Questions?

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Questions?
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Games and Learning

• Jose Zagal
• Electronic Learning Communities Lab
• College of Computing GVU Center
• Georgia Institute of Technology

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Learning from games

• Using games as the subject of learning.
• What does it mean to study and learn about games?
• What are the challenges?
• Can this teach us anything about learning?
• How can you make the most of what you already
  know about games?
• A new form of literacy?

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Research

• My research explores these questions by designing
  collaborative online environments for people who
  are learning about games and studying games.
• .and trying to understand HOW learning happens
  in these environments
• and what can we do to IMPROVE them

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GameLog and GameOntologyWiki

• GameLog
• Online blogging environment for gamers
• GameOntology Wiki
• Developing concepts and vocabulary for
  understanding games
• Creating new knowledge!

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Overview
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www.GameLog.cl

• Online blogging tool for games
• www.gamelog.cl
• Multiple, parallel blogs (one per game)
• Can help you
• Connect game elements across multiple games
• Gain insight on how the experience of playing a
  game changes over time

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www.GameOntology.org

• Ongoing games studies research project
• Started in 2002
• Led by Michael Mateas (UCSC) Jose Zagal
  (GaTech)\
• Hierarchical classification of structural
  elements of games and the relationships between
  them
• Focus on elements that affect or define gameplay
• Currently over 150 entries
• Always Evolving
• Entries are constantly created and refined
• Grounded in videogames (not generated abstractly)
• Exists on a wiki
• www.gameontology.org

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Game Ontology Sample Entry

• Name To Own
• Parent Entity Manipulation
• Children To Capture To Possess, To Exchange
• Description
• Entities can own other game entities. Ownership
  does not carry any inherent meaning, other than
  the fact that one entity is tied to another.
  Changes in ownership can not be initiated by the
  owned entity. Ownership can change the attributes
  or abilities of either the owned or owning
  entity. Ownership can be used to measure
  performance, either positive or negative.
  Ownership is never permanent the possibility of
  losing ownership separates ownership from an
  inherent attribute or ability of an entity.
  Ownership of an entity can change in variety of
  ways, including voluntary and involuntary changes
  of ownership.
• It is important to note the difference between
  owning an entity, and using an entity. For
  example, in Super Mario Bros, when Mario collides
  with a mushroom, the mushroom is immediately used
  and removed from the game world. Mario never owns
  the mushroom.
• Strong Example In Super Mario World Mario can
  collect mushrooms (or fire flowers or feathers)
  to use later. Mario owns these entities and can
  make use of them later.
• Weak Example In Ico, the player character must
  protect a girl called Yorda. While the player
  only directly controls Ico, his actions are very
  closely tied to leading, guiding and protecting
  Yorda. One could argue that Ico, in effect, owns
  Yorda because of the way they are tied to each
  other.

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Game Ontology Wiki

• The current ontology has been migrated to a Wiki

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Game Ontology Wiki

• The current ontology has been migrated to a Wiki

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Game Ontology Wiki

• The current ontology has been migrated to a Wiki

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Game Ontology Wiki

• The current ontology has been migrated to a Wiki

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Games Studies Scholars
Currently use the Game Ontology to explore game
studies research questions. For
example Neubauer, S. (2006) - The Gameplay
Video Segmentation Method, MFA Thesis, School of
Media, University of Applied Sciences,
Stuttgart Söderqvist, T. Larsson, C. (2006) -
Items in Massively Multiplayer Online
Role-Playing Games, MSc Thesis, IT University of
Goteburg Zagal, J., Mateas, M., Fernandez-Vara,
C., Hochhalter, B. and Lichti, N. (2005) "Towards
an Ontological Language for Game Analysis", 
Selected Papers of the Digital Interactive Games
Research Association Conference (DiGRA 2005),
Vancouver B.C., June, 2005. Fernandez-Vara, C.,
Zagal, J., Mateas, M. (2005). "Evolution of
Spatial Configurations In Videogames",  Selected
Papers of the Digital Interactive Games Research
Association Conference (DiGRA 2005), Vancouver
B.C., June, 2005. (nominated for Best Paper
Award) Zagal, J.P., Fernandez-Vara, C., Mateas,
M. (In press) "Gameplay Segmentation in Vintage
Arcade Games",  Ludologica Retro, Volume 1
Vintage Arcade (1971-1984), Bogost, I. and
Bittanti, M. (Eds)
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ThinkGame - Summary
(Blogging tool )
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Whats in it for you?

• Gain a deeper understanding of the medium of
  videogames
• Get better at expressing and communicating ideas
  about games and gameplay
• Help you better analyze and understand videogames
• Use what you already know to contribute to the
  field of game studies

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Contact Information

• Jose Zagal
• jp_at_cc.gatech.edu
• www.cc.gatech.edu/jp
• Electronic Learning Communities (ELC) Lab
• www.cc.gatech.edu/elc
• Experimental Games Lab (EGL)
• egl.gatech.edu

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My Research Study

• Voluntary!
• Anonymous
• No one but you and me know youre in the study
• No extra work involved
• I just want permission to study the assignments
  youll do for class anyways
• I may want to talk to you during the semester.
• Wont affect your grade in any way
• You can drop out of the study whenever you want.
  No questions asked.

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Thank you for participating !