054: The Future of Recreational and Competitive Esports with Dr. Luke Potwarka and Greg Mittler
Games Institute Podcast
Co-hosts Toben Racicot (English Language and Literature) and Sid Heeg (Environment) interview Dr. Luke Potwarka (Recreation and Leisure) and Greg Mittler (Athletics and Recreation). Together they are the founders of UWIN aka the University of Waterloo Interdisciplinary Network for Esports. Sid and Toben chat with Greg and Luke about Esports sustainability, the possible inclusion of Esports in the Olympics, and their recent trip to the University of Warwick for future collaborative research efforts on Esports development and research. Bios Dr. Luke R. Potwarka Associate Professor...
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053: Non Playable Characters and Believable Emotion Design with Dr. Geneva Smith
Games Institute Podcast
This month co-hosts Toben Racicot and Sid Heeg interview incoming GI Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Geneva Smith about her research into NPC emotional believability in games. Links: G-ScalE Lab at McMaster University. “Start Your EM(otion En)gine: Towards Computational Models of Emo-tion for Improving the Believability of Video Game Non-Player Characters” - “GLaDOS: Integrating Emotion-Based Behaviours into Non-Player Characters in Computer Role-Playing Games” -
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052: Equity in Games Research and Design with Dr. Gerald Voorhees
Games Institute Podcast
This week co-hosts Toben (English Language and Literature) and Sid (Environment) interview faculty member Dr. Gerald Voorhees (Communication Arts), about his past, present, and future research on race, decolonization, whiteness, and masculinity in games. Voorhees reminisces on past research about masculinity and “Dadification” in games, and discusses his research in eSports examining the performance of gender, whiteness, and masculinity. He also talks about joining the GI and First Person Scholar over a decade ago and leading the ADE speaker series that was held at the GI last year. ...
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051: Mechanically Achievable Gameplay with Sasha Soraine
Games Institute Podcast
Co-hosts Toben Racicot (English Language and Literature) and Sid Heeg (Environment) interview Computing and Software PhD candidate Sasha Soraine (McMaster University) about her experiences with games and games research. Sasha is part of the interdisciplinary Gaming Scalability Environment (G-ScalE) Lab at McMaster. Fun fact, G-ScalE was a part of the IMMERSe network that helped establish the GI! For our 51st episode, Sasha goes in-depth about the concept of "mechanically achievable gameplay" and how it could help the game industry. This concept systemically evaluates if the target demographic...
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050: Knowledge Translation and Mobilization in Game Studies and Beyond with Dr. Emma Vossen
Games Institute Podcast
For our 50th episode, Toben (English Language and Literature) and Sid (Environment) interview OG GI member Dr. Emma Vossen about her academic life with games before becoming the GI’s Research Communication Officer. She discusses how she got into games as a kid, her time as EIC of First Person Scholar, and how much game studies has changed since she started her PhD in 2012. Links
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049: A Year In Gaming - 2023 Edition
Games Institute Podcast
This month, hosts Sid Heeg and Toben Racicot are joined by Pamela Maria Schmidt and AC Atienza as they discuss the games they've played in 2023 and are looking forward to in 2024. Catch the latest details about their experiences with Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3, and some exciting indie games. All this and more on this special edition of the GI podcast! Stay in touch with the Games Institute! LinkedIn: X: Instagram:
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048: Adapting Player Experience with Joe Tu
Games Institute Podcast
This week we are joined by Joe Tu, who is a PhD student and GI member pursing a degree in Systems Design Engineering. Follow along as we discuss Joe's experiences with gaming, his educational journey at The University of Waterloo, and his experiences/work at the GI. Further, we dive into the insights of Joe's recent project on incorporating heartrate monitors into gaming, and his goals for potential future projects. In addition, we reminisce about Joe's experiences at CHI Play (Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction), and gaming in his free time. Email: Or find Joe's desk at the GI (It has a...
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047: Theatre and Narrative Games with Shawn Desouza-Coelho
Games Institute Podcast
This month we are joined by Shawn Desouza-Coelho, who is GI alumni, U-Waterloo Graduate with a Masters in English - Experimental and Digital Media, avid gamer and theatrical performer. Follow along as Shawn discusses topics around the amazing impacts of gaming in games like Final Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, Baldurs Gate, and plenty more. Shawn also explores his experience’s in the early days of The Game Institute, the projects he worked at the GI and how they relate to digital games and modern cinema. In addition, Shawn discusses his love of theater and his current research...
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046: Home-Away-Home with Dr. Derritt Mason
Games Institute Podcast
This month we are joined by Dr. Derritt Mason, who is a associate professor in English at the University of Calgary. Follow along as Dr. Mason discucsses topics surrounding their love of video games, queer representation in games, and coming of age stories in gaming. Dr. Mason additonal dives into how adolescent roles are displayed in horror games, the unique aspects of "bildungsroman" in gaming, and his book “Queer Anxieties of Young Adult Literature and Culture”. Email: Website: Book: Queer Anxieties of Young Adult Literature and Culture University...
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045: Lord of the Rings and Adaptation with Dr. Neil Randall
Games Institute Podcast
Dr. Neil Randall is not only the Executive Director of the Games Institute Research Facility at the University of Waterloo, but also an avid guide and participant in the fellowship of the Lord of the Rings universe. Here, he discusses interesting particulars in how the Lord of the Rings franchise has reconfigured itself through decades of adapatations. Alongside the scope of adaptation, our three experts touch on the importance of medium in adaptation, the specific cultures affiliated with adapatations, and issues surrounding the importance of source text. More information: ...
info_outlineAC Atienza joins Toben and Sid to discuss their pathway to becoming a board game designer and consultant, as well as their experiences in those roles. Learn about the board game industry, design philosophies, and the importance of hands-off playtesting.
Other topics covered include:
Why are there fewer resources for learning board game design as opposed to video game design?
How does one get a job in the board game industry?
What are the secrets to success with a board game Kickstarter?
What is the difference between input and output randomness in design?
Why are some games more fun to design than play?
How do you identify systemic problems while playtesting?
And what is Gen Con, the largest tabletop game convention in North America, really like?
SHOWNOTES:
Learn more about Wiggles 3D here: https://wiggles3d.com/
Check out Captain's Gambit: Kings of Infinite Space: https://www.cloudfallstudios.com/captainsgambit
About GenCon: https://www.gencon.com/aboutus
Who is Tom Vasel? https://www.dicetower.com/team-members/tom-vasel
Stardew Valley Board Game: https://shop.stardewvalley.net/products/stardew-valley-the-board-game
Azul: https://www.boardgamehalv.com/azul/
Cats: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/257814/cats
Contacts:
AC is reachable at: https://www.cloudfallstudios.com/
AC Atienza's Twitter: https://twitter.com/acatienz
You can learn more about the Games Institute at https://uwaterloo.ca/games-institute/