Search Results

< Back Dr Josh Reiss Queen Mary University of London Supervisor Josh Reiss investigates transformative technologies focused around audio production and sound design. He has published more than 200 scientific papers (including over 50 in premier journals and 5 best paper awards), and co-authored two books. His research has been featured in dozens of original articles and interviews on TV, radio and in the press. He is a Fellow and former Governor of the Audio Engineering Society. He co-founded the highly successful spin-out company, LandR, and recently formed a second start-up, FXive. He maintains a popular blog, YouTube channel and twitter feed for scientific education and dissemination of research activities. Prof. Reiss has a strong interest in games research, especially procedural audio content generation. Procedural content generation supports creation of rich and varied games, maps, levels, characters and narrative elements. But sound design has not kept pace with such innovation. Often the visual aspects of every object in the scene may be procedurally rendered, yet sound designers still rely on huge libraries of pre-recorded samples. This approach is inflexible, limited and uncreative. An alternative is procedural audio, where sounds are created in real-time using software algorithms. But many procedural audio techniques are low quality, computational, or tailored only to a narrow class of sounds. Machine learning from the sample libraries, to select, optimise and improve the procedural models, could be the key to transforming the industry and creating procedural auditory worlds. He welcomes the opportunity to supervise students interested in this or related topics. Research themes: Procedural Content Generation Game Audio and Music Game AI Game Design Computational Creativity Player Experience joshua.reiss@qmul.ac.uk Email Mastodon https://www.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/~josh/index.htm Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/reissjoshua/ LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes Creative Computing Game AI Game Audio - Previous Next

< Back Dr Terence Broad Goldsmiths iGGi Alum Terence Broad is an artist and researcher working on developing new techniques and interfaces for the manipulation of generative models. His PhD focusses on how pre-trained generative neural networks can be repurposed and reconfigured for authoring novel multimedia content. He is completing his PhD at Goldsmiths, University of London and is also a visiting researcher at the UAL Creative Computing Institute. His research has been published in international conferences, workshops and journals such as SIGGRAPH, NeurIPS, Leonardo and xCoAx. He was acknowledged as an outstanding peer-reviewer by the journal Leonardo. Terence is a practicing artist and often uses the techniques he has developed in his research in the creation of his artworks. His art has been exhibited and screened internationally at venues such as The Whitney Museum of American Art, Ars Electronica, The Barbican and The Whitechapel Gallery. He won the Grand Prize in the ICCV 2019 Computer Vision Art Gallery. t.broad@gold.ac.uk Email Mastodon https://terencebroad.com Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/terence-broad-81350668/ LinkedIn BlueSky https://github.com/terrybroad Github Featured Publication(s): XAIxArts Manifesto: Explainable AI for the Arts Using Generative AI as an Artistic Material: A Hacker's Guide Is computational creativity flourishing on the dead internet? Interactive Machine Learning for Generative Models Envisioning Distant Worlds: Fine-Tuning a Latent Diffusion Model with NASA's Exoplanet Data Active Divergence with Generative Deep Learning--A Survey and Taxonomy Automating Generative Deep Learning for Artistic Purposes: Challenges and Opportunities Network Bending: Expressive Manipulation of Generative Models in Multiple Domains Active Divergence with Generative Deep Learning--A Survey and Taxonomy Network Bending: Expressive Manipulation of Deep Generative Models Amplifying The Uncanny Transforming the output of GANs by fine-tuning them with features from different datasets Searching for an (un) stable equilibrium: experiments in training generative models without data Autoencoding Blade Runner: Reconstructing Films with Artificial Neural Networks Light field completion using focal stack propagation Autoencoding video frames IoT and Machine Learning for Next Generation Traffic Systems Themes Creative Computing Design & Development - Previous Next

< Back Nicole Levermore University of York iGGi PG Researcher Available for placement Nicole's academic background is within Neuroscience, having achieved BSc Neuroscience and Psychology, MSc Translational Neuroscience and an MPhil in Auditory Neuroscience. Outside of her research interests, she enjoys playing video games, hiking and playing the cello. A description of Nicole's research: Video games have enormous potential for research on cognition and mental health. In my project, I will use video games to perform basic research into a common psychiatric disorder (ADHD), paving the way for improved diagnosis, monitoring and therapy. ADHD is typically diagnosed in childhood and is characterised by failures of attentional state maintenance. This project involves using cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques to investigate how subjects with and without ADHD switch between attentional states (for example, ‘engagement’ and ‘flow’) while playing a cognitively engaging video game. The ultimate goal is to use video games to understand how mental health impacts people’s ability to focus on cognitively demanding tasks and, potentially, to develop therapeutic intervention. iggi-admin@york.ac.uk Email Mastodon Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-levermore-b14245283 LinkedIn BlueSky Github Supervisor: Prof. Alex Wade Themes Accessibility Design & Development Immersive Technology Player Research Previous Next

