Software Engineering Perspectives in Computer Game Development


Book Description

Featuring contributions from leading experts in software engineering, this edited book provides a comprehensive introduction to computer game software development. It is a complex, interdisciplinary field that relies on contributions from a wide variety of disciplines including arts and humanities, behavioural sciences, business, engineering, physical sciences, mathematics, etc. The book focuses on the emerging research at the intersection of game and software engineering communities. A brief history of game development is presented, which considers the shift from the development of rare games in isolated research environments in the 1950s to their ubiquitous presence in popular culture today. A summary is provided of the latest peer-reviewed research results in computer game development that have been reported at multiple levels of maturity (workshops, conferences, and journals). The core chapters of the book are devoted to sharing emerging research at the intersection of game development and software engineering. In addition, future research opportunities on new software engineering methods for games and serious educational games for software engineering education are highlighted. As an ideal reference for software engineers, developers, educators, and researchers, this book explores game development topics from software engineering and education perspectives. Key Features: Includes contributions from leading academic experts in the community Presents a current collection of emerging research at the intersection of games and software engineering Considers the interdisciplinary field from two broad perspectives: software engineering methods for game development and serious games for software engineering education Provides a snapshot of the recent literature (i.e., 2015-2020) on game development from software engineering perspectives




Software Engineering for Games in Serious Contexts


Book Description

The book highlights several challenges and opportunities in the field of software engineering for serious games. It covers a wide range of topics from game design principles to software architecture, testing, and deployment and is structured into two parts. While Part I delves into various aspects of designing, maintaining, adapting, and evaluating games in serious contexts; Part II focuses on the experiences of realizing and using games in serious contexts. One of the primary challenges is to develop effective methods for evaluating serious games and measuring their impact and outcomes. Another challenge is to design serious games that are both engaging and effective, which requires a deep understanding of game design principles and instructional design. The book also emphasizes the need to develop effective software engineering practices for serious game development and the importance of gamification in improving user engagement and motivation. The potential of serious games for addressing societal challenges such as cybersecurity and healthcare is also highlighted. Despite these challenges, the book also identifies several opportunities for the field, including the potential of serious games to provide new and innovative approaches to learning and the potential of serious games to address real-world problems in new and effective ways. This book is intended for software engineers, game developers, educators, and anyone interested in how games in serious contexts can be effectively created. Overall, the chapters in the book provide a valuable snapshot of the current state of the field and offer insights into where it may be headed in the future.




Transactions on Computational Science XXXII


Book Description

This, the 32nd issue of the Transactions on Computational Science, focusses on cybersecurity and biometrics. The eight detailed papers cover the following topics: Multimodal Warnings for Distracted Smartphone Users on the Move; EEG-Based Mental Workload and Stress Monitoring of Crew Members in a Maritime Virtual Simulator; Detecting Web Defacement and Enabling Web-Content Regeneration; Software as a Weapon in the Context of (Inter)national Security; Multi-user Architecture and Multi-player Games; An Adaptive Discrete Wavelet Transform Based Face Recognition Approach; Synthesizing Images of Imagined Faces Based on Relevance Feedback; and Neurofeedback Training to Enhance the Focused Attention of Elite Rifle Shooters.




UML-Based Software Product Line Engineering with SMarty


Book Description

This book is about software product lines (SPLs) designed and developed taking UML diagrams as the primary basis, modeled according to a rigorous approach composed of an UML profile and a systematic process for variability management activities, forming the Stereotype-based Management of Variability (SMarty) approach. The book consists of five parts. Part I provides essential concepts on SPL in terms of the first development methodologies. It also introduces variability concepts and discusses SPL architectures finishing with the SMarty approach. Part II is focused on the design, verification and validation of SMarty SPLs, and Part III concentrates on the SPL architecture evolution based on ISO/IEC metrics, the SystEM-PLA method, optimization with the MOA4PLA method, and feature interaction prevention. Next, Part IV presents SMarty as a basis for SPL development, such as, the M-SPLearning SPL for mobile learning applications, the PLeTs SPL for testing tools, the PlugSPL plugin environment for supporting the SPL life cycle, the SyMPLES approach for designing embedded systems with SysML, the SMartySPEM approach for software process lines (SPrL), and re-engineering of class diagrams into an SPL. Eventually, Part V promotes controlled experimentation in UML-based SPLs, presenting essential concepts on how to plan, conduct, and document experiments, as well as showing several experiments carried out with SMarty. This book aims at lecturers, graduate students and experienced practitioners. Lecturers might use the book for graduate level courses about SPL fundamentals and tools; students will learn about the SPL engineering process, variability management, and mass customization; and practitioners will see how to plan the transition from single-product development to an SPL-based process, how to document inherent variability in a given domain, or how to apply controlled experiments to SPLs.




