#GAMESALAD GRAVITY SOFTWARE#

#GAMESALAD GRAVITY SOFTWARE#

As a result, my theoretical framework brings together various threads of new media theory, from the digital humanities (including science and technology studies, human-computer interaction, information theory, UX-design, and software studies) to musicology and sound studies. Additionally, I employ the term “ecology” to describe both a sociological phenomenon (to highlight the interconnected web of practices and techniques between various people and media), and a biological metaphor (to emphasize the anxieties about digital (un)sustainability that often form a basis of contemporary media design and practice). This allows me to examine trends in software and hardware design, shifts in both studio and stage performance, and connections between creative practices across media, including digital audio workstations (DAWs), MIDI and USB “controllers,” mobile apps for music production, and music video games.

I use the concrete and conceptual lens of the interface-defined as the relational, experimental, and interactive processes that are constantly being negotiated between and among both technological platforms and devices, and social and cultural communities-as an analytical tool. In the age of what many have called “digital maximalism,” how do producers, designers, and consumers of sound navigate the increasingly thin lines between media formats, creative practices, and technological engagement within global capitalism? Moreover, how might these “interface aesthetics” reflect broader concerns about the place of the body and technology in increasingly shifting media ecologies? In this dissertation, I detail the increasingly networked environment through which digital audio producers work, from record production to sound in mobile media and video games. In turn, this logic of non-linearity and play has influenced both the design of digital audio software, as well as the use of hardware “controllers” for manipulating this software. The proliferation of “apps,” video games, and other forms of multimodal engagement with music production has introduced ludic structures into the creative process. Most noticeably, the shift from traditional recording studio environments to “ubiquitous computing” has allowed for the technical convergence of various media practices, from sound design to video games and multimedia art. With the rise of haptic interfaces for mobile computing, the techniques and practices of digital audio production have undergone significant changes. Also, prospects and possibilities for extending the prototyping tool are discussed Finally, an analysis of advantages and disadvantages of using Squeak for educational game development is done.

This brings further information on the game engine that was used as an essential part of the prototyping tool created for this thesis. After showing the educational benefits of Squeak, one can find out about some examples of educational game development with its help. This leads to an implementation of a game prototyping tool, which brings the applications of the multimedia environment SQUEAK into play.

The author then provides estimated solutions for these needs with an extraordinary focus on the usefulness for computer science students. Thus, requirements for a game prototyping tool are derived. A discussion of educational facilities and the specific niches of game development that they focus on, allows the conclusion that many games created there only reach up to a prototypic level. Classifying the many diverse tools used by different kinds of game developers helps to identify areas of employment within game development.

First, it sketches the complex pipeline of tasks inherent in game development with focus on used tools. This thesis focuses on game development and educational benefits gained from teaching games to university students.

Gamesalad gravity