Ada: a Journal of Gender, New Media, and Technology Issue No. 1 Confronting Toxic Gamer Culture: a Challenge for Feminist Game Studies Scholars
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Edinburgh Research Explorer
Edinburgh Research Explorer Specialization Opportunities in Graphical Workloads Citation for published version: Crawford, L & O'Boyle, M 2019, Specialization Opportunities in Graphical Workloads. in 2019 28th International Conference on Parallel Architectures and Compilation Techniques (PACT). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), pp. 272-283, 28th International Conference on Parallel Architectures and Compilation Techniques, Seattle, United States, 21/09/19. https://doi.org/10.1109/PACT.2019.00029 Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1109/PACT.2019.00029 Link: Link to publication record in Edinburgh Research Explorer Document Version: Peer reviewed version Published In: 2019 28th International Conference on Parallel Architectures and Compilation Techniques (PACT) General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Edinburgh Research Explorer is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The University of Edinburgh has made every reasonable effort to ensure that Edinburgh Research Explorer content complies with UK legislation. If you believe that the public display of this file breaches copyright please contact [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 07. Oct. 2021 Specialization Opportunities in Graphical Workloads Lewis Crawford, Michael O’Boyle School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, UK Abstract—Computer games are complex performance-critical before passing their output to the next round of shaders in the graphical applications which require specialized GPU hardware. pipeline, and eventually outputting pixel colours to the screen. -
The Development and Validation of the Game User Experience Satisfaction Scale (Guess)
THE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE GAME USER EXPERIENCE SATISFACTION SCALE (GUESS) A Dissertation by Mikki Hoang Phan Master of Arts, Wichita State University, 2012 Bachelor of Arts, Wichita State University, 2008 Submitted to the Department of Psychology and the faculty of the Graduate School of Wichita State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2015 © Copyright 2015 by Mikki Phan All Rights Reserved THE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE GAME USER EXPERIENCE SATISFACTION SCALE (GUESS) The following faculty members have examined the final copy of this dissertation for form and content, and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with a major in Psychology. _____________________________________ Barbara S. Chaparro, Committee Chair _____________________________________ Joseph Keebler, Committee Member _____________________________________ Jibo He, Committee Member _____________________________________ Darwin Dorr, Committee Member _____________________________________ Jodie Hertzog, Committee Member Accepted for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences _____________________________________ Ronald Matson, Dean Accepted for the Graduate School _____________________________________ Abu S. Masud, Interim Dean iii DEDICATION To my parents for their love and support, and all that they have sacrificed so that my siblings and I can have a better future iv Video games open worlds. — Jon-Paul Dyson v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Althea Gibson once said, “No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you.” Thus, completing this long and winding Ph.D. journey would not have been possible without a village of support and help. While words could not adequately sum up how thankful I am, I would like to start off by thanking my dissertation chair and advisor, Dr. -
Blast Off Broken Sword
ALL FORMATS LIFTING THE LID ON VIDEO GAMES Broken Sword blast off Revolution’s fight Create a jetpack in for survival Unreal Engine 4 Issue 15 £3 wfmag.cc TEARAWAYS joyful nostalgia and comic adventure in knights and bikes UPGRADE TO LEGENDARY AG273QCX 2560x1440 A Call For Unionisation hat’s the first thing that comes to mind we’re going to get industry-wide change is collectively, when you think of the games industry by working together to make all companies improve. and its working conditions? So what does collective action look like? It’s workers W Is it something that benefits workers, getting together within their companies to figure out or is it something that benefits the companies? what they want their workplace to be like. It’s workers When I first started working in the games industry, AUSTIN within a region deciding what their slice of the games the way I was treated wasn’t often something I thought KELMORE industry should be like. And it’s game workers uniting about. I was making games and living the dream! Austin Kelmore is across the world to push for the games industry to But after twelve years in the industry and a lot of a programmer and become what we know it can be: an industry that horrible experiences, it’s now hard for me to stop the Chair of Game welcomes everyone, treats its workers well, and thinking about our industry’s working conditions. Workers Unite UK, allows us to make the games we all love. That’s what a a branch of the It’s not a surprise anymore when news comes out Independent Workers unionised games industry would look like. -
