Achieving intercultural communication through computerized business simulation/games
Simulation and Gaming - Special issue on internet-mediated simulation/gaming
Relational agents: a model and implementation of building user trust
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
The social side of gaming: a study of interaction patterns in a massively multiplayer online game
CSCW '04 Proceedings of the 2004 ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work
"Alone together?": exploring the social dynamics of massively multiplayer online games
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Humour theory and videogames: laughter in the slaughter
Proceedings of the 2006 ACM SIGGRAPH symposium on Videogames
Game format effects on communication in multi-player games
Future Play '08 Proceedings of the 2008 Conference on Future Play: Research, Play, Share
Relationships Between Game Attributes and Learning Outcomes
Simulation and Gaming
Serious Games, Debriefing, and Simulation/Gaming as a Discipline
Simulation and Gaming
Proceedings of The 8th Australasian Conference on Interactive Entertainment: Playing the System
Humor patterns: teasing, fun and mirth
Proceedings of the First Workshop on Design Patterns in Games
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Computer games are now becoming ways to communicate, teach, and influence attitudes and behavior. In this article, we address the role of humor in computer games, especially in support of serious purposes. We begin with a review of the main theories of humor, including superiority, incongruity, and relief. These theories and their interrelationships do well in helping us understand the humor process, but they have been developed in the context of traditional human activity. To explore how they relate to computer games, we present the findings of a qualitative study of player experience of humor and show how it relates to the theoretical perspectives. We then review the main functions of humor, especially its effects on social, emotional, and cognitive behavior. We show how each of these functions can be used in game design to support the specific experiences and outcomes of game-play. Finally, we address the issue of serious games and make suggestions on how humor can inform and support the design of those games. We suggest that humor can support design by smoothing and sustaining the game mechanics. Moreover, games can draw on the functions of humor in the real world for enhancing communication, learning, and social presence. Using humor makes games richer and more powerful, as well as fun.