Games and Playable Media

May

11

Chris Lewis

On May 5, 2013, Graduating PhD candidate in Computer Science at UCSC, Chris Lewis came onto Artist on Art to talk about his studies & research of “Motivational Design” and the intersection between computer science and psychology.

Chris’ research delves into the psychology literature of motivation theory, to try and find the answers to these questions, and help software designers to make more engaging software. In the process, he’s learning about psychology, motivational behavioral and pattern in design in popular applications to create a software where getting a task done is less important than ensuring that the user comes back tomorrow.

Chris‘s thesis, Motivational Design, presents his understanding into a framework and library of twenty-seven {motivational design patterns}, under the categories of gameful, social, interface and information. Theories and experimental results from motivational psychology, behavioral psychology and behavioral economics are used to explain the power of different design patterns and suggest optimal implementations. Additionally, a set of eight dark patterns are presented. These patterns promise short-term gains, but at the expense of long-term motivational harm, and strategies to avoid their use are proposed.

To hear our interview, please click on the grey button below:

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Jan

02

Mike Treanor

On January 2, 2012, PhD student at UCSC’s Games and Playable Media Center, Mike Treanor, came into KZSC to talk on Gamers on Game for the first show of 2012.

Mike is a game developer and theorist researching in the Expressive Intelligence Studio which is dedicated to exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, art and design. Their goal is to create compelling new forms of interactive art and entertainment that provide deeply autonomous, generative and dynamic responses to interaction. A major thrust of this work is advanced AI for videogames

We started off the interview talking about his graduating project as a Digital Arts and New Media, Reflect. In 2008 and right after graduating wtih his MFA, Mike began studying in the Computer Science department. We talked extensively on his curent work with:

- Prom Week

- Cartoonist

- Videogame interpretation (the “proceduralist” perspective).

To hear our broadcast in its entirety, please click the gray ‘play’ button below:

Here’s a little video we took right after the show:

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Oct

18

Peter Hunter and John Peters of Team Krinoid

Gamers on Game / Podcast

Recent UCSC graduates Peter Hunter and John Peters came into KZSC to talk about their new company Team Krinoid.

Team Krinoid was founded by Max Weinberg, Peter Hunter, and John Peters after their success with the iPad game, Syz: EG by winning the Game of the Year and Grand Prize at the first ever Games and Playable Media’s SAMMY’s.

Syz E.G. is a galactic adventure game that brings innovation to the space shooter genre with multi-touch controls, various weapons and abilities, a unique story, and a mixture of tactical top-down gameplay and fast-paced side-view action. The game is available in the Apple App Store and looks like a lot of fun.

We talked about transitioning from Games Academia, school, to Indie Games, company, and some the details involved. One challenge involved the Intellectual Property for a game that was created by a ten person collaboration. That team consisted of: John Peters, Jonathan Fotland, Lindsey Freeman, Lakota Lefler, Kevin Murphy, Alex Portnoy, Hosh Tachmuradov, Lucas Thornsberry, Max Weinberg(artist), Peter Hunter (story/music).

Team Krinoid is working on a new game entitle Bunny Run where the player takes th perspective of a bunny running from trouble .This game is developing faster due to experience and the Team’s responsibilities are divided between the three partner. Max does the artwork. Peter writes the story and music. John does the programming.

Here’s a little video we took right before the show:

To hear our broadcast in its entirety, please click the gray ‘play’ button below:

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Aug

22

Soraya Murray on Gamers on Game

Gamers on Game / Podcast

For the August 22, 2011, the Gamers on Game show featured guest was Professor Soraya Murray.

Dr. Soraya teaches at UC Santa Cruz, in the Film and Digital Media Department, the Digital Arts and New Media MFA program and the Center for Games and Playable Media. She has taught many of my favorite classes over the years and I have been privileged to be her assistant in classes such as Activist Art Since the 60s: Focus on Collectivism and Technology of Activism and Games as Visual Culture, both in the History of Art Visual Culture Department at UCSC. During the show, Soraya explained how the games class originated from conception to a very successful 300+ student class.

Along with her teaching and performing fabulous lectures, Soraya is writer and one of the first academics to critically theorize about Grand Theft Auto, in her article entitled “High Art/Low Life: The Art of Playing Grand Theft Auto published in the PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art.

Soraya’s perspectives on Video Game Play have been life changing and paradigm shifting for me. She looks at Grand Theft Auto as a means of investigating bodies under the duress of globalization and their representation in visual culture.

Another topic we discussed was the recent screening of RockStar Games’ LA Noire at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. This is the first time a video game to premiered at a film festival. I believe this is the future. Video Games are entering the oeuvre of legitimate modern art and/or even…High Art.

