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Empirical Investigation on Measurement of Game Immersion Using Real World Dissociation Factor

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Thesis no: MSCS-2016-13

Empirical Investigation on
Measurement of Game Immersion using Real World Dissociation Factor

Gadila Swarajya Haritha Reddy

Faculty of Computing Blekinge Institute of Technology SE–371 79 Karlskrona, Sweden This thesis is submitted to the Faculty of Computing at Blekinge Institute of Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science. The thesis is equivalent to 20 weeks of full time studies.

Contact Information:

Author(s): Gadila Swarajya Haritha Reddy E-mail: [email protected]

University advisor: Prof. Sara Eriksén Department of Creative Technologies

Faculty of Computing Blekinge Institute of Technology SE–371 79 Karlskrona, Sweden
Internet : www.bth.se Phone Fax
: +46 455 38 50 00 : +46 455 38 50 57

Abstract

Context. Games involve people to a large extent where they relate themselves with the game characters; this is commonly known as game immersion. Generally, some players play games for enjoyment, some for stress relaxation and so on.Game immersion is usually used to describe the degree of involvement with a game. When people play games, they don’t necessarily realize that they have been dissociated with the surrounding world. Real world dissociation (RWD) can be defined as the situation where a player is less aware of the surroundings outside the game than about what is happening in the game itself. The RWD factor has been expected to measure the losing track of time, lack of awareness of surroundings and mental transportation. Objectives. In this thesis, we measure and compare the difference in game immersion between experienced and inexperienced players using RWD factor. In addition, the study involves exploring the significance of game immersion and various approaches used to measure it. Methods. In this study literature review has been carried out to explore the meaning of game immersion and further user studies in the form of an experiment has been conducted to measure game immersion between experienced and inexperienced gamers. The game immersion has been measured using the real world dissociation (RWD) factor. After the experiment has been conducted, a statistical technique has been carried out to measure the difference in game immersion among the two groups. Results. The empirical investigation on the measurement of game immersion has been done using RWD factor. The results state that the signifi- cance value is less than 0.05 and hence null hypothesis is rejected for both the games. The measurable difference has been calculated by using Cohen’s d effect size between experienced and inexperienced players. Conclusions. After analyzing the data and calculating the effect size, the overall results state that inexperienced group of players are more immersed than the experienced group of players when measured by RWD factor. Hence it can be concluded that irrespective of the game played, inexperienced players are more dissociated from the real world than the experienced players.

Keywords: Game Immersion, Real world dissociation (RWD), experienced players, inexperienced players. Dota 2, CS:GO.

Acknowledgement

Immeasurable appreciation and deepest gratitude for the help and support to the people who in one way or the another have contributed in making this study (Master’s Degree) possible.

It is a genuine pleasure to express my deep sense of gratitude and sincerity to my supervisor Prof. Sara Eriksén. I’m grateful to my supervisor, whose expertise, understanding, generous guidance and support made it possible for me to work on a topic that was of a great interest to me. I would also like to forward my thanks to the examiner of Computer Science Department Dr. Martin Boldt, who have supported with valuable guidance and encouragement throughout my study.

Finally, I would like to show my gratitude from the bottom of my heart to my

parents Gadila Veerender Reddy and Gadila Hima Bindu, my brother Sa-

harsh Reddy for their eternal support and love throughout my study. I would like to forward a special thanks to all my family members and friends who have supported me at every step of my study which has put me forward with confidence and success.

ii

List of Figures

2.1 SCI Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2.2 Relationship between factors and models of immersion . . . . . . 11 2.3 Factors affecting RWD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

3.1 Minimap of the arena in Dota 2 during a battle between two teams 21 3.2 Map representing teams: terrorists and counter-terrorists in CS:GO 22 3.3 Experimental Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

4.1 Immersion scores for experienced players of Dota2 . . . . . . . . . 41 4.2 Immersion scores for inexperienced players of Dota2 . . . . . . . . 42 4.3 Comparison of immersion scores for experienced and inexperienced players (Dota 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4.4 Immersion scores for experienced players of Counter Strike . . . . 43 4.5 Immersion scores for inexperienced players of Counter Strike . . . 43 4.6 Comparison of immersion scores for experienced and inexperienced players (CS:GO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

