Reality Game Research Articles

Players’ perceptions of sexuality and gender-inclusive video games a pragmatic content analysis of steam reviews

Video games reflect the current culture and society. Games stand as points of transmission that reflect cultural trends and social norms, although not comprehensively. While it seems that more games have tried to be inclusive of diverse gender and sexual identities recently, there is still a lack of studies that discuss how real video game players see LGBTQ+ inclusive games. To understand the game players’ perceptions in this regard, this study qualitatively analyzes online video game review postings from Steam, focusing on user reviews of gender and sexuality inclusive games. Based on four gender and sexuality inclusive video games selected, we collected 400 user-generated video game reviews as our dataset. Our findings identified 22 primary themes, including Mood/Emotions, Social/Cultural Importance and Representation. This paper further discusses some of the critical topics discovered, such as identity, conflicts in game communities and representation.

Systemic risk models for disjoint and overlapping groups with equilibrium strategies

Abstract We analyze the systemic risk for disjoint and overlapping groups of financial institutions by proposing new models with realistic game features. Specifically, we generalize the systemic risk measure proposed in [F. Biagini, J.-P. Fouque, M. Frittelli and T. Meyer-Brandis, On fairness of systemic risk measures, Finance Stoch. 24 (2020), 2, 513–564] by allowing individual banks to choose their preferred groups instead of being assigned to certain groups. We introduce the concept of Nash equilibrium for these new models, and analyze the optimal solution under Gaussian distribution of the risk factor. We also provide an explicit solution for the risk allocation of the individual banks and study the existence and uniqueness of Nash equilibrium both theoretically and numerically. The developed numerical algorithm can simulate scenarios of equilibrium, and we apply it to study the banking structure with real data and show the validity of the proposed model.

Does size matter in group decision making? Simulation experiments with LNG professionals bidding in auction markets

Purpose: An important issue in decision-making processes is whether groups decide better than individuals. This paper compares the bidding behavior of groups of professionals while playing a business game that simulates, in a controlled environment, the sequential unit capacity auctions in the Spanish LNG market.Design/methodology/approach: First, we randomly grouped professionals in groups of different size—SOLOs, DUOs, and TRIOs—and played the game in-situ under both First and Second price unit capacity auctions, with SOLOs outperforming groups. Second, we ran non-parametric simulations mixing professionals in groups of different size, in which bids were coupled with those registered during the in-situ sessions. Third, we ran non-parametric simulations in which the players were either ‘rational machines’ that bid according to Nash equilibrium or groups of ‘professionals’ of different size.Findings: The size of the decision group does matter. After the in-situ and the bootstrapped simulated games, the main result is that size does matter, and groups are not necessarily superior to individuals bidding alone. SOLO players bid closer to MACHINEs and lower than DUOs or TRIOs, while obtaining about the same number of units and higher payoffs than groups. Additionally, the ‘degree of rationality’ of the participants does also matter.Research limitations/implications: Even after applying the hybrid simulation methodology to increase sample size and allow for additional experimental settings, some of the scenarios are fictitious. Modification of the business game to allow for an even more realistic game could be implemented.Practical implications: After the hybrid simulation approach, the main implication of the paper is that to increase efficiency in resource allocation professionals should bid individually while using the theoretical knowledge of rational machines.Originality/value: To our knowledge, this is the first time that this double-experiment simulation methodology is used to analyze bidding behavior in auctions.

Creating an Escape Room for Cultural Mediation: Insights from "The Archivist's Dream"

The Archivist’s Dream („Der Traum der Archivarin“) is a Live Escape Room Game that has been developed by the University of Krems’ Center for Applied Game Studies on behalf of the Archives of Contemporary Arts in Krems, Austria, which are dedicated to collecting pre-mortem bequests and post-mortem estates of outstanding artists. Located in the underground facilities of the archive, the Escape Room interweaves selected archival materials, historic media devices and archivist approaches to form an interactive puzzle experience. However, it is not an interactive exhibition showcasing the archives’ contents; and while the Escape Room incorporates elements of educational game design, it is an example for a less common application of (Escape Room) Games: the use of game design in the field of cultural mediation (Kulturvermittlung). Instead of following an educational goal in the narrower sense, the Escape Room is designed to turn aspects of cultural mediation and archival practice into gameplay principles, focusing on letting players explore the tenets of archival thinking rather than on “teachable” content. This is achieved by establishing different levels of (un-)reality players have to travers within the game: players follow a fictional archivist into her dreams, which merge with the real-life archives. In order to “escape” this dream world, players combine archival practices with dream logic to solve a secret tied to actual archival materials, while at the same time dissolving the borders between real life, dream and game.

