The Negative Geometry of Quake: Refusal, Subtraction, and Emergent Coherence

It is our great pleasure as chairs to welcome you to the FuturePlay 2009 @ GDC Canada International Conference on the Future of Game Design and Technology and to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada! FuturePlay 2009 @ GDC Canada is being hosted by Algoma University and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, May 12-13 2009. Future Play 2009 is the place to explore groundbreaking ideas alongside some of the world's most interesting games researchers and developers. As with previous years, FuturePlay @ GDC Canada 2009 will focus on a number of themes. The first theme, future game development, addresses academic research and emerging industry trends in the area of game technology and game design. The second theme, future game impacts and applications, includes academic research and emerging industry trends focused on designing games for learning, for gender, for serious purposes, and to impact society. The third theme, future game talent, is designed to provide a number of industry and academic perspectives on the knowledge, skills, and attitude it takes to excel in the games industry. In addition, this year Future Play examines the world of serious games where we will examine how game technology is changing education, aerospace development, the military, health, security and many other fields. Future Play addresses these themes through exciting and thought-provoking keynotes from leaders in academia and industry, peer-reviewed paper sessions, panel sessions (including academic and industry discussions), workshops (including design, technology, and career workshops), and exhibitions of posters, games, and the latest game technologies and supports from industry-leading vendors. Future Play evolved from the former Computer Game Technology (CGT) Conference, initiated and presented by Algoma University beginning in 2002. Future Play is now presented annually, and brings together academics, industry leaders, government officials and students to consider new directions in computer game technologies and explore groundbreaking visions for the future of game development. FuturePlay 2009 is partnered with the Game Developers Conference® Canada. GDC Canada The Game Developers Conference® Canada is a collaborative forum studying the challenges and opportunities of creating games with long production cycles, large development teams, and multi-platform releases. GDC Canada will feature over 40 sessions and a keynote address from Don Mattrick, a Canadian videogame industry luminary with 25 years of experience developing the most successful game franchises in the world including "Need for Speed," "Harry Potter" and "The Sims."

The article describes the special course “Methodology of implementation of digital game technologies”, which consists of a syllabus, three topics, and a final test. Course topics are divided into: 1) quizzes; 2) LMS Moodle game tools; 3) Minecraft Education game. In the first topic, students are introduced to environments such as Kahoot! and Blooket, learn their functionality, learn to set up quizzes with timers, create different types of quizzes, add multimedia materials. In the second topic, students master the skills of using game modules in the LMS Moodle system, such as: “Anagram”, “Race to the Leader”, “Millionaire”, “Cryptex”, “Hidden Picture” and “Sudoku”. Learn how to create and customize these game modules. In the third topic, students are introduced to the Minecraft Education game. Learn to create their worlds in the game, choose modes that will be appropriate for their specific tasks, create tasks, and join students. Research consists in the need to develop new approaches to learning that would meet the modern requirements of education. The novelty lies in the fact that the developed selective discipline contributes to the development of professional competences and stimulates students to independently search for information and a creative approach to solving problems. These technologies open up new opportunities for teachers, allowing them to adapt educational material to the needs of students. The purpose of the study justify the relevance and novelty of the special course “Methodology of implementation of digital game technologies” and show how this course meets the scientific and practical tasks associated with the introduction of digital tools and gamified approaches in the educational process. The article aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of using gaming platforms such as Kahoot!, Blooket, LMS Moodle and Minecraft Education in preparing students for teaching and professional work in today's digital environment. Research results. The use of game technologies in the educational process is an important element of the training of future computer science teachers. They allow you to make the learning process more exciting, involving students in active participation and contributing to better learning of the material. Game platforms such as Kahoot!, Blooket, LMS Moodle, and Minecraft Education can be usefully used in the educational process of PPE and are effective tools for the formation of professional competencies of future teachers. We consider some technical problems related to the deployment of LMS MOODLE in ZZSO to be a limitation of the methodology. Their solution can be seen in the installation of the specified system on cloud platforms or the selection of game tools for publicly available cloud platforms.

Given the constant growth of the gaming industry and its pervasive influence on various forms of media, understanding how gaming technologies are integrated into the global media space is gaining new meaning and relevance. The research focuses on the impact of these technologies on creating an immersive user experience on various media platforms. Through an interdisciplinary approach that draws on such fields as media studies, game design, experience design, and user experience (UX) design, the proposed research provides an understanding of the mechanisms of integrating gaming technologies into media and reveals the consequences of such integration for audience engagement, game narrative construction and interactive storytelling, for a deeper understanding of the relationship between game technologies and media, and highlights their potential to shape and improve the ways of creating and consuming game media content in both local and global contexts. Using specific examples, the interaction between gaming technologies, media, and experience design in their use in global media is examined; best industry practices for using gaming technologies to create an immersive user experience in media are analyzed. The use of the descriptive method, methods of information retrieval, systemic and structural analysis has resulted in the development of practical recommendations for media practitioners seeking to use the potential of gaming technologies in their activities. So, bringing gaming technology to global media represents a paradigm shift in how stories are told, experiences are created, and audiences are engaged. Using interactive and immersive formats helps media creators redefine the boundaries of storytelling, foster a deeper connection with audiences, and drive innovation. As technology continues to evolve and audience expectations change, the integration of gaming technology into media will play an increasingly influential role in shaping the future of the media industry.

