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< Back Dr Piers Williams University of Essex iGGi Alum Partial Observability as a game mechanic There is a wide variety of different types of games, each providing its own unique challenge to artificial intelligence. Not all games provide full access to the environment, creating interest and difficulty by hiding particular pieces of information from the player. Other types of game expect teamwork from the players rather than being solely adversarial. Some games use both restrictions, and it is this type of game that this thesis concentrates on. Piers graduated from the University of Essex with an MSc in Computer Science. His interests lie in the field of Artificial Intelligence and in particular Multi-Agent Systems. Please note: Updating of profile text in progress Email Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Featured Publication(s): Hexboard: A generic game framework for turn-based strategy games Evaluating and Modelling Hanabi-Playing Agents Monte carlo tree search applied to co-operative problems The 2018 hanabi competition Artificial intelligence in co-operative games with partial observability Ms. Pac-Man Versus Ghost Team CIG 2016 Competition Cooperative games with partial observability Themes Game AI - Previous Next

< Back Dr David Zendle University of York Supervisor David Zendle is an active researcher into the effects of both video games and gambling, and is the author of several key references on the topic of video game monetisation. His most well-known publications deal with the potential effects of loot boxes. His recent work focuses on understanding the diversity of ways that video game play impacts wellbeing, and involves the analysis of large-scale datasets of player behaviour and spending. David is an academic affiliate of the Behavioural Insights Team and holds a research position within the NHS. He is particularly interested in building evidence-based policy in the domain of video game regulation, and has provided oral testimony on video game effects to a variety of government investigations across the globe. David is particularly interested in supervising students with an industry, economics, legal, or behavioural sciences background. He is interested in work on the following topics: The long-term effects of video game play (both positive and negative) Video game monetisation Video game regulation and policy Dark video game design Research themes: Game Analytics Game effects Game policy Email david.zendle@york.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Themes Game Data Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Rob Homewood Goldsmiths iGGi Alum Personalised Aesthetics for Games The worldwide games industry is a huge market and as the spectrum of people who spend time playing games increases, there is more and more competition to create games that capture the attentions of a wide audience. Whilst games have been traditionally designed with specific cultural demographics in mind, a game that could dynamically match the cultural values of a range of demographics would maximize its potential market. Robert’s research looks at developing techniques for procedurally generating dynamic game assets that can be viewed as being relevant at a ‘per player’ level. He aims to do this by actively profiling a player’s social networks and building up a picture of the cultural references with which they identify. This knowledge could then be used to create game assets that match an aesthetic the player would likely feel comfortable with, allowing a more flexible decoupling between game mechanics and aesthetic during the design process. Designers could then focus on creating interesting game mechanics that could work in a variety of settings and the system would fill in the aesthetic detail based on the requirements of the individual player at run-time. Having studied in five countries, Robert is currently undertaking a PhD at Goldsmiths, University of London where he is part of the EPSRC funded IGGI (Intelligent Games and Games Intelligence) program. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Game Design and Production Management from the University of Abertay Dundee which included a year of studies at the George Mason University Computer Game Design Program. He also spent a year studying Serious Games at Masters level at the University of Skövde in Sweden (which has the longest running Serious Games program in the world). Robert has an active interest in the media arts field and has exhibited his work in three countries. Please note: Updating of profile text in progress Email Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Themes Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Dr Matthew Whitby University of York iGGi Alum Matthew Whitby is a games designer, and player experience academic investigating how games can shape how perspectives on a small or grand scale. In particular, his work considers how we can make the development of perspective challenging processes easier for game developers. Previously, Matthew has published his undergraduate dissertation within the Games Journal, which explored the creation and design of Games Installations. Games that make full use of their surrounding space, and in fact incorporate the real world with its digital counterpart. In addition, he’s worked with Motek Medical, a rehabilitation company based in Amsterdam, where he developed socially focused multiplayer applications. More recently, he attended CHI Play 2019 to present the foundational study of his PhD titled: “One of the Baddies All Along: Perspective Challenging Moments in Games”. He continues to develop this idea forward, while developing games (both digital and table-top) in his spare time. Matthew’s work hopes to answer; how games can challenge a player’s perspective, and if this is a phenomenon that can be intentionally designed for? Email matt_whitby@hotmail.com Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Supervisor(s): Prof. Sebastian Deterding Dr Jo Iacovides Themes Design & Development Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Oliver Roughton University of York iGGi Administrator iGGi Admin Based in York alongside Tracy and Helen I act as a Point of contact for iGGi PGRs and provide administrative support in the implementation of iGGi procedures. iGGi PGRs are most likely to hear from me in relation to conference/kit funding and travel bookings for the taught modules and other iGGi events. As well as my admin work I am a part-time PhD student (not with iGGi) and spend much of my free time knitting. Email oliver.roughton@york.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Themes Previous Next

