Exploring Complex Intertextual Interactions in Video Games

2016 ◽  
pp. 108-128
Author(s):  
Kathy Sanford ◽  
Timothy Frank Hopper ◽  
Jamie Burren
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Language Arts ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Teaching Tool ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
Class A ◽  
Video Gamers ◽  
Grade 11

This chapter explores the intertextual nature of video games. Video games are inherently intertextual and have utilized intertextuality in profound ways to engage players and make meaning. Youth who play video games demonstrate complex intertextual literacies that enable them to construct and share understandings across game genres. However, video game literacy is noticeably absent from formal education. This chapter draws from bi-monthly meetings with a group of youth video gamers. Video game sessions focused on exploring aspect of video game play such as learning and civic engagements. Each session was video recorded and coded using You Tube annotation tools. Focusing on intertextuality as an organizing construct, the chapter reports on five themes that emerged that were then used to help explore the use of video games as teaching tool in a grade 11 Language Arts class. A critical concept that emerged was the idea of complex intertextual literacy that frames and enables adolescents' engagement with video games.

scholarly journals Considerations for comparing video-game AI agents with humans

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R Madan
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Complex Action ◽  
Potential Approach ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
Game Ai ◽  
Strategy Games ◽  
Action Sequences

Video games are sometimes used as environments to evaluate AI agents' ability to develop and execute complex action sequences to maximize a defined reward. However, humans cannot match the fine precision of timed actions of AI agents--in games such as StarCraft, build orders take the place of chess opening gambits. However, unlike strategy games, such as chess and go, video games also rely heavily on sensorimotor precision. If the `finding' was merely that AI agents have superhuman reaction times and precision, none would be surprised. The goal is rather to look at adaptive reasoning and strategies produced by AI agents that may replicate human approaches or even result in strategies not previously produced by humans.Here I will provide: (1) an overview of observations where AI agents are perhaps not being fairly evaluated relative to humans, (2) a potential approach for making this comparison more appropriate, and (3) highlight some important recent advances in video-game play provided by AI agents.

scholarly journals Considerations for Comparing Video Game AI Agents with Humans

Challenges ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Madan
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Complex Action ◽  
Potential Approach ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
Game Ai ◽  
Strategy Games ◽  
Action Sequences

Video games are sometimes used as environments to evaluate AI agents’ ability to develop and execute complex action sequences to maximize a defined reward. However, humans cannot match the fine precision of the timed actions of AI agents; in games such as StarCraft, build orders take the place of chess opening gambits. However, unlike strategy games, such as chess and Go, video games also rely heavily on sensorimotor precision. If the “finding” was merely that AI agents have superhuman reaction times and precision, none would be surprised. The goal is rather to look at adaptive reasoning and strategies produced by AI agents that may replicate human approaches or even result in strategies not previously produced by humans. Here, I will provide: (1) an overview of observations where AI agents are perhaps not being fairly evaluated relative to humans, (2) a potential approach for making this comparison more appropriate, and (3) highlight some important recent advances in video game play provided by AI agents.

Exploring the Effects of Violent Video Games on Healthcare Trainees

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 653-665
Author(s):  
Karlie A. Krause ◽  
Chelsie Smyth ◽  
Kate L. Jansen
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Personal Distress ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Violent Video Games ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
Violent Video Game ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Distress Scale

Background. The prevalence of video game play has continued to increase. Previous literature has suggested negative emotional consequences related to violent video game play, such as an increase in aggression and decrease in empathy. Healthcare providers require high levels of empathy to effectively work with patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of video games on empathy on a sample of graduate-level healthcare trainees. Methods. A sample of 81 students on a healthcare campus completed a 30-item survey assessing video game habits and empathy levels. Participants were then placed into two groups (violent and non-violent) based on the amount of video game violence they are exposed to. Results. The results revealed no differences between healthcare trainees on overall empathy. A follow-up analysis examining individual subscales that comprise the overall empathy score, indicated the violent video game players had lower scores on the Personal Distress scale. Conclusion. Findings suggest that healthcare trainees who play violent video games do not experience decreased Empathic Concern or Perspective Taking, compared to individuals who do not play violent games. However, healthcare trainees who play violent video games indicated lower levels of Personal Distress. Given the intensity in healthcare settings, findings suggest violent video game play may be adaptive to healthcare trainees, as lower personal distress can lead to better decision-making and potentially prevent burnout. Further research is necessary to determine the role of video game play in healthcare professionals.

scholarly journals Moral Disengagement Strategies in Videogame Players and Sports Players

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Lavinia McLean ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Video Game ◽  
Moral Disengagement ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
Video Gamers ◽  
The Relationship

Research in the area of video game play and sports psychology has suggested that specific strategies are often employed by players to justify aggressive behaviour used during gameplay. The present study investigates the relationship between game play and moral disengagement strategies in a group of 605 adults who played violent videogames or regularly played competitive sports. The results suggest that sports players were more likely than violent game players to endorse moral disengagement strategies. The video gamers were more likely to use a specific set of moral disengagement strategies (i.e., cognitive restructuring) than the other groups and this may be related to the structural characteristics of videogames. The findings add to recent research exploring the mechanisms by which individuals engage in aggressive acts both virtually and in real-life situations. The results are discussed in relation to similar relevant research in the area, along with recommendations for future research.

scholarly journals Video Game Values: Play as Human-Computer Interaction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Pippin Barr
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Human Computer Interaction ◽  
Activity Theory ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
Game Activity ◽  
Multiple Levels ◽  
Computer Interaction

