LudoScience

Opening of the LUDOSCIENCE Collection on HAL Sciences Ludoscience | 03-17-2025 | 10:24

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Ludoscience collection on the #HAL database: https://hal.science/LUDOSCIENCE
 
  

This collection brings together all the publications posted on HAL concerning studies on games, serious games, video games, gamification, games, play, etc. We encourage authors to submit books, articles, dissertations, posters, videos, podcasts and games.
 
Many thanks to sebastien mazzarese for putting together this fine collection, which we hope will be useful to all those wishing to deepen their knowledge of the sciences of play.
 
We encourage authors who have published books, articles, dissertations, posters, videos, podcasts, games, etc. on these themes to deposit them on HAL with the appropriate keywords, so that they can be automatically integrated into the Ludoscience collection. Here is the link to discover the relevant keywords:
 
Access to the list of keywords
Leave a comment | Category : News, | Keywords : Serious Game, Database, Research, Collection, Game studies, Gamification, Video game, Scientific studies,

Publication of the book "Serious Game, un "carcan ludique" ? Jeux vidéo, Travail et Instrumentalisations" Julian Alvarez | 10-27-2023 | 10:42


In this book, Julian Alvarez studies the phenomenon of work's gamification, providing readers with the keys to navigating a world steeped in video game culture. He goes even further by opening up a reflection on the constraints opposed to the freedom to play.
Thibault Brunet's photography, which questions our relationship to virtuality, accompanies and brings light to this research.
 
Available on éditions Loco  
 
 
Leave a comment | Category : News, | Keywords : Book, Serious Game, Serious Gaming, Gamification, Work,

Mental map of resources and achievements Serious games, edutainment, gamification... Julian Alvarez | 08-31-2023 | 10:10

This mind map presents all Julian Alvarez's work since 1991 in the fields of serious games, edutainment, video games, robot pedagogy... In concrete terms, you'll find writings, applications, videos, podcasts... The idea is to offer you a different way of browsing the various resources.

 

We welcome your feedback! 

 

  

Leave a comment | Category : News, | Keywords : Mind Map, Ressources,

Spirit of the North sur PS5: a trek between bugs and spiritual quest Julian Alvarez | 01-07-2021 | 12:22

These end of year celebrations were an opportunity to test the game Spirit of the North on PS5. The winter atmosphere was a good context to do that. The game proposes to play a fox whose missions are related to a spiritual quest.
The search for paths to take in Scandinavian landscapes is at the heart of the gameplay. What was our surprise to discover underground paths not foreseen by the game designers. These passages allowed us to discover the other side of the scenery modeled in 3D and a series of bugs ...
The following video illustrates this strange digital and dreamlike hike.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBwZjlPULkc

While letting you discover these images, we wish you a happy new year 2021!

Credits:
Play test: Maëlis Galino and Angelina Galino
Editing and screenplay: Julian Alvarez
Production: Ludoscience - 2021
 
 
Leave a comment | Category : Games, Game Design, | Keywords : video game, Game, Game design, Bug, Fox,

Differentiate between Play and Game... Julian Alvarez | 01-07-2019 | 11:22

Here's a question posed by one of our DIU Apprendre par le jeu students: 

“I'm currently following the MOOC on serious games offered by the Erasmus University of Rotterdam: https://www.coursera.org/learn/serious-gaming Very interesting, by the way...
I'm coming up to week 2, which deals with the psychological approach to games, and here's what it says about the difference between “play” and “game”:
Game are specific form of play, but not all play can be considered a game. The first difference is that rules in a game are more rigid and commonly linked to a specific goal; however, this is not necessarily the case in play. A game usually has a competition element, while in play you cannot win or lose...
So we're not really on the usual distinction between activity (play) and object (game).
What do you think?”

This is an interesting question, because it invites us to take stock of these English-speaking terms. 
 
Let's start with Play.
Play is the activity of playing. In this context, play is akin to paidia (according to Caillois): we indulge in a fun activity with rules that change as we go along.
But play is also a verb that means to play something. To play a game, for example.

So what's the link between play and game?
Game, to begin with, is a game device with precise rules and objectives. This refers, for example, to a board game.
The rules are fixed (or modifiable at the margin) and the objectives are set for all participants. Otherwise, the game cannot be played. Unless it's agreed that objectives can be modified.

But as with Play, Game is also an activity. It refers to Ludus (according to Caillois). When we indulge in such an activity, it's because we're in competition. This is also true of sport, particularly when we play a match. Clearly, fun is no longer the only component, as winning or losing comes into play.
Game can also be a verb. In the sense of playing with a system, which refers to the notion of manipulating. This is a more abstract level. 

Does Ludus (Game) exclude Paidia (Play)?
There's nothing to stop you enjoying yourself during a game. So play can be summoned during a game.
For example, if you're playing a Time's up game, you can have fun imitating or miming while respecting the rules.
Similarly, when a soccer player scores a goal, the little dance he or she may do after accepting the point can also be seen as fun. Paidia and Ludus are not exclusive. 

In the English language and in the context of video games, we find the notion of gameplay, which marries these two dimensions.
The gameplay of a video game aims to define not only how the game is played (rules, objectives), but also the fun (pleasure, amusement) that the device is intended to generate...

But what's missing from this exploration is the notion of a device dedicated solely to fun, without any objectives.
This is where we find the Toy. You can play with a toy. In other words, I play this toy. Which is different from I play this game.

In conclusion, to sum up:

Play (Paidia): an activity / a verb (to play) / fun
Game (Ludus): an activity / a game device with rules / a verb (to manipulate)
Toy : toy (device without objective)
Gameplay: a noun for the design of a game device (especially a video game) to explain its rules, objectives and how to have fun with it.

As for verbs, we can list the following cases: 
To play a game
To play a toy
To game a system
To design a gameplay 
Leave a comment | Category : Thoughts, | Keywords : Play, Game, Toy, Term, Definition, English speaking,
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