Friends of the Champion
Friends of the Champion Collected by Varric Tethras Other works by Varric Tethras: The Dasher’s Men Darktown’s Deal The Viper’s Nest Hard in Hightown This edition published 9:35 (Dragon Age) Published in Kirkwall by kind permission of the Coterie of Kirkwall Sebastian...................................................2 Jennifer Hepler Aveline.......................................................10 Lukas Kristjanson Fenris .......................................................16 David Gaider Merrill....................................................23 Mary Kirby Anders.......................................................28 Jennifer Hepler Varric .......................................................35 Mary Kirby Isabela ......................................................40 Sheryl Cree Sebastian By Jennifer Hepler (9:22 Dragon) rinces aren't meant for chastity. P That's what I've been telling myself since my parents' soldiers dragged me to this cloister and left me to rot. They say I'm a disgrace to the Vael family name, that I'll be a weight around my brother's neck when he comes to rule Starkhaven. I say, if you're a prince with no power, you might as well use your title to have some fun. "Sebastian?" The voice of my jailor, Captain Leland of my parents' personal guard, loyal to the death. In this case, my death. "Do you need anything more tonight, Your Highness?" "I'm fine." Let him leave. I need to be alone. A moment, then his footsteps echo down the hall. We've done this every night; he should trust that I'll stay in my cell, obedient, asleep. 2 I unfold the note that was under my plate in the dining hall. Sebastian— I know you hate it here. If you wish to leave, come to the back entrance at midnight. I'll make sure no one disturbs us. -
Flemeth of Dragon Age
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE RESEARCH IN ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY Copyright © The Author, 2015 Volume 6, Number 2, Winter 2015 ISSN 2068 – 0317 http://compaso.eu Powerful elderly characters in video games: Flemeth of Dragon Age Elisabeta Toma1 Abstract As games are becoming an increasingly popular medium in various demographic and professional strata, scholars are discussing their content and how they shape society. However, despite an increase in gender analysis of video games, little has been written about orienting games towards an elderly audience, or game representations of aging and older persons. Games specifically designed for older persons are focused on improving cognitive functions, starting from the assumption that the elderly are in need of special games in order to repair age-related deficits. This repair-focused design philosophy comes at the expense of pursuing a broader understanding of quality of life and non-programmatic entertainment. Games-for-fun that also explicitly target the elderly as an audience are almost invisible. In this article we turn our attention to a powerful elderly feminine character in an AAA game designed for entertainment without a serious mission, namely Flemeth from Dragon Age. We discuss how the game depicts and models older characters: What repertoire of portraits has Flemeth as an old woman, in the Dragon Age games? How does Flemeth contribute to an enlarged repertoire of portrayals of old women in video games? We conclude that Flemeth’s gender and age displays in Dragon Age do not impoverish her portrayal but, on the contrary, turn her into a powerful and complex character, thus offering a model for game design to represent and invite older players. -
Design Challenge Panel
Hi guys! My name is Anna Kipnis and I work as a Senior Gameplay Programmer at Double Fine Productions. Psychonauts Brutal Legend The Cave Once Upon a Monster Costume Quest Broken Age Just a quick introduction. I’ve worked at Double Fine for 13 years now, on Psychonauts, Brütal Legend, Costume Quest, Once Upon a Monster, The Cave, Broken Age, Amnesia Fortnight Prototype I also designed a prototype for a narrative simulation game, Dear Leader. Headlander Rhombus of Ruin and now I’m working on Headlander and Psychonauts: Rhombus of Ruin. À trente ans, un homme devrait se tenir en main, savoir le compte exact de ses défauts et de ses qualités, connaître sa limite, prévoir sa défaillance - être ce qu'il est. -Albert Camus, Carnets II (janvier 1942 - mars 1951) On the subject of 30 The very first thing I thought of when I heard the theme (30 years) was this quote by Albert Camus At 30 a man should know himself like the palm of his hand, know the exact number of his defects and qualities, know how far he can go, foretell his failures - be what he is. And, above all, accept these things. -Albert Camus, (Notebooks II, Jan 1942 - Mar 1951) On the subject of 30 Here it is in English (read). This is something that I thought a lot about in my 20s, nearing that notorious milestone. And to be honest, I’m not sure that I quite succeeded in answering these questions for myself, which is why the idea of basing a game on this quote is so appealing to me. -
Rewriting the Story: Videogames Within the Post-Gamergate Society