Validity of a Wheelchair Rugby Field Test to Simulate Physiological and Thermoregulatory Match Outcomes.

The purpose of the study was to verify the criterion-validity (concurrent) of an existing and reliable, submaximal wheelchair Rugby (WCR) field test by examining the correlations of selected measures of physical performance between the field test and real games. Therefore, ten WCR athletes were observed during two WCR real games and during completing the field test two times. Total distance, mean and peak velocity, playing time, number of sprints, sprints per minute, mean and maximal heart rate, body core temperature (Tc), sweat rate, body weight loss, rate of perceived exertion and thermal sensation were measured. Values were correlated with the data observed by completing the field test two times separated by seven days. The results showed significant correlations between games and field tests for sweat rate (r = 0.740, p < 0.001), body weight loss (r = 0.732, p < 0.001) and the increase of Tc (r = 0.611, p = 0.009). All other correlations were not significant. For perceptual responses Bland–Altman analysis showed data within the limits of agreement. Descriptive statistics showed similarity for mean velocity and total distance between tests and games. In conclusion the study provides the first indications that the submaximal field test seems comparable with the game outcomes in terms of increase in Tc, covered distance, mean velocity and perceptual responses. Nevertheless, more research and additional validation are required.

Evolutionary game analysis on live streaming commerce considering brand awareness and anchor influence

PurposeThis paper considers the brand awareness and anchor influence on consumers' live-streaming purchases, and explores the existence of “free-riding” behavior, the comparison of brand promotion effect and active live-streaming effect and the optimal strategic combination between the brand and the anchor. The authors investigate the evolutionary stabilization strategies of the bounded rational brand and anchor, and explore the conditions for the realization of the optimal strategy. Management suggestions for the development of live streaming commerce can be provided in this paper.Design/methodology/approachTwo significant models are used in this paper. The Stackelberg model is used to study the “free-riding” behavior, the comparison of brand promotion effect and active live-streaming effect and the optimal strategic combination between the brand and the anchor. Using evolutionary game theory to get the evolutionary stable equilibrium strategies and analyze the binary equilibrium strategy of the bounded rational brand and anchor. In addition, relevant simulation analysis is conducted using realistic data to verify the conclusions and for further analysis, making the conclusions of the paper have realistic significance.FindingsThe study shows that “free-riding” behavior exists and the positive effect of brand promotion is greater than that of active live-streaming. The brand and the anchor take active actions as the optimal strategy. As the sensitivity coefficient of consumers to live-streaming effort and the sensitivity coefficient of consumers to brand promotion change, various evolutionary stabilization strategies will appear. When the two sensitivity coefficients are below a certain threshold, the game sides will reach the optimal strategic combination to obtain the maximum benefits. When they rise above this threshold, it is counterproductive instead. The system achieves the optimal strategic combination when the difference factor between effort cost and promotion cost must be higher than a certain value, but when it takes the smallest possible value, the game sides tend to take active actions. This study can provide management suggestions for the sustainable development of the live-streaming model.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper shows that under certain conditions, the brand and the anchor can evolve into the optimal strategy to maximize the profits of both parties, which has certain practical significance for the prosperous development of live streaming commerce. In future research, the authors will consider the regulatory role of the government and construct a more realistic game model to provide constructive suggestions for the sustainable prosperity of live streaming commerce. Meanwhile, there are also games between multiple brands and multiple anchors, as well as games among brands-anchors-the live streaming platforms, and the authors will conduct more in-depth research in the future.Originality/valueSo far, the co-impact of anchor influence and brand awareness has not been considered simultaneously in published articles. This paper provides theoretical guidance for the behavioral choices of the brand and the anchor under the live streaming commerce, which is conducive to the prosperous development of live streaming commerce.