<p>Video games are a form of software and thus an obvious object of study in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Interaction with video games differs from the usual understanding of HCI, however, because people play video games rather than use them. In this dissertation we ask: " How can we analyse human-computer interaction in video games when the interaction in question is play?" We propose video game values, defined as sustained beliefs about preferable conduct during play, as a basis for video game HCI. In order to describe and analyse play we use activity theory, focusing on how the interface mediates players' beliefs about preferable conduct. Activity theory allows us to address the multiple levels of context and detail in play as well as the role of conflict. We employ a qualitative case study methodology to gather data about five popular video games: Civilization III, Fable, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Half-Life 2, and The Sims 2. Our core data comes from observation and interview sessions with twenty-five experienced players of these games. We collected further data based on the games' interfaces, participant observation, and documentation such as manuals and walkthroughs. We make three key contributions to video game HCI: 1) We introduce video game values as a means to analyse play as a form of human-computer interaction and show how the values of PAIDIA and LUDUS influence all aspects of play; 2) we develop a video game activity framework for describing and analysing video game play at multiple levels of detail and context; and 3) we extend the video game activity framework to include contradictions and breakdowns as a means to describe and analyse the role of conflict and challenge in video game play.</p>

The Relationship between Student Learning Styles and Motivation during Educational Video Game Play

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 63-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Findley
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Educational Video ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Educational Video Games ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
Educational Video Game ◽  
Student Learning Styles

Educational video games allow for a level of intrinsic motivation and engagement that is not found in other forms of learning. This study determines if students found educational video game play to be a motivating experience and if a relationship existed between student learning styles and levels of motivation. High school psychology students played two short online educational video games and, upon completion of the activity, their intrinsic motivation levels were determined using an evaluation questionnaire. The data, as determined by the evaluation questionnaire, revealed that students found playing educational video games to be intrinsically motivating. Further examination revealed no statistically significant differences between the student learning styles and the motivation experienced during educational video game play.

scholarly journals Associations Between Different Aspects of Video Game Play Behavior and Adolescent Adjustment

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-39
Author(s):  
Geert P. Verheijen ◽  
William J. Burk ◽  
Sabine E. M. J. Stoltz ◽  
Yvonne H. M. van den Berg ◽  
Antonius H. N. Cillessen
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Play Behavior ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Adolescent Adjustment ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Playing video games during adolescence has been linked to both positive and negative outcomes, but it remains unclear which specific aspects of gaming behavior are associated with adjustment. The current study examines the association between distinct aspects of video game play behavior and adolescent adjustment. We focused on five aspects, namely, gaming frequency, the social context, gamer identification, type of game, and motivation for playing. Participants included 705 Dutch adolescents (33.5% female, Mage = 14.07), who completed a survey including self-report and sociometric measures. Results indicated that the frequency of playing games was not associated with adolescent adjustment. However, significant associations did appear for social context, genre of games, and motivation for playing. In addition, the different aspects of gaming showed both beneficial and deleterious relations with adjustment. This research indicates the importance of disaggregating gaming behavior and the necessity to look beyond frequency of play in order to fully understand the impact of gaming on youth.

scholarly journals Elements of Infrastructure Demand in Multiplayer Video Games

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 237-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Mirowski ◽  
Brian P. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Online Video ◽  
Multiplayer Games ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Critical Part ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
Human Endeavor ◽  
Multiplayer Video Games ◽  
Online Video Games

With the advent of organized eSports, game streaming, and always-online video games, there exist new and more pronounced demands on players, developers, publishers, spectators, and other video game actors. By identifying and exploring elements of infrastructure in multiplayer games, this paper augments Bowman’s (2018) conceptualization of demands in video games by introducing a new category of ‘infrastructure demand’ of games. This article describes how the infrastructure increasingly built around video games creates demands upon those interacting with these games, either as players, spectators, or facilitators of multiplayer video game play. We follow the method described by Susan Leigh Star (1999), who writes that infrastructure is as mundane as it is a critical part of society and as such is particularly deserving of academic study. When infrastructure works properly it fades from view, but in doing so loses none of its importance to human endeavor. This work therefore helps to make visible the invisible elements of infrastructure present in and around multiplayer video games and explicates the demands these elements create on people interacting with those games.

scholarly journals Copyright and Joint Authorship as a Disruption of the Video Game Streaming Industry

2021 ◽  
Vol 2020 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Holden ◽  
Mike Schuster
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Online Games ◽  
Related Question ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
The Right ◽  
Joint Authorship

Video game streaming on sites like YouTube and Twitch is now a billion-dollar industry. Top streaming personalities make tens of millions of dollars annually, as viewership of video game play continues to expand. While video game companies’ control over intellectual property embodied in video games is largely accepted, streamers’ rights in their recorded gameplay have yet to be settled. Game companies likely maintain the right to stop unauthorized streaming of gameplay, but most do not exercise that right, as streaming represents free advertising. This raises the related question of what rights streamers have against unauthorized use of their gameplay. It also raises the question, unexplored in the literature, of what rights gameplayers maintain when competitors in their online games stream their matches. We find that copyright can provide protection to streamers over the audiovisual recordings of their play, subject to contractual limitations imposed by game companies. Our analysis likewise establishes that gamers whose play is streamed by another party may qualify as joint authors of the streamed recording. This co-authorship could result in multi- millionaire streamers owing an accounting to other players appearing in their streams. The Article then explores the potential business implications associated with these findings and discusses potential strategies to protect the interests of game companies and streamers.

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