Classic Nintendo games are (computationally) hard

We prove NP-hardness results for five of Nintendo's largest video game franchises: Mario, Donkey Kong, Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Pokémon. Our results apply to generalized versions of Super Mario Bros.1-3, The Lost Levels, and Super Mario World; Donkey Kong Country 1-3; all Legend of Zelda games; all Metroid games; and all Pokémon role-playing games. In addition, we prove PSPACE-completeness of the Donkey Kong Country games and several Legend of Zelda games.

A Aplicação da Gestão de Projetos na Indústria Criativa - As Microempresas Nacionais de Animação Digital e Videojogos

Numa sociedade onde a inovação é uma pedra basilar para o sucesso das empresas, a criatividade tornou-se num dos mais valiosos ativos intangíveis e um fator chave decisivo para a generalidade das organizações. Segundo a consultora Augusto Mateus & Associados, com o evoluir da sociedade, todas as indústrias serão “culturais e criativas” (Augusto Mateus & Associados, 2010). As Indústrias Criativas têm vindo a assumir um papel cada vez mais relevante na sociedade atual sendo, nos dias de hoje, uma forte fonte de riqueza e emprego. Uma das áreas que mais se tem revelado através do seu rápido e notório crescimento é o sector da animação e dos videojogos, sendo este atualmente uma das indústrias mais valiosas do mundo. Porém, e apesar desta realidade, a atuação nesta indústria é muitas vezes conturbada, pois o sector caracteriza-se pela elevada competitividade, pelos altos custos de produção e pela grande incerteza. As dificuldades vivenciadas no sector levam a uma crescente preocupação pela procura de métodos de gestão sustentáveis, que permitam reduzir os riscos e a elevada taxa de incerteza. Dado que a maioria das empresas desta área está estruturada por projetos, um dos métodos de gestão mais aplicados é o modelo de gestão de projetos. Contudo, verifica-se que ainda existe uma evidente dificuldade na implementação deste modelo de gestão, em particular, nas empresas pequenas e de estrutura achatada, pois este torna-se muitas vezes burocrático, pesado e difícil de aplicar. Este estudo teve como objetivo principal compreender de forma as empresas nacionais de animação e videojogos gerem os seus projetos, sendo que, para este efeito, foram estudados três casos nacionais: a Nerd Monkeys, a Battlesheep e a Nebula Studios através de uma investigação exploratória dos métodos de gestão de projetos aplicados nas empresas de animação e videojogos. De modo a permitir a recolha da informação necessária para dar respostas aos objetivos definidos para a investigação, foi realizado um questionário e realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas aos representantes das empresas em estudo. Nesta investigação foi possível aferir que apesar das empresas em estudo aplicarem alguns instrumentos da gestão de projetos, não aplicam nenhum método oficial de forma integral. Apesar de se verificar a utilização de algumas ferramentas de gestão de projetos, os sistemas aplicados dependem na maior parte dos casos do tipo de projeto desenvolvido, existindo algumas variações nos métodos utilizados. Em projetos de tempo mais reduzido e maior simplicidade, verifica-se que a gestão de projetos perde relevância, acabando por muitas vezes não ser aplicada.

Homesick for the unheimlich: back to the uncanny future in Alien: Isolation

In 2014 Sega released Creative Assembly’s Alien: Isolation, a video game sequel to the 1979 film Alien. As an attempt to create both an authentic homage to the Alien franchise and a credible successor to Ridley Scott’s original film, Alien: Isolation was received as both a work of remediated nostalgia and as a deeply uncanny survival horror. This article discusses Alien: Isolation framed by theories of the uncanny (the unhomely) and of nostalgia (the homely), with the aim of revealing how the production design of the game reconciled these seemingly contradictory but nonetheless overlapping aesthetic qualities. By drawing on examples from Alien: Isolation’s visual and level design, this article discusses how the integration of nostalgic and uncanny qualities could be of value to horror and sci-fi game design, in particular to the development of sequels within existing franchises, and to remediations, remakes and reboots.

