2025
Mayer, Aska; Mäyrä, Frans; Raisamo, Roope
Playing with Augmented Bodies: Dystopian and Protopian Experiences of Human Augmentation in Digital Games Journal Article
In: Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 2025, ISSN: 1354-8565.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Augmentation, Digital games
@article{nokey,
title = {Playing with Augmented Bodies: Dystopian and Protopian Experiences of Human Augmentation in Digital Games },
author = {Aska Mayer and Frans Mäyrä and Roope Raisamo},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565251331455},
doi = {10.1177/13548565251331455},
issn = {1354-8565},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-04-03},
urldate = {2025-04-03},
journal = {Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies},
abstract = {In this paper, we will present the horror game SOMA and the artistic game Morphogenic Angels: Chapter 1 as exemplary cases within science fiction for the expression and experience of cultural understandings of technologically augmented beings and environments. Locating contemporary cultural myths of technology within both games, we will show the protopian and dystopian function of both cases and locate them in a broad socio-cultural context of technology forecasting. Considering the specific nature of the digital game as an in-itself augmenting technological medium, we will additionally introduce a somaesthetic perspective of player experience to the game analysis, in order to point out the relevance of the immediate bodily perception of games for informing the reflection of diegetic realities. Finally, this paper will provide an overview on how science-fiction games represent and establish experiences and reflections of the progressing augmentation of bodies and their environment.},
keywords = {Augmentation, Digital games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In this paper, we will present the horror game SOMA and the artistic game Morphogenic Angels: Chapter 1 as exemplary cases within science fiction for the expression and experience of cultural understandings of technologically augmented beings and environments. Locating contemporary cultural myths of technology within both games, we will show the protopian and dystopian function of both cases and locate them in a broad socio-cultural context of technology forecasting. Considering the specific nature of the digital game as an in-itself augmenting technological medium, we will additionally introduce a somaesthetic perspective of player experience to the game analysis, in order to point out the relevance of the immediate bodily perception of games for informing the reflection of diegetic realities. Finally, this paper will provide an overview on how science-fiction games represent and establish experiences and reflections of the progressing augmentation of bodies and their environment.
2024
Färberböck, Peter; Mayer, Aska
Non si può guarire: An (Idea)historical Approach to Plague Games and Death in the Streets Proceedings Article
In: The Middle Ages in Modern Games: Conference Proceedings, pp. 33-37, The Public Medievalist, 2024.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Baroque, Digital games, Historical approach, Plague games
@inproceedings{Färberböck2024,
title = {Non si può guarire: An (Idea)historical Approach to Plague Games and Death in the Streets},
author = {Peter Färberböck and Aska Mayer},
url = {https://uni-salzburg.elsevierpure.com/en/publications/non-si-pu%C3%B2-guarire-an-ideahistorical-approach-to-plague-games-and
https://issuu.com/theuniversityofwinchester/docs/mamg23_proceedings},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-03-14},
urldate = {2024-03-14},
booktitle = {The Middle Ages in Modern Games: Conference Proceedings},
volume = {4},
pages = {33-37},
publisher = {The Public Medievalist},
abstract = {“We cannot be cured, we all must die!”
With this line, the historical song Homo Fugit Velut Umbra pronounces the fatality of experiencing the European plague, bringing to sound the manifold visual depictions of plague and suffering in urban environments by baroque painters. The message of these baroque examples of Plague Art is as simple as it is intense: No one can escape the pandemic death.
Within the following text, we will trace the idea-historical continuum of this message from the art of late mediaeval times to the contemporary digital game. Contextualized within the concept of neo-baroque, as established by Calabrese3 and Ndalianis4, we will introduce the depiction of death and critical shifts of established societal structures and present the specific relevance of the spatial trope of streets and its relation to the messages of Plague Art and Games.
By relating Plague Art with contemporary Digital Games, we do not only present a reemergence of historical patterns of representation, but also in the spirit of Ndalianis attempt to develop a “clearer understanding of the significance of (contemporary) cultural objects and their function” by examining their past counterparts.},
keywords = {Baroque, Digital games, Historical approach, Plague games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
“We cannot be cured, we all must die!”
With this line, the historical song Homo Fugit Velut Umbra pronounces the fatality of experiencing the European plague, bringing to sound the manifold visual depictions of plague and suffering in urban environments by baroque painters. The message of these baroque examples of Plague Art is as simple as it is intense: No one can escape the pandemic death.
Within the following text, we will trace the idea-historical continuum of this message from the art of late mediaeval times to the contemporary digital game. Contextualized within the concept of neo-baroque, as established by Calabrese3 and Ndalianis4, we will introduce the depiction of death and critical shifts of established societal structures and present the specific relevance of the spatial trope of streets and its relation to the messages of Plague Art and Games.
By relating Plague Art with contemporary Digital Games, we do not only present a reemergence of historical patterns of representation, but also in the spirit of Ndalianis attempt to develop a “clearer understanding of the significance of (contemporary) cultural objects and their function” by examining their past counterparts.
With this line, the historical song Homo Fugit Velut Umbra pronounces the fatality of experiencing the European plague, bringing to sound the manifold visual depictions of plague and suffering in urban environments by baroque painters. The message of these baroque examples of Plague Art is as simple as it is intense: No one can escape the pandemic death.
Within the following text, we will trace the idea-historical continuum of this message from the art of late mediaeval times to the contemporary digital game. Contextualized within the concept of neo-baroque, as established by Calabrese3 and Ndalianis4, we will introduce the depiction of death and critical shifts of established societal structures and present the specific relevance of the spatial trope of streets and its relation to the messages of Plague Art and Games.
By relating Plague Art with contemporary Digital Games, we do not only present a reemergence of historical patterns of representation, but also in the spirit of Ndalianis attempt to develop a “clearer understanding of the significance of (contemporary) cultural objects and their function” by examining their past counterparts.
Reer, Felix; Siitonen, Marko; de la Hera, Teresa (Ed.)
Editorial: The Dark and the Light Side of Gaming Collection
2024.
Links | Tags: Digital games, Gaming communities, Media effects, Media use, Video game culture
@collection{Reer2024,
title = {Editorial: The Dark and the Light Side of Gaming},
editor = {Felix Reer and Marko Siitonen and Teresa de la Hera },
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1349479},
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1349479},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-09},
urldate = {2024-01-09},
booktitle = {Frontiers in Psychology},
volume = {14},
keywords = {Digital games, Gaming communities, Media effects, Media use, Video game culture},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {collection}
}
2023
Wiik, Elisa; Alha, Kati
Playing on Life’s Terms: Behavioral Strategies for Changing Situations Journal Article
In: Eludamos: Journal for Computer Game Culture, vol. 14, iss. 1, pp. 125–145, 2023, ISSN: 1866-6124.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Analog games, Casual games, Casual play, Changes, Digital games, Lapsed players, Leisure studies
@article{Wiik2023b,
title = {Playing on Life’s Terms: Behavioral Strategies for Changing Situations},
author = {Elisa Wiik and Kati Alha },
url = {https://doi.org/10.7557/23.7115
https://eludamos.org/index.php/eludamos/article/view/7115},
doi = {10.7557/23.7115},
issn = {1866-6124},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-12-14},
urldate = {2023-12-14},
journal = {Eludamos: Journal for Computer Game Culture},
volume = {14},
issue = {1},
pages = {125–145},
abstract = {This article sheds light on the changes to play habits when there is not as much time or possibilities to play as before. The research is based on a survey and interviews of Finnish former active players, who now played less or had quit some game types they used to enjoy. Most of the respondents still played something, but the playing had changed on the level of games, playstyles, time management, and content. These changes were then used as behavioral strategies to keep gaming as a part of the changing lives: shifting to lighter options, integrating playing into everyday life, redefining co-play, and focusing on opportunities. The results highlight the complexity and continuity of the changes and negotiations, and further hint at how the borders of casual and hardcore playing are fluid and mixed. This complexity and fluidity of play should be the starting point of a game design that must be heard in the public and academic discourses around gaming.},
keywords = {Analog games, Casual games, Casual play, Changes, Digital games, Lapsed players, Leisure studies},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This article sheds light on the changes to play habits when there is not as much time or possibilities to play as before. The research is based on a survey and interviews of Finnish former active players, who now played less or had quit some game types they used to enjoy. Most of the respondents still played something, but the playing had changed on the level of games, playstyles, time management, and content. These changes were then used as behavioral strategies to keep gaming as a part of the changing lives: shifting to lighter options, integrating playing into everyday life, redefining co-play, and focusing on opportunities. The results highlight the complexity and continuity of the changes and negotiations, and further hint at how the borders of casual and hardcore playing are fluid and mixed. This complexity and fluidity of play should be the starting point of a game design that must be heard in the public and academic discourses around gaming.
Korkeila, Henry
Resources, Capital, and Players Inside the Game Worlds: Bourdieusian Approach to Game Cultures PhD Thesis
2023, ISBN: 978-951-29-9269-0 .
Abstract | Links | Tags: Capital, Digital games, MMORPGs, Online
@phdthesis{nokey,
title = {Resources, Capital, and Players Inside the Game Worlds: Bourdieusian Approach to Game Cultures},
author = {Henry Korkeila},
url = {https://www.utupub.fi/handle/10024/174529},
isbn = {978-951-29-9269-0 },
year = {2023},
date = {2023-05-25},
publisher = {University of Turku},
abstract = {Online gaming is all the time more ubiquitous. With the World becoming increasingly digitized and inter-connected, it is no wonder that the most popular pastime, gaming, is reachable quite literally anywhere. With this popularity comes the multitude of choices to fulfil any gamer’s needs and satisfaction for interactive media as companies are trying to tap into the ever-growing market. Some play to spend time with family and friends, some play to dominate others, some play to become rich, and everything in-between. The online game worlds, especially the games in the genre of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, can house inhabitants of all backgrounds, with all types of motivations, and offer more than enough activities for the inhabitants to enjoy.
Despite the immense success of certain games that have defined the future of their respective genre, the research into the immersive and complex virtual worlds has been heavily focusing on aspects and effects external to the game and the act of gaming itself. There is a stern lack of focus on the happenings and lives of the inhabitants of the virtual worlds, apart from very few autoethnographies that attempt to go beneath the surface to explain the affordances that exists. Studies still largely focus on the players before and after they play the games where the in-game actions are rather nuance than the focus.
