my avatar and me. toward a cognitive theory of game characters
TRANSCRIPT
My Avatar and Me
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
Felix Schröter, University of [email protected]
Conference "Games, Cognition, and Emotion"July 5-6, 2013, University of Hamburg
Introduction
http://www.feministfrequency.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tropes-vs-videogames.jpg
Introduction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUMOHSL53L8
Introduction
4
Introduction
How can we systematically analyze game characters?
Introduction
How can we systematically analyze game characters?How do players perceive game characters?
How can these categories inform the development of a heuristic model for game characters analysis?
Why Cognitive Film Studies?
Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.
Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.
• Many models of CFS can tackle the video game‘s interactivity.
Why Cognitive Film Studies?
10Grodal 2009: 147
Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.
• Many models of CFS can tackle the video game‘s interactivity.
• CFS can help explain character engagement and emotions.
Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.
• Many models of CFS can tackle the video game‘s interactivity.
• CFS can help explain character engagement and emotions.
• CFS models simplify and categorize character perception.
Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.
• Many models of CFS can tackle the video game‘s interactivity.
• CFS can help explain character engagement and emotions.
• CFS models simplify and categorize character perception.
„That‘s just what I do!“
Game
Designer
Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.
• Many models of CFS can tackle the video game‘s interactivity.
• CFS can help explain character engagement and emotions.
• CFS models simplify and categorize character perception.
Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Games & emotions: Frome 2006, Grodal 2003, Perron 2012
• Games & embodiment: Gregersen 2008, Gregersen/Grodal 2009
• Gameplay patterns: Lindley/Sennersten 2008, Betts 2011
• Game design: Lankoski 2010, Isbister 2006
Cognitive approaches to video games:
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
basic perception
• no object recognition
• color, sound, movement, contrast
arousal, affective
responses
cf. Grodal 1997; Persson 2003; Eder 2008
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
object recognition, memory matching
basic perception
• no object recognition
• color, sound, movement, contrast
,person‘
emotional associations
arousal, affective
responses
• object recognition• association,
activation oflong-term memory
cf. Grodal 1997; Persson 2003; Eder 2008
17
Dead Island (Techland/Deep Silver 2010)
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
object recognition, memory matching
basic perception
mental character models
• no object recognition
• color, sound, movement, contrast
,character‘,person‘
emotional associations
arousal, affective
responsesfiction emotions
• object recognition• association,
activation oflong-term memory
• situation and character models
• temporal and causal relations
cf. Grodal 1997; Persson 2003; Eder 2008
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
object recognition, memory matching
more complex representations
basic perception
mental character models
• no object recognition
• color, sound, movement, contrast
,character‘,person‘
emotional associations
artifact emotions,,meta emotions‘, ...
arousal, affective
responsesfiction emotions
• object recognition• association,
activation oflong-term memory
• situation and character models
• temporal and causal relations
• symbolic interpretation• reflection on
production and reception contexts
cf. Grodal 1997; Persson 2003; Eder 2008
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
object recognition, memory matching
basic perception
mental character models
• no object recognition
• color, sound, movement, contrast
,character‘,person‘
emotional associations
artifact emotions,,meta emotions‘, ...
arousal, affective
responsesfiction emotions
• object recognition• association,
activation oflong-term memory
• situation and character models
• temporal and causal relations
more complex representations
• symbolic interpretation• reflection on
production and reception contexts
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
© 2008 sean dreilinger, www.flickr.com
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
• Gary Alan Fine (1983): Shared Fantasy. Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
• Gary Alan Fine (1983): Shared Fantasy. Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds
primary frame (reality)social context
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
• Gary Alan Fine (1983): Shared Fantasy. Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds
primary frame (reality)social context
game frame(game context)
rules, goals
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
• Gary Alan Fine (1983): Shared Fantasy. Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds
primary frame (reality)social context
fictional frame(socio-dramatic frame)
rules of the fictional world, make-believe
keying
game frame(game context)
rules, goals
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
Salen/Zimmerman 2004
Ermi/Mäyrä 2005
Linderoth 2005
Lindley/Sennersten 2008
Thon 2008
Ekman/Lankoski 2009
Calleja 2011
Perron 2012
character player person
imaginative immersion challenge-based immersion ---
fictive character equipment presentation of self
story schemas gameplay schemas ---
narrative Immersion ludic immersion social immersion
narrative comprehension goal-driven evaluation ---
narrative involvement ludic involvement shared involvement
fiction emotions gameplay emotions ---
„Three-fold framing of player consciousness“ (Salen/Zimmerman 2004):
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
Three modes of experiencing game characters:
Characters as...
mental models consist of...
prevalent cognitive processes
prevalent emotions
fictional beings
body, mind, socialityof a fictional character
narrative comprehension
fiction emotions
narrative mode
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
Three modes of experiencing game characters:
Characters as...
mental models consist of...
prevalent cognitive processes
prevalent emotions
fictional beings game pieces
body, mind, socialityof a fictional character
game mechanics,‘ludic‘ properties,
character-related goals
narrative comprehensiongoal-driven evaluation,
problem-solving,strategic planning
fiction emotions gameplay emotions
narrative mode ludic mode
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
Three modes of experiencing game characters:
Characters as...
mental models consist of...
prevalent cognitive processes
prevalent emotions
fictional beings game pieces avatars
body, mind, socialityof a fictional character
game mechanics,‘ludic‘ properties,
character-related goals
‘social‘ attributes of avatar/player, real-life interactions
narrative comprehensiongoal-driven evaluation,
problem-solving,strategic planning
mentalizing,social attribution
fiction emotions gameplay emotions ‘social‘ emotions
narrative mode ludic mode communicative mode
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
object recognition, memory matching
basic perception
mental character models
• no object recognition
• color, sound, movement, contrast
,character‘,person‘
emotional associations
artifact emotions,,meta emotions‘, ...