Real Coding and Real Games: Design and Development of a Middle School Curriculum Using Unity 3D

Real Coding and Real Games: Design and Development of a Middle School Curriculum Using Unity 3D

The devil’s advocate: identifying persistent problems in serious game design

After a long period of steady growth, games for learning and training (serious games) have become well accepted as productive teaching tools. This article argues, however, that a number of persistent weaknesses in current serious game design practice pose a barrier to harnessing the games´ full educational potential. For serious game designers it is quite a challenge to maintain a subtle and critical balance between gaming elements and didactic elements. Quite commonly counterproductive game preferences are being used that favour player experiences above learning efficacy, thereby neglecting established knowledge from instructional design, student guidance and assessment of learning outcomes. By taking up the role of the devil’s advocate, this article takes a critical look at current serious game design routines. The issues that are discussed include experiential learning, cognitive flow, motivation, scores and realism in serious games, among other things. Each topic is elaborated with reference to established educational research and is concluded and summarised with a claim. The main purpose of this article is to contribute to the overall quality of serious game design by identifying and opposing unfavourable design routines.

HUMAN RESOURCES NEW CHALLENGES FOR CANADIAN EMPLOYERS - ANALYSIS OF THE HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM INDUSTRIES STRUGGLING THROUGH 2022

The emergence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in December 2019 was a wake-up call for the human resources community. In some ways, COVID-19 was a real game changer, but in other ways, it was simply another flashpoint in an ongoing HR transformation. Many have lost their jobs, and employers and their human resources departments have had to adjust to the situation. Some industries succeeded in going through the pandemic while others did not. It is no wonder why many employees have reoriented their careers to other industries, especially those who used to work in tourism and hospitality. Today, these industries are facing more challenges than ever before, and the lack of employees is making the HR job more difficult and, in many cases, impossible to find employees. This paper is about the HR challenges before and after the pandemic. It is aimed at exploring how human resources management has evolved and changed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. From a historical perspective, we will first provide an overview of the history of human resources management in relation to the pandemic and then discuss the contemporary issues that have emerged following the outbreak. Then we will analyze the HR situation in Canada and how the pandemic has affected it and its backdown on hospitality and tourism.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0743/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Positive fortune telling enhances men's financial risk taking.

Fortune telling is a widespread phenomenon, yet little is known about the extent to which people are affected by it—including those who consider themselves non-believers. The present research has investigated the power of a positive fortune telling outcome (vs. neutral vs. negative) on people’s financial risk taking. In two online experiments (n1 = 252; n2 = 441), we consistently found that positive fortune telling enhanced financial risk taking particularly among men. Additionally, we used a real online gambling game in a lab setting (n3 = 193) and found that positive fortune telling enhanced the likelihood that college students gambled for money. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of these three studies demonstrated that the effect of positive fortune telling versus neutral fortune telling was significant for men, but virtually absent for women. Thus, positive fortune telling can yield increased financial risk taking in men, but not (or less so) in women.

The Synergy of Double Neural Networks for Bridge Bidding

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made many breakthroughs in the perfect information game. Nevertheless, Bridge, a multiplayer imperfect information game, is still quite challenging. Bridge consists of two parts: bidding and playing. Bidding accounts for about 75% of the game and playing for about 25%. Expert-level teams are generally indistinguishable at the playing level, so bidding is the more decisive factor in winning or losing. The two teams can communicate using different systems during the bidding phase. However, existing bridge bidding models focus on at most one bidding system, which does not conform to the real game rules. This paper proposes a deep reinforcement learning model that supports multiple bidding systems, which can compete with players using different bidding systems and exchange hand information normally. The model mainly comprises two deep neural networks: a bid selection network and a state evaluation network. The bid selection network can predict the probabilities of all bids, and the state evaluation network can directly evaluate the optional bids and make decisions based on the evaluation results. Experiments show that the bidding model is not limited by a single bidding system and has superior bidding performance.