5.1 Means and Standard deviations for Dota 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 5.2 Values for Independent Sample T-test (Dota 2) . . . . . . . . . . 46 5.3 Difference in means of immersion scores for both the groups (Dota
2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.4 Means and Standard deviations for CS:GO . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 5.5 Values for Independent Sample T-test (CS:GO) . . . . . . . . . . 47 5.6 Difference in means of immersion scores for both the groups (CS:GO) 48 5.7 Interpretation of Cohen’s d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

B.1 Snapshot of Steam Website for top games . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

iii

List of Tables

  • 2.1 Description of five factors of immersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  • 9

2.2 Characteristics of RWD with sub-categories . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3.1 Search results for literature review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 3.2 Sample calculated for each game individually . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

4.1 Presence Questionnaires used in investigating gaming experience . 34 4.2 Questionnaires used in investigating gaming experience in concept of flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
4.3 Questionnaires used in investigating gaming experience that measures specific aspect of games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
4.4 Questionnaires used in investigating gaming experience which aim to capture full gaming experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

C.1 Immersion scores of experienced players of Dota2 game . . . . . . 69 C.2 Immersion scores of inexperienced players of Dota2 game . . . . . 71

D.1 Immersion scores of experienced players of CS:GO . . . . . . . . . 73 D.2 Immersion scores of inexperienced players of CS:GO . . . . . . . . 75

iv

List of Abbreviations

RWD MOBA FPS

Real World Dissociation Multi-player Online Battle Arena First Person Shooter

CS:GO HCI

Counter Strike:Global Offensive Human Computer Interaction Virtual Reality

VR IEQ

Immersive Experience Questionnaire Game Experience Questionnaire Game Engagement Questionnaire

GexpQ GengQ

ITC-SOPI ITC Sense of Presence Inventory

TAM

Technology Acceptance Model

CEGE SPGQ CAAS

Core Elements of Gaming Experience Social Presence in Gaming Questionnaire Computer Apathy and Anxiety Scale

v

Contents

  • Abstract
  • i

  • 1 Introduction
  • 1

1.1 Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Aim and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4 Thesis Outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2334

  • 2 Background and Related Work
  • 5

55677799
2.1 Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Computer Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 An Overview of Immersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.3.1 Presence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3.2 Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4 Definition of Game Immersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5 Models of Game Immersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5.1 SCI Model of Game Immersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5.2 Modified SCI Model of Game Immersion . . . . . . . . . . 10 2.5.3 Adams’ Model of Game Immersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2.5.4 Levels of Game Immersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.6 Real World Dissociation Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 2.7 Research Gap Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 2.8 Contribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

  • 3 Method
  • 16

3.1 Literature Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 3.2 Experiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2.1 Selection of Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2.1.1 Description of Dota 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 3.2.1.2 Description of Counter Strike: Global Offensive . 22
3.2.2 Participants and Sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.2.2.1 Stratified Random Sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.2.3 Questionnaire Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.2.3.1 Motivation for Choosing IEQ Questionnaire . . . 25

vi
3.2.4 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 3.2.5 Data Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3.2.5.1 Description of Independent Sample T-test . . . . 28
3.2.5.1.1 Hypothesis Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.2.5.2 Cohen’s D Effect Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

  • 4 Results
  • 32

4.1 Literature Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
4.1.1 Methods for Measuring Game Immersion . . . . . . . . . . 32
4.1.1.1 Objective Measures for Game Immersion . . . . . 32 4.1.1.2 Subjective Measures for Game Immersion . . . . 33
4.2 Experiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.2.1 Measures of Game Immersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.2.1.1 Dota 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 4.2.1.2 Counter Strike:Global Offensive . . . . . . . . . . 42

  • 5 Analysis
  • 45

5.1 Data Analysis for Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.1.1 Difference in Game Immersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.1.1.1 Independent Sample T-test . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.1.1.1.1 Hypothesis Testing for Dota 2 . . . . . . . 46 5.1.1.1.2 Hypothesis Testing for Counter Strike:Global
Offensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.1.1.2 Effect Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5.1.1.2.1 Cohen’s D for Dota 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 5.1.1.2.2 Cohen’s D for Counter Strike:Global Offensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

