Learning from games Learning from games At the DH campsiteAt the DH campsite

Erik Champion, DIGHUMLAB.dkecha@adm.au.dk

http://erikchampion.wordpress.com

CeRch Seminar 30-04-2013: 18.15Anatomy Theatre and Museum, Strand Campus, King's College London

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/cultural/spaces/anatomy-museum.aspx

CeRch Seminar 30-04-2013: 18.15Anatomy Theatre and Museum, Strand Campus, King's College London

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/cultural/spaces/anatomy-museum.aspx

Games and Digital Humanities3 questions•game studies lack theoretical rigor?•games don’t afford meaningful experiences?•are games relevant to Digital Humanities?A few answers•definitions: games, digital humanities, new media, new heritage, culture, place•my approach (so far)•Projects•ideas

Service or paradigm• Digital Humanities should be the application of

computing, or an inquiry as to how digital media has irrevocably changed the Humanities David Parry. (n.d.). The Digital Humanities or a Digital Humanism. Debates in the Digital Humanities - Matthew K. Gold - Google Bøger.

• Or, the application of computing to new and modified approaches in DH..

research infrastructure

• “Research infrastructure is not research just as roads are not economic activity. We tend to forget when confronted by large infrastructure projects that they are not an end in themselves.” -philosopher Geoffrey Rockwell

DH in a nutshell

• Digital humanities involves values, meanings, encounters

• it must involve examining what it means to be digital OR it fails as infrastructure*

• I did not say that, the EU-ERIC* said it.

*Legal framework for a European Research Infrastructure Consortium - ERIC Practical Guidelines Research*Legal framework for a European Research Infrastructure Consortium - ERIC Practical Guidelines Research

Questions for DIGHUMLAB

• Can you develop an infrastructure X years ahead, based on technology not yet in use?

• Can a distributed network allow for unified identity and individual planning?

• Which resources are best managed centrally, and which are best distributed?

Patrik Svensson @ DIGHUMLAB Launch, Sept 2012Patrik Svensson @ DIGHUMLAB Launch, Sept 2012

virtual heritage

• My main area of research has been designing and evaluating how contextually appropriate interaction can aid the understanding of cultures distant in time, space, and in understanding to our own.

• ..I agree, it is an oxymoron, how can you have VIRTUAL heritage? It either is heritage, and worth conserving or..

Cultural heritage• Monuments or groups of buildings “of

outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science;”

• Sites:“works of man or the combined works of nature and man, and areas including archaeological sites which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view”

NOTE UNESCO’s (1972) definition of cultural heritage seems very architectural, and one wonders what “outstanding universal value” means, when culture is so contextual and so often contested.

intangible heritage

• The practices, representations, expressions, as well as the knowledge and skills, that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.

• It is sometimes called living cultural heritage, and is manifested inter alia in the following domains: oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage; performing arts; social practices, rituals and festive events; knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; traditional craftsmanship. UNESCO (2003).

so culture is interactive

• Interaction is crucial in the creation of culture, and, by extension, in the understanding of culture.

• A feeling of strong cultural presence requires being physically embodied (we have a body that affects and is affected by other objects and forces), socially embedded (there exists the presence of others to whom we feel socially bound) and culturally inscribed in the world (our actions leave a lasting and meaningful impression on the world).

what is culture?

• If Culture is the sum of its missing parts, how do we layer interpretations so communities can understand each other’s cultural (material) background?

• Does Second Life create a sense of community or a sense of cultural presence (the feeling of being in the presence of a similar or distinctly different cultural belief system)?

2nd Life =AIRPORT TERMINAL

Virtual Meetings like real meetings, only worse!

but you can add a drawing interface to jibebut you can add a drawing interface to jibe

BrusselsBrussels

To be surrounded by heritage objects does not mean cultural learning is taking place

cultural ≠ social?

type social community cultural

activity is directed: talk, chat, gossip circular ritualized behaviour

the space is location a hang out specific place-making

otherness is anyone like-minded role-based

duration fleeting short term long-term

artefacts irrelevent shared valued, “owned”

culture place and trace

• Culture is a feedback loop. A visitor perceives space as place, and inhabits (modifies a place), place 'perpetuates culture’, frames, centres it, or rejects it, and influences the inhabitants in turn.

