DEI/CISUC Seminars

Abstract :To this day, video games have a reputation as fun, yet shallow and meaningless entertainment. A view that is further upheld by the preoccupation with “engagement”, “motivation” and “retention” prevalent in the games industry and academic games research. But games can undoubtedly offer deeper experiences that move us, challenge us, and leave a long-lasting impression. This talk describes our ongoing work on emotional and reflective moments in games, and outlines a research agenda for (more) meaningful and aesthetic player experiences.

Short-bio: Elisa Mekler is Assistant Professor in Computer Science at Aalto University, Finland. Drawing from her background in psychology, Elisa investigates how interactive systems afford motivating and meaningful user experiences, but also the challenges inherent to defining and evaluating these concepts. Her work garnered several Best Paper and Honorable Mention awards at premiere ACM human-computer interaction conferences CHI and CHI PLAY.