El videojuego League of legends y su efecto en memoria de trabajo visual y solución de problemas

El propósito de este estudio es medir los efectos que tiene el videojuego League of Legends en los procesos cognitivos de memoria de trabajo visual (MVT) y solución de problemas (SP). Para medir dichos efectos se implementó un diseño pre test-post con un grupo experimental y uno control, compuestos cada uno por siete participantes, en donde se evaluaron los procesos previamente mencionados utilizando los cubos de Corsi para MVT y las matrices del WAIS III para SP. Después de realizar los respectivos entrenamientos se encontraron resultados significativos en los diferentes momentos de aplicación. En el grupo experimental se encontraron diferencias en la variable dependiente SP, mientras que en el grupo control en MVT, pero no en la interacción entre grupos ni diferencias entre grupos, lo que sugiere un efecto de familiarización a la prueba.

Stock Price Reactions on M&A, Dividends and Game Releases. Evidence from Gaming Industry.

A rapidly growing gaming industry, which specializes on PC, console, online and other games, attracts attention of investors and analysts, who try to understand what drives changes of the gaming industry companies’ stock prices. This master thesis shows the evidence that, besides long-established types of events (M&A and dividend payments), the companies’ stock price changes depend on industry-specific events. I analyzed specific for gaming industry events - game releases with respect to its subdivisions: new games-sequels, games ratings and subdivision according to a developer of a game (self-developed by publisher or outsourced). The master thesis analyzes stock prices of 55 companies from gaming industry from all over the world. The research period covers 5 year, spreading from April 2008 to April 2013. Executed with an event study method, results of the research show that all the analyzed events types have significant influence on the stock prices of the gaming industry companies. The current master thesis suggests that acquisitions in the industry affect positively bidders’ and targets’ stock prices. Mergers events cause positive stock price reactions as well. But dividends payments and game releases events influence negatively on the stock prices. Game releases’ effect is up to -2.2% of cumulative average abnormal return (CAAR) drop during the first ten days after the game releases. Having researched different kinds of events and identified the direction of their impact, the current paper can be of high value for investors, seeking profits in the gaming industry, and other interested parties.

Implementation of Video Monitoring In Aluminium Industry

The aim was to evaluate results and experiences from development of new technology, a training program and implementation of strategies for the use of a video exposure monitoring method, PIMEX. Starting point of this study is an increased incidence of asthma among workers in the aluminium industry. Exposure peaks of fumes are supposed to play an important role. PIMEX makes it possible to link used work practice, use of control technology, and so forth to peaks. Nine companies participated in the project, which was divided into three parts, development of PIMEX technology, production of training material, and training in use of equipment and related strategies. The use of the video exposure monitoring method PIMEX offers prerequisites supporting workers participation in safety activities. The experiences from the project reveal the importance of good timing of primary training, technology development, technical support, and follow up training. In spite of a delay of delivery of the new technology, representatives from the participating companies declared that the experiences showed that PIMEX gave an important contribution for effective control of hazards in the companies. Eight out of nine smelters used the PIMEX method as a part of a strategy for control of workers exposure to fumes in potrooms. Possibilities to conduct effective control measures were identified. This article describes experiences from implementation of a, for this branch, new method supporting workers participation for workplace improvements.

Video Composer and Live Video Conductor: Future Professions for the Interactive Digital Broadcasting Industry

Innovations in hardware and network technologies lead to an exploding number of non-interrelated parallel media streams. Per se this does not mean any additional value for consumers. Broadcasting and advertisement industries have not yet found new formats to reach the individual user with their content. In this work we propose and describe a novel digital broadcasting framework, which allows for the live staging of (mass) media events and improved consumer personalisation. In addition new professions for future TV production workflows which will emerge are described, namely the 'video composer' and the 'live video conductor'.

Is YouTube telling or selling you something? Tobacco content on the YouTube video sharing website

The effectiveness of overt tobacco advertising and sponsorship bans is well established. The industry has responded to these bans by implementing “buzz” or “viral” marketing techniques, such as nightclub and dance party promotions. This paper analyses possible tobacco industry content on the burgeoning consumer generated media website, YouTube. Tobacco control efforts need to embrace this new medium in order to counter pro-smoking messages and maximize media advocacy opportunities.

