Video Game Technology Research Articles

Acceptance and use of Video Games for Education by Secondary School Teachers

Video games (VGs) are frequently described as a transformational force within education and the use of video game technology for learning is becoming more common across all education sectors. Despite this, most literature regarding VGs in education focuses on measuring specific learning or engagement outcomes, and there is less of an emphasis on the attitudes of teachers on the uses of VGs in the classroom. A comprehensive understanding of teacher attitudes towards VGs within education is essential for their successful implementation within the classroom. This paper will present the development and progress of a PhD project that aims to explore the factors that influence secondary Australian teachers’ attitudes towards, and intentions to use, VGs within their own teaching. An online survey was used to collect data on teacher beliefs about technology and VGs and the factors that influence VG acceptance. A subsample of participants were also interviewed about their experiences and opinions in relation to VGs. This paper focuses on the proposed thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. Respondents were divided into groups based on their opinions of, and level of experience with, VGs in teaching. The qualitative results provide a detailed and nuanced investigation of teacher attitudes and beliefs in relation to their competencies, obstacles, and facilitators of VGs use for teaching. The findings of this research will assist in building a deep understanding of VG use in secondary classrooms assisting game developers, administrators, teachers, and policy makers in decisions relating to effective and meaningful video game use within education.

Use of phygital technologies in improving the level of school students’ physical fitness in sporting games section classes

Introduction. The increasing number of people keeping to sedentary lifestyles highlights the need for innovative and non-standard methods of maintaining physical health. The physical and the digital merge and create exciting new possibilities, transforming sports into a new epoch. This evolution is continuously changing the paradigm of sports, opening up new realities. The research aims to study the effectiveness of a new methodology – using the phygital sports tools in the educational and training process involving sports games based on the school sporting club. Materials and methods. The sample comprised secondary educational school students of Grozny (Russian Federation) aged from 12 to 14. One control group and three experimental groups (a total of 60 people) were formed to carry out the formative pedagogical experiment. Three training groups were formed by phygital sport type: 1) phygital volleyball, 2) phygital basketball, 3) phygital football in which 2 sessions were held within a weekly cycle based on the developed methodology. The used methods of mathematical statistics involved the Student’s t-test. Results. Significant changes were found in the experimental groups in the following indicators: “Running 60 m, s.” – EG1 [t=5.5; p<0.05]; EG2 [t=6.4; p<0.05]; EG3 [t=2.3; p<0.05]; “Standing long jump” – EG 1 [t=5.1; p<0.05]; EG2 [t=3.5; p<0.05]; EG3 [t=2.3; p<0.05]; “Pull-up in suspension on a high crossbar” – EG1 [t=4.9; p<0.05]; EG2 [t=4.6; p<0.05]; EG3 [t=4.9; p<0.05]; “Torso lift in seated position” – EG1 [t=3.5; p<0.05]; EG2 [t=3.1; p<0.05]; EG3 [t=3.1; p<0.05]; “Run 100 m.” – EG1 [t=9.8; p<0.05]; EG2 [t=6.2; p<0.05]; EG3 [t=7.8; p<0.05]; KG [t=0.8; p>0.05]. “Sequential execution of 5 somersaults” – EG1 [t=6.5; p<0.05], EG2 [t=2.4; p<0.05]; EG3 [t=3.3; p<0.05]; “Leaning forward while standing on the gym bench” – (EG1 [t=2.6; p<0.05]; EG2 [t=2.5; p<0.05]; EG3 [t=4.4; p<0.05]. No statistically significant changes were found according to these indicators in the control group. Conclusion. The research results showed that the experiment participants successfully combined computer sports with traditional classes and physical activity. The new format of integrating computer game technologies with active motor activity generates young people’s increased interest and can positively influence their motivation to perform physical exercises and physical activity.

Advances in Pediatric Surgery Simulation-Based Training.