Despite the growing popularity and widespread use of serious games, the development of effective serious games is difficult, requiring an appropriate balance between game design and instructional design. Although there are fundamental differences between games developed purely for entertainment compared to those developed for “serious” purposes, there are currently no standard development tools specifically intended for serious game design and development available that encourage developers to follow a set of best practices. Rather, developers of serious games often rely on existing game engines and frameworks that are specific to entertainment-based game development. Given the availability of a large number of game engines and frameworks, deciding on which one to use to develop a serious game may be difficult, yet the choice of engine or framework can play a significant role in the development process. In this paper we present the results of a literature review that examined the frameworks and game engines that are used to develop serious games. We provide a list of the most commonly used frameworks and game engines and summarize their features. Knowledge of the frameworks and game engines that are most popular and details regarding why they are popular may prove to be useful to serious games developers seeking such tools. The chapter ends with a brief discussion regarding a framework that is currently being developed specifically for the development of serious games. Through consultation with the potential users of the framework (serious games developers), the framework aims to strike a balance between ease of use and functionality, while providing the user with the necessary options and tools to ideally develop effective serious games.

Serious games are being more and more deployed in such diverse areas as public awareness, military training, and higher education. One of the driving forces behind this stems from the rapidly growing availability of game technologies, providing not only better, faster, and more realistic graphics, physics, and animations, but above all making “the language” of game development accessible to increasingly more people. The articles in this special issue are a rich sampling of how game technology can be creatively put to service within games for training and education purposes. The first two articles are focused on simulation applications. In “SIDH—a game-based architecture for a training simulator,” Backlund et al. extend the notion of gamebased simulation proposing an architecture for a professional firefighter training simulator that incorporates novel visualization and interaction modes. The serious game, developed in cooperation with the government agency responsible for the training of fire and rescue personnel, is a good example of how game technology helps making the delicate combination of engaging level design and carefully tuned learning objectives. In “Experiential learning in vehicle dynamics education via motion simulation and interactive gaming,” Hulme et al. present an original methodology developed within their vehicle dynamics curriculum, incorporating a combination of driving simulation, motion simulation, and educational practices into a game-based simulation framework. The paper also includes a comprehensive evaluation of their approach in two practical, educational scenarios. The next two articles describe specific applications of game technology to serious games aimed at computer science education. In “An application of game development framework in higher education,” Wang et al. present their experiences with an XNA-based game project for teaching software architecture. The paper also includes a brief survey and evaluation of game frameworks currently available for these purposes. On the other hand, in “Towards a serious game to help students learn computer programming,” Muratet et al. describe the design and development of a strategy game aimed at strengthening novice programming skills, including an interesting discussion on the mapping of learning objectives into the game play. Finally, in “Venation skeleton-based modeling plant leaf wilting,” Lu et al. present an original method for simulating and visualizing leaf wilting, useful in the domain of biology. Interestingly, their technique can be applied both in a didactic setting andwithin any graphics framework requiring realistic visualization of natural phenomena. We believe that serious games will continue to foster the development of new game technologies, and, conversely, combining and deploying existing game technology in novel ways will likely extend and amplify the impact and innovation achieved by these games in our society.

Having been a promising visualization tool since 1950s, ironically, virtual reality is not widely used in the architectural design and evaluation process due to several constrains, such as the high cost of equipments and advanced programming skills required. This paper described the collaboration between design computing courses and architecture design studios that have been taught at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2004 and 2005. These courses explored several practical methods to integrate Low Cost Virtual Reality Aided Design (LC-VRAD) in the architectural design process. As a summary of the collaboration, this paper refers to three main aspects: (1) How to use game engine to design an affordable VR system in the ordinary studio environment. (2) How to integrate VR, into the design process, not only as a visualization tool, but also as a design instrument. (3) How to evaluate different methods of representing architectural models based on the efficiency of workflow, rendering quality and users' feedback. Support by the Game and Interactive Design Department at SCAD, students in the School of Building Arts implemented two Low Cost VRAD methods in various design phases, starting from site analysis, schematic design, design development to the final presentation. Two popular game engines, Epic Game's Unreal engine and Director MX's Shockwave engine, were introduced to students to visualize their project in real-time. We discussed computer-aided design theories including the application of VR, as well as digital computing and human computer interaction. At the end of each quarter, feedbacks from students and faculties were collected and analyzed. These methods were revised and improved consistently across 2004 and 2005 academic year.