• Cultural behavior is not exactly social behavior, but governed by or understood in terms of a cultural setting (place).

• Culture is also bartered, not static- must have objects of shared transactional value to understand it as a valuing process.

• Even language isn’t only social, it has some form of related material embodiment and relation to place and physical context.

only humans have external cognitive artefacts e.g. maps

To recognize shared cultural values we must ‘see’ cultural tools

Humans only primates with 3D tool recognition

VIRTUAL HERITAGE IS

…the use of computer-based interactive technologies to record, preserve, or recreate artefacts, sites and actors of historic, artistic, religious, of cultural significance and to deliver the results openly to a global audience in such a way as to provide formative educational experiences through electronic manipulations of time and space.

Stone, Robert, and Takeo Ojika. 2000. Virtual heritage: what next? Multimedia, IEEE no. 7 (2):73-74.

Glen Gunnhouse U. of Georgia Art history classGlen Gunnhouse U. of Georgia Art history class

Virtual Heritage (2)• “the attempt to convey

not just the appearance but also the meaning and significance of cultural artefacts and the associated social agency that designed and used them, through the use of interactive and immersive digital media.”Erik Champion, conference paper & chapter 12, “EXPLORATIVE SHADOW REALMS OF UNCERTAIN HISTORIES” in Kalay, Kvan and Affleck, (eds.), New Heritage, pp 186-205 2007, Hong Kong.

Roman Church, basement, and

perplexed Facebook employee

New Media-new heritage

• New Media comprises the act of reshaping the user experience of exploring realms or worlds through the innovative use of digital media.

• New Heritage should re-examine the user experience that digital media can provide for the understanding and experiencing of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Erik Champion, conference paper & chapter 12, “EXPLORATIVE SHADOW REALMS OF UNCERTAIN HISTORIES” in Kalay, Kvan and Affleck, (eds.), New Heritage, pp 186-205, 2007, Hong Kong.

Bernadette Flynn: Spaces Mnajdra Malta

Paladin Studios: Monastry

Eric Fassbender: Lighthouse

Bernadette Flynn: Spaces Mnajdra Malta

Paladin Studios: Monastry

Eric Fassbender: Lighthouse

Artistry or Realism?Artistry or Realism?

New Heritage could beFeature New Media Trends works as “New Heritage” if..

INTERACTION:1-Explorative space2-Shadow embodiment

Persistent sharable and customizable online “Worlds”, tangible computing, augmented or mixed reality (AR or MR)

Novice and experienced users can explore, change, and augment according to attitude, experience, or learning style? Can real artefacts or tangible devices be used?

CONTENT:3-Social realms 4-Uncertainty

Social computing, online communities, dynamic data, Wikis, tagging, new graphical metaphors

Users are aware of local social constraints? Are different levels of certainty experienced and correctly understood by users? Is user participation meaningfully incorporated?

OUTPUT:5-Meaningful historical and heritage-based learning

Innate evaluation, status feedback, commercial success, recruiting, logging of popularity

Changes in the user experience, transferable skills, cultural awareness, and factual knowledge, can be verified? The relevant data can be easily ported independently of the mediating technology?

PhD 2001-4:Palenque

• Research into games by Malone (1982: 67–68), and by Johnson (2005a), suggests uncertainty can actually increase user engagement, since people seem to be drawn to solving puzzles and filling in gaps in their “knowledge structures”.

