Freemium Mobile Games, Presentation 1

Here is my first presentation in a series that will cover the content explored in Freemium Mobile Games: Design and Monetization, by Dimitar Draganov. This presentation will cover the current status quo of the mobile game industry.

Freemium mobile games from Alexander Rybak

Student Game Expo (September 2016)

In September of 2016, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to help facilitate a Student Game Expo for current game development, undergraduate students. While I got to run and facilitate the SGX, I did have valuable assistance from fellow classmates Cardell King, Brian Vazquez, Justin Hentges, Jessica Lin, and Wade Martin. Additionally, there were a couple core faculty members that really did everything in their power to help us throw a great event. Nick Carver, in particular, was very passionate and motivational in helping us provide a unique, fun experience.

In addition to showcasing undergraduate game projects, the event included trivia (with awesome prizes), extreme video game music, food and drinks, photo opportunities with a polaroid camera, and lots of other fun activities. I was also able to secure a venue close to campus to host the event, Campus Cards and Games II. They were instrumental in coordinating with me to make sure we had the location and necessary furniture (tables and chairs) and really helped to build a solid relationship that helps both parties. Here is a flyer we used to help advertise the event online and around Orlando, FL.

The event had an amazing turnout with well over a hundred people coming in to experience the event. We got some great footage of the event to use as future promotional material (thanks to Marvin Welch for capturing and editing this video).

This was a great opportunity to practice running an event with many different attributes and aspects to cover. I was responsible for coordinating everything (with the help of my team) to ensure that the undergraduate students presenting had everything they could possibly need. These leadership and management skills will make a great addition to my skill set and I hope to utilize them again soon in the future.

Special thanks to Katherine Rybak for her volunteer work on this expo.

Flow State in Video Games

Mastery Journal Article Analysis: Flow State

Identification of Topic

     For my Mastery Program research assignment, I have chosen to investigate the area of game design. There are many facets to game design that present themselves as possible areas of research, but this paper will investigate flow state. Specifically, it aims to build upon the major influences of flow state: Seung-A Annie Jin, Marin Klasen, Rene Weber, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

Immersion in Video Games

Immersion in Video Games (Topic #4) 

Being able to completely immerse a player into a game requires several different factors involved in the game design process. The narrative of the game can influence immersion. It can also be influenced by the physical hardware the player uses. Being able to immerse players seamlessly in a video game has been a constant goalpost in the video game industry.

a. Immersed in virtual worlds and minds: Effects of in-game storytelling on immersion, need satisfaction, and affective theory of mind

i. I learned that storytelling within the game can create a more immersive experience for the player. Need satisfaction, the intrinsic sense of accomplishment when aspirations are fulfilled, also becomes positively affected. This ultimately leads to players being able to take on the roles, beliefs, and convictions of others (theory of mind). This strongly indicates a causation between immersion, needs satisfaction, and theory of mind being accomplished.

ii. As a game designer, understanding the impact of your work is very important. By understanding the causal relationships listed above, a game designer can recognize the potential effect his creation might have on an audience. Additionally, a designer could share unique experiences with others who would be able to truly relate, thanks to an unbridled immersion level.

iii. Understanding immersion can help me with my project this month, coordinating a Game Expo. Understanding what types of environments and factors result in higher levels of immersion and entertainment will allow me to facilitate a conducive environment for the expo. I will further research how I can make the expo environment more appealing and immersive to players coming to attend.

b. Video Games, Immersion, and Cognitive Aggression: Does the Controller Matter?

i. This article gave a good amount of information on the impact the seemingly inconsequential factors can have. In this case, something as simple as the controller a player uses can have a positive impact on the player’s sense of immersion and their cognitive (or planned) aggression. In this scenario, players felt more immersed in a boxing game while using a controller that mimicked a boxing glove. Due to the realism, they were also more prone to “aggressive” behavior. In this case, boxing.

ii. Understanding how the hardware used can affect a player’s experience is vital in the gaming field. This industry is constantly evolving and changing, with new consoles and controllers being developed all the time. As a designer, it is important to take into consideration all of the potential factors that might be affected by external aspects of gameplay, such as a controller.

iii. This article does not directly relate to my project this month.

