Mathias Lux
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First Game Creators Barcamp Held at the University of Klagenfurt

Local game developers and researchers gathered for the inaugural Game Creators Barcamp on Friday, December 6th, at the University of Klagenfurt. The event featured discussions on game development, educational technologies, and industry funding opportunities.

The first Barcamp drew a small but engaged group of participants who explored various game design and development topics. Discussions covered diverse areas, including the story behind the game Electric Alps, potential improvements in language learning through gamification, particularly for teaching irregular German verbs, and an examination of game theory in puzzle game design. The attendees also provided an overview of funding schemes available for game studios. Plans are underway for the next Barcamp, scheduled for spring, hoping to increase participant numbers.

Interview with Felix Schniz on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of “World of Warcraft”

On 20 November, Dr Felix Schniz commemorated the 20th anniversary of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft by giving an interview to the Kleine Zeitung. The interview focused on the secret behind World of Warcraft’s ongoing success and what we can learn from a historiographic perspective on the game.

The full interview was released in print on 23 November. It can also be accessed here:

https://www.kleinezeitung.at/wirtschaft/gaming/19088300/wie-world-of-warcraft-das-computerspielen-massentauglich-gemacht-hat

 

 

Game Creators Barcamp 2024

Calling all game enthusiasts! Whether you’re into game development, game design, game studies, or anything in between, join us for the Game Creators Barcamp. 

When: December 6th, 2024 from 13:15 to 16:00
Where: HS 4, Klagenfurt University

A Barcamp is an open, participant-driven event. There’s no pre-set schedule—you create the content! Attendees can sign up on-site on the day to host an (up to) 20-minute-session. This can be a game-related talk, a discussion, or an on-stage demo.

Some topics to explore might include:

  • Game development
  • Game design
  • Game studies
  • Playtesting and prototyping
  • Stories and non-linear narratives
  • Sound and music for games
  • Podcasting and streaming about games
    as well as novel and groundbreaking ideas for games

This is a chance to share your knowledge, explore new ideas, or simply connect with others who share your passion for games. Whether you’re a seasoned developer, an indie creator, a GSE student, or just curious, you’re welcome to take part in shaping the day!

🔗 Sign up to host a session on-site, or just come along and join the conversation!

 

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Magdalena Strobl @ “Game Over?” – Conference, Salzburg

Magdalena participated in the “Game Over?”- Conference from November 14th to 16th with its topic “Dystopia x Utopia x Video Games.” Together with Iris van der Horst (MEd), she presented the talk titled “From Oppression to Liberation: Postcolonial Perspectives on the Dystopian World of Xenoblade Chronicles 3” focused on how the game displays a critical dystopia variant 1 and how it criticizes colonial structures by magnifying the abstract concepts of third space and contact zone and depicting them in a very concrete and creative way. Therefore, this presentation combined theories on utopianism and postcolonialism.

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Paper accepted: PreMatch: A Prediction-based Scheduler for Dataflow Asynchronous Processing on the Computing Continuum

Authors: Narges Mehran, Zahra Najafabadi Samani, Samira Afzal, Radu Prodan, Frank Pallas and Peter Dorfinger

Event: The 40th ACM/SIGAPP Symposium On Applied Computing https://www.sigapp.org/sac/sac2025/

Abstract:

The popularity of asynchronous data exchange patterns has recently increased, as evidenced by an Alibaba trace analysis showing that 23% of the communication between microservices uses this method. Such workloads necessitate exploring a method for reducing their dataflow processing and completion time. Moreover, there is a need to exploit a prediction method to forecast the future requirements of such microservices and (re-)schedule them. Therefore, we investigate the prediction-based scheduling of asynchronous dataflow processing applications by considering the stochastic changes due to dynamic user requirements.

Moreover, we present a microservice scaling and scheduling method named PreMatch combining a machine learning prediction strategy based on gradient boosting with ranking and game theory matching scheduling principles. Firstly, PreMatch predicts the number of microservice replicas, and then, the ranking method orders the microservice replica and devices based on microservice and transmission times. Thereafter, the PreMatch schedules microservice replicas requiring dataflow processing on computing devices. Experimental analysis of the PreMatch method shows lower completion times on average 13% compared to a related prediction-based scheduling method.

