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Title:
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WHO'S IN MY GAME?: OTHER PLAYERS IN THE SINGLE-PLAYER SPACECHEM |
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Author(s):
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Nicolás López Coombs |
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ISBN:
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978-989-8533-52-4 |
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Editors:
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Katherine Blashki and Yingcai Xiao |
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Year:
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2016 |
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Edition:
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Single |
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Keywords:
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Affordances, Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, Data Visualization, YouTube |
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Type:
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Full Paper |
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First Page:
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125 |
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Last Page:
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132 |
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Language:
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English |
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Cover:
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Full Contents:
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click to dowload 
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Paper Abstract:
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In this paper, I analyze the win screen in the puzzle game SpaceChem (Zachtronics 2011a), notable for the three data visualizations it uses in place of a traditional leaderboard. Through this case study, I aim to problematize taken-for-granted use of both data visualization and social networking features. I perform a visual analysis informed by affordance theory to identify the kind of behavior encouraged or discouraged by these elements as well as a prominent Record Solution button which allows sharing player solutions via YouTube. I find that these elements complicate the division between the diegetic and non-diegetic as they invite a player outside the game and onto another platform. Significantly, ambiguity between the world of a particular game and the data-gathering, networked systems they are part of is not unique to SpaceChem but rather part of a growing proportion of the games we engage in, be it through achievement systems or social networks. |
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