Candidate
Abel João Gavinho Vaz Tavares Neto
Date, Time and Location
June 20, 14:30, Sala Professor Joaquim Sarmento (G129), DEC, FEUP
President of the Jury
António Fernando Vasconcelos Cunha Castro Coelho, PhD, Associate Professor with Habilitation, Departamento de Engenharia Informática, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto.
Members
Miguel Angel Sicart Vila, PhD, Full Professor, Digital Design Department da IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark;
Teresa Isabel Lopes Romão, PhD, Associate Professor, Departamento de Informática, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa;
Nelson Troca Zagalo, PhD, Full Professor, Departamento de Comunicação e Arte, Universidade de Aveiro;
Pedro Jorge Couto Cardoso, PhD, Assistant Professor, Departamento de Comunicação e Arte, Universidade de Aveiro (Supervisor);
Rui Pedro Amaral Rodrigues, PhD, Associate Professor, Departamento de Engenharia Informática, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto.
Abstract
Asymmetry is widely present in contemporary games, allowing players to enjoy different experiences by playing the same game through diverse perspectives or by assuming alternative player roles. However, both scholars and game designers tend to discuss asymmetry only in its most pronounced expressions and to ignore instances in which it plays a more nuanced role in diversifying gameplay experiences. In this research, we offer a holistic approach to asymmetry. Asymmetry Bricks is a conceptual framework for the analysis of asymmetry in games, in regard to the ways it can express itself and the mechanisms through which it can emerge during play. The framework also acts as a design tool to guide designers in the process of ideation of asymmetric gameplay mechanics.
The findings of this study aim to broaden discussions of asymmetry, offering a lens through which scholars can analyse it. The proposed terminology contributes to facilitating communication among game designers, players and other agents, while the design tool inspires all to explore asymmetry in new and interesting ways.
Keywords: Asymmetry; Asymmetric Gameplay; Gameplay Mechanics, Game Design.