To hear our show in its entirety, please click on the play button below.

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Jun

12

Jim Whitehead Guest 6/13/11 for Gamers on Game

Artist Interviews / Gamers on Game

The first guest for Gamers on Games was Associate Professor of Computer Science at UCSC, Jim Whitehead.

Jim is a researcher in the fields of software evolution, software bug prediction, and automated generation of computer game levels.

He is the board chair of the Society for the Advancement of the Science of Digital Games, which hosts the yearly Foundations of Digital Games conference. Jim’s research interests in the area of games include level design and procedural content generation. In the field of software engineering, Jim performs research on software bug prediction, software repository mining, and software evolution. He runs both the Augmented Design Lab and the Software Introspection Laboratory at UCSC.

In June of 2006, Jim helped create a new undegraduate major, the BS in Computer Science: Computer Game Design. This major is very interdisciplinary, including several courses from the Arts Division on campus. It is a rigorous Computer Science degree, providing a solid, strong background in computer science, with additional courses that teach the elements of computer game design. A three course capstone design sequence permits students to work in teams for a year to develop a substantial computer game.

The first Sammys Awards event that just happened June 10 in the Baskin Engineering Auditorium celebrating the best games designed by the undergraduate students.

We also talked about the Center for Games and Playable Media that was formally established in 2010, building on work done since the founding of the game degree and offering a Masters in Science and PHd programs. The center houses the school’s five games-related research labs including the Expressive Intelligence Studio, the Research Groups Computational Cinematics Lab, the Natural Language and Dialogue Systems Lab, the Augmented Design Lab and the Software Introspection Laboratory.

These last two groups are directed by Jim Whitehead, focuses on the possibilities inherent in computer-augmented videogame design. The other focuses on the structure of software and how it evolves over time. Current projects include a program that provides runtime verification and repair of event-based systems.

To hear our interview, press the play button:

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Apr

18

Inventing the Future of Games Michael Mateas – First of Three Keynotes

Artist Interviews

First keynote of the “Inventing the Future of Games” Symposium from Friday the 15th of April.

Inventing the Future of Video Games Keynote Michael Mateas from Nada Ammann on Vimeo.

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Apr

12

Soraya Murray – Guest for 4/11/11

Artist Interviews

UCSC Professor Soraya Murray is a scholar and critic of contemporary art, with particular interest in new media, theory and criticism, and globalization in the arts. Her writings have been published in quite a few art journals. In addition, she is a regular contributor to the international contemporary art journal ExitEXPRESS (Spain). Soraya holds an MFA in Studio Art (Painting) from the University of California, Irvine, and a MA and PhD in art history at Cornell University. She teaches in the Film and Digital Media Department as well as the Digital Arts and New Media MFA program.

Soraya came on to the show as part of the continuing Artists on Art Interview series for the upcoming UCSC DANM MFA graduate Exhibition, Permutations. This is the fourth year that Soraya has curated this Graduating MFA show. During our interview, we discussed her duties as curator, designing the placement of the various (10 pieces in total) installations and naming the show in collaboration with the students. Also, she oversees the writing and placement of the wall signs describing the pieces as well as writing the exhibition catalogue.

The Permutations Exhibition dates are April 30–May 1 & May 5–8. Gallery hours are 10AM-4PM.

The big party is Friday, May 6 at 4PM and beginning with a talk by Steve Dietz, organizer of the biennial 01 San Jose art festival. The Exhibition Reception is at 5:30–7:30PM, immediately followed by a free performance of a newly composed opera. The Exhibition will be in the Digital Arts Research Center (DARC) located off Meyer Drive near the Music Recital Hall and Theater Arts on the west side of campus.

We also spoke of Soraya’s involvement with Inventing the Future of Games Symposium taking place Friday, April 15 from 8:30AM-5:30PM in Silicon Valley. This symposium aims to explore the possibilities of the next decade of gaming innovation and technology. Sponsored by the UC Santa Cruz Center for Games and Playable Media, the symposium will gather some of the brightest minds of academia and industry to discuss the advancement of game design and technology.

The inaugural symposium and coming out party for the UC Santa Cruz Center for Games and Playable Media starts at 8:30 a.m. at the India Community Center in Milpitas, Calif., will feature keynote speeches by Sims creator Will Wright, Linden Lab CEO Rod Humble (Second Life),and Michael Mateas, co-creator of Facade. Tickets purchase and more information is available at games.soe.ucsc.edu/future2011. The symposium is open to the public.

The symposium will include four sessions: exploring the relationship between games and cinema, making self-generating games, the future of games and culture, and creating new forms of character and dialogue. Soraya will be moderating the first session on games and cinema.