2001-4 Virtual Palenque (PhD project)

Give them tasks to do in “real” world to reach mythical world

2001-4 Virtual Palenque (PhD project)

Give them tasks to do in “real” world to reach mythical world

Andrew Dekker and Mark Hurst, 2005Andrew Dekker and Mark Hurst, 2005

Hurst et al, 2005

BIOFEEDBACK

ZOMBIE PHOBIC MUSIC, NPC AI, FILTERS

Andrew Dekker 2006Andrew Dekker 2006

Andrew Dekker 2006, DiGRA 2007 paper

Shaders, field of view, music, NPC AI changes with biofeedback

spatially augmented Greek myth

University of Queensland Student Project, 2006: HMD and Minotaur myth

As you approach the minotaur with head mounted display that lags, you hear the scared heartbeat of previous players

Weeks, Barrett, 2006Weeks, Barrett, 2006Massage chair conveys the landscapeMassage chair conveys the landscape

Charles Henden’s warping interface (left), Paul Bourke’s iDome, Jeffrey Jacobson (http://publicvr.org)Charles Henden’s warping interface (left), Paul Bourke’s iDome, Jeffrey Jacobson (http://publicvr.org)

Weeks, Claire and Pu, 2006Weeks, Claire and Pu, 2006Journey to the West-Monkey literature as RPGJourney to the West-Monkey literature as RPG

Alex Peters, Ryan Fairhurst, William Gordon and Benn Chisholm, 2005

tacit-tactile learning

to be a scholar or a master is to be an artist, measured by one’s grasp of the “Four Arts”: Music (“Qin”), the board game (“Qi”), calligraphy (“Shu”), and brush painting (“Hua”).

Helped “perceive the ultimate doctrine of the heavens”, “make themselves [be] enlightened”, “express their emotions/their understanding of the doctrine”, and “inspire others” so that their lives achieve peace and harmony.

• Z. Dainian, Key Concepts in Chinese Philosophy. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 2002.

AI Team Studios (Isaac Gibson and Amy Ng) 2005AI Team Studios (Isaac Gibson and Amy Ng) 2005

touch screen Taoism

the four great arts of chinaLi Wang, 2011Li Wang, 2011

youtube links

Opening http://youtu.be/gFYG4zTn4Js

Game Hua http://youtu.be/DiGDezTM8hY

Game Qi1 http://youtu.be/jP9nfdUFDTU

Game Qi2 http://youtu.be/orCga2CQBjs

Game Qin http://youtu.be/iC2BGT5IbDE

Game Shu http://youtu.be/dv_TOnl_sbc

game definitions• A game is a rule-based formal system with a variable and quantifiable

outcome, where different outcomes are assigned different values, the player exerts effort in order to influence the outcome, the player feels attached to the outcome, and the consequences of the activity are optional and negotiable. (Juul, 2001).

• A game is a system in which players engage in an artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable outcome (Salen and Zimmerman, 2003, p. 572).

• A game is a challenge that offers up the possibility of temporary or permanent tactical resolution without harmful outcomes to the real world situation of the participant (Champion, 2011, p.88).

VR or Games

• One could model and code with Virtual Reality• scale is..huge• cost is..huge• finding talent and maintaining it seems difficult• So projects are often prototypes or experimental

designs.

Image courtesy of Chris Blundell,the Parthenon, in Unreal TournamentImage courtesy of Chris Blundell,the Parthenon, in Unreal Tournament

game mods as prototypesFig 1 Loading Screen, Journey to the West, Weeks, Claire, Pu, University of Queensland (Erik as superviser) 2006Fig 2 Will Cartwright &Tim Germanchis - Queenscliff multimedia cartography project RMIT 2004

cons/pros of prototypes

Examples

Introduction: Mod Mod Glorious Mod Erik Champion1: Between a Mod and a Hard Place Peter Christiansen2: Between Fact and Fiction in Cultural HeritageNatalie M. Underberg3: Use of “The Elder Scrolls Construction Set” to create a Virtual History LessonEric Fassbender4: Game Mods, Engines, and ArchitectureKevin R. Conway5: Teaching Mods with Class Erik Champion6: Games to Movies: Machinima and ModificationsFriedrich Kirschner7: CryVE: Modding the CryEngine2 to create a CAVE SystemMarija Nakevska, Jun Hu, Alex Juarez

Introduction: Mod Mod Glorious Mod Erik Champion1: Between a Mod and a Hard Place Peter Christiansen2: Between Fact and Fiction in Cultural HeritageNatalie M. Underberg3: Use of “The Elder Scrolls Construction Set” to create a Virtual History LessonEric Fassbender4: Game Mods, Engines, and ArchitectureKevin R. Conway5: Teaching Mods with Class Erik Champion6: Games to Movies: Machinima and ModificationsFriedrich Kirschner7: CryVE: Modding the CryEngine2 to create a CAVE SystemMarija Nakevska, Jun Hu, Alex Juarez

who is the audience?