Pediatric surgery is the diagnostic, operative, and postoperative surgical care of children with congenital and acquired anomalies and diseases. The early history of the specialty followed the classic "see one, do one, teach one" philosophy of training but has since evolved to modern methods including simulation-based training (SBT). Current trainees in pediatric surgery face numerous challenges, such as the decreasing incidence of congenital disease and reduced work hours. SBT consists of several modalities that together assist in the acquisition of technical skills and improve performance in the operating room. SBT has evolved to incorporate simulator models and video gaming technology, in parallel with the development of simulation in other surgical and non-surgical pediatric fields. SBT has advanced to a level of sophistication that means that it can improve the skills of not only pediatric surgery trainees but also practicing attending surgeons. In this review, we will discuss the history of pediatric surgery, simulation in pediatric surgery training, and the potential direction of pediatric surgical simulation training in the future.

65.4 Guiding Parents of Children Struggling With Problematic Video Game, Social Media, and Other Technology Use

65.4 Guiding Parents of Children Struggling With Problematic Video Game, Social Media, and Other Technology Use

Making sense of the pandemic: Multiple functions of commercial video games during one year and a half of COVID-19 crisis

The outbreak of the COVID-19 has made apparent the importance of gaming technologies during crises and difficult life moments. However, studies exploring the role of commercial off-the-shelf video games during the pandemic are still limited. Moreover, research often focuses on a specific moment of the crisis. In this article, we investigate how playing commercial video games impacts on how players manage and understand the COVID-19 pandemic considered in its temporal evolution. We conducted a one-year-and-a-half longitudinal qualitative study by interviewing 16 participants who were living in Italy during the first pandemic lockdown, then involving a subgroup of them (N = 10) in a follow-up interview. Study findings show that playing not only supported escapism from a difficult reality, but also helped individuals counteract the sense of detachment from the “pandemic world”, encouraging reflection and supporting sense-making. These functions of video games varied as the pandemic unfolded. Based on these findings, we present a preliminary model of the role of video game technologies during moments of crisis and suggest design considerations on how video games could support people experiencing extremely difficult life moments.

Construct validation of a general movement competence assessment utilising active video gaming technology.

Introduction: The assessment of children's motor competence is an important concern as physical inactivity has been linked with poor movement quality and aspects of well-being such as low self-esteem. The General Movement Competence Assessment (GMCA) is a new instrument that was developed using active video gaming technology. Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the internal validity of the GMCA in a sample of 253 typically developing children (135 boys and 118 girls), aged 7-12years old (9.9 ± 1.6years). Further, a second-order confirmatory factor analysis examined how the four constructs fit onto the higher-order variable of movement competence. Results: Results revealed that the first-order four-construct model of the GMCA was a good fit (CFI 0.98; TLI 0.98; RMSEA 0.05). The second-order confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the four constructs loaded directly onto movement competence. It accounted for 95.44% of the variance which is approximately 20% more than the first-order model. The internal structure of the GMCA identified four constructs of movement competence (i.e., stability, object-control, locomotion and dexterity) based on the study sample. Discussion: Performance trends in the general movement competence assessment support empirical evidence that movement competence improves as children age. Results suggest that active video games have considerable potential to help assess general motor competency in the wider population. Future work may consider the sensitivity of motion-sensing technologies in detecting developmental changes over time.

Research on deep learning video game simulation algorithm based on western wind music