Topic #4 References

Bormann, D. & Greitemeyer, T. (2015). Immersed in Virtual Worlds and Minds: Effects of In-            Game Storytelling on Immersion, Need Satisfaction, and Affective Theory of Mind. Social            Psychological And Personality Science, 6(6), 646-652.                                                                            http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1948550615578177

McGloin, R., Farrar, K., & Krcmar, M. (2013). Video Games, Immersion, and Cognitive                        Aggression: Does the Controller Matter?. Media Psychology, 16(1), 65-87.                                        http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2012.752428

Video Games and Choice Culture

Video Games and Choice Culture (Topic #3)

As culture is influenced by the “post-modern condition” the need for choice becomes more and more prevalent (Wilkinson & Clark, 2014). Rigid rules and predictability are mundane and often not tolerated by today’s youth. Video games offer a truly unique and exceptional experience compared to its heavily scripted counterparts in the media realm. Video games are reliant on choice, so I wanted to explore the correlation between choice theory and video games.

a. DIGITAL CHOICES AND FULFILLMENT OF CHOICE THEORY'S FOUR BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS

i. In this article I learned about the four basic psychological needs (love, power, freedom, and fun) and how video game players were able to achieve at least one of these needs through the choices presented in gameplay (Alexander, Rainey, & Page, 2016). This shows that, through choice theory, we can allow audience members to potentially meet all four of their basic psychological needs.

ii. I can easily see how this information should be applied to the video game industry. Being able to meet the needs of a player’s psychological needs should be a top priority of any game designer. Understanding that meeting these needs will lead to other benefits such as increased immersion and character identification will have an untold positive influence on the audience’s experience.

iii. During the Game Expo project this month, I will implement by knowledge of choices and psychological need fulfillment to provide the best possible experience for those involved possible.

b PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN: THE REJECTION OF ARTIFICE AND THE CULTURE OF CHOICE

i. This article did well to instruct me much on American society has shifted towards utilizing less-rigid, more ambiguous systems. More choices are available in nearly every corner of our daily experiences, and stagnation isn’t accepted by younger generations anymore. This allows video games, and other “user-controlled” forms of media, to give players a form of choice control needed by their culture.

ii. Understanding how the culture and its demands has shifted is important to anyone working within the video game industry. Being able to adapt to the needs of the consumer, in this case a multitude of assortments to pick from, will give one an advantage in the field. Additionally, I would strive to further explore the choice culture and how it relates to the decisions available to us throughout the overarching narrative of a game.

iii. Part of my project this month, coordinating the Game Expo, will potentially require me to deal with feedback. I will apply my knowledge of the choice culture to better understand the needs of the players.


                                                               

Topic #3 References

Alexander, J., Rainey, S., & Page, B. (2016). DIGITAL CHOICES AND FULFILLMENT OF         CHOICE THEORY'S FOUR BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS. International Journal Of             Choice Theory & Reality Therapy, XXXV(2), 25-35. Retrieved from                                                   http://search.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/login.aspx?                           direct=true&db=a9h&AN=115876649&site=ehost-live

Wilkinson, M. & Clark, P. (2014). PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE                   CURTAIN: THE REJECTION OF ARTIFICE AND THE CULTURE OF CHOICE. ASBBSEjournal, 10(1), 132-141. Retrieved from                                                                     http://search.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/login.aspx?                                                               direct=true&db=bth&AN=102984642&site=ehost-live

Using Virtual Reality to Treat Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Using Virtual Reality to Treat Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Topic #2)

As virtual reality comes into mainstream culture, there are more and more avenues being explored for practical applications of virtual reality (VR). One such use that has begun to be explored by those in the video game industry is utilizing VR to treat military veterans who suffer from PTSD. While rudimentary applications have been implemented before, none have aimed to be as immersive as the Department of Defense’s Virtual Iraq (Halpern, 2008). PTSD is widespread amongst military veterans and can affect one’s ability to interact with others in a social setting, work setting, or other important areas that require optimal functioning (Derby, 2016). As a veteran myself, I think PTSD is a terrible affliction and we should explore every possible solution: including virtual reality.