Jones 1 Abigail Jones English 4995 Joanna Hearne Rewriting the Story: Videogames within the Post-Gamergate Society “Begin like this: If photographs are images, and films are moving images, then video games are actions.” - Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture, Alexander Galloway Staring through the scope in Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2007), as you navigate through the boggy swamps of some exotic jungle, there is never any doubt that you are in control. The operator’s thumbs roll over the toggles of the controller signaling to the consul how the character on screen must move. By enacting actions within the real world, players affect the actions of the avatar within the game world. To any well-versed videogame player, this is common knowledge; when one plays a videogame it is to be engaged within the world of the game and to ultimately achieve the programmed goal of the game. Up until the creation of the videogame, mediums of entertainment were largely spectator based. While reading a book you may turn the page, but you do not affect the ending of the book. When viewing a movie you may be actively watching, but you are not able to change the ending of the movie. But when playing a videogame the decisions made within the game determine whether the goal is reached, or if it is not: game over. In Alexander Galloway’s essay, “Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture,” he defines videogames as a medium based upon action; “There has emerged in recent years a whole new medium, computers and in particular videogames, whose foundation is not in looking and reading but in the instigation of material change through action.” It is this Jones 2 action that appeals to players--the level of interactivity and agency. -
Dragon-Age-Inquisition-Manuals
CONTENTS GETTING STARTED ............ 2 MASTERING COMBAT ........ 7 INTRODUCTION ................ 3 YOUR INQUISITOR’S STARTING YOUR JOURNEY .......................... 11 ADVENTURE ..................... 3 MULTIPLAYER ................... 15 CONTROLS ....................... 6 NEED HELP? ..................... 16 See important health and safety warnings in the system Settings menu. GETTING STARTED PLAYSTATION®4 system Starting a game: Before use, carefully read the instructions supplied with the PS4™ computer entertainment system. The documentation contains information on setting up and using your system as well as important safety information. Touch the (power) button of the PS4™ system to turn the system on. The power indicator blinks in blue, and then lights up in white. Insert the Dragon Age™: Inquisition disc with the label facing up into the disc slot. The game appears in the content area of the home screen. Select the software title in the PS4™ system’s home screen, and then press the S button. Refer to this manual for information on using the software. Quitting a game: Press and hold the p button, and then select [Close Application] on the screen that is displayed. Returning to the home screen from a game: To return to the home screen without quitting a game, press the p button. To resume playing the game select it from the content area. Removing a disc: Touch the (eject) button after quitting the game. Trophies: Earn, compare and share trophies that you earn by making specific in-game accomplishments. Trophies access requires a Sony Entertainment Network account. 2 INTRODUCTION Chaos threatens the land of Thedas. Nations clash, dragons conquer the skies, and a civil war is brewing between mages and the templars who have appointed themselves the mages’ watchers. -
Dragon-Age-Inquisition-Manuals
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................ 2 MASTERING COMBAT ........ 8 CONTROLS ....................... 3 YOUR INQUISITOR’S STARTING YOUR JOURNEY .......................... 12 ADVENTURE ..................... 5 MULTIPLAYER ................... 16 INTRODUCTION Chaos threatens the land of Thedas. Nations clash, dragons conquer the skies, and a civil war is brewing between mages and the templars who have appointed themselves the mages’ watchers. As leader of the Inquisition, it’s up to you to restore order. Recruit a party of skilled adventurers to battle at your side while you explore the vast continent of Thedas. As you take control of various strongholds and outposts, you’ll be able to upgrade and assign duties to each—and every decision you make will have an extraordinary impact on the world around you. Just remember that even the most beautiful places can be fiercely inhospitable, and danger hides where you least expect it… 2 CONTROLS Keyboard + Mouse Controls Move character W/Q/S/E Toggle Auto-run (except in Tactical G Combat mode) Position cursor mouse Rotate camera right-click (hold) + mouse (drag) Turn camera left/right A/D Zoom in/out scroll wheel Select party member (single-player only) F1/F2/F3/F4 Interact right-click Jump SPACEBAR Sprint (on foot)/Gallop (on horseback) SHIFT Tactical Combat mode T Attack left-click/R Primary abilities 1/2/3/4 Secondary abilities 5/6/7/8 Cycle targets (except in Tactical Combat mode) TAB Select potion 0/- Party attack Y Party clear commands K Party disengage L Summon mount/Dismount = Quest Map M Journal J Inventory I Character Record P Quick save F5 Quick load F9 Screenshot PrtScn Hero Menu ESC 3 Classic Controls NOTE: The control instructions in this manual refer to the Xbox 360 Controller configuration. -
Conference Booklet
