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The Digital Library is published by the Digital Games Research Association - DiGRA. Free for educational and research use; commercial use or redistribution restricted and only by permission. |
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Troubling 'Games for Girls': Notes from the Edge of Game Design
Flanagan Mary This paper presents notes from the field focused on a large project to design an activist, multi-user game aimed at middle school girls. A thorny issue in developing games for girls is the categorization of female players and universalizing their preferences. In the paper I provide diverse feedback on current game-based research project, RAPUNSEL, hoping to provide a multiplicity in the category of "girl" so that new game designs may challenge the many stereotypes inherent in computer culture. I then discuss the game design in RAPUNSEL and how a designer may provide for multiple play styles. Keywords: gender, game design, activism, human factors, pedagogy, social issues Anxiety, Openness, and Activist Games:A Case Study for Critical Play
Flanagan Mary, Lotko Anna This paper explores the boundaries of social issues or‘activist’ games with a case study on a popular gamereleased in 2009 which fosters a critical type of play amongthe audience. We assess the game’s public reception tobetter understand how contradictory play elements led to ananxiety of ambiguity during open play. Borrowing from the“poetics of open work,” we will demonstrate how the mostpowerful play experience in activist games result from anew relationship formed between the audience and theplayer through mechanics, subject position, representation,and content. Keywords: Computer games , Casual games, Values, Politics, SocialIssues, Method New Design Methods for Activist Gaming
Flanagan Mary, Howe Daniel C., Nissenbaum Helen Significant work in the gaming and HCI communities has focused on systems that support human values such as privacy, trust, and community. Designers and engineers have become increasingly aware of ways in which the artifacts they create can embody political, social, and ethical values. Yet there has been little work toward producing practical methodologies that systematically incorporate values in the design process. This paper is aimed at introducing systematic methods for the iterative discovery, analysis, and integration of values into the work of game designers and technologists. It is our hope that such work will shed light on the benefits and challenges of employing a values-oriented approach across a variety of design contexts. Keywords: values, game design, activism, human factors, pedagogy, social issues "Some Assembly Required": Starting and Growing a Game Lab [Abstracts]
Fernandez-Vara Clara, Flanagan Mary, Pearce Celia This panel will present case studies of four different game laboratories, exploring the uses of the lab as a research venue and as part of a game or digital media curriculum. The examples will focus on game labs in Humanities departments, where the use of laboratories as a resource is less common. Keywords: games research, laboratory, Humanities, reference A Method For Discovering Values in Digital Games
Flanagan Mary, Belman Jonathan, Nissenbaum Helen, Diamond Jim In this paper, our research team demonstrates how groups of game designers can open the discussion on human principles in game design by using a tool we call “Values Cards.” Drawing on prior play experiences, participants identify examples of games or game segments that express the value represented on one of the values cards. This sparks deep analysis of how values are expressed through particular game mechanics and representational elements. The analysis can be posted to a collective wiki and shared amongst other designers who are interested in examining game mechanics and representational elements from a values perspective. These exercises can be considered first steps in a broader attempt to produce and implement a systematic methodology to better integrate human principles into the design process. Keywords: values, games, digital games, computer games, video games |
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