< Back Dr Debbie Maxwell University of York iGGi Research Collaboration Coordinator Supervisor Debbie is a lecturer in User Experience Design and Interactive Media at the Department of Theatre, Film and Television. Her background spans computing, HCI and Design and she currently teaches user experience (UX) design and design methods and critical design on the BSc Interactive Media programme. Her research focuses on the roles of traditional storytelling and engagement in digital contexts. I’m interested in the ways that people interact with and reshape technology through stories, as both method and artefacts, and across media. She is particularly focuses on applying design and stories across health and wellbeing and environmental design drawing on speculative design processes and approaches. Debbie uses interdisciplinary approaches that draw on a range of fields including Human Computer Interaction (HCI), ethnography, interaction design, social anthropology, and service design. Her research always involves working with communities using participatory methods. She is particularly interested in supervising students with a design or HCI background on the following topics: design of applied games for environmental education or knowledge exchange design and application of serious games to mental health and wellbeing contexts design and application of serious games to outdoor spaces, particularly cultural heritage settings Research themes: Games with a Purpose User experience design Design methods and ethnography Speculative design debbie.maxwell@york.ac.uk Email Mastodon Other links Website LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes Applied Games Design & Development Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Dr Tara Collingwoode-Williams Goldsmiths iGGi Alum Tara is an IGGI PhD student from Goldsmiths University taking her Mphil/PhD in Intelligent Games/Game intelligence with a focus on Avatar Embodiment and Interaction within Virtual Reality. Before this she graduated with a Bsc in Creative Computing. Over the years, her interdisciplinary profile has enabled her to work as a Technical Support and Researcher with many organisations in relation to her research, such as UCL, Great Ormond Street Hospital, George Mason Serious Games Institute in the United States where she also co-lectured a XR Games Module and, more recently as an Associate Lecturer in Goldsmiths University teaching Unity based XR experience development. Currently, she is contracting for USTech as an Assistant UX researcher at Facebook whilst completing her PhD program. With this rise in demand for Head Mounted Displays (HMDs), so is the need to create Embodied Shared Virtual Environments (ESVE) where users may experience authentic social interactions. Tara’s research presents an exploratory examination of Embodiment - meaning the subjective feeling of owning a virtual representation in VR, and specifically Consistency in Embodiment - relating to how we prioritize and syncronise objective attributes of embodiment (i.e avatar representation) in order to create ESVEs which supports more intuitive social interaction. The goal is to understand how different technical setups could have a psychological impact on participants' experiences in ESVE. This research hopes to inform development of successful social interaction in a variety of applications in VR, ranging from training to gaming. Tara presently holds a position as Lekturer in VR at Goldsmiths, Universtiy of London. tc.williams@gold.ac.uk Email Mastodon Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-collingwoode-williams-81141776/ LinkedIn BlueSky Github Featured Publication(s): Delivering Bad News: VR Embodiment of Self Evaluation in Medical Communication Training The impact of self-representation and consistency in collaborative virtual environments G487 (P) Is clinician gaze and body language associated with their ability to identify safeguarding cues? Evaluating virtual reality experiences through participant choices A discussion of the use of virtual reality for training healthcare practitioners to recognize child protection issues A study of professional awareness using immersive virtual reality: the responses of general practitioners to child safeguarding concerns The effect of lip and arm synchronization on embodiment: a pilot study Themes Applied Games Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Dr Alan Pedrassoli Chitayat University of York iGGi Alum Available for post-PhD position Alan is a researcher that focuses on audience experience within esport broadcast. His Machine Learning background allows him to extract complex patterns from game and game related data in order to derive meaningful insights that can be utilised in broadcast. Having worked in the esport industry, both as a software engineer as well as researcher, Alan has experience with both technical and research problems. His research aims to explore the factors that improve the audience experience within esports. This is catered to esport broadcast of all levels, from highly produced professional tournaments to regular streams by content creators and it could be in the form of: Measuring and representing different forms of audience engagement. Exploring the different ways to visualise and utilise Machine Learning to enhance and integrate existing broadcast pipelines. Investigating how community-led narratives can be generated through data. alan.pchitayat@york.ac.uk Email https://linktr.ee/alanpchitayat Mastodon https://alanpchitayat.com/ Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-pchitayat/ LinkedIn BlueSky Github Supervisors: Dr James Walker Prof. Anders Drachen Featured Publication(s): How Could They Win? An Exploration of Win Condition for Esports Narratives Applying and Visualising Complex Models in Esport Broadcast Coverage From Passive Viewer to Active Fan: Towards the Design and Large-Scale Evaluation of Interactive Audience Experiences in Esports and Beyond Beyond the Meta: Leveraging Game Design Parameters for Patch-Agnostic Esport Analitics Data-Driven Audience Experiences in Esports Metagaming and metagames in Esports What are you looking at? Team fight prediction through player camera Echo Suite of Software (Showcase Brochure) Automatic Generation of Text for Match Recaps using Esport Caster Commentaries WARDS: Modelling the Worth of Vision in MOBA's DAX: Data-Driven Audience Experiences in Esports Themes Design & Development Esports Game Data - Previous Next

