- "A virtual world (also called a virtual space) is a computer-simulated environment which may be populated by many users who can create a personal avatar, and simultaneously and independently explore the virtual world, participate in its activities and communicate with others."
Investigates games and virtual spaces as communication and entertainment.
Game Theory: The study of decision-making in strategic situations, which are often found in games.
Virtual Reality: An artificial environment that is created with software and presented to the user in a way that seems realistic.
Gamification: The use of game-design elements in non-game contexts, such as education or marketing.
Interactive Storytelling: The use of interactive media to tell stories, where the user can make choices that impact the narrative.
Augmented Reality: A technology that integrates computer-generated images or information with the real world.
Multiplayer Online Games: Games that are played over the internet with multiple players.
Video Game Development: The process of creating video games, from concept to design, development, and testing.
Game Design: The process of creating the rules, mechanics, and content of a game.
Game Marketing: The process of promoting a game to potential customers, through advertising, social media, and other channels.
User Experience Design: The process of designing digital products to maximize usability and user satisfaction.
Digital Culture: The impact of digital technology on contemporary culture, including gaming.
Virtual Economies: The use of virtual currencies and economies within virtual worlds.
Virtual Communities: Online communities that form within virtual worlds.
Cyberpsychology: The study of how humans interact with digital technology, including gaming.
eSports: Competitive video gaming, with professional players and teams competing for prizes.
Ethical Issues in Gaming: The ethical implications of video games, such as violence and addiction.
Game History: The history of video games, from their origins in the 1950s to the present day.
Virtual Education: The use of virtual worlds and games for educational purposes.
Serious Games: Games that are designed for a purpose other than entertainment, such as education or training.
Game-based Learning: The use of games to teach specific skills or knowledge.
MMORPGs: Massively multiplayer online role-playing games, where players take on the role of a specific character in a virtual world and interact with other players from around the world.
FPS Games: First-person shooters, where the player takes on the role of a character in a combat situation, usually in a modern, sci-fi, or historical setting.
Survival Games: These games are based on the player's ability to survive in a challenging environment, typically involving resource management, exploration, and crafting.
Sports Games: These games recreate various competitive sports, including basketball, football, soccer, and baseball.
Simulation Games: These games replicate real-world scenarios, such as operating a virtual company or a city, controlling an airline, or even designing and operating your aquarium.
Strategy Games: These games involve strategic planning, often in the context of military campaigns or empire-building.
Racing Games: These games are based on various types of racing, including car racing, boat racing, and motorcycle racing.
Card Games: These games are based on traditional card games and include games such as poker, blackjack, and solitaire.
Puzzle Games: These games involve solving puzzles or mental challenges, such as Tetris, Minesweeper, and Bejeweled.
Educational Games: These games aim to educate and entertain players simultaneously, typically using game mechanics that focus on learning and discovery.
Social Media Games: These games offer players a way to connect with friends through a game, either through Facebook or other social media platforms.
Augmented Reality Games: These games use technology to overlay virtual content on the player's real-world surroundings, creating an immersive and interactive experience.
Virtual Reality Games: These games use high-tech equipment to create a fully immersive virtual environment, allowing players to interact with the game world in a more realistic way.
Multiplayer Games: These games allow multiple players to play together, either competitively or cooperatively, over the internet.
Mobile Games: These games are designed for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and are often simpler and easier to play on the go.
- "These avatars can be textual, graphical representations, or live video avatars with auditory and touch sensations."
- "Simultaneously and independently explore the virtual world, participate in its activities and communicate with others."
- "Manipulate elements of the modeled world and thus experience a degree of presence."
- "Example rules are gravity, topography, locomotion, real-time actions, and communication."
- "Communication between users can range from text, graphical icons, visual gesture, sound, and rarely, forms using touch, voice command, and balance senses."
- "Wide range of worlds, including those based on the real world, science fiction, super heroes, sports, horror, and historical milieus."
- "Players create a character who travels between buildings, towns, and worlds to carry out business or leisure activities."
- "Communication is usually textual, but real-time voice communication is also possible."
- "The form of communication used can substantially affect the experience of players in the game."
- "Media studies professor Edward Castronova used the term 'synthetic worlds' to discuss individual virtual worlds."
- "Virtual worlds are not limited to games but, depending on the degree of immediacy presented, can encompass computer conferencing and text-based chatrooms."
- "Virtual worlds are closely related to mirror worlds."
- "These avatars can be...live video avatars with auditory and touch sensations."
- "Such modeled worlds and their rules may draw from reality or fantasy worlds."
- "Most MMORPGs have real-time actions and communication."
- "Media studies professor Edward Castronova used the term 'synthetic worlds' to discuss individual virtual worlds."
- "Manipulate elements of the modeled world and thus experience a degree of presence."
- "Communication between users can range from text, graphical icons, visual gesture, sound, and rarely, forms using touch, voice command, and balance senses."
- "Virtual worlds are not limited to games but, depending on the degree of immediacy presented, can encompass computer conferencing and text-based chatrooms."