This dissertation shifts the focus upside-down and explores, and explains, deeply through the resources circulating in and around the online multiplayer game worlds with the players themselves being rather side-lined. Used methods include quantitative survey, scoping review, qualitative, and frequency count. This dissertation shows that there just as many ways to live inside the game worlds as there are players. Thus, the main arguments of the work are related to: 1) socializing, the numerous ways to do so, and the importance of it inside the game worlds; 2) the ways avatars and players are able to, or willing to, accumulate resources; 3) using Bourdieusian approach to resources as types of capital is feasible and offers unique insight into the happenings of game worlds; 4) the types of capital as they have more nuance to them in the domain of video games than their broad definitions might let one expect.
The results promote the view, that despite the sheer power of statistical analysis to categorize players, there can be found unique approaches to the games varying from the motivations and demographical attributes to focusing on the betterment of the game’s community through discussion forums. Every instance and every approach to gaming is just as valid as any other, which might seem like an obvious statement, but it is clear that the player-bases and sometimes even scholars forget about those playstyles that are in the margin. Further, the results increase the knowledge of how resourceful avatars can be, and what are possibly some intra-game and extra-game limiting factors on how well an entity can utilize the possible affordances. The academia has studies about the social life inside the game worlds, and studies about capital as resource around the game worlds, but they are rarely combined. Even more rare are the comprehensive studies taking a wider look on the life of the citizen of the game worlds with specific research aims or questions in mind. This dissertation gives multi-layered insight into this phenomenon with tangible examples to deliver a very precise message.
For one to understand the avatars of games, one must think and approach them as conscious entities rather than only as tools for enjoyment. There is so much more going in the virtual worlds than one mere dissertation can ever include within its pages.},
keywords = {Capital, Digital games, MMORPGs, Online},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
Online gaming is all the time more ubiquitous. With the World becoming increasingly digitized and inter-connected, it is no wonder that the most popular pastime, gaming, is reachable quite literally anywhere. With this popularity comes the multitude of choices to fulfil any gamer’s needs and satisfaction for interactive media as companies are trying to tap into the ever-growing market. Some play to spend time with family and friends, some play to dominate others, some play to become rich, and everything in-between. The online game worlds, especially the games in the genre of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, can house inhabitants of all backgrounds, with all types of motivations, and offer more than enough activities for the inhabitants to enjoy.
Despite the immense success of certain games that have defined the future of their respective genre, the research into the immersive and complex virtual worlds has been heavily focusing on aspects and effects external to the game and the act of gaming itself. There is a stern lack of focus on the happenings and lives of the inhabitants of the virtual worlds, apart from very few autoethnographies that attempt to go beneath the surface to explain the affordances that exists. Studies still largely focus on the players before and after they play the games where the in-game actions are rather nuance than the focus.
This dissertation shifts the focus upside-down and explores, and explains, deeply through the resources circulating in and around the online multiplayer game worlds with the players themselves being rather side-lined. Used methods include quantitative survey, scoping review, qualitative, and frequency count. This dissertation shows that there just as many ways to live inside the game worlds as there are players. Thus, the main arguments of the work are related to: 1) socializing, the numerous ways to do so, and the importance of it inside the game worlds; 2) the ways avatars and players are able to, or willing to, accumulate resources; 3) using Bourdieusian approach to resources as types of capital is feasible and offers unique insight into the happenings of game worlds; 4) the types of capital as they have more nuance to them in the domain of video games than their broad definitions might let one expect.
The results promote the view, that despite the sheer power of statistical analysis to categorize players, there can be found unique approaches to the games varying from the motivations and demographical attributes to focusing on the betterment of the game’s community through discussion forums. Every instance and every approach to gaming is just as valid as any other, which might seem like an obvious statement, but it is clear that the player-bases and sometimes even scholars forget about those playstyles that are in the margin. Further, the results increase the knowledge of how resourceful avatars can be, and what are possibly some intra-game and extra-game limiting factors on how well an entity can utilize the possible affordances. The academia has studies about the social life inside the game worlds, and studies about capital as resource around the game worlds, but they are rarely combined. Even more rare are the comprehensive studies taking a wider look on the life of the citizen of the game worlds with specific research aims or questions in mind. This dissertation gives multi-layered insight into this phenomenon with tangible examples to deliver a very precise message.
For one to understand the avatars of games, one must think and approach them as conscious entities rather than only as tools for enjoyment. There is so much more going in the virtual worlds than one mere dissertation can ever include within its pages.
Despite the immense success of certain games that have defined the future of their respective genre, the research into the immersive and complex virtual worlds has been heavily focusing on aspects and effects external to the game and the act of gaming itself. There is a stern lack of focus on the happenings and lives of the inhabitants of the virtual worlds, apart from very few autoethnographies that attempt to go beneath the surface to explain the affordances that exists. Studies still largely focus on the players before and after they play the games where the in-game actions are rather nuance than the focus.
This dissertation shifts the focus upside-down and explores, and explains, deeply through the resources circulating in and around the online multiplayer game worlds with the players themselves being rather side-lined. Used methods include quantitative survey, scoping review, qualitative, and frequency count. This dissertation shows that there just as many ways to live inside the game worlds as there are players. Thus, the main arguments of the work are related to: 1) socializing, the numerous ways to do so, and the importance of it inside the game worlds; 2) the ways avatars and players are able to, or willing to, accumulate resources; 3) using Bourdieusian approach to resources as types of capital is feasible and offers unique insight into the happenings of game worlds; 4) the types of capital as they have more nuance to them in the domain of video games than their broad definitions might let one expect.
The results promote the view, that despite the sheer power of statistical analysis to categorize players, there can be found unique approaches to the games varying from the motivations and demographical attributes to focusing on the betterment of the game’s community through discussion forums. Every instance and every approach to gaming is just as valid as any other, which might seem like an obvious statement, but it is clear that the player-bases and sometimes even scholars forget about those playstyles that are in the margin. Further, the results increase the knowledge of how resourceful avatars can be, and what are possibly some intra-game and extra-game limiting factors on how well an entity can utilize the possible affordances. The academia has studies about the social life inside the game worlds, and studies about capital as resource around the game worlds, but they are rarely combined. Even more rare are the comprehensive studies taking a wider look on the life of the citizen of the game worlds with specific research aims or questions in mind. This dissertation gives multi-layered insight into this phenomenon with tangible examples to deliver a very precise message.
For one to understand the avatars of games, one must think and approach them as conscious entities rather than only as tools for enjoyment. There is so much more going in the virtual worlds than one mere dissertation can ever include within its pages.
Wiik, Elisa
“I Just Can’t Commit to That Level Anymore”: Players, Demands of Games, and Player Services Journal Article
In: American Journal of Play, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 82-109, 2023, ISSN: 1938-0399.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Analog games, Digital games, Game demands, Player services, Quitting game play
@article{Wiik2023,
title = {“I Just Can’t Commit to That Level Anymore”: Players, Demands of Games, and Player Services},
author = {Elisa Wiik},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202305165814
https://www.museumofplay.org/journalofplay/issues/volume-15-number-1/
https://www.museumofplay.org/app/uploads/2023/04/15-1-Article-5-Cant-Commit.pdf},
issn = {1938-0399},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-05-16},
urldate = {2023-05-16},
journal = {American Journal of Play},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {82-109},
abstract = {People, the author holds, instinctively believe quitting a game to be a simple choice: you are either playing or you are not. But she finds quitting play more complex. To understand better the whole ecosystem of play, she maps out the reasons Finnish players abandon or reduce their gaming and examines these reasons through the lens of specific demands. Using an online survey and interviews, she reveals that the dedication and effort needed to play—and the expected audience for a game—can drive players away from the games they once so enjoyed. She concludes that using the player service model promoted by Jaako Stenros and Olli Sotamaa in 2009 can identify the actions game designers might take to lessen the effect of these game demands.},
keywords = {Analog games, Digital games, Game demands, Player services, Quitting game play},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
People, the author holds, instinctively believe quitting a game to be a simple choice: you are either playing or you are not. But she finds quitting play more complex. To understand better the whole ecosystem of play, she maps out the reasons Finnish players abandon or reduce their gaming and examines these reasons through the lens of specific demands. Using an online survey and interviews, she reveals that the dedication and effort needed to play—and the expected audience for a game—can drive players away from the games they once so enjoyed. She concludes that using the player service model promoted by Jaako Stenros and Olli Sotamaa in 2009 can identify the actions game designers might take to lessen the effect of these game demands.
Siitonen, Marko
Playing Critically: Using Digital Intercultural Simulation Games in Higher Education Book Section
In: Sommier, Melodine; Roiha, Anssi; Lahti, Malgorzata (Ed.): Interculturality in Higher Education: Putting Critical Approaches into Practice, pp. 131-146, Routledge, 2023, ISBN: 978-1-003-32270-2.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Critical pedagogy, Cultural competence, Digital games, Educational games, Higher education, Intercultural interaction, Interculturalism, Simulation games
@incollection{Siitonen2023,
title = {Playing Critically: Using Digital Intercultural Simulation Games in Higher Education},
author = {Marko Siitonen},
editor = {Melodine Sommier and Anssi Roiha and Malgorzata Lahti},
url = {https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003322702-9/playing-critically-marko-siitonen
https://converis.jyu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/164645380?auxfun=&lang=en_GB
},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003322702-9},
isbn = {978-1-003-32270-2},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-31},
urldate = {2023-01-31},
booktitle = {Interculturality in Higher Education: Putting Critical Approaches into Practice},
pages = {131-146},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {Intercultural educators have long used simulation games as pedagogical tools. Research has indicated their great potential for purposes such as teaching ethics and civics which align with the aims of critical pedagogy. These include facilitating dialogue, illustrating the dynamics of systemic structures, the centrality of language and communication, and understanding the fluidity and complexity of systemic power and privilege in general. Still, there are also certain difficulties or weaknesses, the most notable of which is the juxtaposition of simulations’ tendency to simplify reality and critical pedagogy’s aim to uncover the complex ways in which structures and power are intertwined. This chapter considers possible starting points for designing and utilising simulation games in critical intercultural education. Looking at game design, the concepts of games of emergence and procedural rhetoric are considered. Regarding gameplay and the following debriefing, the concept of a ‘third space’ is explored as a possible way into imagining differently.},
keywords = {Critical pedagogy, Cultural competence, Digital games, Educational games, Higher education, Intercultural interaction, Interculturalism, Simulation games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Intercultural educators have long used simulation games as pedagogical tools. Research has indicated their great potential for purposes such as teaching ethics and civics which align with the aims of critical pedagogy. These include facilitating dialogue, illustrating the dynamics of systemic structures, the centrality of language and communication, and understanding the fluidity and complexity of systemic power and privilege in general. Still, there are also certain difficulties or weaknesses, the most notable of which is the juxtaposition of simulations’ tendency to simplify reality and critical pedagogy’s aim to uncover the complex ways in which structures and power are intertwined. This chapter considers possible starting points for designing and utilising simulation games in critical intercultural education. Looking at game design, the concepts of games of emergence and procedural rhetoric are considered. Regarding gameplay and the following debriefing, the concept of a ‘third space’ is explored as a possible way into imagining differently.
Mattinen, Topias; Macey, Joseph; Hamari, Juho
Gambling in Digital Games and Esports: A Scoping Review Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 56th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, pp. 3921-3930, IEEE Computer Society, 2023, ISSN: 2572-6862.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digital games, Esports, Gambling, Gambling-like activities, Scoping review
@inproceedings{Mattinen2023,
title = {Gambling in Digital Games and Esports: A Scoping Review},
author = {Topias Mattinen and Joseph Macey and Juho Hamari},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10125/103110
https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/c9744b39-341b-49e3-96c7-8ea244060cc7/content},
issn = {2572-6862},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-03},
urldate = {2023-01-03},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 56th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences},
pages = {3921-3930},
publisher = {IEEE Computer Society},
abstract = {The convergence of gaming and gambling has become increasingly prominent in recent years, most notably in the context of esports. Consequently, there has been a recent surge of literature investigating this phenomenon. This convergence is often driven by the commercial advantages it offers, yet there are concerns over the effects of mixing gambling with gaming, both in relation to the quality of experiences, and possible ethical problems. In this scoping review of the related corpus, we explore the development of work addressing the presence of gambling associated with digital games; examining methodologies, research topics, the specific gambling activities addressed, and identifying gaps present in the field. The body of literature reviewed consists of peer-reviewed, English language publications (n=132). Our findings indicate a sharp increase in yearly publications in the late 2010s, attributed partly due to rising interest in novel gambling activities, such as loot boxes. We recommend future research incorporates both qualitative and mixed methods research to provide the field with results unavailable at current time.},
keywords = {Digital games, Esports, Gambling, Gambling-like activities, Scoping review},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
The convergence of gaming and gambling has become increasingly prominent in recent years, most notably in the context of esports. Consequently, there has been a recent surge of literature investigating this phenomenon. This convergence is often driven by the commercial advantages it offers, yet there are concerns over the effects of mixing gambling with gaming, both in relation to the quality of experiences, and possible ethical problems. In this scoping review of the related corpus, we explore the development of work addressing the presence of gambling associated with digital games; examining methodologies, research topics, the specific gambling activities addressed, and identifying gaps present in the field. The body of literature reviewed consists of peer-reviewed, English language publications (n=132). Our findings indicate a sharp increase in yearly publications in the late 2010s, attributed partly due to rising interest in novel gambling activities, such as loot boxes. We recommend future research incorporates both qualitative and mixed methods research to provide the field with results unavailable at current time.
2022
Karhulahti, Veli-Matti
Digipelaaminen ja työelämä other
2022.
Links | Tags: Concentration, Digital games, Electronic sports, Games, Performance, Playing, Problem gambling, Work efficiency, Working life
@other{Karhulahti2022h,
title = {Digipelaaminen ja työelämä},
author = {Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
editor = {Hannu Alho and Mauri Aalto and Sari Castrén and Mari Pajula},
url = {https://converis.jyu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/144313570?auxfun=&lang=en_GB
},
isbn = {978-952-360-061-4},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-12-30},
urldate = {2022-12-30},
booktitle = {Peliriippuvuus},
pages = {177},
publisher = {Kustannus Oy Duodecim},
keywords = {Concentration, Digital games, Electronic sports, Games, Performance, Playing, Problem gambling, Work efficiency, Working life},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {other}
}
Meriläinen, Mikko
Digipelihaittojen ehkäisy other
2022.
Links | Tags: Digital games, Harm reduction, Harms
@other{Meriläinen2022c,
title = {Digipelihaittojen ehkäisy},
author = {Mikko Meriläinen},
editor = {Hannu Alho and Mauri Aalto and Sari Castrén and Mari Pajula},
url = {https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/publications/digipelihaittojen-ehk%C3%A4isy},
isbn = {978-952-360-061-4},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-12-30},
urldate = {2022-12-30},
booktitle = {Peliriippuvuus},
pages = {192-196},
publisher = {Kustannus Oy Duodecim},
keywords = {Digital games, Harm reduction, Harms},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {other}
}
Meriläinen, Mikko; Kinnunen, Jani
Digipelien ominaisuuksien vaikutus riippuvuus- tai haittariskiin other
2022.
Links | Tags: Addiction, Digital games, Harms
@other{Meriläinen2022d,
title = {Digipelien ominaisuuksien vaikutus riippuvuus- tai haittariskiin},
author = {Mikko Meriläinen and Jani Kinnunen},
editor = {Hannu Alho and Mauri Aalto and Sari Castrén and Mari Pajula},
url = {https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/publications/digipelien-ominaisuuksien-vaikutus-riippuvuus-tai-haittariskiin},
isbn = {978-952-360-061-4},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-12-30},
urldate = {2022-12-30},
booktitle = {Peliriippuvuus},
pages = {56-57},
publisher = {Kustannus Oy Duodecim},
keywords = {Addiction, Digital games, Harms},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {other}
}
Meriläinen, Mikko; Kinnunen, Jani
Digipelien ominaisuudet ja koukuttavuus other
2022.
Links | Tags: Addiction, Addictive, Digital games
@other{Meriläinen2022e,
title = {Digipelien ominaisuudet ja koukuttavuus},
author = {Mikko Meriläinen and Jani Kinnunen},
editor = {Hannu Alho and Mauri Aalto and Sari Castrén and Mari Pajula},
url = {https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/publications/digipelien-ominaisuudet-ja-koukuttavuus},
isbn = {978-952-360-061-4},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-12-30},
urldate = {2022-12-30},
booktitle = {Peliriippuvuus},
pages = {53-56},
publisher = {Kustannus Oy Duodecim},
keywords = {Addiction, Addictive, Digital games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {other}
}
Baltzar, Pauliina; Turunen, Markku; Hassan, Lobna
Popular Accessibility Settings in Digital Games: What Accessibility Settings Do Players with Disabilities Use and Need? Proceedings Article
In: Academic Mindtrek '22: Proceedings of the 25th International Academic Mindtrek Conference , pp. 359-363, Academic Mindtrek, 2022.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Accessibility, Digital games, Disabilities, Players
@inproceedings{Hassan2022,
title = {Popular Accessibility Settings in Digital Games: What Accessibility Settings Do Players with Disabilities Use and Need?},
author = {Pauliina Baltzar and Markku Turunen and Lobna Hassan},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3569219.3569335
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365286858_Popular_Accessibility_Settings_in_Digital_Games_What_accessibility_settings_do_players_with_disabilities_use_and_need},
doi = {10.1145/3569219.3569335},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-11-16},
urldate = {2022-11-16},
booktitle = {Academic Mindtrek '22: Proceedings of the 25th International Academic Mindtrek Conference
},
pages = {359-363},
publisher = {Academic Mindtrek},
abstract = {This study aims to answer the following research questions: 1. What accessibility settings do people with disabilities use in digital games? and 2. What accessibility settings would make games more accessible for players with disabilities? The questions are answered by using survey data focusing on playing digital games as a disabled person, in total 93 answers were analyzed. The findings suggests that people with disabilities use different accessibility settings which are mostly centered around controlling the game, language, gameplay, visuals, audio, and adaptive devices. Yet, these same options are mentioned as also wished for settings to improve game accessibility. These findings suggest that already existing accessibility settings are useful and should be added to all games to make them more accessible, and that the lack of game accessibility experienced is not necessarily due to lack of knowhow on how to implement accessibility but the lack of commitment in implementing it in mainstream games that it remains a wish.},
keywords = {Accessibility, Digital games, Disabilities, Players},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
This study aims to answer the following research questions: 1. What accessibility settings do people with disabilities use in digital games? and 2. What accessibility settings would make games more accessible for players with disabilities? The questions are answered by using survey data focusing on playing digital games as a disabled person, in total 93 answers were analyzed. The findings suggests that people with disabilities use different accessibility settings which are mostly centered around controlling the game, language, gameplay, visuals, audio, and adaptive devices. Yet, these same options are mentioned as also wished for settings to improve game accessibility. These findings suggest that already existing accessibility settings are useful and should be added to all games to make them more accessible, and that the lack of game accessibility experienced is not necessarily due to lack of knowhow on how to implement accessibility but the lack of commitment in implementing it in mainstream games that it remains a wish.
Suominen, Jaakko; Silvast, Antti; Pasanen, Tero; Reunanen, Markku
Uutuudesta yhteiskunnan osaksi: Instituutionäkökulma pelialan kulttuuriseen omaksumiseen 1990-luvulta 2010-luvulle Journal Article
In: Widerscreen, vol. 25, iss. 1-2, 2022, ISSN: 1795-6161.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digitaaliset pelit, Digital games, Institutions, Instituutiot, Mediasosiologia, Omaksuminen, Tieteen- ja teknologiantutkimus
@article{Suominen2022,
title = {Uutuudesta yhteiskunnan osaksi: Instituutionäkökulma pelialan kulttuuriseen omaksumiseen 1990-luvulta 2010-luvulle},
author = {Jaakko Suominen and Antti Silvast and Tero Pasanen and Markku Reunanen},
url = {http://widerscreen.fi/numerot/2022-1-2/uutuudesta-yhteiskunnan-osaksi-instituutionakokulma-pelialan-kulttuuriseen-omaksumiseen-1990-luvulta-2010-luvulle/},
issn = {1795-6161},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-09-15},
urldate = {2022-09-15},
journal = {Widerscreen},
volume = {25},
issue = {1-2},
abstract = {Digitaalisen pelaamisen arkipäiväistyminen on tuonut pelit julkiseen keskusteluun viimeistään 1990-luvulta lähtien. Artikkelissa tutkitaan digitaalisen pelialan omaksumista Suomessa instituutioiden synnyn ja muodonmuutosten kautta. Artikkeli käsittelee muodonmuutoksia neljällä keskeisellä, mutta toisistaan eroavalla alueella: koulutusjärjestelmissä, pelialan julkisessa rahoituksessa, elektronisessa urheilussa ja kulttuuriperinnön säilyttämiseen tähtäävissä muistiorganisaatioissa. Artikkeli soveltaa Mikael Hårdin ja Andrew Jamisonin käsitteellistä mallia tieteen ja teknologian kulttuurisesta omaksumisesta ja rakentaa kulttuuri- ja yhteiskuntatieteellistä ymmärrystä omaksumiseen liittyvistä institutionalisoitumisen prosesseista. Artikkelin aineistoina on käytetty pelialan institutionalisoitumisesta kertovia julkisia uutisia, asiakirjoja ja raportteja, joista on koottu ja analysoitu temaattisesti erilaisia institutionalisoitumisen ilmenemismuotoja. Keskeisimpiä löydöksiämme ovat harrastajakentän ja julkisten toimijoiden välinen kiinteä vuorovaikutus sekä olemassa olevien instituutioiden sopeutuminen digitaalisten pelien mukanaan tuomiin uusiin haasteisiin.
