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History in computer games: case study on "Valiant Hearts: The Great War"
Šindelář, Jakub ; Matějka, Ondřej (advisor) ; Kozák, Kryštof (referee)
This thesis is a case study analysis of the visualization of history in computer games. The analyzed game, Valiant Hearts: The Great War, was published by the French company Ubisoft in 2014. The game is set in The First World War and was developed in cooperation with The Centenary Parnership Proram. The main goals of the thesis are following: First, determine if the vision of history in the game reflects the current paradigms of French historiography of The First World War. Second, to identify and to interpret particularities and deformations in the way the game recreates history. The first, theoretical chapter presents the phenomenon of The First World War in the French context, the study of computer games and the methodology of the analysis. For the analysis I have created my own methodology which combines various approaches used elsewhere. Chapter 2 contains the analysis, which is further structured into the analysis of the story from the perspective of the main characters and locations (2.1), analysis of the object inventory and the in game miniencyclopedia (2.2), and the analysis of game's style and form -the graphic and audio style, along with the issue of player freedom (2.3). For greater clarity, the parts of the game are referred to through it's subchapters. The results of the analysis...
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Gamers fighting depression - Strategies of video game players against feelings of depression
Ováry, Šimon ; Šalanda, Bohuslav (advisor) ; Vávra, Martin (referee)
This thesis examines the motivation of players of video games for their playing, and the strategy of these players for overcoming feelings of depression, using the methods of grounded theory. The first part deals with the approach of sociology and selected studies towards the issue of video games and mental disorders, to which I then relate the findings of my own research at the final chapter. In the second part of this work I present what methodology has been used and how. In the final part I lead a discussion about the findings and outcomes of my research.
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Virtual death in video games
Štěpánová, Petra ; Švelch, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Vochocová, Lenka (referee)
The topic of this thesis is virtual death in video games. In theoretical part, the concept of avatar (player's agent in the game world) is defined, concerning the relationship between player and avatar as well as the main characteristics of the avatar. The aim of the theoretical core of this thesis is to introduce virtual death; because of various expressions of death in many games, it is difficult to describe virtual death generally. Virtual death, which is compared also to the real death, is revealed as a communication of player's failure. What can not be separated from virtual death is the instant resurrection of the avatar, and also the means how to avoid virtual death. The practical part of the thesis offers a close reading of the computer role-playing game Planescape: Torment, focusing on the theme of death. Unlike most mainstream games, Torment presents the player with sophisticated perspectives on the matters of life, death, immortality and responsibility. Even the high-order goal of the main character (which becomes the goal of the player as well) is to gain knowledge about himself and then willingly die. This stands in a sharp contrast to usual narratives, forcing the player to suppress the life-saving reflex and let his avatar die in the end. The comparative method is used to identify...
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Who are the producers and consumers of media content published on the Twitch platform
Kopecký, Martin ; Kasík, Pavel (advisor) ; Lokšík, Martin (referee)
Due to the rise of technological convergence, the production of media content is currently available to anyone with befitting means. The situation is no different in the area of streaming and video games. This diploma thesis is focusing on producers and consumers of media content streamed on the video platform Twitch. This platform enables their users, if they dispose of quality internet and sufficient hardware, to produce real time streamed media content on nearly professional level. Hundreds of millions of viewers are watching Twitch monthly and this thesis is trying to introduce the very streamers of media content on this platform, their success and failure, while monitoring their viewership.
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LGBT and the identity of a gamer
Marková, Tereza ; Hrabec, Ondřej (advisor) ; Smetáčková, Irena (referee)
This bachelor thesis explores identity of a person of sexual or gender minority group in a context of game culture. It deals with the question of whether the LGBTQ identity of a video game player in some way influences his experience with playing computer games and how this influence manifests itself. The theoretical part of this work first introduces the topic of LGBTQ identity and explains the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity. Identity is a main topic of the next chapter of this work, as it focuses on identity itself and the relation of sexual orientation and gender identity of a person to his overall identity and mentions the specifics of the identity of a person with minority sexual orientation and gender identity. The next part of the work focuses on the description of the gaming environment and how the player's identity is projected into it. The main topics of this part are the identification of a player with a game character, the relationship of a player with a game character and also the topic of gender in the game environment. Furthermore, the theoretical part of the work focuses directly on LGBTQ gamers. In this part, the theory focuses on the diversity and representation of the LGBTQ minority and their importance in games and the gaming community. It presents in...
