Papers by Audrius Jurgelionis
Revista Prisma. Com, Oct 28, 2010
Resumo Há uma procura potencial por soluções multimédia interactivas em rede que permitam utiliza... more Resumo Há uma procura potencial por soluções multimédia interactivas em rede que permitam utilizar jogos de PC em set-top boxes, PDAs ou noutros dispositivos móveis de baixo custo. O projecto Games@ Large (GaL) tem desenvolvido uma solução que permitirá a acessibilidade ubíqua de meios interactivos em dispositivos com poucas capacidades tecnológicas. Este artigo descreve a estrutura do GaL ea abordagem ao ciclo de vida de engenharia de usabilidade que foi usada para iterativamente desenvolver e avaliar um ...
This paper presents a user-study of the TOTEM.Scout mobile tool that has been developed for in-si... more This paper presents a user-study of the TOTEM.Scout mobile tool that has been developed for in-situ creation of location-based content for games and edutainment applications based on configurable data templates. It works in cooperation with the TOTEM.Designer web-based tool and enables convenient structuring, management and export of the created content to prepare arbitrary location-based experiences. We motivate the necessity of this tool as well as its architecture, and describe the layout, results and findings of the performed case study in a real context of use. The results provide insights into possible improvements in terms of user interface and the tool’s functionality design, and suggest new features for data collection and management.
This paper presents the TOTEM framework for supporting the content creation and structuring for l... more This paper presents the TOTEM framework for supporting the content creation and structuring for location-based games. Shapes (templates), Marbles (instances) and Pebbles (raw data) build the conceptual background while two integrated tools support the overall workflow: TOTEM.Designer, a web-application that allows for desktop-based authoring and TOTEM.Scout, a mobile app that allows for in-situ authoring. The TOTEM framework supports different user roles and allows inexperienced users to collect and create content. All data can be exported and easily added to external games.
Distributed gaming enables access to interactive media from devices based on different platforms.... more Distributed gaming enables access to interactive media from devices based on different platforms. It facilitates users to enjoy video games in various environments without the need for using a single device or operating system. Understanding the potential and limitations of such gaming-on-demand systems is key for their adoption and further growth in public places. This paper presents an in-depth, quantitative study performed with the Games@Large (GaL) distributed-gaming system and its potential users at an Internet café in Genoa, Italy. The approach of the study was multilevel, covering the player experience and user acceptance aspects as well as technical performance peculiarities. Results show that the GaL system has a high potential at Internet cafes, in particular when playing a casual genre game. Furthermore, results provide recommendations for deploying such systems in terms of social setting and technical aspects. The methodology and findings of the GaL system tests can be applied to similar game streaming systems and used as input for theories on social digital game play.
This paper describes a general gameplay model and authoring tool for construction of pervasive ga... more This paper describes a general gameplay model and authoring tool for construction of pervasive games. The proposed gameplay model is relying on the definition of common constructs among a range of pervasive game categories that are broken down into atomic game elements that are later used to build various games. Further, the paper presents design of a platform independent authoring tool, focusing on the GUI and its easiness to use, and envisions a possible implementation for the described gameplay model. The authoring tool targeting non-technical users and is intended for integration with other software tools and underlying platforms to build a powerful framework for pervasive game development.
In this paper we have evaluated the main functionalities of NetEm, a popular Linux based network ... more In this paper we have evaluated the main functionalities of NetEm, a popular Linux based network emulator, which we have used to stress test the performance of the Games@Large distributed gaming system. We have performed a number of tests on different NetEm functionalities in order to evaluate their practical performance conformity and validity versus the NetEm description and theoretical expectations. We have found that the NetEm behaviour conforms to expectations for the emulation of delay and packet loss without correlation. However, in the case of jitter emulation, the actual realized jitter is lower than the given input value. It is an important fact to be aware of when using NetEm for different application testing. This paper also provides a baseline methodology for network emulation tool validation.
There is a potential demand for networked interactive media solutions that enable the rendering o... more There is a potential demand for networked interactive media solutions that enable the rendering of PC games on set-top boxes, PDAs or low-cost CE devices. The Games@Large (GaL) project has been developing such a solution that would enable pervasive accessibility of interactive media from low-end devices. This paper describes the GaL framework and the usability engineering lifecycle approach that was used to iteratively develop and evaluate a working prototype with a user-friendly interface. The first empirical study shows that the GaL interface meets usability standards for all proposed user groups and that GaL games are more positively experienced than current exemplars. A second empirical study is performed to explore if players’ experience on the GaL system is accompanied by the appeal of graphics. Results revealed that the
graphics quality is perceived significantly higher than state-of-the-art video streaming. Future studies will further explore the advantages and possible limitations of the GaL system with a wider range of games and users.