a. Virtual Iraq: Using simulation to treat a new generation of traumatized veterans

i. This report in The New Yorker, written by Sue Halpern, taught me a great deal about some of the current applications being used to treat PTSD, along with a program called Virtual Iraq. Virtual Iraq is a form of exposure therapy that a patient, accompanied by a trained psychiatrist, can partake in to help overcome traumatic incidents. A generation of kids that grew up on video games are now coming back from service with a low quality of life. Why not try using those games to help them?

ii. This topic represents a wealth of information I can apply directly to the video game industry. While games are fun, and we all love them, I think it is vital that we remember other beneficial outcomes of advanced technology and game design. Using the methods and technology available can expand outside of making games just for fun, and rather making games to help people.

iii. While the information gleaned in this report was insightful, there is no obvious application of the techniques learned to my Month 3 project (coordinated a Game Expo). I will keep the information in mind as I remember to keep an open mind and always consider new possibilities.

b. Virtual realities: The use of violent video games in U.S. military recruitment and treatment of mental disability caused

i. I learned quite a bit from this report, in particular, the video game applications employed by the U.S. military, such as America's Army and Virtual Iraq.

ii.There were several controversial video game applications developed by the military that have been called into question, especially games aimed at recruiting teenagers (Derby, 2016). Derby goes on to allude that these very violent games are a contributing factor to PTSD itself, amongst veterans. While a possible contributor to the many-faceted issue of PTSD, the military is a definite solution with tools like Virtual Iraq being implemented. Derby even posits that Virtual Iraq could be used to detect soldiers who might suffer from PTSD before they deploy. I found this information very intriguing and I would apply it to my career by investigating it further. The possibility to help others through the technology and methodology of game design is very exciting!

iii.None of the information in this article contributes to my project this month.

                                                           

Topic #2 References

Derby, J. (2016). Virtual realities: The use of violent video games in U.S. military recruitment          and treatment of mental disability caused by war. DSQ, 36(1).                                                              http://dx.doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v36i1.4704

Halpern, S. (2008). Virtual Iraq: Using simulation to treat a new generation of traumatized              veterans. The New Yorker, (MAY 19, 2008), 1-13. Retrieved from                                                        http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/05/19/virtual-iraq

Game Technologies (Project 3: Prop 3 Blockout)

My third and final prop blockout for GTE was a KitchenAid hand mixer (circa 1950s). I modeled it in Maya 2016 and rendered it in Unreal Engine 4. Final composition and reference image provided. 

Game Technologies (Project 2: Prop 2 Blockout)

My second prop blockout for GTE class was of a Revere Model 144 8mm camera. I modeled it in Maya 2016 and then imported it into Unreal Engine 4 to render it. I have provided both my render and the reference images used.

Game Technologies (Project 1: Prop 1 Blockout)

This month, one of the classes I'm in is Game Technologies. Earlier this month, you saw the three props I chose to model and compositions of the reference images (post here). The first prop I chose to block-out was the Zenith Radio (circa 1939). I modeled the radio in Maya, getting the basic shapes of the mesh ironed out. I then used Substance Designer to create all the materials necessary for the prop; such as wood, screen, plastic, bronze, and copper. I brought everything into Unreal Engine 4, and created a Glass material to apply to radio where needed. Last, I set up three point lighting by utilizing a key light, fill light, and rim light. This is a very basic block-out that I will work on in the future to achieve more realism and detail. Below is a comp of the radio in Unreal, along with the reference images used. 

Game Technologies (Activity 1: Project Reference)

The first activity in Game Technologies class involved me doing research for props I plan on building. I chose three props that I thought would present a challenge, all following the same theme of vintage, household appliances. Below I have compiled the reference images I will use for my three props.