< Back David Hull University of York iGGi Manager iGGi Admin I have worked at the University of York since October 1995, almost all of it in the Department of Computer Science. My various roles have included Laboratory and Facilities Manager, Technical Manager and, most recently, Project Manager. Outside work, I have been a change-ringer for almost 50 years, and am currently a member of the band that rings the bells weekly at York Minster. I am also an accredited teacher of bellringing. I do parkrun most weeks, alongside the occasional 10k and half marathon, like to watch cricket, and play the clarinet and piano. Email iggi-admin@york.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Themes - Previous Next

iGGi Admin Team (All) iGGi is a collaboration between Uni of York + Queen Mary Uni of London: the largest training programme worldwide for doing a PhD in digital games. The iGGi Admin Team Meet the iGGi Admin Team! The iGGi Admin Team consists of the two iGGi Managers (one per each active site), three iGGi Administrators, and one Administrative Assistant. Filter by Location iGGi Staff / Externals Filter by Role Title - All Staff - David Hull iGGi Manager University of York Manager of iGGi at UoY; local & global iGGi PGR admin; PGR recruitment; PGR Pastoral care; iGGi-global finances; iGGi community; events & training; EPSRC reporting Read More Shopna Begum iGGi Administrator Queen Mary University of London Administrator for iGGi at QMUL; general admin; PGR travel/room bookings; research expenses + purchases; progression monitoring; newsletter; local PGR support; events support Read More Susanne Binder iGGi Manager Queen Mary University of London Manager of iGGi at QMUL; local iGGi PGR admin; Industry liaison; PGR Pastoral care; iGGi-local finances; PR and website/social media, events & training; Supervisor community Read More Oliver Roughton iGGi Administrator University of York Administrator for iGGi at UoY; general admin; PGR + staff travel/room bookings; research expenses + purchases; PGR support Read More Helen Tilbrook iGGi Administrator University of York Administrator for iGGi at UoY; general admin; PGR + staff travel/room bookings; research expenses + purchases; PGR recruitment admin; progression monitoring; alumni; PGR support Read More Nicole Levermore iGGi Assistant - Alumni Liaison University of York Administrative Assistant for iGGi; Alumni Network curation + support; parental leave cover; iGGi case studies; SM support Read More

