We investigate systematically the impact of human intervention in the training of computer players in a strategy board game. In that game, computer players utilise reinforcement learning with neural networks for evolving their playing strategies and demonstrate a slow learning speed. Human intervention can significantly enhance learning performance, but carrying it out systematically seems to b...

Accessibility of computer games is a Challenge. Indeed, making accessible a computer game is much more difficult than making accessible a desktop application. In this paper we first define game accessibility. Then we present a number of papers published in the last decade: specific games (audiogames, tactile games etc), games designed for all, and a few works about game accessibility. Then we w...

In theory, computer game-based learning can support several vocabulary learning affordances that have been identified in the foreign language learning research. In the observable evidence, learning with computer games has been shown to improve performance on vocabulary recall tests. However, while simple recall can be a sign of learning, observation of skill application in communication is a be...

In this project, we focus on developing a vision module for agents playing the Angry Birds computer game. The module takes a screen-shot of the game as input and output information about objects in the game, including their position, type and shape, within a specified time constraint. To achieve this, a range of common methods in image processing and computer vision was employed. The result is ...

Many commercial computer games allow a team of players to match their skills against another team, controlled by humans or by the computer. Most players prefer human opponents, since the artificial intelligence of a computer-controlled team is in general inferior. An adaptive mechanism for team-oriented artificial intelligence would allow computer-controlled opponents to adapt to human player b...

A value can be understood as a belief that one mode of conduct is preferable to others. The user-interface of computer games mediates all player conduct in the game and is therefore key to understanding how values are expressed both by and to the player. How the interface affects player’s expression and understanding of value in computer games is a relatively unknown quantity. We performed a qu...

The current paper applies media equation research to video game design. The paper presents a review of the existing media equation research, describes a specific study conducted by the authors, discusses how the findings of the study can be used to inform future game design, and explores how other media equation findings might be incorporated into game design. The specific study, discussed in d...

We investigate systematically the impact of human intervention in the training of computer players in a strategy board game. In that game, computer players utilise reinforcement learning with neural networks for evolving their playing strategies and demonstrate a slow learning speed. Human intervention can significantly enhance learning performance, but carrying it out systematically seems to b...

The degree of engagement in a computer game is determined by sensory immersion (i.e. effects of display technology) and challenge immersion (i.e. effects of task demand). Twenty participants played a computer game under two display conditions (a large TV vs. head-mounted display) with three levels of cognitive challenge (easy/hard/impossible). Immersion was defined as selective attention to ext...

This paper presents the NICE fairy-tale game system, which enables adults and children to engage in conversation with animated characters in a 3D world. In this paper we argue that spoken dialogue technology have the potential to greatly enrichen the user’s experience in future computer games. We also present some requirements that have to be fulfilled to successfully integrate spoken dialogue ...