Research Papers

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  Can the LM-GM framework be utilised to innvovate serious game mechanics?

  Abstract:
  Serious games have become increasingly popular since their conception and have been utilized as an educational medium in a variety of industries. Despite this, there is a sparsity of tools available that can aid developers in identifying game mechanics and design patterns that could be used to convey a pedagogical pattern (Callaghan. et al, 2016). The Learning Mechanic – Game Mechanic (LM-GM) framework (Arnab. et al, 2014) is introduced as a model to help visualise the relationship between game patterns and learning patterns. The ongoing development of an environmental serious game, aimed at illustrating pykretes viability as a global warming solution, utilizes this LM-GM framework to identify potential game mechanics that can provide pedagogical outcomes, using the Unity game engine as a platform to innovate serious game mechanics for the serious game. This paper aims to contribute to the literature of serious game development, by providing a practical application of synthesising serious game mechanics based upon research that will aid in balancing pedagogical patterns and game design patterns.

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  Can audio middleware be utilsied to develop practical and reusable audio systems?

  Abstract:
  While audio middleware has become a staple for audio implementation within video games, the expectations of consumers are rapidly increasing. Furthermore, while the resources available to gaming platforms grow, as do the capabilities available to sound designers. While there is an array of literature available relating to sound design, the same quantity of literature is not typically available for technical sound design, especially when considering complex audio systems. Therefore, this research paper aims to identify the purpose sound plays in video games and to investigate both novel and industry approaches to audio implementation for procedural audio, spatial audio, and dialogue implementation. Findings are utilised to inform development decisions on a set of audio tools that aim to extend the capabilities available to sound designers when implementing audio into video games developed in Unity (Unity Technologies, 2023) with FMOD Studio (Firelight Technologies, 2023). This paper identifies how the biggest area for further research is with dialogue implementation. As although there have been numerous innovations with third-party plug-ins available in FMOD, especially spatial audio, dialogue development has not seen the same extent of interest from commercial audio software companies, despite the recent popularity of large language models.