As digital games have become commonplace, they have also become part of public discourse starting from the 1990s the latest. In this article, we discuss the appropriation of digital games from the perspective of institutions: how they came to be and evolved over time. We study the subject through four interrelated yet distinct lenses: education, public funding, electronic sports and memory institutions. We apply Mikael Hård’s and Andrew Jamison’s model of cultural appropriation of technology and science with the intent of broadening the cultural and sociological understanding on how novelties become institutionalized. The study is based on public news, documents and reports dealing with game-related organizations, which have been thematically analyzed to reveal different forms of institutionalization. Two of our most important findings concern the tight interaction between hobbyist and official efforts, and how existing institutions have reacted to meet the needs of digital games.},
keywords = {Digitaaliset pelit, Digital games, Institutions, Instituutiot, Mediasosiologia, Omaksuminen, Tieteen- ja teknologiantutkimus},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Digitaalisen pelaamisen arkipäiväistyminen on tuonut pelit julkiseen keskusteluun viimeistään 1990-luvulta lähtien. Artikkelissa tutkitaan digitaalisen pelialan omaksumista Suomessa instituutioiden synnyn ja muodonmuutosten kautta. Artikkeli käsittelee muodonmuutoksia neljällä keskeisellä, mutta toisistaan eroavalla alueella: koulutusjärjestelmissä, pelialan julkisessa rahoituksessa, elektronisessa urheilussa ja kulttuuriperinnön säilyttämiseen tähtäävissä muistiorganisaatioissa. Artikkeli soveltaa Mikael Hårdin ja Andrew Jamisonin käsitteellistä mallia tieteen ja teknologian kulttuurisesta omaksumisesta ja rakentaa kulttuuri- ja yhteiskuntatieteellistä ymmärrystä omaksumiseen liittyvistä institutionalisoitumisen prosesseista. Artikkelin aineistoina on käytetty pelialan institutionalisoitumisesta kertovia julkisia uutisia, asiakirjoja ja raportteja, joista on koottu ja analysoitu temaattisesti erilaisia institutionalisoitumisen ilmenemismuotoja. Keskeisimpiä löydöksiämme ovat harrastajakentän ja julkisten toimijoiden välinen kiinteä vuorovaikutus sekä olemassa olevien instituutioiden sopeutuminen digitaalisten pelien mukanaan tuomiin uusiin haasteisiin.
As digital games have become commonplace, they have also become part of public discourse starting from the 1990s the latest. In this article, we discuss the appropriation of digital games from the perspective of institutions: how they came to be and evolved over time. We study the subject through four interrelated yet distinct lenses: education, public funding, electronic sports and memory institutions. We apply Mikael Hård’s and Andrew Jamison’s model of cultural appropriation of technology and science with the intent of broadening the cultural and sociological understanding on how novelties become institutionalized. The study is based on public news, documents and reports dealing with game-related organizations, which have been thematically analyzed to reveal different forms of institutionalization. Two of our most important findings concern the tight interaction between hobbyist and official efforts, and how existing institutions have reacted to meet the needs of digital games.
As digital games have become commonplace, they have also become part of public discourse starting from the 1990s the latest. In this article, we discuss the appropriation of digital games from the perspective of institutions: how they came to be and evolved over time. We study the subject through four interrelated yet distinct lenses: education, public funding, electronic sports and memory institutions. We apply Mikael Hård’s and Andrew Jamison’s model of cultural appropriation of technology and science with the intent of broadening the cultural and sociological understanding on how novelties become institutionalized. The study is based on public news, documents and reports dealing with game-related organizations, which have been thematically analyzed to reveal different forms of institutionalization. Two of our most important findings concern the tight interaction between hobbyist and official efforts, and how existing institutions have reacted to meet the needs of digital games.
Karhulahti, Veli-Matti
Digital Games other
2022.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Computer games, Concepts, Definitions, Digital games, Games, Video games
@other{Karhulahti2022g,
title = {Digital Games},
author = {Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
editor = {Paweł Grabarczyk},
url = {https://research.fi/en/results/publication/0392491322
https://eolt.org/articles/digital-games},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-04-21},
urldate = {2022-04-21},
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Ludic Terms},
edition = {Spring 2022},
abstract = {This entry summarizes the history and current use of "digital games" and related terminology, such as "computer games", "electronic games", and "videogames". Despite their etymological variety, a few pragmatic differences between these competing terms exist, which has recently led researchers and practitioners to increasingly apply (even more) general concepts such as "gaming" and "esports". A recommendation is not to interpret and use such terms literally, but to choose related terminology based on context and consistency.},
keywords = {Computer games, Concepts, Definitions, Digital games, Games, Video games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {other}
}
This entry summarizes the history and current use of "digital games" and related terminology, such as "computer games", "electronic games", and "videogames". Despite their etymological variety, a few pragmatic differences between these competing terms exist, which has recently led researchers and practitioners to increasingly apply (even more) general concepts such as "gaming" and "esports". A recommendation is not to interpret and use such terms literally, but to choose related terminology based on context and consistency.
Suominen, Jaakko
Digitaalisen pelaamisen tiloja ja vaiheita Book Section
In: Friman, Usva; Arjoranta, Jonne; Kinnunen, Jani; Heljakka, Katriina; Stenros, Jaakko (Ed.): Pelit kulttuurina, Vastapaino, 2022, ISBN: 978-951-768-965-6.
Links | Tags: Digital games, Digital gaming, Game history
@incollection{Suominen2022d,
title = {Digitaalisen pelaamisen tiloja ja vaiheita},
author = {Jaakko Suominen},
editor = {Usva Friman and Jonne Arjoranta and Jani Kinnunen and Katriina Heljakka and Jaakko Stenros},
url = {https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/174949638},
isbn = {978-951-768-965-6},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-31},
urldate = {2022-03-31},
booktitle = {Pelit kulttuurina},
publisher = {Vastapaino},
chapter = {7},
keywords = {Digital games, Digital gaming, Game history},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Macey, Joseph; Hamari, Juho
Gamblification: A Definition Journal Article
In: New Media & Society, vol. Pre-print, 2022, ISSN: 1461-4448.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Consumption, Convergence, Decision-making, Digital games, Digital media, Gamblification, Gambling, Gamification, Loot boxes, Video games
@article{Macey2022b,
title = {Gamblification: A Definition},
author = {Joseph Macey and Juho Hamari},
url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14614448221083903},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221083903},
issn = {1461-4448},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-17},
journal = {New Media & Society},
volume = {Pre-print},
abstract = {In recent years, gambling has become increasingly prominent in everyday life; the term ‘gamblification’ first emerged in the late 2000s and was used to describe the colonisation of sports and sporting cultures by the gambling industry. Since that time, gamblification has been used to describe a range of phenomena in increasingly diffuse contexts; it has been variously used as a proxy for the convergence of gaming and gambling, to describe specific monetisation practices, or as a means of motivating consumer behaviours. Conceptual clarity has been further muddied by the positioning of gamblification as a form of gamification. This work provides a definition of gamblification, which draws upon and consolidates existing uses of the term while also providing a lens through which the differing aspects of gamblification can be understood and appraised. By doing so, this work will establish a clear conceptual framework, which can structure in-depth discussions of this multi-dimensional phenomenon.},
keywords = {Consumption, Convergence, Decision-making, Digital games, Digital media, Gamblification, Gambling, Gamification, Loot boxes, Video games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In recent years, gambling has become increasingly prominent in everyday life; the term ‘gamblification’ first emerged in the late 2000s and was used to describe the colonisation of sports and sporting cultures by the gambling industry. Since that time, gamblification has been used to describe a range of phenomena in increasingly diffuse contexts; it has been variously used as a proxy for the convergence of gaming and gambling, to describe specific monetisation practices, or as a means of motivating consumer behaviours. Conceptual clarity has been further muddied by the positioning of gamblification as a form of gamification. This work provides a definition of gamblification, which draws upon and consolidates existing uses of the term while also providing a lens through which the differing aspects of gamblification can be understood and appraised. By doing so, this work will establish a clear conceptual framework, which can structure in-depth discussions of this multi-dimensional phenomenon.
2021
Korkeila, Henry
Social Capital in Video Game Studies: A Scoping Review Journal Article
In: New Media & Society, vol. 2021, no. 146144482110547, 2021, ISSN: 1461-4448.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digital games, Games, Scoping review, Social capital, Socialness, Video games
@article{Korkeila2021,
title = {Social Capital in Video Game Studies: A Scoping Review},
author = {Henry Korkeila},
url = {https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/67710434},
doi = {10.1177/14614448211054778},
issn = {1461-4448},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-11-14},
journal = {New Media & Society},
volume = {2021},
number = {146144482110547},
abstract = {This study explored how social capital has been utilized in video-game studies by conducting a scoping review. In total, 74 peer-reviewed publications were analysed from three different databases. The following aspects pertaining to social capital were analysed: definition, methodology, game or genre as stimulus, its utilization inside or outside the stimulus, whether it was the sole concept or variable, how it was utilized, whether social capital was used to predict variables or whether variables were used to predict it, and what where the predicted or predicting variables. The results of the analysis show that Putnam’s research, the quantitative method and Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games were most commonly combined. Social capital was predominantly utilized in binary form. It was utilized almost equally inside and outside the video games’ sphere of influence. The study then presents the main findings and discusses future research avenues.},
keywords = {Digital games, Games, Scoping review, Social capital, Socialness, Video games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This study explored how social capital has been utilized in video-game studies by conducting a scoping review. In total, 74 peer-reviewed publications were analysed from three different databases. The following aspects pertaining to social capital were analysed: definition, methodology, game or genre as stimulus, its utilization inside or outside the stimulus, whether it was the sole concept or variable, how it was utilized, whether social capital was used to predict variables or whether variables were used to predict it, and what where the predicted or predicting variables. The results of the analysis show that Putnam’s research, the quantitative method and Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games were most commonly combined. Social capital was predominantly utilized in binary form. It was utilized almost equally inside and outside the video games’ sphere of influence. The study then presents the main findings and discusses future research avenues.
Malinen, Ville; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti
북유럽 레트로: 핀란드의 레트로게임 문화 [Retrogaming in Finland] other
2021.
Links | Tags: Digital games, Game culture, Game history, Online games, Retrogaming
@other{Malinen2021,
title = {북유럽 레트로: 핀란드의 레트로게임 문화 [Retrogaming in Finland]},
author = {Ville Malinen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202110255344},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-10-09},
journal = {Game Generation},
keywords = {Digital games, Game culture, Game history, Online games, Retrogaming},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {other}
}
Arjoranta, Jonne; Koskimaa, Raine; Siitonen, Marko
Immersive Gaming as Journalism Book Section
In: Uskali, Turo; Gynnhild, Astrid; Jones, Sarah; Sirkkunen, Esa (Ed.): Immersive Journalism as Storytelling: Ethics, Production, and Design, pp. 136-147, Routledge, 2021, ISBN: 978-1-138-33764-0.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Augmented reality, Digital games, Digital technology, Gamification, Immersiivinen journalismi, Immersion, Immersive gaming, Immersive technology, Journalism, Osallistaminen, Virtual reality
@incollection{Arjoranta2021,
title = {Immersive Gaming as Journalism},
author = {Jonne Arjoranta and Raine Koskimaa and Marko Siitonen},
editor = {Turo Uskali and Astrid Gynnhild and Sarah Jones and Esa Sirkkunen},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202005043035},
doi = {10.4324/9780429437748-15},
isbn = {978-1-138-33764-0},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-01-13},
booktitle = {Immersive Journalism as Storytelling: Ethics, Production, and Design},
pages = {136-147},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {As a field, journalism constantly strives to connect with its audiences and find ways to utilize emerging media technologies in its operations. Sometimes this is done simply to reach audiences that have ceased to use traditional media, or to invite new audiences in, but often it is also a matter of perceived benefits related to using the affordances of certain technological solutions. One recent example is the interest surrounding the concept of immersion. For example, recent research has explored the question of whether there is a connection between the immersiveness of a technology and the users’ empathetic responses (Archer & Finger 2018; Herrera et al. 2018). While some of these explorations are done specifically within the context of journalism, there is a considerable amount of overlap between different fields of interest, warranting a broader look at how the concept of immersion has been theorized.
},
keywords = {Augmented reality, Digital games, Digital technology, Gamification, Immersiivinen journalismi, Immersion, Immersive gaming, Immersive technology, Journalism, Osallistaminen, Virtual reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
As a field, journalism constantly strives to connect with its audiences and find ways to utilize emerging media technologies in its operations. Sometimes this is done simply to reach audiences that have ceased to use traditional media, or to invite new audiences in, but often it is also a matter of perceived benefits related to using the affordances of certain technological solutions. One recent example is the interest surrounding the concept of immersion. For example, recent research has explored the question of whether there is a connection between the immersiveness of a technology and the users’ empathetic responses (Archer & Finger 2018; Herrera et al. 2018). While some of these explorations are done specifically within the context of journalism, there is a considerable amount of overlap between different fields of interest, warranting a broader look at how the concept of immersion has been theorized.
Siitonen, Marko; Reer, Felix; de la Hera, Teresa (Ed.)
Games and Communication—Quo Vadis? Collection
2021, ISSN: 2183-2439.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Activity theory, Cybersickness, Digital games, Eudaimonic entertainment experiences, Experimental research, Games for change, Gaming literacy, Media psychology, Methodology, Online risk awareness, Parental mediation, Parenting, Persuasive games, Qualitative game analysis, Serious games, Virtual reality, Zone of experience
@collection{Siitonen2021,
title = {Games and Communication—Quo Vadis?},
editor = {Marko Siitonen and Felix Reer and Teresa de la Hera},
url = {https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/issue/view/198},
issn = {2183-2439},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-01-06},
booktitle = {Media and Communication},
volume = {9},
issue = {1},
abstract = {This thematic issue presents a number of emerging scholarships into the study of digital gaming. The articles are based on a 2019 symposium on game studies hosted by the Digital Games Research section of ECREA. As the phenomena related to digital gaming keep on evolving and merging, so must research keep up with the times and constantly challenge itself. Whether speaking about validating previously developed research methods, imagining totally new ones, or even challenging the whole philosophy of science on which research is being done, there is a constant need for reappraisal and introspection within games research. As a cultural medium that has become deeply embedded into the social fabric of the 2020s, digital gaming continues to excite and challenge academia. This thematic issue provides a collection of approaches to look into the future that addresses some of the challenges associated with game research.},
keywords = {Activity theory, Cybersickness, Digital games, Eudaimonic entertainment experiences, Experimental research, Games for change, Gaming literacy, Media psychology, Methodology, Online risk awareness, Parental mediation, Parenting, Persuasive games, Qualitative game analysis, Serious games, Virtual reality, Zone of experience},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {collection}
}
This thematic issue presents a number of emerging scholarships into the study of digital gaming. The articles are based on a 2019 symposium on game studies hosted by the Digital Games Research section of ECREA. As the phenomena related to digital gaming keep on evolving and merging, so must research keep up with the times and constantly challenge itself. Whether speaking about validating previously developed research methods, imagining totally new ones, or even challenging the whole philosophy of science on which research is being done, there is a constant need for reappraisal and introspection within games research. As a cultural medium that has become deeply embedded into the social fabric of the 2020s, digital gaming continues to excite and challenge academia. This thematic issue provides a collection of approaches to look into the future that addresses some of the challenges associated with game research.
Siitonen, Marko; de la Hera, Teresa; Reer, Felix
Looking Ahead in Games Research : Entry Points into a Pragmatic Field of Inquiry Journal Article
In: Media and Communication, vol. 9, iss. 1, 2021, ISSN: 2183-2439.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digital games, Game studies, Methodology, Serious games
@article{nokey,
title = {Looking Ahead in Games Research : Entry Points into a Pragmatic Field of Inquiry},
author = {Marko Siitonen and Teresa de la Hera and Felix Reer },
url = {https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v9i1.3685},
doi = {10.17645/mac.v9i1.3685},
issn = {2183-2439},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-01-06},
journal = {Media and Communication},
volume = {9},
issue = {1},
abstract = {This thematic issue presents a number of emerging scholarships into the study of digital gaming. The articles are based on a 2019 symposium on game studies hosted by the Digital Games Research section of ECREA. As the phenomena related to digital gaming keep on evolving and emerging, so must research keep up with the times and constantly challenge itself. Whether speaking about validating previously developed research methods, imagining totally new ones, or even challenging the whole philosophy of science on which research is being done, there is a constant need for reappraisal and introspection within games research. As a cultural medium that has become deeply embedded into the social fabric of the 2020s, digital gaming continues to excite and challenge academia. This thematic issue provides a collection of approaches to look into the future that addresses some of the challenges associated with game research.},
keywords = {Digital games, Game studies, Methodology, Serious games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This thematic issue presents a number of emerging scholarships into the study of digital gaming. The articles are based on a 2019 symposium on game studies hosted by the Digital Games Research section of ECREA. As the phenomena related to digital gaming keep on evolving and emerging, so must research keep up with the times and constantly challenge itself. Whether speaking about validating previously developed research methods, imagining totally new ones, or even challenging the whole philosophy of science on which research is being done, there is a constant need for reappraisal and introspection within games research. As a cultural medium that has become deeply embedded into the social fabric of the 2020s, digital gaming continues to excite and challenge academia. This thematic issue provides a collection of approaches to look into the future that addresses some of the challenges associated with game research.
2020
Stenros, Jaakko; Sihvonen, Tanja
Like Seeing Yourself in the Mirror? Solitary Role-Play as Performance and Pretend Play Journal Article
In: Game Studies, vol. 20, iss. 4, 2020, ISBN: 1604-7982.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digital games, Performance, Pretend play, Queer play, Role-play, Role-playing games, Single-player
@article{Stenros2020,
title = {Like Seeing Yourself in the Mirror? Solitary Role-Play as Performance and Pretend Play},
author = {Jaakko Stenros and Tanja Sihvonen},
url = {http://gamestudies.org/2004/articles/stenros_sihvonen},
isbn = {1604-7982},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-12-01},
journal = {Game Studies},
volume = {20},
issue = {4},
abstract = {This article aims at theory-building of the somewhat understudied functions -- performative and pretend -- of solitary play in digital role-playing games. It analyzes the single-player digital role-playing game (SPDRPG) from the perspective of play, or more precisely, of solitary play as an activity. SPDRPG is considered a specific genre of games, and these games are approached as toys that are “pretend-played” with expectations. In these games, the player is able to build and manage a player character (or several), explore the interaction possibilities between characters, and adopt a role-playing attitude. Our article is thus focused on analyzing the activities of a player through three angles: character creation, character interaction, and game mechanics.
Furthermore, the player can engage in internal play, that is, engage in pretend play by themself with the game object. In this kind of play, they can pretend that their player character adopts a role not offered or recognized by the game system while making up a personal history and a rich inner life for their character. Thus, the player carries out interpretative and transgressive work in order to craft the game experience to satisfy their expectations, which can be helped by knowing the game mechanics intimately, and through modding the game artifact. We approach this work of rendering their play personally more meaningful through the concept of queering. This work enables the game to work as a metaphoric mirror onto which the player casts an image of their hopes, fears, and dreams. As the player reaches outside the game system, the reflection is not just of the system, but of the player as well.},
keywords = {Digital games, Performance, Pretend play, Queer play, Role-play, Role-playing games, Single-player},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This article aims at theory-building of the somewhat understudied functions -- performative and pretend -- of solitary play in digital role-playing games. It analyzes the single-player digital role-playing game (SPDRPG) from the perspective of play, or more precisely, of solitary play as an activity. SPDRPG is considered a specific genre of games, and these games are approached as toys that are “pretend-played” with expectations. In these games, the player is able to build and manage a player character (or several), explore the interaction possibilities between characters, and adopt a role-playing attitude. Our article is thus focused on analyzing the activities of a player through three angles: character creation, character interaction, and game mechanics.