Games and immersive technologies are powerful media that combine storytelling, interactivity, and cutting-edge innovation to create engaging and dynamic experiences. While games have evolved from simple entertainment into sophisticated platforms for education, training, and social interaction, immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality have redefined how users interact with digital environments. This chapter provides an overview of the foundational technologies that power these immersive experiences, including advanced hardware (e.g., head-mounted displays, haptic devices), software frameworks (e.g., game engines, VR toolkits), as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. This chapter also examines the applications and impact of immersive technologies across various domains, including education, healthcare, industrial training, and urban planning.

Tarkovsky's 1971 film Solaris is an exquisitely evocative meditation on the relationship between technology, memory and loss - not only through it's presentation of the characters, narrative and themes of Stanislav Lem's novel, but also through the specific qualities of film as a medium of perception (Tarkovsky). Tarkovsky's oeuvre itself, particularly Nostalgia and Stalker, are tours-de-force in this respect. Yet there is always a melancholic distance between the viewer and the medium, perhaps impossible to traverse in any medium, but especially recognized in Tarkovsky's work. This in fact is a key issue, as Dolezel has outlined in his study of literature and possible worlds, in the understanding of the force of fictional constructs within the representative arts, including literature (Dolezel). The need to explain how it is possible and necessary to construct possible worlds that have both representative similarities with the real world and with hylomorphic qualities (i.e. a purposive and necessary form) in and of themselves is an opportunity that the making of digital environments cannot avoid. This paper questions whether the same material for 'world-making' might be possible in persistent digital environments as there is in film. In the quest for an increasingly vivid experience of the presence of architecture, digital means of representation have achieved significant successes. Interestingly, there remains the opportunity to consider modes of digital realization as being sufficiently material within their mode of delivery - digital media. If we stay within the digital there are a number of modes by which its architectural product can be experienced. The question of this paper concerns the manner in which a recent mode of digital representation and exploration has developed: the game engine.

This essay uses a “thought experiment” in order to combine theories of perception with sound practices. For that, it explores the concept of “object of thought” and the process of brain-associations in relation to acousmatic composition and reduced listening. Throughout the hypothetical premise of a falling tree, the study brings to discussion digital environments, in particular in relation to methodologies behind game engines. Eventually, it proposes to divide the question “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” according to its multiple angles—the falling tree, the tree of thought, the sound of the fall, and the tree in the digital environment—in order to arrive at the ultimate question: Is there a tree, did it fall, is there a forest, is there a sound?

The article is devoted to the creation of animated works in the digital environment. Modern technologies develop new approaches to the formation of communication between the viewer and the work. Analysis of the new creation technologies for computer animation reveals that animation performed on game engines with the use of motion capture and computer graphics transforms the production process, with characters “animated” via digitizing of the actor’s movement. Actor's facial expressions and movements conveyed to the digital character depend on the actor's skill in portraying their character's personality. This develops limitations of creating animated plastic movement, exaggeration, hyperbolization, and conventionality, thus making animators look for new approaches to visual imagery, as well as opportunities to improve the means of artistic expression for the modern computer animation.

The possibilities of implementing game technologies for distance learning of Russian as a foreign language using online services are considered. The relevance of the work is due to the development of education digitalization and the high didactic potential of gaming. The purpose of this study is to formulate guidelines for the selection of Web 2.0 services for the implementation of gaming technologies aimed at the development of linguistic, communicative, linguistic-cultural competences of foreign students in the course of distance learning of their Russian language. The study analyzed the techniques and methods of using online game tasks in teaching Russian as a foreign language from the standpoint of the following features: methodic tasks, distance learning format, the number of players, the presence of automatic verification of answers, the nature of the choice, the presence of a creative component, the possibility of instant switching of the game template within one content, translation features. It is concluded that many traditional game tech-niques that have become habitual in face-to-face work can be applied in distance learning. Online tools make it possible to organize manipulative play activities, team play, and communication in a digital environment in a form that is fun for students. The results of this study are essential both for understanding the methodoic features of the organizing distance learning process in general, and for the effective use of gaming technologies when teaching Russian to foreigners.