< Back Sam Hughes University of York iGGi Alum Affect and Emotion using Immersive Sound in Intelligent Games. (On Industrial Placement with Remedy Entertainment) Recent advances in high definition video displays and 3-D headsets, coupled with motion tracking and biosensor technologies, have enabled video games to reach unprecedented levels of visual immersion and interaction. There is little research however on how the aural feedback of the player, which can help assess their emotional state, can be used to inform the game intelligence and affect the emotive impact of the game. Furthermore, improvements in domestic surround sound and binaural technology are paving the way for fully enveloping and realistic soundtracks that extend the gameplay beyond the visual and can significantly enhance the emotive experience. This research project therefore addresses how current sensor and tracking technologies can be enhanced through analysis of player aural reactions such that the game intelligence can in turn provoke a conditional response via the reproduced soundtrack. In other words, how can the emotional impact of a spatial soundtrack during gameplay be enhanced by the user aural response alongside other physiological detections such as heartbeat and movement? Sam is a sound designer and voice actor who founded the audio journalism site, The Sound Architect™. Sam was selected as one of the first to ever receive the Prince William Scholarship from both BAFTA & Warner Bros. to study MSc Post Production with Sound Design at The University of York where he graduated with a Distinction and a Departmental Award for achieving the Highest Overall Average Grade. Sam has been highly active in the community for years including writing for BAFTA Guru, sitting on the BAFTA Youth Board, running Game Audio North and being an active member of BAFTA Crew Games. Most recently Sam has worked regularly with game audio company Sweet Justice on a variety of titles that include mobile and AAA. Sam’s recent credits include Injustice 2 and Madden NFL 2017. Please note: Updating of profile text in progress Email Mastodon Other links Website https://uk.linkedin.com/in/thesoundarchitect LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Sahar Mirhadi University of York iGGi PG Researcher Available for post-PhD position Sahar Mirhadi is a final-year PhD researcher investigating how video games support during challenging times. Her contributions have been published in the Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, and she has presented at Devcom on transforming the complexity of turn-based games into a strategic advantage. She is also a passionate Magic: The Gathering player, collaborating with competitive Magic team Worldly Counsel to convert tournament insights into a deeper understanding of player motivations and team dynamics. Sahar is also a Safe In Our World Ambassador, a recipient of the Magic: The Gathering New Perspectives Grant for Marginalised Players, and a member of the Birds of Paradise collective. A description of Sahar's research: Sahar's PhD research project investigates the specific aspects of games that facilitate coping for players during difficult life experiences. Building on earlier work that mapped broad links between game aspects and coping strategies, Sahar’s first study showed that games can support a variety of coping strategies, including emotion-focused, avoidance, and meaning-focused coping. However, questions remained about how these effects occur across different gaming contexts. To address this, her second study employed in-depth interviews and a grounded theory approach with players of Disco Elysium, Darkest Dungeon and Stardew Valley. The findings led to the development of the Games as Dynamic Coping Systems theory, which posits that specific aspects of video games scaffold a diverse range of coping strategies for players facing personal difficulties. The model highlights the dynamic interplay between what the player brings (e.g., prior experiences, needs, skills) and what the game provides (such as Narrative, Game Environment and Character Interactions). Through this interaction, players develop coping strategies, and the outcomes from coping feed back into their ongoing gaming and life experiences. While the grounded theory offered a deeper understanding of how specific game aspects support various coping strategies, it also revealed a gap: the temporal dynamics of coping. Sahar’s ongoing work aims to explore how players transition between coping strategies over time and what factors shape these transitions. Her overall aim is to provide a deeper understanding of specific aspects within games that support coping, shedding light on the potential benefits and limitations of video games during times of difficulty. sm2904@york.ac.uk Email https://linktr.ee/saharmirhadi Mastodon Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/saharmirhadi/ LinkedIn https://bsky.app/profile/saharmirhadi.bsky.social BlueSky Github Supervisors: Dr Alena Denisova Dr Jo Iacovides Themes Player Research Previous Next