Furthermore, the player can engage in internal play, that is, engage in pretend play by themself with the game object. In this kind of play, they can pretend that their player character adopts a role not offered or recognized by the game system while making up a personal history and a rich inner life for their character. Thus, the player carries out interpretative and transgressive work in order to craft the game experience to satisfy their expectations, which can be helped by knowing the game mechanics intimately, and through modding the game artifact. We approach this work of rendering their play personally more meaningful through the concept of queering. This work enables the game to work as a metaphoric mirror onto which the player casts an image of their hopes, fears, and dreams. As the player reaches outside the game system, the reflection is not just of the system, but of the player as well.
Furthermore, the player can engage in internal play, that is, engage in pretend play by themself with the game object. In this kind of play, they can pretend that their player character adopts a role not offered or recognized by the game system while making up a personal history and a rich inner life for their character. Thus, the player carries out interpretative and transgressive work in order to craft the game experience to satisfy their expectations, which can be helped by knowing the game mechanics intimately, and through modding the game artifact. We approach this work of rendering their play personally more meaningful through the concept of queering. This work enables the game to work as a metaphoric mirror onto which the player casts an image of their hopes, fears, and dreams. As the player reaches outside the game system, the reflection is not just of the system, but of the player as well.
Macey, Joseph; Kinnunen, Jani
The Convergence of Play: Interrelations of Social Casino Gaming, Gambling, and Digital Gaming in Finland Journal Article
In: International Gambling Studies, vol. 20, iss. 3, pp. 414-435, 2020, ISSN: 1445-9795.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Convergence, Digital games, Gambling, Online environments, Social casino games
@article{Macey2020,
title = {The Convergence of Play: Interrelations of Social Casino Gaming, Gambling, and Digital Gaming in Finland},
author = {Joseph Macey and Jani Kinnunen},
doi = {10.1080/14459795.2020.1770834},
issn = {1445-9795},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-09-01},
journal = {International Gambling Studies},
volume = {20},
issue = {3},
pages = {414-435},
abstract = {This study provides an overview of the interactions between the playing of digital games, gambling activities and Social Casino Games (SCG) in the Finnish context. Earlier studies of SCG playing have predominantly focused on US and Australian markets, and have not included digital gaming in examinations. This study uses cross-tabulation to analyze data from a nationally representative survey (n = 946). SCG play was found to be associated with lower levels of educational attainment, younger males, increased digital game play, gambling in digital games, increased use of free-to-play (F2P) games, and microtransactions. Finally, positive associations were found to exist with established forms of gambling, both online and offline. The findings of this research contribute to the understanding of growing convergence between digital gaming and gambling as it is the first to consider digital game play, SCG play and participation in gambling holistically. It found stronger associations between digital game play and SCG play than between gambling consumption and SCG play, thereby highlighting the importance of context in relationships between digital game consumption and gambling. Furthermore, younger generations of Finns are likely to experience convergent gambling-gaming elements in digital gaming platforms and online environments before engaging in traditional gambling activities.},
keywords = {Convergence, Digital games, Gambling, Online environments, Social casino games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This study provides an overview of the interactions between the playing of digital games, gambling activities and Social Casino Games (SCG) in the Finnish context. Earlier studies of SCG playing have predominantly focused on US and Australian markets, and have not included digital gaming in examinations. This study uses cross-tabulation to analyze data from a nationally representative survey (n = 946). SCG play was found to be associated with lower levels of educational attainment, younger males, increased digital game play, gambling in digital games, increased use of free-to-play (F2P) games, and microtransactions. Finally, positive associations were found to exist with established forms of gambling, both online and offline. The findings of this research contribute to the understanding of growing convergence between digital gaming and gambling as it is the first to consider digital game play, SCG play and participation in gambling holistically. It found stronger associations between digital game play and SCG play than between gambling consumption and SCG play, thereby highlighting the importance of context in relationships between digital game consumption and gambling. Furthermore, younger generations of Finns are likely to experience convergent gambling-gaming elements in digital gaming platforms and online environments before engaging in traditional gambling activities.
Raitio, Katja; Siitonen, Marko; Hopia, Hanna
Utilizing Games in the Co-Production of Mental Health Services Journal Article
In: Finnish Journal of eHealth and eWelfare, vol. 12, iss. 2, pp. 117-126, 2020, ISSN: 1798-0798.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Co-production, Digital games, Game-related methods, Games, Mental health services
@article{Raitio2020,
title = {Utilizing Games in the Co-Production of Mental Health Services},
author = {Katja Raitio and Marko Siitonen and Hanna Hopia},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202006244610},
doi = {10.23996/fjhw.89600},
issn = {1798-0798},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-06-15},
journal = {Finnish Journal of eHealth and eWelfare},
volume = {12},
issue = {2},
pages = {117-126},
abstract = {This study analyses the application of a co-production approach in utilizing digital games and game-related methods in mental health services. The goal is to offer a real-world experiment on co-production, focusing on mental health service users, active gamers and mental health practitioners who worked together in equal ways and valued each other’s unique contributions during the experiment. The implications of a co-production approach for applying digital games in the field of mental healthcare are somewhat limited and under-explored. In this case study, seven workshop sessions were held involving service users, gamers and professionals. Participants were interviewed concerning their experiences with the activities and content of the co-production workshops. Thematic analysis of the participants’ experiences and perceptions resulted in three main themes: 1) empowering participation; 2) cooperation on a level playing field; and 3) improving self-efficacy. The experiment showed that applying a co-production approach in utilizing digital games is worth implementing in mental health services, particularly when putting novel nursing approaches and procedures into practice. Overall, co-production turned out to be a beneficial approach to introduce and implement game activities into mental healthcare; therefore, it can be taken one step further, meaning that service users’ experiences are truly valued, and they can play a crucial role in developing mental health services.},
keywords = {Co-production, Digital games, Game-related methods, Games, Mental health services},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This study analyses the application of a co-production approach in utilizing digital games and game-related methods in mental health services. The goal is to offer a real-world experiment on co-production, focusing on mental health service users, active gamers and mental health practitioners who worked together in equal ways and valued each other’s unique contributions during the experiment. The implications of a co-production approach for applying digital games in the field of mental healthcare are somewhat limited and under-explored. In this case study, seven workshop sessions were held involving service users, gamers and professionals. Participants were interviewed concerning their experiences with the activities and content of the co-production workshops. Thematic analysis of the participants’ experiences and perceptions resulted in three main themes: 1) empowering participation; 2) cooperation on a level playing field; and 3) improving self-efficacy. The experiment showed that applying a co-production approach in utilizing digital games is worth implementing in mental health services, particularly when putting novel nursing approaches and procedures into practice. Overall, co-production turned out to be a beneficial approach to introduce and implement game activities into mental healthcare; therefore, it can be taken one step further, meaning that service users’ experiences are truly valued, and they can play a crucial role in developing mental health services.
Çatak, Güven; Bostan, Barbaros; Aker, Çakır; Akan, Ecehan; Gemrot, Jakub; Kolek, Lukáš; Barák, Pavel; Jehličková, Lucie; Arjoranta, Jonne; Karhulahti, Matti; Koskimaa, Raine; Lakanen, Antti-Jussi; Varsaluoma, Jukka; Välisalo, Tanja; Mochocki, Michał; Chmielewski, Krzysztof; Schreiber, Paweł
Higher-ed Programmes for Careers in Game Design & Development (2019–2022): GAMEHIGHED Initial Research & Analysis Report Technical Report
2020.
Links | Tags: Digital games, Game design, Game design education, Game industry
@techreport{Çatak2020,
title = {Higher-ed Programmes for Careers in Game Design & Development (2019–2022): GAMEHIGHED Initial Research & Analysis Report},
author = {Güven Çatak and Barbaros Bostan and Çakır Aker and Ecehan Akan and Jakub Gemrot and Lukáš Kolek and Pavel Barák and Lucie Jehličková and Jonne Arjoranta and Matti Karhulahti and Raine Koskimaa and Antti-Jussi Lakanen and Jukka Varsaluoma and Tanja Välisalo and Michał Mochocki and Krzysztof Chmielewski and Paweł Schreiber},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202004072702},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-07},
publisher = {Kazimierz Wielki University},
keywords = {Digital games, Game design, Game design education, Game industry},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {techreport}
}
Arjoranta, Jonne; Kari, Tuomas; Salo, Markus
Exploring Features of the Pervasive Game Pokémon GO That Enable Behavior Change: Qualitative Study Journal Article
In: JMIR Serious Games, vol. 8, iss. 2, pp. e15967, 2020, ISSN: 2291-9279.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Augmented reality games, Behaviour change, Behaviour change support system, Digital games, Exergames, Location-based game, Pervasive games, Pokémon Go
@article{Arjoranta2020,
title = {Exploring Features of the Pervasive Game Pokémon GO That Enable Behavior Change: Qualitative Study},
author = {Jonne Arjoranta and Tuomas Kari and Markus Salo},
url = {https://games.jmir.org/2020/2/e15967/},
doi = {10.2196/15967},
issn = {2291-9279},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-01},
journal = {JMIR Serious Games},
volume = {8},
issue = {2},
pages = {e15967},
abstract = {Background:
Digital gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. While prior literature concluded that digital games can enable changes in players’ behaviors, there is limited knowledge about different types of behavior changes and the game features driving them. Understanding behavior changes and the game features behind them is important because digital games can motivate players to change their behavior for the better (or worse).
Objective:
This study investigates the types of behavior changes and their underlying game features within the context of the popular pervasive game Pokémon GO.
Methods:
We collected data from 262 respondents with a critical incident technique (CIT) questionnaire. We analyzed the responses with applied thematic analysis with ATLAS.ti (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH) software.