Next-Generation Applications and Implementations of Gamification Systems


Book Description

Gamification is being used everywhere; despite its apparent plethora of benefits, the unbalanced use of its main mechanics can end up in catastrophic results for a company or institution. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge of what it is, leading to its unregulated and ad hoc use without any prior planning. This unbalanced use prejudices the achievement of the initial goals and impairs the user's evolution, bringing potential negative reflections. Currently, there are few specifications and modeling languages that allow the creation of a system of rules to serve as the basis for a gamification engine. Consequently, programmers implement gamification in a variety of ways, undermining any attempt at reuse and negatively affecting interoperability. Next-Generation Applications and Implementations of Gamification Systems synthesizes all the trends, best practices, methodologies, languages, and tools that are used to implement gamification. It also discusses how to put gamification in action by linking academic and informatics researchers with professionals who use gamification in their daily work to disseminate and exchange the knowledge, information, and technology provided by the international communities in the area of gamification throughout the 21st century. Covering topics such as applied and cloud gamification, chatbots, deep learning, and certifications and frameworks, this book is ideal for programmers, computer scientists, software engineers, practitioners of technological companies, managers, academicians, researchers, and students.







Computer Games and Software Engineering


Book Description

Computer games represent a significant software application domain for innovative research in software engineering techniques and technologies. Game developers, whether focusing on entertainment-market opportunities or game-based applications in non-entertainment domains, thus share a common interest with software engineers and developers on how to




Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States


Book Description

Scores of talented and dedicated people serve the forensic science community, performing vitally important work. However, they are often constrained by lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support. It is clear that change and advancements, both systematic and scientific, are needed in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of work, establish enforceable standards, and promote best practices with consistent application. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward provides a detailed plan for addressing these needs and suggests the creation of a new government entity, the National Institute of Forensic Science, to establish and enforce standards within the forensic science community. The benefits of improving and regulating the forensic science disciplines are clear: assisting law enforcement officials, enhancing homeland security, and reducing the risk of wrongful conviction and exoneration. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States gives a full account of what is needed to advance the forensic science disciplines, including upgrading of systems and organizational structures, better training, widespread adoption of uniform and enforceable best practices, and mandatory certification and accreditation programs. While this book provides an essential call-to-action for congress and policy makers, it also serves as a vital tool for law enforcement agencies, criminal prosecutors and attorneys, and forensic science educators.




Reality Is Broken


Book Description

“McGonigal is a clear, methodical writer, and her ideas are well argued. Assertions are backed by countless psychological studies.” —The Boston Globe “Powerful and provocative . . . McGonigal makes a persuasive case that games have a lot to teach us about how to make our lives, and the world, better.” —San Jose Mercury News “Jane McGonigal's insights have the elegant, compact, deadly simplicity of plutonium, and the same explosive force.” —Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother A visionary game designer reveals how we can harness the power of games to boost global happiness. With 174 million gamers in the United States alone, we now live in a world where every generation will be a gamer generation. But why, Jane McGonigal asks, should games be used for escapist entertainment alone? In this groundbreaking book, she shows how we can leverage the power of games to fix what is wrong with the real world-from social problems like depression and obesity to global issues like poverty and climate change-and introduces us to cutting-edge games that are already changing the business, education, and nonprofit worlds. Written for gamers and non-gamers alike, Reality Is Broken shows that the future will belong to those who can understand, design, and play games. Jane McGonigal is also the author of SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver and More Resilient.




Software Engineering


Book Description

This is the eBook of the printed book and may not include any media, website access codes, or print supplements that may come packaged with the bound book. Intended for introductory and advanced courses in software engineering. The ninth edition of Software Engineering presents a broad perspective of software engineering, focusing on the processes and techniques fundamental to the creation of reliable, software systems. Increased coverage of agile methods and software reuse, along with coverage of 'traditional' plan-driven software engineering, gives readers the most up-to-date view of the field currently available. Practical case studies, a full set of easy-to-access supplements, and extensive web resources make teaching the course easier than ever. The book is now structured into four parts: 1: Introduction to Software Engineering 2: Dependability and Security 3: Advanced Software Engineering 4: Software Engineering Management