Call of Duty: Warzone

Starting a game in CoD: Warzone requires six steps, which is a significant amount of interaction costs. Interaction costs refer to the mental toll that each added step takes on the player, causing fatigue or frustration. To provide the best player experience, it is important to minimize interaction costs as much as possible. Unfortunately, in Warzone, the process of even understanding the mode or version of the game one is entering requires reading through a multitude of confusing panels, adding to the interaction costs and potentially causing fatigue. To improve the player experience, it is crucial to simplify and streamline the process of starting a game, reducing the interaction costs and reducing the risk of player frustration.

Red Dead Redemption 2

The control system in Red Dead Redemption 2 is a problem. Control systems play a critical role in shaping the player‘s experience, similar to lighting in movies or balance in music recordings. The control system in RDR2 has been criticized for its awkward finger movements required to use the selection menu and its added complexity using triggers to navigate through options and different menus, leading to unintended results. In the game, the player is punished for unintended actions such as firing a weapon in the wrong place or removing a mask at a critical moment. The controls vary based on the context of the player‘s actions, causing confusion and increasing the risk of mistaken actions.

https://www.escapistmagazine.com/why-has-the-ui-in-aaa-games-gotten-so-bad-design-delve/: Worst Practice Examples ^{http://www.elsabartley.co.uk/aaa-games-and-ux/}: Worst Practice Examples https://blog.prototypr.io/ux-red-dead-redemption-2-cffdb4f9a1f9: Worst Practice Examples

Half Life 2

The Half Life 2 HUD is praised for its simple, clean and unobtrusive design that complement the game‘s overall aesthetic. The monochromatic amber palette gives it a distinctive look and makes it a part of the game‘s identity. The HUD is simple and effective, as it only displays necessary information. The Half Life 2 HUD shows that a game‘s HUD can be more than just a necessary element and can be both beautiful and functional.

Assassin‘s Creed

The game was designed without a HUD in mind, and the pure presentation of the action creates a more engaging and rewarding experience compared to having icons on a mini-map. The absence of a HUD requires a specific approach to environment design, mission design, and dialogue writing, making the game more interactive and allowing players to learn the city and find their goals.

Dead Space

Dead Space teaches that a HUD can be effectively integrated into the game to maintain player immersion without sacrificing functionality. The game is praised for its unique approach to the HUD, which was a mix of shooter and survival horror genres and helped keep players focused in the moment. The health bar and map projection contributed to the mood and tension, while also guiding players through complicated levels and making them vulnerable when they stop to review their objective. This made the player experience more engaging and added to the suspense of the game. Dead Space demonstrates that good design can transform the HUD into an integral part of the game world.

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/audio/6-examples-of-ui-design-that-every-game-developer-should-study: Best Practice Examples https://uxstudioteam.com/ux-blog/whats-make-or-break-in-game-ui-design/: Best Practice Examples

Technological devices such as mobile phones, computers, and the internet can provide digital interventions for various mental health-related issues, providing a regular contact point with professionals, reminding patients to take medication, and providing brain training exercises that help to alleviate the symptoms of various mental health disorders.

Digital interventions have shown great promise for numerous mental health disorders. Younger individuals frequently choose online options when seeking healthcare advice. Online counseling can be an excellent initial method of mental health triage, where more serious cases can be referred to more traditional mental health services. There is a significant economic incentive for the widespread adoption of such mental health triage centers, which could improve mental health disorder detection and treatment and streamline existing mental health services, freeing up outpatient clinics and directing patients to where they can receive the most suitable assistance.

Mental health apps

Mental health apps are mobile apps designed to help users improve their emotional well-being, become more mindful, and address common mental health issues. Some mental health apps allow users to access online talk therapy or psychiatric care. Others may help you to begin a meditation practice, cope with stress and anxiety, or improve sleep quality. Available for iOS and/or Android users, mental health apps are typically designed to be used via smartphone or tablet.

The best mental health apps are affordable, user-friendly, and well-designed, with few technical glitches. Many of these apps have unique features that allow you to improve your overall wellness in enjoyable, accessible ways. High-quality therapy apps remove some of the usual barriers to mental health care, while mindfulness apps can help you achieve better focus and productivity.

