulated Characters, Niranjan Kalyanasundaram
All Theses
Secondary effects are key to adding fluidity and style to animation. This thesis introduces the idea of “Acceleration Skinning” following a recent well-received technique, Velocity Skinning, to automatically create secondary motion in character animation by modifying the standard pipeline for skeletal rig skinning. These effects, which animators may refer to as squash and stretch or drag, attempt to create an illusion of inertia. In this thesis, I extend the Velocity Skinning technique to include acceleration for creating a wider gamut of cartoon effects. I explore three new deformers that make use of this Acceleration Skinning framework: followthrough, centripetal stretch, and …
Towards A “Filipino” Video Game: Teaching Filipino Culture And Identity For Video Game Development,
2021
Ateneo de Manila University
Towards A “Filipino” Video Game: Teaching Filipino Culture And Identity For Video Game Development, Christoffer Mitch C. Cerda
Filipino Faculty Publications
This paper uses the author’s experiences of teaching the Filipino module of a multidisciplinary video game development class as a case study in teaching Filipino culture and identity as an element of video game development. A preliminary definition of “Filipino video game” as having Filipino narratives and subject matter, made by Filipino video game developers, and catering to a Filipino audience, is proposed. The realities and limitations of video game development and the video game market in the Philippines is also discussed to show how the dominance of Western video game industry, in terms of the dominance of outsource work …
Game-Based Learning: Building Competence In Visual Literacy Through Simulation,
2021
Jacksonville State University
Game-Based Learning: Building Competence In Visual Literacy Through Simulation, Carol Record
Theses
Game-based learning is an ideal experiential learning framework for introducing the critique process to reduce student anxiety and create competence in visual literacy and self-assessment. Critique, the assessment, and analysis of one’s work is an essential step in any creative process. It is an integral part of art school. However, it can also be a source of high anxiety for new students. This paper discusses the importance of critique, the challenges associated with teaching critique, and the benefits of utilizing game-based learning. Examples of game-based learning solutions are explored, including the development of, and response to, Lumen, a card game …
Full Bloom: Diegetic Ui For Musical Phrases In Virtual Reality,
2021
Rochester Institute of Technology
Full Bloom: Diegetic Ui For Musical Phrases In Virtual Reality, Peter Armstrong, Elliot Cole, Peter Ferry, Joe Geigel, Susan Lakin, Richard Swientonioski, Zachary Talis, Jennie Thomas
Frameless
We propose a novel system for communicating musical note pitch and sequence information to users within a virtual reality environment. Our approach utilizes ‘Blooms,’ objects that resemble flowers with various petal arrangements. These formations, when constructed in view of users, act as diegetic, user-parsable encodings of their inputs. Blooms exist within the virtual space as simulated physics objects that collectively serve the role of a user interface.
Ikkuma: An Artistic Vr Storytelling Experience,
2021
Me, Myself
Ikkuma: An Artistic Vr Storytelling Experience, Yangli Liu
Frameless
Ikkuma is an interactive storytelling experience utilizing Tilt Brush and Unity. It is about a land being swallowed by the sea, where conflict cracks ice and fire tears families apart. Ikkuma is the Inuvialuit word for fire, a central element to the work. The fundamental theme of Ikkuma is global warming and its impact on the Arctic ecosystem. The players must learn to tame the fire in their hearts and the Inuit traditional knowledge if they hope to survive the harsh yet fragile Arctic tundra.
Changeling: A Single Player Vr Mystery,
2021
Rochester Institute of Technology
Changeling: A Single Player Vr Mystery, Kaitlyn S. Tran, Elouise Oyzon, Matthew Pressman, Stephen Callen, Kyle Lekkas, Joshua Bullock, Jake Johnson
Frameless
Changeling is a VR narrative mystery game focusing upon immersive experience. It was created by aspiring game developers from the Rochester Institute of Technology to experience professional development. Each semester, different sets of students get to work on the game, with past ones working part time. Using the ideas of magical realism and urban fantasy we see each family member respond to uncertainty through the lens of their hopes and fears.
Physical To Virtual: A Model For Future Virtual Classroom Environments,
2021
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Physical To Virtual: A Model For Future Virtual Classroom Environments, Stephen J. Fink
Masters Theses
Virtual reality is a technology that has seen unprecedented growth since the turn of the century with increasing applications within business, entertainment, and educational applications. As virtual reality technologies continue to develops and markets expand, the world may see an increased demand for virtual classrooms: virtual environments (VEs) that students may access through immersive virtual reality technologies to receive guided instruction, conduct simulations, or perform tasks typical in a classroom setting. While many studies document how virtual reality is beneficial to educational processes, there is little discussion on how virtual environments should be architecturally designed. Thus one may hypothesize that …
Visual Communication – A Designer’S Guide To Reaching Target Audiences,
2021
Lindenwood University
Visual Communication – A Designer’S Guide To Reaching Target Audiences, Timothy Lerch
Theses
Visual communication is the cornerstone of graphic design. All graphic design projects communicate a visual message. As with all forms of communication, visual communication is a two-way street. For a message to be effective, a designer must understand how to reach their audience. Scholarly design programs focus primarily on visual cues, while marketing programs focus on in-depth audience analysis and consumer behavior. This creates a problem for designers as they complete their degree program and enter the job market, particularly if they intend to seek freelance work. This guide is innovative because it presents components of visual communication from perspectives …
Meowster Thesis,
2021
DePaul University
Meowster Thesis, Xiaojing (Monica) Fan
College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations
Meowster Thesis is a game about cats, loneliness and what it means to be alive. It is also what keeps me alive thru isolation during Covid-19 pandemic.