Alumni (All) iGGi is a collaboration between Uni of York + Queen Mary Uni of London: the largest training programme worldwide for doing a PhD in digital games. iGGi Alumni Our growing community of iGGi Alumni are out there in the games industry, or in research (or, often, both), making the world a better place. We are proud to have as Alumni: Filter by iGGi Theme Accessibility Applied Games Creative Computing Design & Development Esports Game AI Game Audio Game Data Immersive Technology Player Research Filter by former Location Filter by Start Year Michael Aichmüller iGGi Alum Game AI, Applied Games Read More Dr Martin Balla iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Matt Bedder iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Sebastian Berns iGGi Alum Creative Computing Read More Dr Terence Broad iGGi Alum Creative Computing, Design & Development Read More Dr Michelangelo Conserva iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Igor Dall'Avanzi iGGi Alum Player Research, Game Audio Read More Dr Cristina Dobre iGGi Alum Game AI, Immersive Technology Read More Alex Fletcher iGGi Alum Player Research, Applied Games, Game Audio Read More Dr Raluca Gaina iGGi Alum + Supervisor Game AI Read More Dr Carlos Gonzalez Diaz iGGi Alum Immersive Technology, Game AI, Design & Development, Creative Computing Read More Dr Cristina Guerrero-Romero iGGi Alum Design & Development, Game AI Read More Dr Daniel Hernandez iGGi Alum Game AI, Player Research Read More Yu-Jhen Hsu iGGi Alum Game AI, Game Data Read More Andrei Iacob iGGi Alum Player Research Read More Evgenii Kashin iGGi Alum Creative Computing Read More Dr Jozef Kulik iGGi Alum Accessibility, Player Research Read More Dr Chris Madge iGGi Alum Player Research Read More Guilherme Matos de Faria iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Cristiana Pacheco iGGi Alum Creative Computing Read More Dr Nuria Peña Pérez iGGi Alum Applied Games Read More Dr Michael Saiger iGGi Alum Applied Games, Design & Development, Player Research Read More Dr Henrik Siljebråt iGGi Alum Read More Stefan Stoican iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Ozan Vardal iGGi Alum Design & Development, Game Data, Esports Read More Dr Joseph Walton-Rivers iGGi Alum Player Research Read More Dr Kyle Worrall iGGi Alum Available for post-PhD position Game Audio, Creative Computing Read More Dr Memo Akten iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Nick Ballou iGGi Alum Player Research, Game Data Read More Dr Jen Beeston iGGi Alum + Supervisor Accessibility Read More Dr Valerio Bonometti iGGi Alum Player Research Read More Dr Tom Cole iGGi Alum + Supervisor Game AI, Design & Development Read More Dr Maximilian Croissant iGGi Alum Player Research, Design & Development Read More Callum Deery iGGi Alum Design & Development, Player Research, Accessibility Read More Dr Timea Farkas iGGi Alum Player Research, Creative Computing, Immersive Technology Read More Dr Charline Foch iGGi Alum Player Research, Design & Development Read More Janet Gibbs iGGi Alum Read More Dr James Goodman iGGi Alum Game AI, Design & Development Read More Dr David Gundry iGGi Alum Applied Games Read More Dr Phoebe Hesketh iGGi Alum Player Research, Esports Read More Sam Hughes iGGi Alum Player Research Read More Dr Yizhao Jin iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Adam Katona iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Shringi Kumari iGGi Alum Player Research Read More Emily Marriott iGGi Alum Player Research Read More Dr Mihail Morosan iGGi Alum Game AI, Design & Development, Player Research Read More Dr Alan Pedrassoli Chitayat iGGi Alum Available for post-PhD position Design & Development, Game Data, Esports Read More Dr Dino Ratcliffe iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Oliver Scholten iGGi Alum Game Data Read More Dr Florence Smith Nicholls iGGi Alum Game AI, Creative Computing, Design & Development, Game Data Read More Dr Evelyn Tan iGGi Alum Player Research, Esports Read More Lizzie Vialls iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Matthew Whitby iGGi Alum Player Research, Design & Development Read More Peter York iGGi Alum Game AI, Esports Read More Dr Myat Aung iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Adrián Barahona-Ríos iGGi Alum Creative Computing, Game Audio Read More Dr Daniel Berio iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Ivan Bravi iGGi Alum Game AI, Player Research Read More Dr Tara Collingwoode-Williams iGGi Alum Player Research, Applied Games Read More Dr Joe Cutting iGGi Alum + Supervisor Player Research, Applied Games, Design & Development Read More Dr Kevin Denamganaï iGGi Alum Available for post-PhD position Game AI Read More Luke Farrar iGGi Alum Immersive Technology Read More Dr Madeleine Frister iGGi Alum Design & Development, Player Research Read More Dr Daniel Gomme iGGi Alum Game AI, Player Research, Design & Development Read More Dr Christian Guckelsberger iGGi Alum + Supervisor Game AI Read More Dr Thryn Henderson iGGi Alum Design & Development Read More Rob Homewood iGGi Alum Player Research Read More Dr Nathan Hughes iGGi Alum Player Research Read More Dr Nathan John iGGi Alum Game AI, Design & Development Read More Dr Athanasios Vasileios Kokkinakis iGGi Alum Game AI, Player Research, Esports Read More Dr Laura Helsby iGGi Alum Player Research, Applied Games Read More Andrew Martin iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Sokol Murturi iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Elena Gordon-Petrovskaya iGGi Alum Player Research Read More Dr Charles Ringer iGGi Alum Game AI, Game Data, Esports Read More Lisa Sha Li iGGi Alum Player Research Read More Dr Ryan Spick iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Marko Tot iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Rokas Volkovas iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Dr Piers Williams iGGi Alum Game AI Read More Pilar Zhang Qiu iGGi Alum Applied Games Read More