  • 6 Discussions and Validity Threats
  • 50

6.1 Discussions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 6.2 Threats to Validity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
6.2.1 Internal Validity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 6.2.2 External Validity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 6.2.3 Construct Validity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 6.2.4 Conclusion Validity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

  • 7 Conclusions and Future Work
  • 54

7.1 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7.1.1 Answering Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7.2 Future Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

  • References
  • 56

  • 64
  • Appendix A Game Immersion Questionnaire

vii

Appendix B Snapshot of Steam Website Appendix C Immersion scores of Dota 2
66 67

C.1 Results of experienced players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 C.2 Results of inexperienced players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

  • Appendix D Immersion Scores of CS:GO
  • 72

D.1 Results of experienced players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 D.2 Results of inexperienced players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

viii

Chapter 1

Introduction

In recent times, video games have become so engaging to millions of people all around the world and have become an integral part of their lives [1]. Some players play games for enjoyment, some for stress relaxation and so on. People enjoy themselves when engaging in activities that challenge them, where games are one such activity. Video games were once considered to be a negative activity, but recognition of the educational potential of playing video games is now increasing [1]. Video games have a wide range of positive impact as it has become a growing body of research [2]. Successful computer games share the main characteristic that is able to attract and draw people into the game. Most of the games today provide players with more opportunities for social interactions, which can produce feelings of relatedness and belonging [1]. Due to their high accessibility, a variety of games can be played in the same space on the same computer. The fun and cathartic elements of games highly motivate players, and they become so absorbed in the games that their perceptions may become distorted to a certain degree [1].

In the game world, the players can see, hear and manipulate the environment as they do in the real world [3]. Sometimes people find computer games so engaging that they lose themselves in the world of game [4]. When people play games, they necessarily don’t realize that they have been dissociated from the surrounding world [5]. Hence, while playing games, the players not only get involved with the ready-made game world but also actively participate in the field of the game. This experience is referred to as "immersion", a term used by gamers and reviewers alike [4]. Immersion, the extent to which a person feels immersed in a task or virtual world, is an important goal in computer gaming [6]. According to Brown and Cairns, game immersion is defined as the degree of involvement with the game [7]. Immersion can be experienced in a variety of different contexts, and depending upon the different aspects of experience are emphasized as being important. The concept of immersion has been considered in many contexts but it is most commonly used, for software, when related to virtual reality and games [7].

The experience of immersion is often critical to the game enjoyment and is made or

1

Chapter 1. Introduction

2destroyed by game characteristics [7]. Game immersion can be measured subjectively or objectively. The subjective measurements are collected and studied with the help of questionnaires and the objective measurements are studied through task completion times and measurements of eye movements [4]. The five factors of game immersion measured by questionnaire are stated as cognitive involvement, real world dissociation (RWD), challenge, emotional involvement and control [5]. Among these identified five factors, this research particularly deals with the RWD factor as it has been found that if a player is present in alternative game world, there may be a measurable effect on their return to the real world [4]. RWD is defined as the situation where a player is less aware about the surroundings outside the game than what is happening in the game itself [8].

1.1 Problem Statement

There is a growing interest to understand and measure the physical and social features that constitute gaming experience. Today’s generation spend more time in playing games than in other leisure activities [1]. This is because the highly immersed qualities of gaming have put them beyond the traditional entertainment media such as televisions (TVs) and movies [9]. The separation between the virtual world and the real world can no longer exist, as games involve imaginary worlds that evoke mental images of physical or social situations that does not exist leading to immersion [1]. Hence, virtual reality research has an interesting perspective on immersive experience [7]. With a growing maturity of game science as a research field, more and more studies are devoted to an empirical investigation of different experiences in gaming [10]. Engaging with media such as computer games, TVs, movies and even books have been described as giving rise to the experience of feeling deeply involved with that particular medium. Practical evidence supporting how games are engaging and effective is really needed.This is because there is a lack of research attempting to delve into the question about how players feel and what they experience through playing games [1]. When trying to understand the meaning of immersion, it is very difficult to figure out what exactly is meant by immersion. The lack of clear understanding of immersion becomes acute when moving away from virtual reality and gaming and when considering immersion in other types of software [7]. In software research, many terms have been developed as flow, presence and immersion to describe the experiences of the players in gaming. Within game reviews, the term usually used to describe such an experience is immersion, but it is not clear if this correlates to immersion in other contexts or the extent to which it has been related to other involving experiences [11]. This has led to growing need for measuring game immersion in order to evaluate up to what extent a person can get immersed while getting dissociated from the real world.