Deep learning technology and graphics computing technology have made important progress in recent years, making video game technology develop. Western orchestral music based on video game technology has been significantly improved in both human–computer experience and game fun. Therefore, an optimized reinforcement learning (Deep Q Networks, DQN) video game simulation algorithm is proposed. The first is to optimize the network activation function, integrate the ReLU and Softlus functions to design a new piecewise activation function, and use it as a fully connected function of the network. Secondly, the Gabor filter is improved and replaces the traditional filter of the network. Finally, the improved filter and the game image are used to obtain the directional features, and the dimensionality reduction of the features is realized by the kernel principal component analysis (PCA) method, the network training parameters are obtained, and the game simulation is completed. In order to verify the improved DQN game simulation model, two games were selected to participate in the experiment. In the game test of the orchestra simulator, the proposed ReLU-Softplus is the best in the orchestra experience, with the highest score of 126, while the average score of ReLU, Sigmaid, Tanh and ReLU-Softplus are 59.6, 57.2, 52.6 and 64.7. Compared with the other three functions, ReLU-Softplus has a 13.2% improvement. It can be seen that ReLU-Softplus has a better experience of wind games. We still take the pipe game as the test object, adopt the improved Gabor and ReLU-Softplus, and use KPCA to reduce the dimension of the game data features. When the curvature coefficient is 0.3, the DQN model has the highest score in the game test, with a score of 159.6, and the best average score is 93.5, which is better than 73.6 without the improved Gabor. It can be seen that the improved DQN game simulation algorithm can significantly optimize the game scoring effect. The research content has important reference value for improving the experience of western wind music video games and improving the game scoring mechanism.

A comprehensive systematic review and content analysis of active video game intervention research

ObjectiveIntervention research using digital games to promote physical activity has proliferated. Yet few studies have attempted to systematically catalog features that characterize this research. To address this gap, we undertook a systematic review and content analysis of active video game interventions, examining only published longitudinal interventions that prominently featured active video game technology (≥50% of the intervention).MethodsOur protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42020204191). For inclusion, an active video game intervention had to require gross movement beyond finger movement, and target improvement, maintenance, or recovery of health. The intervention design had to include at least two conditions, within- or between-subjects, with ≥10 participants per condition to examine the chronic effects of active video game exposure.ResultsThe search resulted in 232 studies published in English between 1996 and 2020. The majority of active video game interventions (69.8%) targeted physical fitness (physiological functioning as a consequence of physical activity), followed by cognitive performance (11.3%), physical activity (5.5%), or a mixture of those outcomes (13.4%). Total enrollment across all studies was 14,849 participants ( MParticipants = 62, SD = 106; MAge = 50.2, SD = 25.2 years; 47.3% men). A strong majority of the samples (69.8%) were recruited from medical subpopulations, and only 30.2% were recruited from the general (healthy) population. A strong majority of active video games (72.0%) were developed by industry for the commercial market, and only 13.3% were funded by government or foundation grants.ConclusionsSuggested directions for improving future active video game development and intervention research include greater consideration of promising features (social connectedness, novelty, narrative, rhythmic movement to music) and new models for productive collaboration between industry and academia.

Shooter video games for personality prediction using five factor model traits and machine learning

Video Games technology has rapidly increased in the last decade with increasing number of users. Players information becomes very important to the researchers in order to measure the impact of these Video Games on the players behaviors. First Person Shooter (FPS) game is considered one of the most attractive game, which make it a realistic environment to measure the players behaviors, emotions and interests. In this paper, we developed a custom First Person Shooter game called “The Protector” in order to study the impact of Video Games on the players' personalities. The game was published in the Google Play Store in order to collect custom data from users in uncontrolled environments. The data was collected based on Five-Factor Model (FFM) for personality traits, which is considered one of the most well-known model in this field. Thousands of real user's data were collected using our published game. Then, different machine learning techniques have been used for the purpose of the personality classification and prediction. We used the classification task in order to automatically classify the possessing level of the players traits based on their data. We have used the prediction task in order to predict the player performance and behaviors in the future rounds. It is shown that the ANN algorithm provides the best accuracy of 98.6% over the other used algorithms in the classification task. While the SVR and KNNR provide the lowest error rate over the other used algorithms in the prediction task.