< Back Dr Daniel Berio Goldsmiths iGGi Alum AutoGraff: A Procedural Model of Graffiti Form. (Industry placement at Media Molecule) The purpose of this study is to investigate techniques for the procedural and interactive generation of synthetic instances of graffiti art. Considering graffiti as a special case of the calligraphic tradition, I propose a "movement centric" alternative to traditional curve generation techniques, in which a curve is defined through a physiologically plausible simulation of a (human) movement underlying its production rather than by an explicit definition of its geometry. In my thesis, I consider both single traces left by a brush (in a series of strokes) and the extension to 2D shapes (representing deformed letters in a large variety of artistic styles). I demonstrate how this approach is useful in a number of settings including computer aided design (CAD), procedural content generation for virtual environments in games and movies, computer animation as well as for the smooth control of robotic drawing devices. Daniel Berio is a researcher and artist from Florence, Italy. Since a young age Daniel was actively involved in the international graffiti art scene. In parallel he developed a professional career initially as a graphic designer and later as a graphics programmer in video games, multimedia and audio-visual software. In 2013 he obtained a Master degree from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (Netherlands), where he developed drawing machines and installations materializing graffiti-inspired procedural forms. Today Daniel is continuing his research in the procedural generation of graffiti within the IGGI (Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence) PhD program at Goldsmiths, University of London. Please note: Updating of profile text in progress Email Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Featured Publication(s): Optimality Principles in the Procedural Generation of Graffiti Style SURFACE: Xbox Controlled Hot-wire Foam Cutter The role of image characteristics and embodiment in the evaluation of graffiti Emergence in the Expressive Machine The CyberAnthill: A Computational Sculpture Sketch-Based Modeling of Parametric Shapes Artistic Sketching for Expressive Coding Calligraphic stylisation learning with a physiologically plausible model of movement and recurrent neural networks Sequence generation with a physiologically plausible model of handwriting and Recurrent Mixture Density Networks AutoGraff: Towards a computational understanding of graffiti writing and related art forms Kinematics reconstruction of static calligraphic traces from curvilinear shape features Interactive generation of calligraphic trajectories from Gaussian mixtures Sketching and Layering Graffiti Primitives. Kinematic Reconstruction of Calligraphic Traces from Shape Features Expressive curve editing with the sigma lognormal model Dynamic graffiti stylisation with stochastic optimal control Computer aided design of handwriting trajectories with the kinematic theory of rapid human movements Generating calligraphic trajectories with model predictive control Learning dynamic graffiti strokes with a compliant robot Computational models for the analysis and synthesis of graffiti tag strokes Towards human-robot gesture recognition using point-based medialness Transhuman Expression Human-Machine Interaction as a Neutral Base for a New Artistic and Creative Practice Themes Game AI - Previous Next

< Back Matt Bedder University of York iGGi Alum Abstraction-Based Monte Carlo Tree Search. (Industry placement at PROWLER.io) Monte Carlo Tree Search is a popular artificial intelligence technique amongst researchers due to the remarkable strength by which it can play many games. This technique was prominently used as the basis for AlphaGo, the AI by Google DeepMind that became the first of its kind to beat professional human players at the game Go. But despite lots of interest from academics into Monte Carlo Tree Search, the technique has seen little use in the games industry - due in part to how it is not fully understood, and due to how complex it is to implement into large games. Matthew’s research is looking into how game abstractions can be used to help implement and optimise Monte Carlo Tree Search into existing commercial video games. Semi-automated methods for domain abstraction are being investigated, with the aim of making it fast and easy for game developers to be able to implement Monte Carlo Tree Search into their products, and to exploit the wealth of academic research into this technique. Matthew is currently studying towards his PhD at the University of York, having previously graduated for the Department of Computer Science with a MEng in Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence. Before starting his PhD, Matthew spent a year at BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre working on contracts with the European Space Agency, and has performed research into vertebrae models of Parkinson's disease with York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis. Please note: Updating of profile text in progress Email Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Featured Publication(s): Characterization and classification of adherent cells in monolayer culture using automated tracking and evolutionary algorithms Computational approaches for understanding the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease Automated motion analysis of adherent cells in monolayer culture Themes Game AI - Previous Next

< Back Dr Charline Foch University of York iGGi Alum Charline first came to the UK in 2011 to study English and Film Studies at King’s College London, before going on to a MSc in Film, Exhibition and Curation at the University of Edinburgh. By chance, accident or fate, she stumbled into the games industry, working in an independent game studio in Berlin, where she touched upon customer support, community management, content writing and QA for a new MMORPG. This experience gave her the push to start a PhD in video games. In her spare time, she is an avid film viewer, volleyball player, and amateur artist. Charline’s research focuses on how people conceptualise failure, with an emphasis on its perceived positive, desirable effects on player experience. Throughout her PhD, she has conducted research among video games players to gain a better understanding of what they perceive as the purpose and value of failure in the games they play; and conducted research among video games developers to gain a better understanding of what processes, obstacles, and ideas go into the design and implementation of failure in their games. With a focus on single-player, more narrative-driven games, she has used this research to design a cards-based design toolkit to support game designers in approaching the question of fail states and player experience in the early stages of the game development process, helping them reflect on the intersection between failure, game mechanics, storytelling, and player experience when working on their games. Aside from her PhD, Charline has also worked with the Digital Creativity Labs on the PlayOn! project, a European project gathering 9 theatres across Europe working on immersive technologies (VR, AR, apps for audience participation...) and theatre productions. During her time at PlayOn!, she has worked on the connections between the games industry and the performance arts, investigating how technology, game design principles, and theatre can work together, and what barriers practitioners face when attempting to reconcile all sides in a single production through experimentation and collaboration. Email charline.foch@york.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Supervisor: Dr Ben Kirman Featured Publication(s): “The game doesn't judge you”: game designers’ perspectives on implementing failure in video games “Slow down and look”: Desirable aspects of failure in video games, from the perspective of players. Themes Design & Development Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Helen Tilbrook University of York iGGi Administrator iGGi Admin iGGi Administrator at York Email helen.tilbrook@york.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Themes - Previous Next