Purpose. To analyze the pedagogical conditions for adapting traditional and multimedia outdoor games to physical education lessons in a limited home environment. Material and Methods. Theoretical analysis and generalization of scientific and methodological literature allowed us to clarify the status of solving the problem of implementing gaming technologies in distance learning. In the process of work, the works of domestic and foreign scientists were studied, dedicated to the impact of physical inactivity on the body of younger schoolchildren, the peculiarities of the psychophysiological state of students in grades 1-4, as well as modern trends in the digitalization of education. Methods of system analysis and comparison were applied to study the effectiveness of traditional outdoor games and innovative multimedia tools, in particular exergaming, in the context of their adaptation to limited home space. The empirical component of the study was based on the study and generalization of pedagogical experience in using digital platforms (YouTube, Wordwall) and mobile applications with movement tracking technologies (Active Arcade, Plaicise, Just Dance Now). Through pedagogical observation and analysis of existing methods, the most effective game models were identified that provide a combination of motor activity with cognitive development and interdisciplinary integration. Results. Based on a comprehensive analysis of leading researchers’ works, the article substantiates the role of play-based activities as a fundamental tool for the physical education of primary school children, promoting the harmonization of their psychophysiological state and the intensification of physical activity. It is determined that in the context of distance learning and increasing physical inactivity (hypodynamia), the gamification of the educational process gains particular relevance through the implementation of exergaming (active video games), immersive technologies (VR/AR), and interactive platforms (Wordwall, LearningApps, Active Arcade), which allow for the conversion of screen time into productive physical activity. Research findings demonstrate that the systematic integration of gaming techniques not only facilitates the improvement of locomotor skills and morphofunctional indicators of the body but also minimizes destructive behavior while enhancing students’ intrinsic motivation and cognitive performance. Special attention is paid to the necessity of adapting active games to limited home spaces and the importance of parental involvement in supervising asynchronous sessions to ensure safety and the overall effectiveness of pedagogical influence within a digital educational environment. Conclusions. Based on the analysis of scientific sources, it can be concluded that gaming activity and gamification are fundamental tools of modern physical education, enabling the effective adaptation of the learning process to the psychophysiological characteristics of students in a digital environment. The systematic integration of active games, immersive technologies (VR/AR), and exergaming (active video games) provides a comprehensive impact on the individual: ranging from strengthening somatic health and developing motor skills to stimulating cognitive processes and overcoming physical inactivity during distance learning. The use of interactive platforms (Wordwall, LearningApps) and gaming methodologies allows for the transformation of routine exercises into high-tech educational activities, which significantly increases students’ intrinsic motivation, minimizes disruptive behavior, and ensures a holistic approach to a child’s health and harmonious development.

Structured light measurement technology has the advantages of non-contact, full field, high robustness, high speed, and high precision, and has been widely used in industrial inspection, machine vision, cultural relics digitization, medicine, and other fields. Multi-view structured light method introduces an auxiliary camera on the basis of single-view structured light. According to the principle of geometric constraints phase unwrapping, the wrapped phase can be unwrapped without projecting additional fringe patterns. Multi-view structured light has become the focus of structured light measurement technology research in recent years because of its advantages of small number of projected fringe patterns, fast phase unwrapping, and high efficiency of point cloud reconstruction. However, the current multi-view structured light geometric constraints phase unwrapping algorithm still has the problems of high matching difficulty and low phase unwrapping accuracy under the high-frequency fringes. Addressing these problems, this paper proposes a geometric constraints phase unwrapping method based on variable-frequency fringe patterns and neighborhood features matching. The method calculates neighborhood features of the pixel points in left camera wrapped phase image and the candidate points in right camera wrapped phase image. Then, the best matching point among the candidate points is obtained by using the difference of neighborhood features of the pixel points with the same phase in the different frequency fringe. Therefore, the pixel points matching between the left camera view and right camera view can be implemented, and the geometric constraints phase unwrapping can be realized. The proposed method does not need to project additional fringe patterns. It can thus reduce the time cost of projecting patterns, capturing images, and unwrapping phases. In addition, the proposed method can increase the difference of neighborhood features of the candidate points with the same phase in the different frequency fringe, and thus improve the reliability of pixel points matching and the accuracy of geometric constraint unwrapping. Experimental results show that this method can effectively reconstruct the 3D point cloud of objects with spatial discontinuities and complex geometric shapes by only projecting four variable-frequency sinusoidal fringe patterns.

Digital Gaming Upgrade and Recovery: Enrolling Memories and Technologies as a Strategy for the Future.

Game developers have been using commercial game engines to create serious games. The development of serious game is a process that requires game and instructional design. Constructionist environments and games are becoming more popular in the last years because of the importance of Computational Thinking to develop problem solving skills. Despite this popularity, there is a lack of available game engines and frameworks to develop this kind of games. This paper proposes a game engine architecture to support the affordable development of constructionist games. The game engine specification describes components of game, instructional and constructionist elements as a low-level definition that facilitates direct implementation. A serious game built upon this specification and used by 96 students is also presented in this paper. This validation provided some future work ideas, as an editor tool, SDK and API.