“Heritage always has been about people, but the challenge today is to make it relevant to a much wider section of people, and that emphasis will not necessarily be on the conservation of concrete objects” (Howard 2003, Heritage Management, Interpretation, Identity, p. 50).

http://publicvr.orghttp://publicvr.orgBluescreen actors into virtual puppet theatre using Unreal tournament on large displaysBluescreen actors into virtual puppet theatre using Unreal tournament on large displays

QuizzMob A.R. gamethe social does not define place

Hack4Lt, Vilnius, CodeUnited teamHack4Lt, Vilnius, CodeUnited team

some ideascultural Turing test: humans impersonate NPCs

traveler-tourist, Tinker-spy

Cultural constraints, thematic challenges, reversed perspectives

augmented tourism

overlays, filters

Augmented Views in Second Life by P Kerremans to left, Mawson Hut Antarctica 3D+panorama to right (Bourke and Morse)

Bike or mini-helicopter tourism

Augmented Reality GPS and historic overlays

Layar-AR?Layar-AR?Hight, Augmented Sound

Narratives

Hight, Augmented Sound

Narratives

Georgia Tech Mixed

Reality Second Life

Georgia Tech Mixed

Reality Second Life

ludic mappinghow to use maps as external cognitive artefacts

LugaruLugaru

Rituals are more than habits and more than pointsRituals are more than habits and more than points

Virtual Sambor, BerkeleyVirtual Sambor, Berkeley Jedi Starwars Academy, Elder Scrolls III: OblivionJedi Starwars Academy, Elder Scrolls III: Oblivion

Role playing festival, Kalø, Denmark 16.09.2012Role playing festival, Kalø, Denmark 16.09.2012 Bio-fed character immersionBio-fed character immersion

Dekker, 2009Dekker, 2009

tourism and biofeedback biofeedback produces thematic perspectives

Dekker, Hurst, 2005; middle: Fassbender: 2010; Dekker, 2006Dekker, Hurst, 2005; middle: Fassbender: 2010; Dekker, 2006

resouce managementtribal trouble, RTS, socio-political scenarios

tribal troubletribal trouble

new interfaces:how do we build our own tools?

A book of artwork, interviews, and articles about the two most important parts of the video-game Minecraft: the fans and the culture.

McCartney and Short, http://allc.org/node/188 map at http://www.allc.org/node/189

discussion at http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/368/1925/3779.full

I believe methodology is the study and debate of methods, not methods

CFP: cultural heritage creative tools & archives26-27 June 2013, National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagenhow can we share across institutional heritage silos?

CARARE Final Conference, 2012 Copenhagen

Marseille Museum of Culture

Fall 2013 will witness the largest international scientific event on digital heritage in history, bringing together hundreds of researchers, educators, scientists, industry professionals and policy makers to debate, discuss and present digital technology applied to the protection, documentation, and understanding of humanity’s shared heritage. For the first time ever, under the patronage of UNESCO, the leading scientific and industry events from across the digital and heritage spheres will join together under one roof to explore the state-of-the-art and address future emerging research scenarios.

www.digitalheritage2013.orgwww.digitalheritage2013.org

final notes & questions• Games are composite and open-ended, “rigour” is debateable, they help

us understand audience and interactivity of culture, designing game-based heritage is a great learning experience, BUT artistry can mislead.

• These visualization issues & techniques are of value to Digital Humanities

• Models do not replace books but accuracy can be individually filtered

• Imaginative & immersive environments can creatively connect to archives

• Disturbances (griefing) is part of cultural debate-how to incorporate it?

• How do we thematically include conjecture and interpretation?

• How do we account for preconceived notions people bring to a visualization?

• How to link papers, tools, methods, models and debate space (forums)?

Contact echa@adm.au.dk OR nzerik@gmail.com OR www://erikchampion.wordpress.com