In this paper we present a new cross-platform approach for video game delivery in wired and wirel... more In this paper we present a new cross-platform approach for video game delivery in wired and wireless local networks. The developed 3D streaming and video streaming approaches enable users to access video games on set top boxes and handheld devices that natively are not capable to run PC games. During the development of the distributed gaming system we have faced a number of challenges and problems posed by the hardware and network limitations. In order to solve these problems we have developed a multilevel testing methodology which is based on user assessment and technical measures for the system under development. In this paper we focus on the technical measures and instrumentation that we use for the system’s performance measurement and testing. The benefits of our testing methodology are demonstrated through examples from the development and testing work.
This paper presents a new distributed video game streaming system aimed at enabling transfer of t... more This paper presents a new distributed video game streaming system aimed at enabling transfer of the game graphics in real-time across the wired / wireless network. Initial tests have shown that the Games@Large system is capable of running video games of different genres, also including First Person Shooter games that are very popular and demanding for high-end device performance. Further, the experiments prove that a Games@Large server can be hosted on a single PC and support multiple game executions and streaming with a high visual quality to concurrently connected clients via a wireless / wired network. In particular, a Quality of Service solution is exploited, which improves system performance also in the presence of competing traffic.
Low cost networked consumer electronics (CE) are widely used. Various applications are offered, i... more Low cost networked consumer electronics (CE) are widely used. Various applications are offered, including IPTV, VoIP, VoD, PVR and games. At the same time the requirements of computer games by means of CPU and graphics performance are continuously growing. For pervasive gaming in various environments like at home, hotels, or internet cafes, it is beneficial to run games also on mobile devices and modest performance CE devices such as set top boxes. EU IST Games@Large project is developing a new cross-platform approach for distributed 3D gaming in local networks. It introduces novel system architecture and protocols used to transfer the game graphics data across the network to end devices. Simultaneous execution of video games on a central server and a novel streaming approach of the 3D graphics output to multiple end devices enable the access of games on low cost devices that natively lack the power of executing high-quality games.
There is a potential demand for networked interactive media solutions that enable the rendering o... more There is a potential demand for networked interactive media solutions that enable the rendering of PC games on set-top boxes, PDAs or low-cost CE devices. The Games@Large (G@L) project has been developing such a solution that would enable pervasive accessibility of interactive media from low-end devices. This paper describes the G@L framework and presents an experiment comparing user experience of G@L 3D-grahics streaming with a state-of-the-art video streaming solution. Subjects played three games using either G@L or StreamMyGame and self-reports of the acceptability of game graphics were compared. Depending on the game, the image quality of the G@L 3D-streaming protocol was perceived as being as good as or significantly better than state-of-the-art video streaming. Future studies will further explore the advantages and possible limitations of the G@L system with a wider range of games and users.
The requirements of computer games by means of CPU and graphics performance are continuously grow... more The requirements of computer games by means of CPU and graphics performance are continuously growing. At the same time many low cost and modest performance CE devices are gaining popularity. People are already used to mobile life style inside home and on the go and want to enjoy entertainment everywhere. This paper describes a novel gaming system, called Games@Large, which enables heavy PC game play on low cost consumer electronic devices (CE) without the need of game software modification. The key innovations of the Games@Large system are distribution of game execution, streaming of graphics, video, audio, and game control as well as network quality of service management.
This paper presents a new distributed video game streaming system. Newly developed streaming prot... more This paper presents a new distributed video game streaming system. Newly developed streaming protocols and system architectures enable transfer of the game graphics in real-time across the wired / wireless network. Initial tests have shown that the Games@Large system is capable of running video games of different genres, also including First Person Shooter games that are very popular and usually highly interactive and demanding for high end device performance. Further, the experiments prove that a Games@Large server can be hosted on a single PC and support multiple game executions and streaming with a high visual quality to concurrently connected clients via a wireless / wired network. In particular, a Quality of Service solution is exploited, which improves system performance also in the presence of competing traffic.
Video games are typically executed on Windows platforms with DirectX API and require high perform... more Video games are typically executed on Windows platforms with DirectX API and require high performance CPUs and graphics hardware. For pervasive gaming in various environments like at home, hotels, or internet cafes, it is beneficial to run games also on mobile devices and modest performance CE devices avoiding the necessity of placing a noisy workstation in the living room or costly computers/consoles in each room of a hotel. This paper presents a new cross-platform approach for distributed 3D gaming in wired/wireless local networks.We introduce the novel system architecture and protocols used to transfer the game graphics data across the network to end devices. Simultaneous execution of video games on a central server and a novel streaming approach of the 3D graphics output to multiple end devices enable the access of games on low cost set top boxes and handheld devices that natively lack the power of executing a game with high-quality graphical output.