Creation of Melodic and Rhythmic Patterns Based on Cultural Heritage

Globalization is an explicit threat to intangible cultural heritage. Preservation of the traditional dance and music of a variety of cultures and ethnic groups is a subject of many studies and projects of scholars in different disciplines. In the current project, we focus on the same theme by applying a combination of new technology and creative ideas. Our compound method applies choreographic computer game technologies to the elements of intangible cultural heritage, informed by a careful consideration of intrinsic elements of the culture. Using a tool that transforms body movement to musical sound, spatial dance data can create melodic and rhythmic patterns based on structural elements of Azeri music such as 6/8 meter and two-core phrases. The data was sonified by a combination of rotation data across 360 degrees with pitches and cutoff sounds. Each pitch was assigned a region of a circular protractor according to the range and density of the data captured, and the rotation degree of three body parts was mapped into the nearest pitch. The patterns are generated in real time, and the composed music is audible when the game is run. They have a motivic structure and a set of rules that are applied to compose varied but cohesive music, informed by traditional musical stylistic features. The gamified prototype assists the heritage transmission to descendants via a 3D game environment that challenges the players for good performance, appraises their results, and motivates them in learning a folk dance. It also facilitates the players’ familiarization with the cultural forms by generating patterns in rhythmic coordination with the performance. This approach can be applicable to other cultures using their dance data and cultural elements. It also has the potential to be adapted for various apparatuses for game-based learning and knowledge transmission regarding intangible cultural heritage.

Review: Ludified, edited by Marko Ciciliani, Barbara Lüneburg, and Andreas Pirchner

Review: <i>Ludified</i>, edited by Marko Ciciliani, Barbara Lüneburg, and Andreas Pirchner

Smith and Smitherson’s Theatre of the Absurd

Smith and Smitherson’s Theatre of the Absurd

Eye Tracking Technique for Controlling Computer Game Objects

The study explored the employment of associate in accessible eye tracer with keyboard and mouse input devices for video games. An interactive game has been developed using unity with multiple balls objects and by hitting they could collect more point for each player. It has been used different techniques to hit the balls using mouse, keyboard, and mixed. Eye tracker input has been help to increase the performance of collected the player points. The research explains how the eye tacking techniques can be used in widely in video game and it is very interactive. Finally, we examine the use of visual observation in relevancy the keyboard and mouse input control and show the difference. Our results indicate that the employment of a watch huntsman will increase the immersion of a computer game and considerably improve the video game technology.

Cloud Gaming Demystified: An Introduction to the Legal Implications of Cloud-Based Videogames

In this paper, we “demystify” cloud-based videogaming and its legal implications, in two stages. First, we describe the videogame sector; explain the basics of cloud computing and traditional videogame technologies and set out how the two converge in cloud-based videogame systems. Based on this analysis, we distinguish three separate models for cloud gaming services: (i) the “layered” model of Gaming-as-a-Service (‘GaaS’); (ii) the ‘integrated’ model of GaaS; and (iii) the ‘consumer infrastructure-as-a-service’ model. We argue that these three models are key to analyzing how intellectual property rights, contractual rights, and regulatory issues will develop in this novel environment for videogame distribution and access.

Safety and Feasibility of Integrating Video Gaming Technology in Acute Early Stroke Recovery

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> This study aims to examine the safety and feasibility of implementing an additional hour of time-on-task upper limb training using video game technology (VGT) or conventional Occupational Therapy (COT) in the early phase post-stroke. <h3>Design</h3> This is a randomized controlled, single-site trial. After a rollup period, sixty participants will be randomized to either a therapy group (VGT or COT) versus standard of care. Patients receive an additional hour of time-on-task upper limb training 5 days a week for the duration of their hospital stay. <h3>Setting</h3> Hospital acute stroke unit or acute rehabilitation unit. <h3>Participants</h3> Patients are eligible if they had stroke within the previous four weeks and have upper extremity weakness. <h3>Interventions</h3> VGT therapy includes the MindPod Dolphin, immersive gaming software that promotes motor recovery and bimanual arm trainer. COT includes Graded Repetitive Arm Supplementary Program. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> Primary outcomes are safety and feasibility of adding an additional hour of VGT or COT into acute stroke units as measured by successful completion of the extra session. Secondary outcomes include time on task and session duration. <h3>Results</h3> In the rollup period, 14 patients were enrolled. They had an average age of 57 years. Initially, patients spent an average of 15 minutes time-on-task during 23 minute session; after protocol iteration they achieved 43 minutes during 80 minutes sessions. There have been no safety issues and motor endpoints and perceived exertion are measured. Study is ongoing. <h3>Conclusions</h3> This study is examining the safety and feasibility of integrating VGT for an additional hour of upper limb training in the early phase of post-stroke care. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> Authors have no disclosures.