Results:
We discovered 8 types of behavior changes and 13 game features relevant to those behavior changes. The behavior changes included added activity in life, enhancing routines, exploration, increased physical activity, strengthening social bonds, lowering social barriers, increased positive emotional expression and self-treatment. The game features included reaching a higher level, catching new Pokémon, evolving new Pokémon, visiting PokéStops, exploring PokéStops, hatching eggs, fighting in gyms, collaborative fighting, exploiting special events, finding specific Pokémon, using items, Pokémon theme, and game location tied to physical location. The behavior changes were connected to specific game features, with game location tied to physical location and catching new Pokémon being the most common and connected to all behavior changes.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that the surveyed players changed their behaviors while or after playing Pokémon GO. The respondents reported being more social, expressed more positive emotions, found more meaningfulness in their routines, and had increased motivation to explore their surroundings.},
keywords = {Augmented reality games, Behaviour change, Behaviour change support system, Digital games, Exergames, Location-based game, Pervasive games, Pokémon Go},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Background:
Digital gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. While prior literature concluded that digital games can enable changes in players’ behaviors, there is limited knowledge about different types of behavior changes and the game features driving them. Understanding behavior changes and the game features behind them is important because digital games can motivate players to change their behavior for the better (or worse).
Objective:
This study investigates the types of behavior changes and their underlying game features within the context of the popular pervasive game Pokémon GO.
Methods:
We collected data from 262 respondents with a critical incident technique (CIT) questionnaire. We analyzed the responses with applied thematic analysis with ATLAS.ti (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH) software.
Results:
We discovered 8 types of behavior changes and 13 game features relevant to those behavior changes. The behavior changes included added activity in life, enhancing routines, exploration, increased physical activity, strengthening social bonds, lowering social barriers, increased positive emotional expression and self-treatment. The game features included reaching a higher level, catching new Pokémon, evolving new Pokémon, visiting PokéStops, exploring PokéStops, hatching eggs, fighting in gyms, collaborative fighting, exploiting special events, finding specific Pokémon, using items, Pokémon theme, and game location tied to physical location. The behavior changes were connected to specific game features, with game location tied to physical location and catching new Pokémon being the most common and connected to all behavior changes.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that the surveyed players changed their behaviors while or after playing Pokémon GO. The respondents reported being more social, expressed more positive emotions, found more meaningfulness in their routines, and had increased motivation to explore their surroundings.
Digital gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. While prior literature concluded that digital games can enable changes in players’ behaviors, there is limited knowledge about different types of behavior changes and the game features driving them. Understanding behavior changes and the game features behind them is important because digital games can motivate players to change their behavior for the better (or worse).
Objective:
This study investigates the types of behavior changes and their underlying game features within the context of the popular pervasive game Pokémon GO.
Methods:
We collected data from 262 respondents with a critical incident technique (CIT) questionnaire. We analyzed the responses with applied thematic analysis with ATLAS.ti (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH) software.
Results:
We discovered 8 types of behavior changes and 13 game features relevant to those behavior changes. The behavior changes included added activity in life, enhancing routines, exploration, increased physical activity, strengthening social bonds, lowering social barriers, increased positive emotional expression and self-treatment. The game features included reaching a higher level, catching new Pokémon, evolving new Pokémon, visiting PokéStops, exploring PokéStops, hatching eggs, fighting in gyms, collaborative fighting, exploiting special events, finding specific Pokémon, using items, Pokémon theme, and game location tied to physical location. The behavior changes were connected to specific game features, with game location tied to physical location and catching new Pokémon being the most common and connected to all behavior changes.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that the surveyed players changed their behaviors while or after playing Pokémon GO. The respondents reported being more social, expressed more positive emotions, found more meaningfulness in their routines, and had increased motivation to explore their surroundings.
Karhulahti, Veli-Matti; Saarenmaa, Laura; Brown, Ashley M. L.
Sexuality and Play: Introduction Journal Article
In: WiderScreen, vol. 22, iss. 1-2, 2020, ISSN: 1795-6161.
Links | Tags: Digitaaliset pelit, Digital games, Gender, Leikit, Pelit, Seksuaalisuus, Sexuality, Sukupuoli
@article{Karhulahti2020c,
title = {Sexuality and Play: Introduction},
author = {Veli-Matti Karhulahti and Laura Saarenmaa and Ashley M. L. Brown},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-201911154892},
issn = {1795-6161},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-17},
journal = {WiderScreen},
volume = {22},
issue = {1-2},
keywords = {Digitaaliset pelit, Digital games, Gender, Leikit, Pelit, Seksuaalisuus, Sexuality, Sukupuoli},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2019
Sihvonen, Tanja; Stenros, Jaakko
On the Importance of Queer Romances - Role-play as Exploration and Performance of Sexuality Journal Article
In: WiderScreen, vol. 22, iss. 1-2, 2019, ISSN: 1795-6161.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Analog game, Digital games, Queer, Role-play, Role-playing games, Romance, RPG, Sexuality
@article{Sihvonen2019,
title = {On the Importance of Queer Romances - Role-play as Exploration and Performance of Sexuality},
author = {Tanja Sihvonen and Jaakko Stenros},
url = {http://widerscreen.fi/numerot/2019-1-2/on-the-importance-of-queer-romances-role-play-as-exploration-and-performance-of-sexuality/},
issn = {1795-6161},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-11-07},
journal = {WiderScreen},
volume = {22},
issue = {1-2},
abstract = {This article investigates various kinds of analog and digital role-playing games (RPG) from the perspective of queer romance. We are interested in finding out how ‘queer’ appears in the composition of role-playing games through analysing players’ explorations and performances, as well as the options for romance in these games. We will look into a variety of role-playing games as research material in this study, from non-digital play – such as traditional tabletop role-playing games to live action role-play, or larp – to single-player digital RPGs. We ask how queerness affects the options for romance, whether localised in an event or in the composition of a single character, and what kind of exploration it serves. Is queerness to be found in the romance mechanic, or crunch, of RPGs, or is it part of the fluff: the setting and character descriptions? This article’s orientation is theoretical, and the main reference material here comes from RPG studies as well as queer game studies.},
keywords = {Analog game, Digital games, Queer, Role-play, Role-playing games, Romance, RPG, Sexuality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This article investigates various kinds of analog and digital role-playing games (RPG) from the perspective of queer romance. We are interested in finding out how ‘queer’ appears in the composition of role-playing games through analysing players’ explorations and performances, as well as the options for romance in these games. We will look into a variety of role-playing games as research material in this study, from non-digital play – such as traditional tabletop role-playing games to live action role-play, or larp – to single-player digital RPGs. We ask how queerness affects the options for romance, whether localised in an event or in the composition of a single character, and what kind of exploration it serves. Is queerness to be found in the romance mechanic, or crunch, of RPGs, or is it part of the fluff: the setting and character descriptions? This article’s orientation is theoretical, and the main reference material here comes from RPG studies as well as queer game studies.
Wiik, Elisa
“More Interaction, More Story, More Lore”: Motivations Related to Game-centric Transmedia Proceedings Article
In: DiGRA '19 - Proceedings of the 2019 DiGRA International Conference: Game, Play and the Emerging Ludo-Mix, DiGRA, 2019, ISSN: 2342-9666.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Defiance, Digital games, Game-centric transmedia, Motivations, Quantum Break, Transmedia
@inproceedings{Wiik2019,
title = {“More Interaction, More Story, More Lore”: Motivations Related to Game-centric Transmedia},
author = {Elisa Wiik},
url = {http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/more-interaction-more-story-more-lore-motivations-related-to-game-centric-transmedia/},
issn = {2342-9666},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-08-06},
booktitle = {DiGRA '19 - Proceedings of the 2019 DiGRA International Conference: Game, Play and the Emerging Ludo-Mix},
publisher = {DiGRA},
abstract = {Transmedia research has in the past been mainly interested in defining transmedia and examining transmedia franchises that have their starting point in movies and TV-series. However, there are multiple transmedia constellations that have a game as their starting point and this paper concentrates on two of those, Defiance (Trion Worlds, 2013) and Quantum Break (Remedy Entertainment, 2016). The survey data from these two examples was analyzed by using constructivist grounded theory-informed approach in order to find out what motivates audiences to consume or avoid game-centric transmedia. Ten categories related to consuming game-centric transmedia and five categories related to avoiding it emerged from the data. The motivations to consume game-centric transmedia had a strong focus on narrative aspects. The results differ from earlier transmedia audience studies and suggest the need for more game-centric transmedia audience studies, where the core text is a game instead of a television show.},
keywords = {Defiance, Digital games, Game-centric transmedia, Motivations, Quantum Break, Transmedia},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Transmedia research has in the past been mainly interested in defining transmedia and examining transmedia franchises that have their starting point in movies and TV-series. However, there are multiple transmedia constellations that have a game as their starting point and this paper concentrates on two of those, Defiance (Trion Worlds, 2013) and Quantum Break (Remedy Entertainment, 2016). The survey data from these two examples was analyzed by using constructivist grounded theory-informed approach in order to find out what motivates audiences to consume or avoid game-centric transmedia. Ten categories related to consuming game-centric transmedia and five categories related to avoiding it emerged from the data. The motivations to consume game-centric transmedia had a strong focus on narrative aspects. The results differ from earlier transmedia audience studies and suggest the need for more game-centric transmedia audience studies, where the core text is a game instead of a television show.
Mertala, Pekka; Meriläinen, Mikko
The Best Game in the World: Exploring Young Children's Digital Game-Related Meaning-Making via Design Activity Journal Article
In: Global Studies of Childhood, vol. 9, iss. 4, pp. 275-289, 2019, ISBN: 2043-6106.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Children, Digital games, Early childhood, Media education
@article{Mertala2019,
title = {The Best Game in the World: Exploring Young Children's Digital Game-Related Meaning-Making via Design Activity},
author = {Pekka Mertala and Mikko Meriläinen},
doi = {10.1177/2043610619867701},
isbn = {2043-6106},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-08-04},
journal = {Global Studies of Childhood},
volume = {9},
issue = {4},
pages = {275-289},
abstract = {Although digital games have become a constituent part of young children’s lives, not enough is known about the kinds of meanings children give to games and gaming. This qualitative study contributes to resolving this need by engaging 26 5- to 7-year-old Finnish preschoolers in an open-ended drawing task to answer the following research questions: What aspects of digital games appear meaningful for young children when they act as game designers? Why are these aspects meaningful for young children? The findings suggest that children are not mere passive consumers of digital games but are agentic meaning-makers who are capable of critically evaluating digital games when a safe and supportive space and the appropriate medium are provided. The children refined, modified, and personalized existing influential games by replacing the leading male character with a female one or by having a player operate as the antagonist instead of the hero. The findings suggest that there are vast unexplored dimensions for scholars to engage with in young children’s gaming cultures, children’s perceptions of game content, early game literacy, as well as children’s meaning-making in games. Implications for pedagogy of early childhood education are discussed.},
keywords = {Children, Digital games, Early childhood, Media education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Although digital games have become a constituent part of young children’s lives, not enough is known about the kinds of meanings children give to games and gaming. This qualitative study contributes to resolving this need by engaging 26 5- to 7-year-old Finnish preschoolers in an open-ended drawing task to answer the following research questions: What aspects of digital games appear meaningful for young children when they act as game designers? Why are these aspects meaningful for young children? The findings suggest that children are not mere passive consumers of digital games but are agentic meaning-makers who are capable of critically evaluating digital games when a safe and supportive space and the appropriate medium are provided. The children refined, modified, and personalized existing influential games by replacing the leading male character with a female one or by having a player operate as the antagonist instead of the hero. The findings suggest that there are vast unexplored dimensions for scholars to engage with in young children’s gaming cultures, children’s perceptions of game content, early game literacy, as well as children’s meaning-making in games. Implications for pedagogy of early childhood education are discussed.