Chapter 1. Introduction

3
When people play games, due to immersion they will be less aware of the real world [5]. Playing games can have benefits as well as sometimes leads to problems, acting as a distraction from real life activities [12]. It has been recognized that computer game immersion can lead to negative consequences as game addiction, social conflicts and guilty feelings about time wastage [12]. Hence, this also led to the need for measuring immersion in computer games when a person is dissociated from the real world. Real world dissociation (RWD) factor mirrors a phenomenon which allows people to explore virtual worlds, which can sometimes be beyond one’s imagination [8]. Therefore, this research is focused on measuring game immersion subjectively, by the player, when dissociated from the real world.

1.2 Aim and Objectives

Aim: The aim of this research is to identify the most commonly used approaches to measure game immersion. To explore more about game immersion, it is compared using real world dissociation factor between experienced and inexperienced players.

Objectives:

• Explore the significance of game immersion by knowing commonly used approaches to measure it.

• Identify various methods used to measure game immersion that relate to or based on RWD factor.

• Measure game immersion between experienced and inexperienced players using questionnaires based on RWD.

• Evaluation of results based on the experiment conducted. • Find the measurable difference in game immersion between experienced and inexperienced players and compare them.

1.3 Research Questions

RQ.1. What are the most commonly used approaches for measuring game immersion? Motivation: Since there are only few studies on measuring game immersion, we first need to identify the most commonly used approaches to measure game immersion. The main objective of the first research question is to identify the current literature on game immersion.

Chapter 1. Introduction

4
RQ.2. What is the difference in game immersion, measured by RWD, between experienced and novice players? Motivation: The objective of the research question is to explore relation between the player’s subjectively perceived game immersion, as measured by the RWD factor, and the player’s level of experience (in this research categorized as experienced and inexperienced gamer). This is the way to further explore and test the possible challenges when it comes to the measuring of game immersion, using RWD factor.

1.4 Thesis Outline

The thesis is structured as follows:
• Chapter 2 covers the background and related work on game immersion. It highlights the methods used to measure game immersion which is defined by various authors.

• Chapter 3 describes the methods used in this research. Literature review and experiment are methods which are well explained how they have been conducted in this research.

• Chapter 4 includes the results obtained during the experiment conducted to measure game immersion.

• Chapter 5 demonstrates the findings of the research. The results obtained in the experiment are analyzed in this chapter.

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    Portal: Impact Guide For Players Portal and Portal 2 are games developed by Valve Corporation available for consoles and PCs. The games are first-person puzzle solving games but also provide rich narrative development, interesting characters, and have developed a strong cultural impact including merchandise and a popular series of internet memes. The popularity of the Portal series stems from the quality of the games and from the way the games teach players how to play them so seamlessly. Indeed, Portal is one of the very best games at presenting players with embodied learning and scaffolded instruction – a model for 21st century teaching. How to use this guide: Players – We’ve identified several interesting or important themes in the game. As you play through, reflect on your play. How have you experienced these themes? Are there other important ones present in the game? What kind of impact does your play allow in the larger world? Answer the questions we’ve provided – but feel free to add more at www.gamesandimpact.org. Warning: Questions contain some spoilers about the games. Theme: Problem Solving Portal begins with a player alone in a test chamber; solving puzzles is a key mechanic for both the gameplay and for the story of the game. Puzzles gradually get more difficult as players are given tools sequentially in order to build on top of their previous solutions. Game Why do you think the game doesn’t give you the portal gun immediately? What is the point of limiting you in the early part of the game? Why do you think the test chambers are designed the way they are? What do you think the game’s designers are trying to teach you? At the end of the 19 test chambers, you begin the second part of the game where you get to face GLaDOS directly.
  • Portal Prima Official Mini Eguide.Pdf 2008-05-31 12:20 3.1 MB

