CFP: 6th International Conference on the Philosophy of Computer Games: The Nature of Player Experience

via DiGRA We hereby invite scholars in any field of studies who take a professional interest in the philosophy of computer games to submit papers to the 6th International Conference on the Philosophy of Computer Games, to be held in Madrid, Spain, on January 29th-31st 2012. Accepted papers will have a clear focus on philosophyContinue reading “CFP: 6th International Conference on the Philosophy of Computer Games: The Nature of Player Experience”

Quick Intro to Spreadsheets for Game Designers

Claire Blackshaw gives brief intro to using spreadsheets in Opinion: Stop Being The Useless Designer – Excel and Formulas. Excel (and other spreadsheet programs such as Numbers and Open Office) has excellent tools to quick prototype game system behaviors, as Blackshaw points outs. For prototyping complex behaviors, writing simple computer programs in unavoidable, I think.Continue reading “Quick Intro to Spreadsheets for Game Designers”

Player Character Engagement in Computer Games

My article  Player Character Engagement in Computer Games came out. Here is the abstract: This article argues how players can control a player character influence interpretation and facilitate engagement within a game. Engagement with player characters can be goal-related or empathic, where goal-related engagement depends on affects elicited by goal-status evaluations whereas characters facilitate empathicContinue reading “Player Character Engagement in Computer Games”

Physical Pain and Social Rejection

Researchers demonstrate that our brain responds to social rejection in a similar way with physical pain. This research add more evidence for embodiment hypothesis. The authors write: “They [the results] are also consistent with research on “embodiment,” which suggests that somatosensory processing is integral to the experience of emotion.” Krossa, Bermana, Mischelb, Smithb &  WagerdContinue reading “Physical Pain and Social Rejection”

AI Design for Believable Characters via Gameplay Design Patterns

Lankoski, Johansson, Karlsson, Björk & Dell’Acqua, AI Design for Believable Characters via Gameplay Design Patterns just game out. Here is the abstract: We address the problem of creating human-like, believable behavior for game characters. To achieve character believability in games, the game designer needs to develop that character so that it fulfills as many aspectsContinue reading “AI Design for Believable Characters via Gameplay Design Patterns”

IJPR Issue 2:1 is out

New issue: journalofroleplaying.org/?page_id=226 Jonne Arjoranta. Defining Role-Playing Games as Language-Games William J. White. Playing House in a World of Night: Discursive Trajectories of Masculinity in a Tabletop Role-Playing Game Myriel Balzer. Immersion as a Prerequisite of the Didactical Potential of Role-Playing Noirin Curran. Stereotypes and Individual Differences in Role-playing Games J. Tuomas Harviainen. Sadomasochist Role-PlayingContinue reading “IJPR Issue 2:1 is out”