Headspace

The Headspace app is designed for folks who are new to mindfulness and looking for some guidance. As its tagline suggests, Headspace aims to foster a space where meditation is made simple. Headspace operates as a full-service relaxation solution. It teaches eight helpful techniques derived from Burmese and Tibetan Buddhist traditions and each method is contextualized throughout the different meditations, accompanied by animations that provide clarity. A study conducted at Yale University found that meditation was able to decrease DMN brain activity, so when the brain starts to meander into anxious territory because of new connections that form through meditation, the mind can snap back into a place of calm.

Ai – Robot Therapy

Following the trend of developing practical conversational artificial intelligence (AI), companies have begun to create systems that focus not on the ability to assist individuals with mundane everyday needs but rather to provide health services that would otherwise be much more difficult to access. In particular, psychologists and computer scientists have been working together to produce versions of this technology that play some of the therapeutic conversational roles that are typically saved for human psychotherapists (e.g., offering empathic responses and providing instructions on how to apply well-tested treatments like cognitiv behavioural therapy).
Robot therapists remove many barriers that may otherwise have prevented some individuals from seeking treatment or applying it effectively.
Benfits: Cheaper , Less time consuming, Available on-demand, Able to provide users with access to treatments without having to navigate complex mental health systems

With the CDC`reporting a significant increase in mental health issues, it is important now more than ever for pieces of media to properly discuss mental health. But even though mental health issues are more openly talked about and accepted in society than ever before, it is still extremely common for false information and negative stereotypes to be seen in media, and video games are no exception.

Despite this, some video games in recent years have had incredible representation and exploration of mental and emotional health and wellbeing. Instead of using it as a gimmick, these games approach the topic with compassion and understanding.

Depression Quest

Created by American video game developer Zoë Quinn, Depression Quest is a 2013 text adventure game created in Twine where players control a person who is struggling with unhappiness. The game is free and has received praise from the New YOrker and others for its accurate depiction of depression.
During the game, the player decides which actions the person should take next, but some of the options are unable to be selected, which is meant to represent how depression can limit what a person is able to do. Instead of being created to entertain the player, this game was made to educate players on what it is like to deal with depression.

Spiritfarer 

Spiritfarer is a 2020 management sim where the player controls a young woman named Stella who becomes a Spiritfarer, which means that she sails the seas to find spirits, grant their final wishes, and take them to the gateway to the afterlife known as the Everdoor. With her cat named Daffodil, Stella meets and befriends various spirits while recovering memories of her past life.
This beautiful indie game focuses on the feelings of guilt and loss that come with death, and the importance of moving on. By the end of the game, Stella and Daffodil are finally able to go to the afterlife themselves.

Florence 

Originally released in 2018 for mobile phones and later ported to other devices, Florence is an interactive story that follows a 25-year-old woman named Florence Yeoh who meets a cellist named Krish. After the two enter a relationship and eventually move in together, they have a fight and break up, which leads to Florence having to find a new direction in life.
This game is about loss and the struggle to move forward when a person is stuck in a life that feels monotonous and dreary. Since the game does not have verbal dialogue, the story is uniquely told using quick minigame puzzles that help players connect with the characters without any words. Eventually, Florence manages to move on and grow into the painter she had always wanted to be but was originally afraid to try.

The Luc Hoffmann Institute is taking an interesting approach to nature conservation by using gamification. They want to make it fun and interactive for people, especially kids, to get involved in protecting the planet’s resources. The idea is to make educational games that teach kids about different species and habitats, and other experiences that allow them to participate in virtual conservation efforts. They generate funding through the sale of these games. Players purchase access to these games, and the funds are directed towards real-life conservation projects.

By making conservation more entertaining and accessible, the Institute is hoping to inspire a new generation of environmental advocates. They believe that by engaging kids in conservation through games, they can create a lasting impact and help ensure a better future.

While gamification may raise awareness and generate funds, it may not have a significant impact on the actual conservation efforts. It’s suggested that more direct and targeted approaches are needed to truly protect and preserve our planet’s natural resources. Lastly, I don’t think that many people are interested in purchasing games when there are so many free ones available.

