Games are structured contexts where players have clear objectives, with victory as the end goal. In a game, players must solve problems, overcome challenges and face opponents (real or game characters) but always respecting a clearly-defined set of rules. Failure to follow these rules implies a punishment or penalty. Games can involve one player acting alone, two or more players acting cooperatively, or players or teams of players competing between themselves.
Computer games are played through a computer, on a standalone or networked form. Games are highly interactive products that keep the player in a state of focused motivation, or “flow” as defined by Csikszentmihalyi. The player is always on the edge of his/her abilities, with the permanent feeling that he/she is about to reach the goal, about to go to the next level.
This motivates the player to try, to give his/her best and to evolve. Serious Games are not designed for the sole purpose of entertainment but rather with training, educational, marketing or awareness raising objectives. These games are designed with the main goal of creating a skill development context for the player while retaining the same focused motivation context of “fun” games.
The player must perform tasks, analyze processes and draw conclusions in order to increase his/her productivity and knowledge in the framework of the game positive and negative feedback, sometimes representing risks or a series of events that, in real life, would be negative or even fatal. This type of games is used in numerous areas like engineering, health, education, defense, military, emergency management, and scientific exploration, among many others.
Topics to be addressed by the journal include but are not limited to:
Thomas is a lecturer at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden. His research concerns inclusive designs of games, which he has contributed to for almost two decades. Thomas teaches inclusive game design and user experience evaluation in games. His first 3D game received the “Innovation in Audio Award” at the Independent Games Festival, USA in 2003. He started the IGDA Game Accessibility SIG, is vice-chair of IFIP Entertainment Computing: TC 14.9 Game Accessibility and has contributed to Game Accessibility Guidelines.
Employment: 1999 - 2001 Teacher in Software Engineering Royal Institute of Technology / KTH Stockholm 2002 - 2017 IT-pedagogue and reseacher - Stockholm University, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences 2017 - 2019 PostDoc - Mid Sweden University, Department of Computer and System Sciences 2019 - Senior Lecturer - Mid Sweden University, Department of Computer and System Sciences Research fields: Blended learning Game-based learning Programming education ICT4D - Information and Communication Technologies for Development
