The document discusses developing a standardized metadata schema to provide more intelligent access to information about video games. It describes analyzing existing game metadata, conducting user interviews, and identifying important elements to include in a schema. These elements cover topics like title, developer, genre, gameplay, narrative, and visual style. Challenges addressed include subjectivity, balancing plot and mechanics, and determining an appropriate level of detail. The schema aims to classify games based on subject-action-object descriptions and a controlled vocabulary of artistic styles, techniques and dimensions. Examples are provided and limitations discussed around characterizing games accurately. The goal is to better organize game information for users of libraries and other organizations.

1. What exactly is an “Action-Adventure”
game, anyway?: Providing Intelligent
Access toVideo Games
Jin Ha Lee,Violet Fox, Zach Welhouse,
Chris Magnifico, Michelle Dillon
ALA MidWinter 2013

2. How do we organize and describe these games?

3. How LCSH
does it

4. WorldCat

5. How the Web does it

6. Problem
• Game information on theWeb is often
unstructured, cumbersome to navigate,
unvetted and unverified
• Due to the traditional focus on books, non-
book materials often get described primarily
by form rather than content
• Traditional library standards have limited
applicability

7. How can we provide more
intelligent access to
video games?
Create a metadata schema that
can capture the essential information
about games in a standardized way

8. Our approach
Creating Metadata Schema & Encoding Schemes for
Video Games (Autumn 2011, 2012)
• Document-based analysis:
collecting and evaluating metadata elements from
various catalogs or game-related websites
• User-based analysis:
– Personas (Player, Parent, Collector,Academic, Game
developer/designer, Curator/Librarian)
– User interviews

9. • Title
• Edition
• Platform
• Format
• Developer
• Publisher
• Retail release date
• Number of players
• Online capabilities
• Special hardware
• Genre
• Series
• Region
• Rating
• Language
• Identifier

10. • Alternative title
• Franchise/Universe
• Distributor
• System requirements
• Game credits
• Official website
• Price/MSRP
• Controls
• Packaging
• Customization options
• Difficulty levels
• Achievements/Trophies/
Awards
• Box art/cover
• Screenshots
• Trailers
• Gameplay videos
• Style
• Plot/Narrative
• Theme
• Setting
• Mood/Affect
• Temporal aspect
• Presentation
• Point of view
• Character names
• Character types
• Link to historical events
• Type of ending
• Visual style
• Purpose

11. Genre, Plot, and Visual style

13. Final Fantasy Tactics
• Purpose: Entertainment
• Theme: Fantasy
• Type of Ending: Finite
• Gameplay: RPG
• Style: Strategy RPG

14. Plants vs. Zombies
• Purpose:
Entertainment
• Theme: Nature
• Type of Ending: Finite
• Gameplay: Action
• Style: Tower Defense

15. Potential Issues
• Lack of Natural
Language
– “But where’s my First
Person Shooter?”
• Subjectivity
– “Says who?”
• Time-intensive
– “Why bother?”

16. Subject-Action-Object
• Hero Saves Princess
• Based upon observable elements
of games, as they relate to the
protagonist(s)
• Allows for linking to
setting/character tags and plot-
specific ones, taken from a
controlled vocabulary.

17. A Peek at the Controlled Vocabulary

18. • Portal
– Prisoner escapes maze
– Prisoner battles robots
– Prisoner solves mystery
• Persona 3
– Teens save world
– Teens confront self
– Teens develop social life
• Batman: Arkham City
– Superhero battles
opponents
– Superhero restores order
– Superhero saves city

19. Current Limitations
• Subjective
• Plot vs. Mechanics
–(You) solve puzzles?
• How many plot
elements are enough?

20. Art in an Algorithm
• Methodology
• Style vs. Technique
–Visual Style vs. Tools
• Purposive vs. limited art
• Recommendation
–Style/Technique/Dimension
triplet

21. The Controlled Vocabulary
A. Artistic Style
A1. abstract
A1.1. fractal
A1.2.1. psychedelic
A1.2. text
A2. photorealism
A2.1. illusionism
A2.2. televisualism
A3. stylized
A3.1. handicraft
A3.1.1. clay
A3.1.2. paper
A3.1.3. yarn
A3.2. illustrative
A3.2.1. caricature
A3.2.1.1. comic book
A3.2.1.1.1. American style (comic)
A3.2.1.1.2. Japanese style (comic)
A3.2.1.2. Lego
A3.2.1.3. superflat
A3.2.2. engraving
A3.2.3. watercolor
A3.2.3.1. sumi-e
A3.3. minimalism
A3.4. silhouette
B. Artistic Technique
B1. cel-shaded
B2. cutout
B3. full motion video (FMV)
B4. low-poly
B5. pixel art
B5.1. 16-bit
B5.2. 8-bit
B6. rasterized
B7. ray traced
B8. rotoscoped
B9. wireframe
C. Artistic Dimension
C1. 2D
C2. 3D
C3. multiple

22. For Example:
Okami:
sumi-e/cel-shaded/3D
Hotline Miami:
caricature/pixel art/2D

23. Problems and Limitations
• Characters vs. Environment
e.g. Paper Mario
• Vague language:
The issue of “low-poly”
• Intent
e.g. Flight Simulator 95
• Isometric projection
and “real” 3D

24. Conclusion
http://game-insider.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ds_New_Super_Mario_Bros_wallpaper1.jpg

25. Who uses video game information?
• Public libraries: circulation, special events
• Research: subject headings
• Private companies
http://metroid.retropixel.net/mprime/artwork/

26. Future work
• Terminology
• Dealing with change: graphics, companies,
digital-born
• From who can we learn?
http://kof-uk.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html

27. Thank you!
http://images3.alphacoders.com/264/264509.jpg