Sources:

https://luchoffmanninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Gamification_conservation_report_Luc_Hoffmann_Institute_2021.pdf

Topics that have not been handled thoroughly or additional topics can be tackled through blog posts:

• Effect of different game elements onto communication
• Communication styles in different game types
• Missing communication aspects in online voice channels
• Missing communication aspects in online game chats
• Advantages of communication in games over real life communication
• Can online friendships last?

After taking a look at psychological aspects of communication as well as technical aspects of game design and development, this blog entry should combine those topics and analyse how video games can actually benefit communication.

While many young people struggle to fit into society and are faced with prejudices and hate, in online games they can find communities where they are accepted no matter they equity, religion, sexual orientation or other aspects.

Video games are especially a safe space for people:

• On the autism spectrum
• With insecure attachment styles
• With depressive symptoms and social anxiety
• Of the LGBTQ+ community

 References:

• https://socialmedialab.sites.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj22976/files/media/file/pena-cr-an-analysis.pdf
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4080869/
• https://www.jcfs.org/response/blog/video-games-are-social-spaces-how-video-games-help-people-connect

A very big problem for people not getting the help they need with psychological problems is often fear. Individuals fear judgment they would receive from others, change, and the unknown. There are many mental blocks and stereotypes that get stuck in our heads due to social stigmas that need to be removed. However, this is not an easy process. In the following, a few creative solutions will be presented.

Campaigns

Educational campaigns serve to disseminate information about specific facts, products or regional conditions in a targeted and widespread manner. In the area of health, the aim is to educate/inform about health risks that result from a certain behavior, are associated with the consumption of certain products or arise from regional conditions. At the same time, information is usually given on recommended behavior.

The Austrian Federal Association for Psychotherapy has launched #mehrpsychotherapiejetzt.

The Campain Goals are:
More places for psychotherapy financed by health insurance funds
The destigmatization of mental illnesses, because going to psychotherapy is as normal as treatment for physical illnesses.
Psychotherapy for all on a health insurance voucher, i.e. a complete abolition of quotas.

Let´s Talk in an illustrated Mental health Campaign.

It´s natural for feelings, thoughts, and emotions to build uo over a period of time.
This can create, loneliness, feelings of isolation and stress amongst many other things.
The illustrator  Nayantara Surendranath worked with Disney Star on their mental health campaign to address these very issues, to encourage people to voice their feelings and to speak to a mental health professional should they need to.

Books

Picture books are a great tool to educate children in particular and to prevent stigma and prejudice against therapy.

Keith Negley – Tough Guys (have feelings too)

A boldly illustrated picture book read-aloud about how everyone gets sad—ninjas, wrestlers, knights, superheroes, everyone . . . even daddies have emotions to show destigmatize men not having feelings.
Did you know that wrestlers have feelings? Knights do too. Even superheroes feel sad sometimes. In fact everyone has feelings – even dads who love their children!
Children will love to recognise the feelings in Keith Negley’s bold illustrations which accompany a fun-to-read aloud narrative. Parents can enjoy and engage with children in a light-hearted discussion about emotions and how they affect us all.

Exhebitions

Interest in the use of museums to address mental health stigma seems to be growing. In its 2022 Trendwatch report, the American Alliance of Museums devoted an entire section to how museums can be community pillars in the realm of mental health, and another section to how museums can be pillars for the education of children and also for adults.

Mental Health: Mind Matters

A new traveling exhibit called Mental Health: Mind Matters, which has just opened at Museum of Science Bosten, points toward a potentially different way to initiate conversations about mental health issues that can engage parents and children alike. Addressing stigma among children is especially important since we know that negative stereotypes are absorbed during childhood as part of the socialization process (including from popular media such as movies), such that they are considered to be part of the general knowledge about the world that one takes for granted by the time one reaches adulthood.

MENTAL: Colours of Wellbeing

MENTAL: Colours of Wellbeing is not an exhibition about mental illness, treatments or cures. It is a welcoming place where you can confront societal bias and stereotypes around mental health. MENTAL invites you to embark on an intimate and personal journey that explores the many different ways of being, surviving and making connections, that have become of increasing importance to us all.
This exhibition features 24 interactive exhibits, art projects and large-scale installations by international artists, makers, scientists and designers that reflect a range of perspectives on mental health and ways of being. In addition, there are seven artworks by Singaporean and Southeast Asian artists that explore mental health from a uniquely Southeast Asian perspective.