University of Tampere / SIS / TRIM Game Research Lab - games and player research group

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University of Tampere / SIS / TRIMGame Research
Lab- games and player research group

• Frans Mäyrä, frans.mayra_at_uta.fi
• PhD, Professor of Hypermedia, esp. Digital
  Culture and Game Studies

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Background

• Game research is currently an expanding,
  interdisciplinary field
• Particularly the tradition of cultural studies
  into the uses, value and significance of digital
  games is strong in the Nordic countries (Game
  Studies)
• In contrast to e.g. educational research, these
  lines of inquiry are interested in understanding
  the operation of games as an interactive art form
• The creative potentials of games lie both in
  their design (game mechanics, game world) and in
  the play practices of game players, and player
  communities

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Evolution of digital games, 1971-2012
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The role of digital games in a society

• Traditionally puzzles, riddles, poetry, ritual
  and play have mixed in the lives of adults and
  children alike
• Modern society created sharper divisions between
  work and leisure, demoted play more into a
  childrens activity
• Creation of computer and video games has meant
  powerful growth of new play forms, birth of
  extensive virtual worlds
• Today, it is easier to find people who play
  digital games rather than those who do not
• More active among those under 40 years of age,
  but even 70-75 year olds have reported increasing
  gameplay

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Example frequency of game play (Finland, 2011)
Source Player Barometer 2011 (Karvinen Mäyrä)
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Distribution of digital play in age groups
(Finland, averages of 2009-2011, n3335)
Source Player Barometer 2011 (Karvinen Mäyrä)
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Research questions

• How much the Finnish people play, and what kind
  of games they play, and how?
• What do different games mean to different people,
  and how they use games in their everyday life?
• What kind of changes are taking place in digital
  gaming?
• What kind of practices and tools for idea
  generation and idea management game developers
  have?
• How social media and games mix together?
• How games and playfulness can be used in other
  areas, such as learning or communication?
• What is characteristic of Finnish game cultures,
  and the cultures of Finnish game development?
• And many more basic and applied research
  questions

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GameLab history and background

• Culturally and socially oriented research of new
  media, its use, design and significance
• History in research work done during 1980s and
  1990s in the Department of Arts Literature,
  then in the Hypermedia Laboratory, INFIM - now
  SIS/TRIM
• Since early 2000s, games research has been a
  strong focus area within interactive
  media/hypermedia, along with rapid international
  development of the research field
• During 2002-2011, the number of externally funded
  research development projects in games and
  digital culture 33
• Over 100 publications, several original game
  prototypes as well as international and domestic
  conferences and seminars
• The international Digital Games Research
  Association - DiGRA was established on
  UTA/GameLab initiative (www.digra.org)

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GameLab research areas

• Work is based on a multidisciplinary team,
  combining approaches from several mutually
  complementary academic disciplines
• Special focus on socio-cultural research in 1)
  Player research (2) Game research analysis, 3)
  Game design
• Interests overlap in key areas player experience
  research and in game culture studies
• Research has also been applied into education (of
  games literacy, learning games) and within
  future-oriented research into the design of
  services, applications and technologies
• Currently 1 professor, 2 post-docs, 7 PhD
  researchers, 11 project researchers/research
  assistants, 1 visiting researcher

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Research infrastructure

• Games (board, card, dice games, video and
  computer games, handheld mobile games)
• Gaming devices (PS2, GameCube, Xbox, Xbox360,
  Nintendo DS, Wii, PS3, gaming phones etc.)
• Research equipment and special software (e.g.
  Noldus Video Observer Pro mobile lab setup,
  Noldus Theme, Biopac MP100 based solution for
  psycho-physiological data gathering and analysis,
  focused on ECG GSR)
• Research library, with the key books, reports and
  conference proceedings volumes published in game
  studies
• An dedicated publication and research service
  online (under gamelab.uta.fi domain)

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Some key findings

• Components of game experiences found to be
  complex and multi-layered
• Motivations of gameplay vary from
  immersion-driven to social motivations and
  everyday needs of relaxation
• Multiple new methods created for data gathering
  as well as experimental game design ideation
  purposes
• Transformations of digital play currently related
  to digital distribution, social network services
  (e.g. Facebook) and ubiquitous/pervasive
  technologies

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Kultima, Paavilainen et al GameSpace game idea
toolset
Ermi Mäyrä SCI-model (sensory-challenge-imagina
tive immersion in player experience)
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Ongoing recent research projects

• IPerG Integrated Project on Pervasive Gaming,
  2004-2008 European Commission and the
  consortium, 454 545 euros
• Pelit palveluiksi Games as Services, 2008-2010
  Tekes companies, 353 728 euros
• Verkkorahapelaamisen muodonmuutos, 2008-2009
  STM, 67 000 euros
• Transformation of Digital Play, 2008-2011 Tekes
  consortium of companies, 575 978 euros (GaIn
  SoPlay)
• GIIP, Games Industry Innovation Processes,
  2009-2011, Tekes consortium of companies, 97
  000 euros
• Creation of Game Cultures The Case of Finland,
  2009-2012 Academy of Finland, 291 000 euros
  (includes e.g. the national Pelaajabarometri
  survey, published annually)
• YouSat, 2009-2011 Nordic Innovation Centre NICe,
  38 423 euros
• Triangle The Challenges of Social Media to the
  Design of Game Services, 2011-2012 Tekes
  consortium of companies, 175 000 euros
• Play Society Next Media SHOK Tekes consortium
  of companies, 35 800 euros
• RYM - Built Environment Innovations Tekes
  consortium of companies, 75 433 euros
• Active Learning Spaces Tekes consortium of
  companies, 108 915 euros
• The User Experience in the Future Playful Hybrid
  Services (Hybridex) Tekes strategic research
  opening, 210 000 euros
• (Current competetive research funding, total of
  4 893 462 euros)

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More information

• Contact details
• TRIM, Research Center, www.trim.fi
• Game Research Lab web site gamelab.uta.fi
  http//www.facebook.com/UTAgamelab
• Professor Frans Mäyrä, frans.mayra_at_uta.fi, gsm
  050 336 7650, www.uta.fi/frans.mayra/
  www.fransmayra.fi (blog)