Hadi
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Patent Approval for “Scalable Per-Title Encoding”

Scalable Per-Title Encoding – US Patent

[PDF]

Hadi Amirpour (Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, Austria) and Christian Timmerer (Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, Austria)

Abstract: A scalable per-title encoding technique may include detecting scene cuts in an input video received by an encoding network or system, generating segments of the input video, performing per-title encoding of a segment of the input video, training a deep neural network (DNN) for each representation of the segment, thereby generating a trained DNN, compressing the trained DNN, thereby generating a compressed trained DNN, and generating an enhanced bitrate ladder including metadata comprising the compressed trained DNN. In some embodiments, the method may also include generating a base layer bitrate ladder for CPU devices and providing the enhanced bitrate ladder for GPU-available devices.

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Workshop paper accepted: One Spell Fits All: A Generative AI Game as a Tool for Research in AI Creativity and Sustainable Design

Authors: Tom Tucek, Kseniia Harshina, Georgia Samaritaki (University of Amsterdam), and Dipika Rajesh (University of California, Santa Cruz)

Abstract:
This paper presents “One Spell Fits All”, an AI-native game prototype where the player, playing as a witch, solves villagers’ problems using magical conjurations. We show how, beyond being a standalone game, “One Spell Fits All” could serve as a research platform to explore several key areas in AI-driven and AI-native game design. These areas include AI creativity, user experience in predominantly AI-generated content, and the energy efficiency of locally running versus cloud-based AI models. By leveraging smaller, locally running generative AI models, including LLMs and diffusion models for image generation, the game dynamically generates and evaluates content without the need for external APIs or internet access, offering a sustainable and responsive gameplay experience. This paper explores the application of LLMs in narrative video games, outlines a game prototype’s design and mechanics, and proposes future research opportunities that can be explored using the game as a platform.

EXAG ’24: Experimental AI in Games Workshop at the AIIDE Conference, November 18, 2024, Lexington, USA

 

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Short paper accepted: Experiencing Forced Migration: A Participatory Approach to Developing a Serious Video Game

Authors: Kseniia Harshina, Imke Alenka Harbig, Mathias Lux, and Tom Tucek

Abstract: Forced migration affects millions worldwide due to conflict, disasters, and persecution. This paper presents a participatory approach to serious game development, engaging individuals with lived migration experiences to create authentic and impactful narratives. Based on qualitative research, we propose a game design methodology to enhance empathy and raise awareness of forced migration. Our study demonstrates the potential of participatory games to bridge the gap between forced migrants and the broader public, fostering empathy, social change, and empowerment for marginalized communities.

GALA Conference 2024 Proceedings will be published on Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Kseniia and Imke Harbig from the psychology department will present their research at the GALA conference in Berlin from November 20 to 22.

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Kseniia and Tom @ CHI PLAY 2024

Kseniia and Tom participated in the annual symposium CHI PLAY (Computer-Human Interaction in Play) from October 14–17/online.
They both took part in the doctoral consortium, where they presented their works and built connections with fellow doctoral students and experienced researchers in the field.
Kseniia presented her topic, “Developing a Virtual-Reality Game for Empathy Enhancement and Perspective-Taking in the Context of Forced Migration Experiences”, and Tom presented his topic, “Enhancing Empathy Through Personalized AI-Driven Experiences and Conversations with Digital Humans in Video Games”.
Proceedings are published under Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion ’24), October 14–17, 2024, Tampere, Finland.

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Kseniia Harshina @ FROG Conference, Vienna (Future and Reality of Gaming 2024)

Kseniia participated in the annual FROG conference from 11 to 13 October, which had the topic of “Gaming the Apocalypse”. Her talk, “Unraveling the Romanticization of Colonial, Imperial and Authoritarian Narratives in Modern Video Games”, showcased a trend in video games to cutefy serious topics like historical power dynamics through aesthetics, and explained the potential issues caused by this phenomenon.

Her talk can be seen on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37-sqVJrMoY), and proceedings will follow in the summer of 2025.