Proliferation of new entertainment content services and contexts of use has made the entertainmen... more Proliferation of new entertainment content services and contexts of use has made the entertainment products common in everyone’s life. In order to make them enjoyable to an end-user and successful on the market it is essential to ensure their usability, faultless functionality and high Quality of Service. In the future entertainment technology and academic research is an open challenge in the development of evaluation methods. Both, subjective and objective techniques are limited in their capabilities, because the Quality of Service in today’s entertainment products depends on a large number of factors: including devices, network, contexts of use, and their properties. This paper addresses the Quality of Service evaluation problem from the end-user’s point of view. The approach for development of evaluation methodology is presented. The domain explored in this paper is intended for designing pervasive entertainment systems. This approach may also be successfully adapted in other domains as well.
This paper presents a testing and evaluation methodology for evolving pervasive gaming and multim... more This paper presents a testing and evaluation methodology for evolving pervasive gaming and multimedia systems. We introduce the Games@Large system, a complex gaming and multimedia architecture comprised of a multitude of elements: heterogeneous end user devices, wireless and wired network technologies, and various multimedia and gaming services. It enables an easy access to the offered services through the use of a versatile system architecture. Testing and evaluating the design takes central stage in the project through an iterative process which has a great impact on overall design course and the final product in terms of assuring a proper quality of service and usability of the system. A comprehensive testing and evaluation methodology for newly evolving entertainment systems is developed after the adaptation of the metrics, used for video game and multimedia evaluation.
In this paper, we describe the challenge of adequately characterizing and measuring experiences a... more In this paper, we describe the challenge of adequately characterizing and measuring experiences associated with playing digital games. We discuss the applicability of traditional usability metrics to user-centred game design, and highlight two prominent concepts, flow and immersion, as potential candidates for evaluating gameplay. The paper concludes by describing the multi-measure approach taken by the Game Experience Research Lab in Eindhoven
This paper presents Games@Large - a new system for pervasive gaming and multimedia and describes ... more This paper presents Games@Large - a new system for pervasive gaming and multimedia and describes its components, which are relevant to the testing and evaluation of the system design. Complex gaming and multimedia frameworks comprise multitude of elements: heterogeneous end user devices, wireless and wired network technologies, and various multimedia and gaming services. They enable an easy access to the offered services through the use of a versatile system architecture. Testing and evaluating the design of the system takes central stage in the project through an iterative process which has a great impact on overall design course and the final product in terms of assuring a proper Quality of Service and usability of the system. The analysis of system elements and their testing and evaluation methods will facilitate the development of the methodology for the purpose of verification of the different components and the entertainment system as an integrated whole. The subsequent step of this analysis is an adaptation of the metrics, used for video game and multimedia evaluation, which will develop a comprehensive testing and evaluation methodology for newly evolving entertainment systems.
In coming years we will see low cost networked consumer electronics (CE) devices dominating the l... more In coming years we will see low cost networked consumer electronics (CE) devices dominating the living room. Various applications will be offered, including IPTV, VoIP, VoD, PVR and others. With regards to gaming and highly interactive multimedia applications, the need to compete with PlayStation and Xbox will require a radical change in system architecture. The Games@Large Integrated Project’s (IP) mission is to research, develop and implement a new platform aimed at providing users with a richer variety of entertainment experience in familiar environments, such as their entire house, hotel room, cruise ships and Internet Café. This will support ubiquitous gameplay throughout such environments, while taking advantage of existing hardware and providing multiple members of the family and community the ability to play simultaneously and to share experiences.
This paper focuses on the most innovative Games@Large ideas, such as multiple games execution on the Games Gateway and delivery of graphic rendering metadata over the network via low latency and low bandwidth Pre-Rendering Protocol. A model of the system architecture is presented and the specific properties of Pre-Rendering protocol are outlined.
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Papers by Audrius Jurgelionis
graphics quality is perceived significantly higher than state-of-the-art video streaming. Future studies will further explore the advantages and possible limitations of the GaL system with a wider range of games and users.
This paper focuses on the most innovative Games@Large ideas, such as multiple games execution on the Games Gateway and delivery of graphic rendering metadata over the network via low latency and low bandwidth Pre-Rendering Protocol. A model of the system architecture is presented and the specific properties of Pre-Rendering protocol are outlined.
graphics quality is perceived significantly higher than state-of-the-art video streaming. Future studies will further explore the advantages and possible limitations of the GaL system with a wider range of games and users.
This paper focuses on the most innovative Games@Large ideas, such as multiple games execution on the Games Gateway and delivery of graphic rendering metadata over the network via low latency and low bandwidth Pre-Rendering Protocol. A model of the system architecture is presented and the specific properties of Pre-Rendering protocol are outlined.