Why is it that some multiplayer games see an explosion of popularity at launch only to fizzle out six months later, while a select few seem to stick around indefinitely? William Kavanagh, who is a PhD student in Computer Science researching game balancing at the University of Glasgow, has a theory.
BONUS INTERVIEW: Games researcher Gabriel Elvery explains why we get so emotionally attatched to game characters in this extended podcast conversation.
The connections players make with videogame characters are of great interest to Gabriel Elvery, an LKAS PhD funded researcher at the University of Glasgow. Elvery, who will be delivering a workshop at the upcoming Play Away Festival, is exploring how and why we become so attached to virtual worlds and their residents, and what we can learn from these interactions.
When asked if they thought game publishers should take a stance on societal issues, an overwhelming number of the 4000 players who took part in the Gamer Sentiment Study on Diversity and Inclusion said they were either neutral on the issue or in favour of it. Whatsmore, that sentiment held true across all demographics, regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or having a disability.
How many games companies are there in Scotland? 10? 50? 500?
Incredibly, we really don’t know. It looks like we may have lost as many as 65% of studios in the last 5 x years.
So here’s what we’re going to do about it…
The Logan Report is a deep dive into the whole Scottish tech ecosystem (including games), looking at how Scotland could provide greater support for tech businesses and create a more digitally literate, entrepreneurial and collaborative society.
Six recipients of InGAME R&D innovation vouchers have been announced, covering a broad range of gamification and applied games projects.
Researchers from Edinburgh Napier and Manchester Mentropolitan Universities are looking into how gamers listen to audio while playing.
Please help by sharing your own experiences and preferences for game audio.
The Computer Games Journal has opened a call for papers exploring The Future Of Games
Dundee’s ‘Live Ops’ company has been acquired by Unity Technologies.