    Portal Prima Official Mini Eguide.Pdf 2008-05-31 12:20 3.1 MB

    PRIMA OFFICIAL GAME GUIDE DAVID SJ HODGSON STEPHEN STRATTON MIGUEL LOPEZ Prima Games David SJ Hodgson A Division of Random House, Inc. Originally hailing from the United Kingdom, David left his role as a writer of numerous 3000 Lava Ridge Court, Suite 100 British video game magazines (including Mean Machines, Computer & Video Games, Roseville, CA 95661 and the Offi cial Nintendo and Sega Saturn magazines) and a bohemian lifestyle on a dry-docked German fi shing trawler to work on the infamous GameFan magazine in www.primagames.com 1996. David helped to launch the fl edgling GameFan Books and helped form Gamers’ The Prima Games logo is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., Republic in 1998, authoring many strategy guides for Millennium Publications, registered in the United States and other countries. Primagames.com is including The Offi cial Metal Gear Solid Mission Handbook. After launching the wildly a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., registered in the United unsuccessful incite Video Gaming and Gamers.com, David found his calling, and States. began authoring guides for Prima Games. He has written over 30 Prima strategy guides, including The Godfather: The Game, Knights of the Old Republic, Perfect Dark © 2007 by Prima Games. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be Zero, Half-Life 2, and Burnout Revenge. He lives in the Pacifi c Northwest with his reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, wife, Melanie, and an eight-foot statue of Great Cthulhu. including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written permission from Prima Games.
  • Applications of Machine Learning in Dota 2: Literature Review and Practical Knowledge Sharing

    Applications of Machine Learning in Dota 2: Literature Review and Practical Knowledge Sharing

    Applications of Machine Learning in Dota 2: Literature Review and Practical Knowledge Sharing Aleksandr Semenov1, Peter Romov2;3, Kirill Neklyudov2;3, Daniil Yashkov2;3, and Daniil Kireev4 1 International Laboratory for Applied Network Research, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia 2 Yandex Data Factory, Moscow, Russia 3 Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia 4 Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract. We present the review of recent applications of Machine Learning in Dota 2. It includes prediction of the winning team from the drafting stage of the game, calculating optimal jungling paths, pre- dict the result of teamfights, recommendataion engine for the draft, and detection of in-game roles with emphasis on win prediction from team composition data. Besides that we discuss our own experience with mak- ing Dota 2 Machine Learning hachathon and Kaggle competitions. Keywords: Dota 2, MOBA, eSports, Machine Learning 1 Introduction to Dota 2 game rules and mechanics DotA 2 is an online multiplayer video game and its first part, DotA (after \De- fense of the Ancients") created a new genre, called Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA). It is played by two teams, called Radiant and Dire which con- sist of five players each. The main goal of the game is to destroy other team's \Ancient", located at the opposite corners of the map. Each of the players choose one hero to play with from a pool of 113 heroes in the drafting stage of the game (sometimes called 'picks').
  • 1935-01-04 1.Pdf