< Back Dr Anne Hsu Queen Mary University of London Supervisor Anne Hsu’s research includes machine learning, artificial agents, natural language processing and learning, human decision making, interaction design, and well-being technology. Her interests include developing interactive systems that use machine learning and understanding of human psychology to improve human behaviour. She is particularly interested in supervising students with a machine learning, design, HCI, or behavioural sciences background on the following topics: understanding and designing for curiosity in games design for behaviour change motivational/educational games Research themes: Game AI Game Design Games with a Purpose Player Experience Gamification anne.hsu@qmul.ac.uk Email Mastodon Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-showen-hsu LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes Applied Games Design & Development Esports Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Prof. Peter Cowling Queen Mary University of London iGGi Director Supervisor Peter Cowling has led teams that have won £45 million for research into games and digital creativity. After decades of experience in novel models and algorithms for AI decision-making, his research is now targeted on finding and promoting promising research directions in AI, games and digital creative technology, to benefit people and wider society. Playful ideas, curiosity and games have a central role! As Principal Investigator, he led the teams which won the grants for IGGI (2014 and 2019) and Digital Creativity Labs (2015). He is a member of the Programme Advisory Board which informs strategy in the Digital Economy area of UK research council funding. He has sat on several research council grant funding prioritisation panels, chairing two. He has presented ideas for the use of games as a tool to influence and understand the human condition at a number of venues, including TEDx and 10 Downing Street. He has published over 100 papers, winning 2 best paper awards at AIIDE. His research technology has over 5 million installs in commercial games – he was invited to talk at GDC about that. He would be interested to supervise students whose research uses games as a tool to gather opinion or promote understanding: to identify research directions and harness the future potential of games, creativity and AI to benefit people and society. He is particularly interested in how games and other curious, creative things can help us to understand a world of complex interacting agents, each living a world created by their own thought (!). Research themes: Research visions for games and AI Game design/development to influence, inform and understand people and society Game AI peter.cowling@qmul.ac.uk Email Mastodon https://www.petercowling.com/ Other links Website https://uk.linkedin.com/in/peter-cowling-3590962 LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes Applied Games Design & Development Game AI - Previous Next

< Back Tania Dales University of York iGGi PG Researcher Available for placement Tania is an indie video game designer and developer, working with horror, science fiction and games which are a little strange, bizarre and uncomfortable. They adopt research through design methodology, utilizing game design artistic practices, and game development software in their studies. About Tania's research: "My research is situated within character design, specifically in humanoid characters that elicit complicated and nuanced emotional reactions in players. These emotional reactions are those that creep in, linger, and last beyond the moment of play, rather than instantaneous responses like jump scares. We often experience these reactions when engaging with games that explore themes of body, cosmic and existential horror. My research looks at why these reactions occur, how we design our characters with these reactions in mind, and what is the role of bugs and glitches during existential gameplay experiences." tania.dales@york.ac.uk Email Mastodon Other links Website http://www.linkedin.com/in/tania-dales-268912197 LinkedIn BlueSky Github Supervisor: Dr Ben Kirman Themes Design & Development Game AI Immersive Technology Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Dr Gaetano Dimita Queen Mary University of London Supervisor Gaetano Dimita is a senior lecturer in International Intellectual Property Law working on Games and Interactive Entertainment Law, Regulations, Transactions and esports law. He is the Director of the Institute for Interactive Entertainment Law and Policy, the founder and editor-in-chief of the Interactive Entertainment Law Review, Edward Elgar, and the organiser of the ‘More Than Just a Game’ conference series. Gaetano is also the Deputy Director of the Queen Mary Intellectual Property Institute (QMIPRI), The Director of eLearning, CCLS, the Deputy Director of Education, CCLS, and the Director of the LLM in Intellectual Property Law. Outside of Queen Mary, he serves as Executive Committee member of the British Literary and Artistic Copyright Association, the UK national group of the Association Litteraire et Artistique Internationale; as Board Member of the National Video Game Museum; as member of the British Copyright Council - Copyright and Technology Working Group; as member of the UK IPO Copyright Advisory Council, member of the UK Department for International Trade’s Intellectual Property Expert Trade Advisory Group (IP ETGA). He is also a member of Italian Bar Association (Rome), the Video Game Bar Association, the Fair Play Alliance, and the Higher Education Video Game Association. He is particularly interested in supervising interdisciplinary research on games and interactive entertainment law and regulation. Research themes: Game AI Games with a Purpose Computational Creativity E-Sports Player Experience g.dimita@qmul.ac.uk Email Mastodon https://www.qmul.ac.uk/law/people/academic-staff/items/dimita.html Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaetano-dimita-06484544/?originalSubdomain=uk LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes Applied Games Creative Computing Esports Game AI Player Research - Previous Next