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Navigation of Units in Video Games Using Flow Networks
Pacovský, Jan ; Gemrot, Jakub (advisor)
This thesis investigates the navigation of units in real-time strategy computer games and is focused on the task of navigating a bigger group of units through a game world that contains narrows passages. The narrow passages causes signi- ficant delays that could be avoided by splitting the group and taking some part of it through an alternative way. In this thesis, a solution using flow networks is proposed. The map is transformed into a flow network which then allows the planner to find an alternative route to the fully occupied narrow passage. The proposed method was tested in a simulator specifically designed for this task and compared with the conventional methods of navigation in computer games. The final evaluation shows that the navigation of units using flow networks can successfully solve this problem. 1
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The influence of watching videogame streams on purchase decisions of gamers and their willingness to pay, evidence from the Czech Republic
Mertová, Veronika ; Polák, Petr (advisor) ; Kukačka, Jiří (referee)
This thesis aims to understand the relationshipbetween viewership of video game streams and purchase decisions players make. Furthermore, the price they are willing to pay is explored. The emphasis is on understandingthe difference in these effects for big blockbuster games and small independentlydevelopedtitles. The data was collectedusingan online survey distributed in gaming-focusedgroups on social media. The data on purchase decisions was analysedusing a logit model. It showed that trust in streamer's recommendations increases the chance of purchase along with the number of preferred genres and games bought for indie titles. Moreover,it showed a positive relationshipbetweenbeing a student and purchasinga big game after watching. A standard ordinary least squares model was used to analyze the price and showed that hardcore gamers, people who buy on release day, and people with a wider range of interest in games tend to pay more. On the other hand, older people, students, and people who prefer to buy games on sale are willing to pay less. Keywords Video games, streaming,indie, AAA, willingness to pay, logit,Czech Republic Title The influence of watching videogame streams on purchase decisions of gamers and their willingness to pay, evidence from the Czech Republic
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Audio-visual representation in loot box mechanies in video games
Torres, Christopher ; Švelch, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Vranka, Marek (referee)
The thesis deals with a visual and sound interpretation of a loot boxes opening process in selected video games from the semiotic point of view. The theoretical part deals with history of additional monetisation on the games market, a loot box concept and semiotics as a science. Due to raising costs of games designs together with big companies investors' expectations, the games publishing houses try to obtain further incomes. Therefore, additional monetisation in a form of in-game shops is a growing trend and it is often accompanied by loot boxes. They represent a form of gamification of virtual assets purchase through a random chance to obtain assets both with lower and higher prices than the original deposit. Frequent use of these on the games market brought many waves of criticism and not once a controversial situation in which the designers were accused of hidden gambling mechanics implementations in games for teenagers. The practical part analyses loot boxes behaviour in games, describes common features and differences and looks for the most probable way of objectives and meanings of notifications explanations interpretation which the designers attempt to relay. The surveyed titles were selected on the basis of active players, genre and price. It goes through individual aspects of loot boxes...
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Nostalgia: Computer games as tools for overcoming cultural and generational boundaries
Králíček, Václav ; Soukup, Martin (advisor) ; Lütke Notarp, Ulrike (referee)
This master's thesis focuses on the research of similar video game experiences among players of different cultures. Because video games are a product of the worldwide gaming industry, the same content is available for players of various cultural backgrounds, who can then share their experiences via internet forums. In a cross-cultural comparison, the thesis examines similarities in gaming experiences the players of different cultural backgrounds have, and thus exploring the potential of videogames to overcome national borders and to bring players closer. Because four generations of gamers had already got the opportunity to play videogames, the thesis also focuses on similar gaming experiences across the age groups, and thus potentially bringing together also players of different ages. The theoretical basis of this thesis is built on the works of theorists of play Johan Huizinga, Vladimír Borecký, and Roger Caillois, theories of anthropologists George P. Murdock, Thomas Hylland Eriksen, Michal Tošner, and Clifford Geertz, and lastly, the history of video games as a medium along with the history of computers in general as described by Lev Manovich. The research itself was conducted by using two methods. An online survey, shared among respondents by using the Snowball Sampling method, followed by a...
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Gender aspect of playing video games
Fousek Krobová, Tereza ; Reifová, Irena (advisor) ; Fárová, Nina (referee) ; Černohorská, Vanda (referee)
This dissertation deals with various gender aspects of playing computer games. It describes how gender stereotypes are connected with the level of production, content, and with the players themselves. In this sense, it shows that games are still created mainly by homogeneous male teams, in order to attract male players, they contain mainly male characters, while the female ones are created to be attractive to these ideal male players. However, the primary goal of this dissertation is to describe the different ways and intensities of the relationship with the avatar, the playable character in the game. The analytical part consists of two illustrative case studies, one concerning female heterosexual players, the other male heterosexual players. The basic premise is the fact that the player "plays gender" - that is, performs it similarly to social reality. However, this performance is not just a reconstruction and confirmation of hypothetically stable gender identities, but on the contrary their deconstruction ("playing with gender"). In this sense, the work pays particular attention to situations where the player and the avatar have different genders and the heterosexual player, therefore, identifies with the avatar but also objectifies him/her. This dissertation aims to emphasize the uniqueness of...
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