Game & Simulation Research Initatives

Center for Game Research Collaborations

There are two primary methods of collaboration: Corporate Memberships and Research Contracts.

Corporate Memberships give organizations access to Center activities and information, and engage them in defining research directions for the Center. Corporate members have access to research findings before publication and access to the expertise of Center researchers for informal discussions and Q&A sessions. Participation in Center research studies places talented students and corporate representatives in close proximity. By participating in the Center’s formal programs, corporate members have the opportunity to help set the research agenda in ways that may benefit their organization. Two formal events are in the planning stages for corporate members. In the Fall, a one-day meeting of Center affiliates and corporate members is held to set the research agenda for the coming year. In the Spring, a larger conference is held in conjunction with Rensselaer’s annual Game Festival. At this Spring conference, Center affiliates present research findings, corporate members are invited to provide their perspectives on research issues, and distinguished academic and industry people are invited to speak.

Membership fees are paid annually and are considered gift funds. As such, they may also provide tax benefits to the corporation. Fees support the cost of research, facilities, and programs and support graduate and undergraduate students who work within the Center.

Research Contracts are legal agreements between Center research teams and the corporation to investigate and report upon a specific research problem. Issues of intellectual property ownership, conditions and timing of disclosure of research findings, time milestones in research, research costs and fees, and other matters are negotiated and codified within the contract. Research contracts have a Principal Investigator (PI) who directs the project and is the primary liaison between the corporation and the Center.

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The capAbilities Games Research Project

Overview Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute student programmers, cognitive scientists, game designers, character artists, level artists, music composers, and electrical engineers are working in a dynamic interdisciplinary team developing groundbreaking interactive game simulation modules for people with disabilities to help them develop independence in conjunction with The Center for the Disabled in Albany, New York. 

CapAbility Games Research Project is creating fun game learning modules needed for basic life skills such as personal care, job readiness skills, money management, personal interactions, household management and other areas.  Students are using their talents and developing new ones while making a difference in the lives of many amazing people. 

Background: Mary Kim Purcell, Deputy Executive Director of The Center for Disability Services contacted Prof. Kathleen Ruiz after seeing her work and the work of her Experimental Game Design students.  A motivated interdisciplinary group of Rensselaer students was formulated and is now collaborating and developing creative simulations and interfaces for physically and mentally disabled individuals. 

The capAbility Games Research Project is designing visual/auditory stimulation and memory systems and innovative interface modalities for individuals who have sustained brain injuries and are physically handicapped. 

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New Book Reveals Player Psychology Paramount To Designing Better Game Characters

Looking beyond gorgeous graphics and sophisticated storylines, experts in the game industry are placing greater emphasis on developing games that involve players at the emotional level. A new book written by Katherine Isbister, associate professor of language, literature, and communication at Rensselaer, explains how concepts from psychology and social science can be applied to character design to create powerful social and emotional connections with players.

Better Game Characters by Design (Morgan Kauffman, June 2006) reveals that the key to good character design is leveraging player psychology. Designers who understand what’s memorable, exciting, and useful to a person about real-life social interactions, and can then integrate that knowledge into their designs, can create more realistic characters that players can identify with on an emotional level, according to Isbister.

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