Movement therapy is one type of upper extremity intervention for children with cerebral palsy (CP) to improve function. It requires high-intensity, repetitive and task-specific training. Tedium and lack of motivation are substantial barriers to completing the training. An approach to overcome these barriers is to couple the movement therapy with videogames. This investigation: (1) tested the fe...

Motivating students is a major issue for current Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Videogames are known to have a very addictive effect on their users. We have the intuition that such a phenomenon is partially due to the autonomy support videogames provide to their user. In fact, modern theories of motivation such as the Self Determination Theory (SDT) have shown the positive motivational impact of...

In the 1990s the videogame industry has managed to become the fastest growing segment of the entertainment industry in America. However, only a very low number of videogame products manage to cover the costs of production and generate earnings. According to traditional marketing wisdom, players’ preferences are a core issue in creating successful products, and the game design process is crucial...

Playing videogames is now a major leisure pursuit, yet research in the area is comparatively sparse. Previous correlational evidence suggests that subjective time loss occurs during playing videogames. This study examined experiences of time loss among a relatively large group of gamers (n = 280). Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through an online survey. Results showed that tim...

— The development of applications for mobile devices is a constantly growing market which and more and more enterprises support the development of applications for this kind of devices. In that sense, videogames for mobile devices have become very popular worldwide and are now part of highly profitable and competitive industry. Due to the diversity of platforms and mobile devices and the comple...

Gameplay always occurs somewhere. Any discussion of situated play therefore should consider the actual spaces in which we play. Yet everyday real space is also deeply embedded in the games themselves. Videogames take patterns of spatial use from reality and situate them in their spatial structure. This paper explores these “situations of play” and their implementation in representational video ...

In this paper we point out the advantages of CSCL (Computer – Supported Collaborative Learning) and technological media to improve the learning process. In particular, we are interested in using videogames as complement to traditional education. So, our main proposal is intended to introduce collaborative activities into educational videogames maintaining playability as pupils obtain benefits f...

Spatial acoustics constitute a major part of our experience of the world. The ability to make sense of our environment depends on spatial awareness and hearing plays a major role in this process. Yet in videogames, the acoustic information available to us is reduced. This cripples our hearing, leaving spatial awareness dependant on vision alone. This thesis examines the problems surrounding the...

Videogames have the potential to create ethical experiences and encourage ethical reflection. Usually, this potential is understood in the context of the dominant moral theories: utilitarianism and Kantianism. However, it has been argued that a complete moral theory must also include the concept of an ethics of care. This paper utilizes the ethics of care as an alternative lens for examining th...