    1935-01-04 1.Pdf

    i —. E#l- •:js. w*^ *** 'E^:- J f .« s . ' IJET uS'iJSTXE •_-•> J : -: BEWARE OF fCS ROADS ' Throujhout J9S5:*> ***** J Ji>rive.{ Slowly. Yon.Are KespuisLble TSortiviil*^A Better Kaie j- ' 1 For-Your soruwii F« Your Life AmJTh2torOt%«35 • • i-Jj^'^iii u ::jS*sL.Z. -:'.te= ^oi^64, SK; ;^> :¾^¾^ ^: - laSf--^----".-; Northville, Michigan, Friday, JSiiuiry. 4, 1935" $1.50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE a.=^ ,-.,.-,. -..-^¾¾¾¾¾^ r+^ 4&S^ T .EEJiirfICYv ROADSit?r\-kiSQ , ^LDirrSift^TffiTT NORTHVlLLMH^TMV/TI f Eir 11^ U= ^HEC^tA3cE?i ~; H »1 ••" ••".-• • ' : 3 --• '•'''' - -"•: : ^ - -n ••:: • • = '" " -- ' : f IS DISCONTINUED i'c Will ; MH -E:^EE,E E^ d:- -. *:-t:.j-a::^^H-.--'.. :---41= I*- i' Warnier Weather Gomes; But Gives Way^To Predictions! E [E Formal' notice;.£as been., .received;. <-. '.'.' ..'."Of More Snow AndELbw Temperatures- .' EE i B f" -JDeposa'crs ^te;JBsd^,,tk3i; oh i>EE. Ur. -..' .-,--.. •-•* liiili iilsi •^/3i-- --:-..--=-- - •:>.-'--..-:"'%'<-. .- ,.. ... 0=?i--jcember;3i, Sertw^oeat federal taSci, Oil : \& allchecis was diSxffitiiued. -. |. i -... o:ChiU^blasts and^icy;stre.et^-that hacLprevailed ^or I jnea^lyEa^yreeki gave way^ednes^ay .and early Thursday { The twoseeht elSS-tax wasrlev-.! fto a:^n«ralJt&atv;i.;E-v•;-^5¾¾-E.-;E-:.EE-: i: -ft " I t :^::^-:¾¾¾¾¾ aadia its crg££al], # ilffi : - jfoA-sail^tb^fii^nfSi^ediintil; r- _ :-,-, .^ •-- "- - E- --- -'- -,| EE^oittyflie-^as-^KlyQmg^^ga|nEl^^^aV;-hdw-eve¥, j eiiit : t f iiulyl, 1955. ^Howevery'S-i .tlfe'-Iast • •'• E '"E^ r-. :.. - •"-. ~ . - - ; fSiEs-EE -::-E. „". -,; -. '•' iwhen a strong.^!ei-%pn^ng Mo^an^fur'ther indications- 'session of'Cosisress" "the closicsrdate if-. -• - --*:- -ts~ ^ '-- -ir> •• '• ' i93?r RoU ,bf $5d,^Jr:39 is Da g w Ra 0 5 ChiS'^ ]^a^T5 Be Fo>^ ; - E-- :•• E i Gaice In L<kal [Gyma&ixxim^s change :o the"Sst 3^¾ i^:i ° *^ : ^J ^^f*™ • Lower Thoa That Of .^'Annual Dabc^Sporisored 1.- The low^ tem^ei«rareJxecorded .during .the week' Termed- «»ic-.vi-^"Most Cruciali '• j^ norfc«-.iras 3ssBed.:tfirSs*h:tlie;-.
  • The Effects of Portal 2 and Lumosity on Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills

    The Effects of Portal 2 and Lumosity on Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills

    Computers & Education 80 (2015) 58e67 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Computers & Education journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/compedu The power of play: The effects of Portal 2 and Lumosity on cognitive and noncognitive skills * Valerie J. Shute , Matthew Ventura, Fengfeng Ke Florida State University, College of Education, 1114 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4453, USA article info abstract Article history: In this study, we tested 77 undergraduates who were randomly assigned to play either a popular video Received 11 May 2014 game (Portal 2) or a popular brain training game (Lumosity) for 8 h. Before and after gameplay, par- Received in revised form ticipants completed a set of online tests related to problem solving, spatial skill, and persistence. Results 19 July 2014 revealed that participants who were assigned to play Portal 2 showed a statistically significant advantage Accepted 23 August 2014 over Lumosity on each of the three composite measuresdproblem solving, spatial skill, and persistence. Available online 30 August 2014 Portal 2 players also showed significant increases from pretest to posttest on specific small- and large- scale spatial tests while those in the Lumosity condition did not show any pretest to posttest differ- Keywords: Assessment ences on any measure. Results are discussed in terms of the positive impact video games can have on Persistence cognitive and noncognitive skills. Problem solving © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Spatial skills Videogames 1. Introduction Most children and young adults gravitate toward digital games. The Pew Internet and American Life Project surveyed 1102 youth be- tween the ages of 12 and 17 and found that 97%dboth males (99%) and females (94%)dplay some type of digital game (Lenhart et al., 2008).
  • Investigating Steganography in Source Engine Based Video Games