Welcome to the Field

Abstract Videogames offer vast potential for critical reflection by humanities scholars, but the tendency of existing game studies scholarship to treat the rules of a game separately from the game’s social meaning suggests that videogames have no place in humanistic disciplines. This article challenges that notion by contrasting a cultural view of videogames with the dominant mere-technology view. Ecocriticism functions as a prestige language for videogames that permits entrance into what sociologist Pierre Bourdieu calls the field of cultural production. Ecology simultaneously provides metaphors for explaining videogame technology while allowing games to enter ongoing critical and cultural conversations. Humanists interested in but unfamiliar with videogames should therefore start with those with environmentalist themes. This article presents Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) as a case study. Horizon Zero Dawn presents a stylized pastoral pseudo-utopia that embraces ecofeminist calls to reconstruct rationality while challenging existing sexism in computing fields.

Review: Gaming Utopia: Ludic Worlds in Art, Design, and Media, by Claudia Costa Pederson

Review: <i>Gaming Utopia: Ludic Worlds in Art, Design, and Media</i>, by Claudia Costa Pederson

Ruins of Excess: Computer Game Images and the Rendering of Technological Obsolescence

In this article, we describe three layers of ruins related to computer game technology: in a surface layer, we examine the imagery of ruins in digital games, highlighting game design tools for developing in-game ruination. Secondly, we approach the industrial design model of technological obsolescence as an infrastructural layer that intrinsically demands the production of new provisional spaces for material decay. Lastly, through a waste layer, we unfold the geopolitical dimension of technological obsolescence, calling attention to the transcontinental flows of electronic waste, which also underscores a geological stage of ruination. While exploring these different layers of ruins, we wish to perceive how game design models might relate to different forms of contemporary ruination, inquiring what such material traces have to say as strata of the complex deterioration processes of present-day media.

Real-Time Path Planning With Virtual Magnetic Fields

Humans and animals have learned or evolved to use magnetic fields for navigation. Knowing how to model and estimate these fields can be used for motion planning. However, computing the propagation of electromagnetic fields in a given environment requires solving complex differential equations with advanced numerical methods, and therefore it is not suitable for real-time decision making. In this latter, we present a real-time approximator for Maxwell's equations based on deep neural networks that predicts the distribution of a virtual magnetic field. We show how our approximator can be used to perform autonomous 2D navigation tasks, outperforming state-of-the-art navigation algorithms, ensuring completeness, and providing a near-optimal path up to 200 times per second without any post processing stage. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method with physics-based simulations of an unmanned aerial vehicle, an autonomous car, as well as real-world experiments using a small off-road autonomous racing vehicle. Furthermore, we show how the approach can be applied to multi-robot systems, video game technology, and can be extended to 3D problems.

Game Technologies to Assist Learning of Communication Skills in Dialogic Settings for Persons with Aphasia

Persons with aphasia suffer from a loss of communication ability as a consequence of a brain injury. While rare, a small strand of research indicates effectiveness of dialogic interventions for communication development for persons with aphasia, but a vast amount of research studies shows its effectiveness for other target groups. In this paper, we describe the main parts of the hitherto technological development of an application named Dialogica that is (i) aimed at facilitating increased communicative participation in dialogic settings for persons with aphasia and other communication disorders, (ii) based on computer game technology as well as on theory in dialogic education and argumentation theory, and (iii) designed for mobile devices with larger screens.