The real game is politics

The real game is politics

Different Stages of Rally Score Distinguish Performance Level in Badminton: A preliminary study

The study aimed to investigate the use of visual display badminton game rallies to determine the level of sports intelligence. Methods of this study reveal the study participants with video display real game of badminton where some strokes rally divided into several shots. The result showed expert level players led the perceptual-cognitive task among another tested group. This preliminary study could suggest that the 'software' approach in skilled performance has been heading the search for systematic differences in information processing strategies between expert and novice athletes. Keywords: perceptual-visual; prediction; decision making; video task eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning &amp; Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7iSI7%20(Special%20Issue).3822

Office Madness: Investigating the impact of a game using a real life job and programming scenario on player experience and perceived short-term learning

Serious games, or more specifically educational games, are considered to be suitable to motivate and engage users in learning through playing. Serious games take advantage of successful game mechanics used in entertainment games in order to engage players in learning cognitively demanding subjects, such as computer programming. Several games for computer programming have been developed and their majority utilizes a role-playing or puzzle game scenario. In this article, a new game for learning the C++ programming language targeted to young adults is presented. The distinctive feature of the proposed game, called Office Madness, is the use of a real life job and programming game scenario. Office Madness was designed taking into account both educational games for programming and entertainment games, as well as the EFM design model. The main goal of the study presented is to investigate the impact of a game using a real life job and programming scenario on player experience and short-term learning. One hundred and seventy-four final-year students of an Informatics Department play-tested the game and provided feedback through an online questionnaire based on the MEEGA+ model. The results show that the use of a real life scenario had a positive impact on player experience and short-term learning.

Influence Mechanism of the Home Advantage on Referees' Decision-Making in Modern Football Field - A Study From Sports Neuro-Decision Science.

As professional football stadiums continue to grow in popularity worldwide, fans are able to watch the game in closer proximity, but the design of professional football stadiums to shorten the distance between fans and the playing field also exacerbates the impact of the home advantage on the referee’s decision to call a penalty. Studies have confirmed the existence of the home advantage and found that experienced referees can reduce the impact of this interference, but the neural mechanisms behind this phenomenon have not been adequately investigated. In this study, we designed a soccer referee decision making task based on a home field effect scenario in a real soccer game, and used event-related potentials (ERPs) to compare the decision making and EEG differences between individuals with different experience levels when faced with foul actions under spectator noise interference. The experiments showed that individuals with different experience levels triggered a significant ERN EEG component when performing the penalty decision task under the home field effect factor, suggesting that the interference of the home field effect may lead referees to correct their previous decision-making behavior patterns in the penalty decision and reduce unfavorable calls against the home team. In contrast, referees with officiating experience elicited smaller ERN amplitudes compared to other subjects, suggesting that experience factors may inhibit this tendency to change behavioral patterns. This study suggests that in response to the increasing trend of professional football stadiums, policy makers should place more emphasis on enhancing the experience level of referees in the training of referees to ensure the fairness of the game.

Analyzing the within and between Players Variability of Heart Rate and Locomotor Responses in Small-Sided Soccer Games Performed Repeatedly over a Week.

Background: Small-sided games (SSGs) are drill-based and constrained exercises designed to promote a technical/tactical and physiological/physical stimulus on players while preserving some dynamics of the real game. However, as a dynamic game, they can offer some variability making the prediction of the stimulus hardest for the coach. Aim: The purpose of this study was to analyze the between-session and within-player variability of heart rates and locomotor responses of young male soccer players in 3v3 and 5v5 small-sided game formats. Methods: This study followed a repeated-measures study design. Twenty soccer players were enrolled in a study design in which the SSG formats 3v3 and 5v5 were performed consecutively across four days. Twenty under-17 male youth soccer players (16.8 ± 0.4 years old) voluntarily participated in this study. Participants were monitored using a Polar Team Pro for measuring the heart rate mean and maximum, distances covered at different speed thresholds, and peak speed. Results: Between-players variability revealed that maximum heart rate was the outcome with a smaller coefficient of variation (3v3 format: 3.1% to 11.1%; 5v5 format: 6.6% to 15.2%), while the distance covered at Z5 (3v3 format: 82.5% to 289.8%; 5v5 format: 94.0% to 221.1%). The repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the four games tested were different in the within-player variability considering the maximum heart rate (p = 0.032), total distance (p < 0.001), and distances at zone 1, 2, and 5 of speed (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The smaller small-sided game tested promotes greater within-player variability in locomotor demands while promoting smaller within-player variability heart rate responses. Possibly, 5v5 is more recommended to stabilize the locomotor demands, while the 3v3 is recommended to stabilize the heart rate stimulus.