30th Oct - 1st Nov CONFERENCE BOOKLET 1 2 3 INTRO REBOOT DEVELOP RED | 2019 y Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned Warmest welcome to first ever Reboot Develop it! And we are here to stay. Our ambition through Red conference. Welcome to breathtaking Banff the next few years is to turn Reboot Develop National Park and welcome to iconic Fairmont Red not just in one the best and biggest annual Banff Springs. It all feels a bit like history repeating games industry and game developers conferences to me. When we were starting our European older in Canada and North America, but in the world! sister, Reboot Develop Blue conference, everybody We are committed to stay at this beautiful venue was full of doubts on why somebody would ever and in this incredible nature and astonishing choose a beautiful yet a bit remote place to host surroundings for the next few forthcoming years one of the biggest worldwide gatherings of the and make it THE annual key gathering spot of the international games industry. In the end, it turned international games industry. We will need all of into one of the biggest and highest-rated games your help and support on the way! industry conferences in the world. And here we are yet again at the beginning, in one of the most Thank you from the bottom of the heart for all beautiful and serene places on Earth, at one of the the support shown so far, and even more for the most unique and luxurious venues as well, and in forthcoming one! the company of some of the greatest minds that the games industry has to offer! _Damir Durovic -
Enabling the Localization of Large Role-Playing Games Four Recorded Languages: French, Italian, Ger- Is to Put Together As Complete a Localization Man and Polish)
In order to achieve total immersion in the game world, TRANS · núm. 15 · 2011 DOSSIER · 39-51 increasing therefore player’ satisfaction, localization should ideally aim at creating complete suspension of disbelief. However, time constraints and constant design and script changes mean that localisation is sometimes forced to trade quality in favor of speed, because missing release dates can mean multimillion losses. This article explains the strategies BioWare has developed internally to counteract the problems provoked by long-established game development practices with the ultimate goal of supporting quality localization from the start, and so guaranteeing players’ suspension of disbelief whatever the language version they play. key words: multiplayer, localization, role-playing, video game, online, MMO, RPG Enabling the Localization of Large Role-Playing Games Facilitando la localización de videojuegos de rol masivos Con el objeto de lograr la inmersión absoluta en el mundo virtual del videojuego, aumentando así la satisfacción del jugador, la localización debe conseguir el ideal de la total suspensión de la incredulidad. Sin embargo, los cortos pla- zos así como cambios constantes de diseño y guión a veces obligan a que la localización tenga que cambiar calidad por velocidad, porque el cambio de las fechas de lanzamiento suele provocar pérdidas multimillonarias. Este artículo explica las estrategias que BioWare ha desarrollado inter- hris hristou C C namente para contrarrestar los problemas provocados por Lead Localization Tools Programmer, BioWare las prácticas tradicionales en la industria del videojuego. Jenny MCKearney El objetivo es facilitar un proceso de localización de alta Localization Producer, BioWare calidad desde el principio del desarrollo, de modo que se ryan warden garantice la suspensión de la incredulidad de los jugadores independientemente de la lengua en la que estén jugando. -
Toward a Deeper Understanding of Branching Dialogue Systems
TOWARD A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF BRANCHING DIALOGUE SYSTEMS LEANNE C. TAYLOR-GILES BFA (Creative Writing Production) Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters by Research. CREATIVE INDUSTRIES FACULTY QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 2014 Leanne C. Taylor-Giles -- Understanding Branching Dialogue Systems Keywords Agency; branching dialogue systems; conversation architecture; creative writing; critical path; emergent narrative; emotional interface; immersion; interaction design; interactive narrative; literary criticism; narrative design; player character; practice-led; roleplaying video games; writing for video games. 2 – Creative Industries, QUT Understanding Branching Dialogue Systems – Leanne C. Taylor-Giles Abstract This exegesis addresses the concept of writing for video games, and specifically the branching dialogue systems available within contemporary roleplaying video games. It suggests a taxonomy for the critique of interactive narratives, and seeks to answer the question of whether branching dialogues may be separated from their medium in order to apply more traditional methods of literary criticism. The exegesis covers the critique of four contemporary roleplaying video games that are rated as the ‘best’ from among the offerings of the current video game development industry. It also examines the author’s personal works from both an internal and external standpoint, to further elucidate the aspects of writing for branching dialogues and interactive media that have yet to be discussed from a practitioner’s point of view within an academic context. As a conclusion, the exegesis presents a final project aimed at supporting the reflections and discoveries made throughout, providing a first-hand look at a game writer’s unedited creative process and the methods by which greater interactivity with non-player characters may be achieved.