arousal, affective
responsesfiction emotions
• object recognition• association,
activation oflong-term memory
• situation and character models
• temporal and causal relations
more complex representations
• symbolic interpretation• reflection on
production and reception contexts
gameplayemotions
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
objec
t rec
ognit
ion,
m
emor
y m
atch
ing
basic
pe
rcep
tion mental character models
,cha
ract
er‘
,per
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emot
iona
l as
soci
atio
ns
artif
act
emot
ions
,,m
eta
emot
ions
‘, ...ar
ousa
l, aff
ectiv
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spon
ses
fictionemotions
mor
e co
mpl
ex
repr
esen
tatio
ns
fictional being
game piece
avatar
‘social‘emotions
A Heuristic Model for Game Character Analysis
aesthetics of the game/character: music, sound, colors, shapes, contrast, movement, controller feedback, ...
body, mind, sociality
rules,character-related goals, interaction structures
'social' properties of player/avatar, patterns of communication/interaction
motifs, metaphors, themes, pragmatic contexts...
connected to each character aspect?
object recognition, memory matching
basic perception mental character models more complex
representations
fictional being
game piece
avatar
A Heuristic Model for Game Character Analysis
Aesthetics of the game/character: music, sound, colors, shapes, contrast, movement, controller feedback, ...
body, mind, sociality
rules,character-related goals, interaction structures
'social' properties of player/avatar, patterns of communication/interaction
object recognition, memory matching
basic perception mental character models more complex
representations
game piece
avatar
Limbo (Playdead/Microsoft 2010)
A Heuristic Model for Game Character Analysis
aesthetics of the game/character: music, sound, colors, shapes, contrast, movement, controller feedback, ...
body, mind, sociality
rules,character-related goals, interaction structures
'social' properties of player/avatar, patterns of communication/interaction
object recognition, memory matching
basic perception mental character models more complex
representations
fictional being
game piece
avatar
motifs, metaphors, themes, pragmatic contexts...
connected to each character aspect?
A Heuristic Model for Game Character Analysis
Aesthetics of the game/character: music, sound, colors, shapes, contrast, movement, controller feedback, ...
body, mind, sociality
rules,character-related goals, interaction structures
object recognition, memory matching
basic perception
more complex representations
September 12th (newsgaming.com 2003)
motifs, metaphors, themes, pragmatic contexts...
connected to each character aspect?
Putting the Model to Use
game analysis
media effects research game design
Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human nature') in video games?
Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human nature') in video games?
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011)
Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human nature') in video games?
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011)
The Last of Us (2013)
Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human nature') in video games?
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011)
The Last of Us (2013) Bioshock (2007)
Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human nature') in video games?
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011)
Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human nature') in video games?
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011)
Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis
Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis
Jansz/Martis 2003
Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis
Grimes 2003
Jansz/Martis 2003
Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis
Grimes 2003
Jansz/Martis 2003
Lachlan et al. 2005
Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis
Grimes 2003
Jansz/Martis 2003
Lachlan et al. 2005
Thompson/Haninger 2001
Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis
Grimes 2003
Jansz/Martis 2003
Lachlan et al. 2005
Malliet 2007
Thompson/Haninger 2001
Putting the Model to Use: Game Design
• Example: eliciting emotions in game design
gameplayemotions
emotional associations
artifact emotions,,meta emotions‘, ...
arousal, affective
responses
fictionemotions
‘social‘emotions
Putting the Model to Use: Game Design
• Example: eliciting emotions in game design
gameplayemotions
emotional associations
arousal, affective
responses
fictionemotions
‘social‘emotions
Putting the Model to Use: Game Design
Solarski 2012
gameplayemotions
emotional associations
arousal, affective
responses
fictionemotions
Putting the Model to Use: Game Design
Moore 2011
Team Fortress 2 (2007)
gameplayemotions
emotional associations
arousal, affective
responses
fictionemotions
Putting the Model to Use: Game Design
artifact emotions,,meta emotions‘, ...
The Last of Us (2013)
Summary
• CFS can by adapted for a cognitive theory of game characters.
• Such a theory can inform the categories of game character analysis.
• The „three-fold framing of player consciousness“ is a useful heuristic concept.
References• Betts, Tom (2011): "Pattern Recognition:
Gameplay as Negotiating Procedural Form". In: Proceedings of Digra 2011 Conference: Think Design Play.
• Calleja, Gordon (2011): In-Game. From Immersion to Incorporation. Cambridge, MA, London: MIT Press.
• Eder, Jens (2008): Die Figur im Spiel. Marburg: Schüren.
• Ekman, Ingmer / Lankoski, Petri (2009): "Hair-Raising Entertainment. Emotions, Sound, and Structure in Silent Hill 2 and Fatal Frame". In: Perron, Bernard (Ed.): Horror Video Games. Essays on the Fusion of Fear and Play. Jefferson, NC, London: McFarland & Co., pp. 181–199.
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• Grimes, Sara M. (2003): „,You Shoot Like A Girl!‘: The Female Protagonist Action- Adventure Video Games“. In: Level Up Conference Proceedings, Utrecht: University of Utrecht. Online: http://www.digra.org/dl/db/05150.01496.pdf.
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Thank you!
Felix Schrö[email protected] @felixjswww.felixschroeter.de
www.cognitivegamestudies.comwww.facebook.com/cognitivegamestudies