    Investigating Steganography in Source Engine Based Video Games

    A NEW VILLAIN: INVESTIGATING STEGANOGRAPHY IN SOURCE ENGINE BASED VIDEO GAMES Christopher Hale Lei Chen Qingzhong Liu Department of Computer Science Department of Computer Science Department of Computer Science Sam Houston State University Sam Houston State University Sam Houston State University Huntsville, Texas Huntsville, Texas Huntsville, Texas [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Abstract—In an ever expanding field such as computer and individuals and security professionals. This paper outlines digital forensics, new threats to data privacy and legality are several of these threats and how they can be used to transmit presented daily. As such, new methods for hiding and securing illegal data and conduct potentially illegal activities. It also data need to be created. Using steganography to hide data within demonstrates how investigators can respond to these threats in video game files presents a solution to this problem. In response order to combat this emerging phenomenon in computer to this new method of data obfuscation, investigators need methods to recover specific data as it may be used to perform crime. illegal activities. This paper demonstrates the widespread impact This paper is organized as follows. In Section II we of this activity and shows how this problem is present in the real introduce the Source Engine, one of the most popular game world. Our research also details methods to perform both of these tasks: hiding and recovery data from video game files that engines, Steam, a powerful game integration and management utilize the Source gaming engine. tool, and Hammer, an excellent tool for creating virtual environment in video games.
  • The Heroic Journey of a Villain

    The Heroic Journey of a Villain

    Háskóli Íslands Hugvísindasvið Enska The Heroic Journey of a Villain The Lost and Found Humanity of an Artificial Intelligence Ritgerð til MA-prófs í Ensku Ásta Karen Ólafsdóttir Kt.: 150390-2499 Leiðbeinandi: Guðrún B. Guðsteinsdóttir Maí 2017 Abstract In this essay, we will look at the villain of the Portal franchise, the artificial intelligence GLaDOS, in context with Maureen Murdock’s theory of the “Heroine’s Journey,” from her book The Heroine’s Journey: Woman’s Quest for Wholeness. The essay argues that although GLaDOS is not a heroine in the conventional sense, she is just as important of a figure in the franchise as its protagonist, Chell. GLaDOS acts both as the first game’s narrator and villain, as she runs the Aperture Science Enrichment Center where the games take place. Unlike Chell, GLaDOS is a speaking character with a complex backstory and goes through real character development as the franchise’s story progresses. The essay is divided into four chapters, a short history of women’s part as characters in video games, an introduction to Murdock’s “The Heroine’s Journey,” and its context to John Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey,” a chapter on the Portal franchises, and then we go through “The Heroine’s Journey,” in regards to GLaDOS, and each step in its own subchapter. Our main focus will be on the second installment in the series, Portal 2. Since, in that game, GLaDOS goes through most of her heroine’s journey. In the first game, Portal, GLaDOS separates from her femininity and embraces the masculine, causing her fractured psyche, and as the player goes through Portal 2 along with her, she reclaims her femininity, finds her inner masculinity, and regains wholeness.
  • An Overview of Esports in Europe

    An Overview of Esports in Europe

    THIS REPORT IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ESPORTS BAR AN OVERVIEW OF ESPORTS IN EUROPE FEATURING AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT FOUR OF EUROPE’S MOST VIBRANT ESPORTS ECOSYSTEMS SWEDEN POLAND SPAIN GERMANY DECEMBER 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Foreword 3 2. Key Facts About Europe 4 3. European Market Trends 6 4. Local Impact 10 5. Biggest Events 15 6. Using Consumer Insights 18 FOREWORD A NEW PHASE FOR ESPORTS COMMENCES Esports is entering a new phase toward becoming a mature ESPORTS ENTERING A CRUCIAL PHASE TOWARDS MATURITY market. The coming two years will be crucial in how fast it grows into a multi-billion-dollar business. The key determining factors are the success of local leagues and the franchising approach, the implementation of regulations, the arrival of new game formats and competition, the uptake of content rights sales, team profitability, and the impact of industry convergence involving traditional media, entertainment, telecom, and sports companies. Depending on how these factors play out in the coming year or two, esports’ growth could accelerate and reach $2.4 billion in 2020 in an optimistic scenario, almost $1 billion higher than the base scenario of $1.5 billion. Europe has been one of the most important regions in the development of the esports industry. Some of the first organizations that made esports popular, especially in the West, originate from Europe. Most notable is ESL, arguably the world’s largest esports organization, which has its roots in Germany. The company has helped build and shape esports from small community events to record-breaking events, including the Intel Extreme Masters in Katowice and ESL One in Cologne.