Open Dataset Recorded by Single Cameras for Multi-Player Tracking in Soccer Scenarios

Multi-player action recognition for automatic analysis in sports is the subject of increasing attention. Trajectory-tracking technology is key for accurate recognition, but little research has focused on this aspect, especially for non-professional matches. Here, we study multi-player tracking in the most popular and complex sport among non-professionals—soccer. In this non-professional soccer player tracking (NPSPT) challenge, single-view-based motion recording systems for continuous data collection were installed in several soccer fields, and a new benchmark dataset was collected. The dataset consists of 17 2-min long super-high-resolution videos with diverse game types consistently labeled across time, covering almost all possible situations for multi-player detection and tracking in real games. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted on the state-of-the-art multi-object-Tracking (MOT) systems, revealing insights into player tracking in real games. Our challenge introduces a new dimension for researchers in the player recognition field and will be beneficial to further studies.

Cortical responses to sport-specific stimuli in a standing stop signal task

Executive functions (EF) and especially inhibition have been shown to play an essential role in team sports. However, the underlying cortical mechanisms of EF in real game situations are barely understood, since previous studies predominantly used tests with simplified stimuli in seated positions. Consequently, the aim of the current study was to explore cortical responses to sport-specific stimuli in a standing stop signal task (SST). Cortical activity was investigated in 17 adult amateur soccer players using mobile electroencephalography (EEG) in a standard- (Std) and a sport-specific (Sp) SST. Whereas mean reaction times were significantly longer in the Sp-SST, stop error-rates demonstrated no significant difference. Further, analysis of event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) in a frontal cluster also showed no significant differences between Std- and Sp-SST for go and stop conditions. Thus, sport-specific stimuli in a standing SST may exhibit similar inhibitory cortical processes as the standard SST, although requiring longer processing times with regards to the more complex visual stimulation. Future studies are needed to further develop realistic paradigms for evaluating sport-specific cognitive performance.

EasySM: A Data-Driven Intelligent Decision Support System for Server Merge

As an independent social and economic entity, game servers plays a dominant role in building a stable, living, and attractive virtual world in massive multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs). We propose and implement a novel intelligent decision support system for server merge (SM) for maintaining the game ecology at the macro level. The services provided by this system include server health diagnosis, server merge assessment, and combination strategy recommendation. Specifically, we design an effective time series prediction algorithm to diagnose the health status of one server (e.g., user activity, online time, daily revenue) based on real game scenarios, and then select the servers with poor status from all servers. Moreover, to dig out the inherent development laws of servers from the historical merge records, we leverage a correlation measurement algorithm to find the historical merged servers that are similar to the servers to be merged and then evaluate the potential trend after merging, which can assist experts to make reasonable decisions. We deploy our system into practice for multiple MMORPGs and achieve sound online performance endorsed by the game operation team.

Impact of an intradialysis virtual-reality-based exercise program on healthcare resources expenditure: a micro-costing analysis

BackgroundEngagement in exercise by haemodialysis (HD) patients has been shown to generate benefits both in terms of improved functional capacity and in the health-related quality of life. The use of non-immersive virtual reality (VR) games represents a new format for the implementation of intradialysis exercise. Some studies have shown that engaging in exercise for 6 months reduces the consumption of antihypertensive drugs and decreases the time spent admitted to hospital among individuals receiving HD treatments. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in the consumption of healthcare resources and micro-costing for patients on HD who completed a VR exercise program.Materials and methodsDesign: This study is a secondary analysis of a clinical trial. The participants performed an intradialysis exercise program with non-immersive virtual reality for 3 months. The variables were recorded in two periods: 12 months before and 12 months after the start of the exercise program.ResultsThe micro-costing analysis showed a significant decrease in the mean cost, in euros, for the consumption of laboratory tests − 330 (95% CI:[− 533, − 126];p = 0.003), outpatient visits − 351 ([− 566, − 135];p = 0.003), and radiology tests − 111 ([− 209, − 10];p = 0.03) in the 12 months after the implementation of the exercise program relative to the 12 months prior to its start.ConclusionThe implementation of intradialysis exercise programs decreased the expenditure of some healthcare resources. Future studies could help clarify if longer interventions would have a stronger impact on these cost reductions.