The game to play: expanding the co-opetition proposal through the strategic games matrix

Purpose - Using Brandenburger and Nalebuff`s 1995 co-opetition model as a reference, the purpose of this paper is to seek to develop a tool that, based on the tenets of classical game theory, would enable scholars and managers to identify which games may be played in response to the different conflict of interest situations faced by companies in their business environments. Design/methodology/approach - The literature on game theory and business strategy are reviewed and a conceptual model, the strategic games matrix (SGM), is developed. Two novel games are described and modeled. Findings - The co-opetition model is not sufficient to realistically represent most of the conflict of interest situations faced by companies. It seeks to address this problem through development of the SGM, which expands upon Brandenburger and Nalebuff`s model by providing a broader perspective, through incorporation of an additional dimension (power ratio between players) and three novel, respectively, (rival, individualistic, and associative). Practical implications - This proposed model, based on the concepts of game theory, should be used to train decision- and policy-makers to better understand, interpret and formulate conflict management strategies. Originality/value - A practical and original tool to use game models in conflict of interest situations is generated. Basic classical games, such as Nash, Stackelberg, Pareto, and Minimax, are mapped on the SGM to suggest in which situations they Could be useful. Two innovative games are described to fit four different types of conflict situations that so far have no corresponding game in the literature. A test application of the SGM to a classic Intel Corporation strategic management case, in the complex personal computer industry, shows that the proposed method is able to describe, to interpret, to analyze, and to prescribe optimal competitive and/or cooperative strategies for each conflict of interest situation.

Social Media Integration in Video Games: A Social Overlay for Desktop Games

Simpósio de Informática (INForum 2015), Covilhã, Portugal. Notes: Best paper award nominee.

Social Media Integration in Video Games GameNshare: A Social Overlay for Desktop Games

The ever increasing popularity of social media makes it a promising source for the personalization of gameplay experiences. Furthermore, involving social network friends in a game can greatly enrich the satisfaction of the player and also attract potential novel players to a game. This master thesis describes a social overlay designed for desktop games, called GameNshare. It allows players to easily capture and share with multiple social networks game-related screenshots, videos and stories. Additionally, it also provides asynchronous multiplayer game mechanics to directly integrate social network friends in the game. GameNshare was designed to interact with the users in a non-intrusive way allowing them to be in complete control of what is shared. It prevents unsolicited sharing of messages, a key problem in social media integration tools, by the use of built-in message monitoring and anti-spam measures. GameNshare was specially designed for players aged from 18 to 25 years that are regular users of Twitter and Facebook. It was tested by a group of 10 individuals from the target age range that were surveyed to capture their insights on the use of the social overlay. The implemented GameNshare features were well accepted by the testers that were also useful in highlighting features for future development. GameNshare ultimate goal is to make players look and ask for social integration and allow them to take full advantage of their social communities to improve gaming experiences.

A framework for real time MMO game content generation

Com o aumento de plataformas móveis disponíveis no mercado e com o constante incremento na sua capacidade computacional, a possibilidade de executar aplicações e em especial jogos com elevados requisitos de desempenho aumentou consideravelmente. O mercado dos videojogos tem assim um cada vez maior número de potenciais clientes. Em especial, o mercado de jogos massive multiplayer online (MMO) tem-se tornado muito atractivo para as empresas de desenvolvimento de jogos. Estes jogos suportam uma elevada quantidade de jogadores em simultâneo que podem estar a executar o jogo em diferentes plataformas e distribuídos por um "mundo" de jogo extenso. Para incentivar a exploração desse "mundo", distribuem-se de forma inteligente pontos de interesse que podem ser explorados pelo jogador. Esta abordagem leva a um esforço substancial no planeamento e construção desses mundos, gastando tempo e recursos durante a fase de desenvolvimento. Isto representa um problema para as empresas de desenvolvimento de jogos, e em alguns casos, e impraticável suportar tais custos para equipas indie. Nesta tese e apresentada uma abordagem para a criação de mundos para jogos MMO. Estudam-se vários jogos MMO que são casos de sucesso de modo a identificar propriedades comuns nos seus mundos. O objectivo e criar uma framework flexível capaz de gerar mundos com estruturas que respeitam conjuntos de regras definidas por game designers. Para que seja possível usar a abordagem aqui apresentada em v arias aplicações diferentes, foram desenvolvidos dois módulos principais. O primeiro, chamado rule-based-map-generator, contem a lógica e operações necessárias para a criação de mundos. O segundo, chamado blocker, e um wrapper à volta do módulo rule-based-map-generator que gere as comunicações entre servidor e clientes. De uma forma resumida, o objectivo geral e disponibilizar uma framework para facilitar a geração de mundos para jogos MMO, o que normalmente e um processo bastante demorado e aumenta significativamente o custo de produção, através de uma abordagem semi-automática combinando os benefícios de procedural content generation (PCG) com conteúdo gráfico gerado manualmente.

The launch of integrative fixed video phone in Spain: Technology-market transfer plan

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics