Reusing Components from Cultural Heritage Games – the RAGE Project Approach (invited talk)

Reusing Components from Cultural Heritage Games – the RAGE Project Approach (invited talk)

Boyan Bontchevwith K. Stefanov, P. Boytchev, A. Georgiev and A. Grigorov Fac. of Math. and Informatics, Sofia Univ., Bulgaria

AGENDA

Introduction Types of computer games Features of computer games Entertainment games Applied games Presenting RAGE The RAGE Metadata Model Asset Repository Infrastructure Front-end Tools to Access the Software Asset Repository Conclusions

September 28, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria 2DIPP'2016

VIDEO GAMES FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE Unlike other traditional media, video games are

capable to make deeper our understanding and feelings of cultural heritage (both tangible and intangible) in a very interactive and immersive way

All video games do always reflect somehow human culture because they are "objects produced and played within culture at large", however, "not all games manifest transformative cultural play to actually transform culture“ (Salen and Zimmerman, 2007)


VIRTUAL HERITAGE ENVIRONMENTS VS GAMES

Interactivity – exploration of environments, meaningful tasks to be completed, dialogues - between players or with a non-player character (NPC), and quizzes;

Meaning – incorporates culture and history (intangible heritage) and story (interactive narrative);

Player character – role-play (in a historical environment), 3D avatar (visual equivalent of the player in the virtual world), and its personalization;

Others elements – inclusion of NPC as virtual (inter)active inhabitants and multiplayer mode;

Cultural and historical/visual and behavioral/environmental/auditory/olfactory accuracy and realism.

(Granström, 2013)


APPLIED VIDEO GAMES FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE

Use: interactive simulation of realistic virtual heritage scenarios virtual and augmented reality artificial intelligence – for NPC control and content

generation adaptivity

Offer: free choice of learning place choice of learning time and speed autonomous and self-controlled learning in the game

context problem-solving willingness for cooperation


TYPE 1. ENTERTAINMENT DOCUMENTARY GAMES ‘History Line: 1914-1918’ (Blue Byte, 1992) ‘Great Battles of Rome’ (Slitherine Strategies, 2007) ‘Napoleon: Total War’ (Creative Assembly, 2010)


TYPE 2. 3D ROLE-PLAYING ADVENTURE GAMES ‘Red Dead Redemption’ (Rockstar San Diego, 2010) ‘Assassin’s Creed II’ (Ubisoft Montreal, 2009)


TYPE 3. INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL MUSEUMS use gaming technology for both entertaining and

educating visitors usually by incorporating some exploration and reassembling tasks and quizzes

examples - ‘Virtual Egyptian Temple’, ‘Olympic Pottery Puzzle’, ‘Walk through Ancient Olympia’ and ‘ThIATRO’


Froschauer et al, Design and Evaluation

of ThIATRO, 2012

‘WALK THROUGH ANCIENT OLYMPIA’

GAITATZES, CHRISTOPOULOS, PAPAIOANNOU: The Ancient Olympic Games: Being Part of the Experience (VAST, 2004)


TYPE 4. PROTOTYPES AND DEMONSTRATORS games based on 3D virtual reconstruction 3D and geo-

referenced modeling of ancient historical sites provide not only realistic archaeological exploration

with historical accuracy but also political, religious and artistic walkthrough with crowd restauration of ancient characters with procedurally generated NPC

examples - ‘Pompei: The Legend of Vesuvius’ edutainment SG and ‘Roma Nova’ brain-controlled SG


TYPE 5. SOCIAL TAGGING AND KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION SG SG for encouraging players to submit accurate

information about cultural artifacts embedded into the games for further knowledge verification and mining

Examples - ‘One-Up’ is a multi-round mobile crowdsourcing metadata tagging game fostering players to propose high-quality metadata and rewarding them based on metadata (Flanagan et al, 2013)


APPLIED GAMES INDUSTRY IN EUROPE Delivers products with multiple uses in industry,

education, health and the public administration The Applied Games´ growth potential is widely

recognised Its education and training potential is widely

recognised To integrate them in education and training,

affordable games are needed But industry is still fragmented, scattered and needs

critical mass to compete globally and to offer affordable prices

September 28, Veliko Tarnovo, BulgariaDIPP'2016

THE RAGE PROJECT To support games development for education and

training: ─ RAGE will deliver self-contained gaming assets that

support easier, faster and more cost-effectively games development

─ Assets will be delivered via an online portal and social space connecting all stakeholders

RAGE is a technology and know-how driven Research and Innovation project co-funded by EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020

The project started on February 1st, 2015 and will last 48 months

13September 28, Veliko Tarnovo, BulgariaDIPP'2016

MAIN RESEARCH GOAL

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To enrich and transform advanced gaming technologies

into self-contained assets for applied gaming that facilitate essential pedagogical functions, that can be linked together into higher level

aggregates, and that can be easily integrated in existing game

platforms


APPLIED GAMING TECHNOLOGY ASSETS

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Gaming platform

Game instance

Gaming platform

Game instance

Gaming platform

Game instance

Gaming platform

Game instance

Pedagogy

RAGEasset

RAGEasset

Interoperability

RAGEasset

Interoperability


RAGE REUSABLE GAME ASSETS (I)

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Data analysis

Data capturingSensorsEmotion detectionLearning analyticsAssessmentEvaluationDashboard

Game intelligence

Procedural animationEmbodimentNatural languageDialoguesGame balancingStorytellingSocial agentsGamification

1 2


Interaction data exchange and storage Server side interaction data collection and storage

Client side interaction data collection and storage

Interaction data collection configuration

Interaction data dashboard and analysis

Assessment

Server side assessment data collection and storage

Client side assessment data collection and storage

Assessment data collection configuration Assessment dashboard and analysis

Emotion detection Server side emotion data collectionClient side text/speech analysis

Client side biometric library

Emotion data configuration

Dashboard & analysis

Evaluation

Game evaluation

Natural language

Text recognition

Text generation

Speech recognition

Speech generation

Dialogue management

Embodiment and physical interaction

Bodily motions Emotional display Conversational gestures Object interaction

Decision-making and socio-emotional behaviour

Strategic decision making Emotional behaviour Social reality modelling Interpersonal relationships Social motivation

Interactive storytelling Interactive storytelling

Social gamification Social challenges Social/shared rewards Social progression

Game balancing and personalized learning Adaptation of difficulty Competence focus and learning disposition Challenge generation Balancing learning and fun

17

RAGE REUSABLE GAME ASSETS (II)


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GamesSoftwareAssets Pilots

Asset model

MetadataRepository

Ecosystem

Business models

Evaluation

THE RAGE METHODOLOGY


USAGE OF RAGE ASSETS


RAGE ASSET MODEL


RAGE ASSET METADATA Based on core subset of OMG Reusable Asset

Specification (RAS) - Asset, Solution, Usage, Artefacts, Requirements, Design, Implementation, Tests

Extended with elements from the Asset Description Metadata Schema (ADMS) - Classification, Context, Concepts

Use elements from IEEE Learning Object Metadata (LOM) - inside Classification and Context: Learning Goals, Knowledge transfer, Skills, Educational Disciplines, Teaching Phase, Learning Purpose, Educational Context, etc.

Added metadata related to the applied games domain


RAGE METADATA PRESENTATION

We followed the Europeana project approach: Internal representation - in RDF - easy

processing from program tools Formal presentation - XML format with XSD

schema - easy validation Easy transformation from XML to RDF and

vice versa, when needed


ASSET METADATA MODELrage:Asset

«attr»name [1..1]: xs:stringdcterms:title [1..*]: xs:stringdcterms:description [1..*]: xs:stringdcterms:type [1..1]: skos:Conceptdcterms:date [0..1]: xs:datedcterms:language [0..1]: xs:stringdcterms:creator [1..*]: foaf:Agentdcterms:publisher [1..1]: foaf:Agentrage:owner [0..1]: foaf:Agentdcat:keyword [0..*]: xs:stringrage:versionInfo [1..1]: xs:stringadms:versionNotes [1..1]: xs:stringadms:status [1..1]: skos:Conceptdcat:accessURL [0..1]: xs:anyURI

rage:RelatedAsset

«attr»name [1..1]: xs:string«attr»minVersion [1..1]: xs:string«attr»maxVersion [1..1]: xs:stringdcterms:description [1..*]: xs:stringrage:relationType [1..1]: xs:stringdcat:accessURL [0..1]: xs:anyURI

rage:Artefact

«attr»name [1..1]: xs:stringrage:reference [1..1]: xs:stringIdcterms:title [0..*]: xs:stringdcterms:description [0..*]: xs:stringdcterms:type [0..1]: skos:Conceptdcterms:date [0..1]: xs:datedcterms:creator [0..*]: foaf:Agentdcterms:publisher [0..1]: foaf:Agentrage:versionInfo [0..1]: xs:stringdcterms:format [0..1]: xs:stringdcat:accessURL [0..1]: xs:anyURI

rage:Solution

dcterms:description [0..*]: xs:string

rage:Requirements


rage:Design


rage:Tests


rage:Implementation

dcterms:description [0..*]: xs:stringrage:gameEngine [0..1]: skos:Conceptrage:gamePlatform [0..1]: skos:Conceptrage:progLanguage [0..1]: skos:Concept

rage:Usage


rage:Classification


0..*

0..1

0..* 0..*0..*

0..*

1

1

0..1 0..1

0..11

0..*

rage:Context

«attr»name [1..1]: xs:stringdcterms:title [0..*]: xs:stringdcterms:description [0..*]: xs:stringdcat:themeTaxonomy [1..1]: skos:ConceptSchemedcat:theme [0..*]: skos:Concept

1..*

rage:License

dcterms:title [0..*]: xs:stringdcterms:description [1..*]: xs:stringdcterms:type [1..1]: skos:Conceptdcat:accessURL [0..1]: xs:anyURI

0..*

0..*


RAGE ASSET METADATA MODELAsset A self-contained solution related to computer games and intended to

be reused in a variety of game platforms and scenarios.

Classification Descriptors for pedagogical classification of the asset as a learning object and of the educational context(s) for which the asset is relevant.

Context Game context where asset can be used, educational context, and links between game and learning mechanics in the game.

Concept Scheme

A vocabulary, thesaurus or taxonomy used for organizing concepts.

Concept Represents a particular concept within a vocabulary, thesaurus or taxonomy.

Solution Describes the artefacts of the asset. Usage Contains information for installing, customizing, and using the asset. Related Assets Describes the asset’s relationship to other assets.

Artefact Any physical element of an asset corresponding to a file on a file system.

Requirements Artefacts specifying asset requirements such as models, use-cases, or diagrams.

Design Artefacts specifying the asset design such as diagrams, models, etc.Implementation

Artefacts identifying the binary and other files that provide the implementation.

Tests Artefacts describing the testing of the asset such as procedures and test units.

License Conditions or restrictions to the use of an asset or artefact.Agent Person or organization contributing (owner) of an asset or artefact.

FRONT-END TOOLS Developed front-end tools

RAGE Metadata Editor RAGE Taxonomy Tools

Taxonomy viewer Taxonomy selector Taxonomy editor

To be developed front-end tools RAGE Configuration Editor


REPOSITORY ARCHITECTURE

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Client tier

Service tier

Data store tier

Asser Repository Manager

IDEs(Eclipse, etc.)

Ecosystem Portal

Asset Authoring

Tools

Taxonomy Tools

MetadataEditor

Asset Services

Fedora Services Sesame Services Solr Services

Fedora

Assets, ArtefactsRDF

Sesame

Taxonomies, MetadataRDF

Solr

MetadataIndexes


METADATA EDITOR Purpose

View and edit the metadata associated witha RAGE entity – asset, asset package, etc.

Implementation Metadata structure is extracted from schemas The actual editor is built in real-time Embeds the taxonomy selector Uses the asset services from the service tier


GENERATED USER INTERFACE


EMBEDDED TAXONOMY SELECTOR


TAXONOMIES IN RAGE Purpose

Represent classification concepts and vocabularies

Provide values for metadata and their verification Taxonomy tools

A set of three tools: viewer, selector and editor Embeddable in other front-end tools


RAGE TAXONOMY VIEWERUsed to browse / view a (multilingual) taxonomy


RAGE TAXONOMY EDITORUsed to edit the structure or content of a taxonomy


SAMPLE ASSET USAGE FOR GAME ADAPTATION OF THE “RUSH FOR GOLD” GAME

Image source: Leiner and Fahr, 2012. EDA Positive Change, Comm. Methods and Measures 6(4):237-250

EXAMPLE: Real-Time Arousal Detection Using Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)

STARTING THE GSR MEASURING DEVICE

STARTING THE GSR ASSET

STARTING THE GSR SIGNAL VISUALIZATION

STARTING THE SOCKET FOR ASSET INTEGRATION

STARTING THE RUSH FOR GOLD ACTION GAME

Arousal levels (SCL left, SCR right)

(in the scope of the ADAPTIMES project, http://adaptimes.eu/)

PLAYING THE RUSH FOR GOLD GAME WITH LOWER SCR AROUSAL

darker

slower

easier

PLAYING THE RUSH FOR GOLD GAME WITH HIGHER SCR AROUSAL

brighter

faster

harder

CONCLUSIONS The market space of both entertainment and

applied video games entertainment games and applied will continue to grow in next years, together with that of gamification applications.

The impact of video games will be higher thanks to their synergy of story, art and technological achievements including affective and adaptive gameplay.

Applied games for cultural heritage with non-linear and interactive storytelling will be used more and more for immersive cultural presentation, teaching, assessment and training.


THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! Questions?

Boyan Bontchev, [email protected] http://www.rageproject.eu/


Engineering

Reusing Components from Cultural Heritage Games – the RAGE Project Approach (invited talk)