Chia, Aleena
The Moral Calculus of Vocational Passion in Digital Gaming Journal Article
In: Television & New Media, vol. 20, iss. 8, pp. 767-777, 2019, ISSN: 1527-4764.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digital games, Digital labor, Hobbies, New economy, Passionate work
@article{Chia2019,
title = {The Moral Calculus of Vocational Passion in Digital Gaming},
author = {Aleena Chia},
doi = {10.1177/1527476419851079},
issn = {1527-4764},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-05-23},
journal = {Television & New Media},
volume = {20},
issue = {8},
pages = {767-777},
abstract = {The desire to “do what you love” energizes employment and engagement in creative industries such as digital gaming yet drains hobbyists and aspirants by normalizing expectations to sacrifice job security for passionate work. This article investigates how individuals regulate their aspirations through taken-for-granted trade-offs between vocational compromise and compensation. Multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork with players at fan conventions and recruitment events in North America suggests a moral calculus of corruption and sublimation between passion and profit, which can be traced back to industrialization’s cleavage of labor from recreation and its institution of hobbies as productive leisure. Building on existing research about waged labor’s imagined denigration of hobbies, this argument juxtaposes the passion that is corruptible by work and the passion that promises to sublimate work from drudgery. Interrogating this confounding logic cultivates counter-narratives for purposeful livelihoods beyond industrial-era notions of productivity and neoliberal notions of passion.},
keywords = {Digital games, Digital labor, Hobbies, New economy, Passionate work},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The desire to “do what you love” energizes employment and engagement in creative industries such as digital gaming yet drains hobbyists and aspirants by normalizing expectations to sacrifice job security for passionate work. This article investigates how individuals regulate their aspirations through taken-for-granted trade-offs between vocational compromise and compensation. Multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork with players at fan conventions and recruitment events in North America suggests a moral calculus of corruption and sublimation between passion and profit, which can be traced back to industrialization’s cleavage of labor from recreation and its institution of hobbies as productive leisure. Building on existing research about waged labor’s imagined denigration of hobbies, this argument juxtaposes the passion that is corruptible by work and the passion that promises to sublimate work from drudgery. Interrogating this confounding logic cultivates counter-narratives for purposeful livelihoods beyond industrial-era notions of productivity and neoliberal notions of passion.
Innocent, Troy; Leorke, Dale
Heightened Intensity: Reflecting on Player Experiences in Wayfinder Live Journal Article
In: Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, vol. 25, iss. 1, pp. 18-39, 2019, ISSN: 1354-8565.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digital games, Game design, Location-based game, Materiality, Mobile media, Play and public space, Playable cities, Psychogeography, Urban codemaking, Urban play
@article{Innocent2019,
title = {Heightened Intensity: Reflecting on Player Experiences in Wayfinder Live},
author = {Troy Innocent and Dale Leorke},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202101131253},
doi = {10.1177/1354856518822427},
issn = {1354-8565},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-02-01},
journal = {Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies},
volume = {25},
issue = {1},
pages = {18-39},
abstract = {Location-based games use smartphones and other location-aware devices to incorporate their players’ actions in everyday, physical spaces – the streets and public spaces of the city – into the virtual world of the game. Scholars and designers of these games often claim that they reconfigure their players’ relationship with the people and environment around them. They argue these games either engage and immerse players more deeply in the spaces of the game or distance and detach them from the physical environment through the screen interface. To date, however, relatively few detailed empirical studies of these games have been undertaken to test out and critique these claims. This article presents a study of the 2017 iteration of the location-based augmented reality game Wayfinder Live, in which players use their phones to search for and scan urban codes hidden across Melbourne’s laneways, alleys, and public spaces. Players of the game were interviewed and invited to reflect on their experience. This article relates these experiences to the design and development of the game, particularly to five play design principles that characterize its approach to haptic play in urban space. We begin by outlining these principles and the motivations behind them. Then, drawing on an analysis of the player interviews, we evaluate the impact of the game on their perception of the city.},
keywords = {Digital games, Game design, Location-based game, Materiality, Mobile media, Play and public space, Playable cities, Psychogeography, Urban codemaking, Urban play},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Location-based games use smartphones and other location-aware devices to incorporate their players’ actions in everyday, physical spaces – the streets and public spaces of the city – into the virtual world of the game. Scholars and designers of these games often claim that they reconfigure their players’ relationship with the people and environment around them. They argue these games either engage and immerse players more deeply in the spaces of the game or distance and detach them from the physical environment through the screen interface. To date, however, relatively few detailed empirical studies of these games have been undertaken to test out and critique these claims. This article presents a study of the 2017 iteration of the location-based augmented reality game Wayfinder Live, in which players use their phones to search for and scan urban codes hidden across Melbourne’s laneways, alleys, and public spaces. Players of the game were interviewed and invited to reflect on their experience. This article relates these experiences to the design and development of the game, particularly to five play design principles that characterize its approach to haptic play in urban space. We begin by outlining these principles and the motivations behind them. Then, drawing on an analysis of the player interviews, we evaluate the impact of the game on their perception of the city.
2018
Vahlo, Jukka; Smed, Jouni; Koponen, Aki
Validating gameplay activity inventory (GAIN) for modeling player profiles Journal Article
In: User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction, vol. 28, no. 4–5, pp. 425–453, 2018, ISSN: 15731391.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Confirmatory factor analysis, Digital games, Media choice, Player profiles, Scale development, Scale validation
@article{Vahlo2018a,
title = {Validating gameplay activity inventory (GAIN) for modeling player profiles},
author = {Jukka Vahlo and Jouni Smed and Aki Koponen},
doi = {10.1007/s11257-018-9212-y},
issn = {15731391},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-11-13},
urldate = {2018-11-13},
journal = {User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction},
volume = {28},
number = {4–5},
pages = {425–453},
publisher = {Springer Netherlands},
address = {Dordrecht},
abstract = {In the present study, we validated Gameplay Activity Inventory (GAIN), a short and psychometrically sound instrument for measuring players' gameplay preferences and modeling player profiles. In Study 1, participants in Finland (N= 879) responded to a 52-item version of GAIN. An exploratory factor analysis was used to identify five latent factors of gameplay activity appreciation: Aggression, Management, Exploration, Coordination, and Caretaking. In Study 2, respondents in Canada (N= 1322) and Japan (N= 1178) responded to GAIN, and the factor structure of a 15-item version was examined using a Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The results showed that the short version of GAIN has good construct validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity in Japan and in Canada. We demonstrated the usefulness of GAIN by conducting a cluster analysis to identify player types that differ in both demographics and game choice. GAIN can be used in research as a tool for investigating player profiles. Game companies, publishers and analysts can utilize GAIN in player-centric game development and targeted marketing and in generating personalized game recommendations.},
keywords = {Confirmatory factor analysis, Digital games, Media choice, Player profiles, Scale development, Scale validation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In the present study, we validated Gameplay Activity Inventory (GAIN), a short and psychometrically sound instrument for measuring players' gameplay preferences and modeling player profiles. In Study 1, participants in Finland (N= 879) responded to a 52-item version of GAIN. An exploratory factor analysis was used to identify five latent factors of gameplay activity appreciation: Aggression, Management, Exploration, Coordination, and Caretaking. In Study 2, respondents in Canada (N= 1322) and Japan (N= 1178) responded to GAIN, and the factor structure of a 15-item version was examined using a Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The results showed that the short version of GAIN has good construct validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity in Japan and in Canada. We demonstrated the usefulness of GAIN by conducting a cluster analysis to identify player types that differ in both demographics and game choice. GAIN can be used in research as a tool for investigating player profiles. Game companies, publishers and analysts can utilize GAIN in player-centric game development and targeted marketing and in generating personalized game recommendations.
Alha, Kati; Kinnunen, Jani; Koskinen, Elina; Paavilainen, Janne
Free-to-Play Games: Paying Players' Perspective Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 22nd International Academic Mindtrek Conference, pp. 49–58, 2018.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Attitudes, Digital games, Ethics, Experience, Free-to-play, In-game purchases
@inproceedings{Alha2018,
title = {Free-to-Play Games: Paying Players' Perspective},
author = {Kati Alha and Jani Kinnunen and Elina Koskinen and Janne Paavilainen},
url = {https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/publications/free-to-play-games-paying-players-perspective},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3275116.3275133},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-10-01},
urldate = {2018-10-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 22nd International Academic Mindtrek Conference},
pages = {49–58},
abstract = {This paper investigates the free-to-play revenue model from the perspective of paying players, focusing on high-spenders. As the free-to-play model has proven successful, game developers have increasingly adopted it as their revenue model. At the same time, worrying concerns over the revenue model have been voiced, calling it exploitative, unethical, or simply claiming it to offer poor gameplay experiences. We investigated these concerns by conducting an interview study with 11 players who have spent money on free-to-play games, on their perceptions about free-to-play games, experiences on playing them and paying in them, and opinions on ethical issues in the games. The results shed light on how players themselves experience these games.},
keywords = {Attitudes, Digital games, Ethics, Experience, Free-to-play, In-game purchases},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
This paper investigates the free-to-play revenue model from the perspective of paying players, focusing on high-spenders. As the free-to-play model has proven successful, game developers have increasingly adopted it as their revenue model. At the same time, worrying concerns over the revenue model have been voiced, calling it exploitative, unethical, or simply claiming it to offer poor gameplay experiences. We investigated these concerns by conducting an interview study with 11 players who have spent money on free-to-play games, on their perceptions about free-to-play games, experiences on playing them and paying in them, and opinions on ethical issues in the games. The results shed light on how players themselves experience these games.