Suomalaiset pelejä käsittelevät väitöskirjat 1998– / Finnish doctoral dissertations on games 1998–

@phdthesis{RoshanKokabha2018,

title = {Dynamics of success for early-stage mobile game startups},

author = {Maryam Roshan Kokabha},

url = {http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-60-8215-8},

isbn = {978-952-60-8215-8},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

school = {Tieto ja palvelujohtamisen laitos, Aalto-yliopisto},

abstract = {Mobile platforms offer an opportunity for creating and distributing apps through app stores. Many developers, in the form of startups, have joined these platforms with economic motivations. However, they face several challenges on the way to creating a business. Firstly, the startup nature of the businesses implies a scarcity of financial resources and a dearth of business experience in developing and selling apps. Secondly, the popularity of the platforms has resulted in fierce competition among apps, hence difficulty in bringing an app to the attention of users. Thirdly, the startups are compelled to operate within the app store structures under the market-making rules of the platform owner. Finally, the contextual factors related to the type of an app may create additional difficulties. For example, game developers must cope with the heterogeneity of users' expectations, users' reluctance to wait for a game to be fixed in the case of problems, and the mainstream freemium monetization model which makes revenue-making more complex. 



This dissertation explains how early-stage mobile game startups operate in order to succeed. It uses the qualitative classic Grounded Theory Methodology for both analyzing and theory building. The data is collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 international game startups that were participating in a business accelerator – founded by a platform-owner – in Finland. The main research question asks 'What are the dynamics of success for early-stage mobile game startups?' The two more specific research questions ask how startups utilize the facilities of an accelerator, and how they excel in the market after publishing their games. 



The theoretical contributions of the dissertation are threefold. Firstly, it contributes to the literature on the role of the platform owner in the activities of startups. It discusses the role of the accelerator as a social boundary resource in improving the capabilities of startups in terms of game design, access to resources, and improved market activities, as well as providing an opportunity for the startups to impact the platform owner's decisions and to access resources from other members of the ecosystem. Secondly, it contributes to the literature on experimentation in software startups by explaining how mobile game startups follow an experimentation approach and use game analytics to discover areas of improvement and new potential markets. Thirdly, the developed theoretical model of 'dynamics of success for early-stage mobile game startups' explains that by utilizing the accelerator's facilities and taking an experimentation approach, startups aimed to iteratively raise game quality, visibility and user engagement in the pursuit of initial success for future expansion to other platforms. Moreover, the findings provide practical implications for mobile game developers, platform owners and business accelerators.},

keywords = {accelerator, app development, boundary resource, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, experimentation, grounded theory, mobile game success, startup},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {phdthesis}

}

@phdthesis{Vanhala2015,

title = {The role of business model in computer game development organizations},

author = {Erno Vanhala},

url = {https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-265-868-5},

isbn = {978-952-265-868-5},

year  = {2015},

date = {2015-01-01},

school = {Ohjelmistotekniikka, Lappeenrannan teknillinen yliopisto},

abstract = {The computer game industry has grown steadily for years, and in revenues it can be compared to the music and film industries. The game industry has been moving to digital distribution. Computer gaming and the concept of business model are discussed among industrial practitioners and the scientific community. The significance of the business model concept has increased in the scientific literature recently, although there is still a lot of discussion going on on the concept.

In the thesis, the role of the business model in the computer game industry is studied. Computer game developers, designers, project managers and organization leaders in 11 computer game companies were interviewed. The data was analyzed to identify the important elements of computer game business model, how the business model concept is perceived and how the growth of the organization affects the business model.

It was identified that the importance of human capital is crucial to the business. As games are partly a product of creative thinking also innovation and the creative process are highly valued. The same applies to technical skills when performing various activities. Marketing and customer relationships are also considered as key elements in the computer game business model. Financing and partners are important especially for startups, when the organization is dependent on external funding and third party assets. The results of this study provide organizations with improved understanding on how the organization is built and what business model elements are weighted.},

keywords = {business model, case study, computer games, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, grounded theory, organisation, startups, survey},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {phdthesis}

}

@phdthesis{Hyvönen2008,

title = {Affordances of playful learning environment for tutoring playing and learning},

author = {Pirkko Hyvönen},

isbn = {978-952-484-262-4},

year  = {2008},

date = {2008-01-01},

urldate = {2008-01-01},

school = {Kasvatustiede, Lapin yliopisto},

abstract = {This study investigated the affordances of playful learning environments (PLE) for tutoring, playing and learning in the context of pre-primary and basic education. A PLE is an outdoor construction that provides an additional informal learning environment, with or without technological solutions. Theoretically, this study draws on the sociocultural tradition and ecological psychology, in which the environment is perceived as an intrinsic element of individual psychology. A salient concept in ecological psychology is ‘affordance’, a term coined by James J. Gibson. Affordances are the elements within a given situation that allow a human or animal to perform specific actions. In this study, affordances describe the “action possibilities” (Gibson, 1979) of PLEs that support tutoring, playing and learning. In Study I, a pedagogical model of Tutoring-Playing-Learning was designed, and the quality of play was defined. Study II investigated what children desire from a play environment. It was found that the ideal play world includes physical activity, nature, and animals, with rich and varied emotional components that vary slightly for girls and boys. Both genders seek excitement and amusement in their play experiences. Study III explored teacher’s expectations of PLEs. The results revealed that teachers expect PLEs to offer activities beneficial to understanding and learning that cannot be implemented in classrooms. Study IV explored teacher’s views on play in the school context. Different types of play used in schools were distinguished. The role of teachers in play can be as a leader, allower, or afforder. Study V explored collaborative play (ColPlay) between genders in the school context. The data indicated that the most effective forms of ColPlay are role-play and outdoor play, but gender collaboration needs to be practiced. The overall purpose of this research was to consider the results of the studies from a higher theoretical level, using the concept of affordance. The most significant results were as follows: (1) The use of PLE with the pedagogical models presented in this study encouraged the integration of play and the curriculum with formal and informal learning environments. (2) For children, PLEs afford playful learning through physical activities that provide various emotional experiences in a natural environment. Affordances included an increase in learning outcomes, social interaction, and school enjoyment. Playfulness in learning provides embodiment, emotion, collaboration, action, narration, creativity, insight, authenticity, and concretization. (3) PLEs afford meaningful ways to use technology in teaching and learning. (4) Preventing affordances included teacher’s concerns that they may become overloaded and require additional technical skills. Playful learning environments in which children interact with teachers provide various possibilities for perceiving hidden affordances. Complex environments can provide hidden affordances and thus, learning through play. Teacher training should consider these results when teaching pedagogical methods.},

keywords = {affordance, curriculum, englanninkieliset väitöskirjat, grounded theory, pedagogical model, playful learning environment, playfulness, pre-primary and basic education},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {phdthesis}

}