Video Games and Creativity

Video games have become an increasingly ubiquitous part of society due to the proliferation and use of mobile devices.  Video Games and Creativity explores research on the relationship between video games and creativity with regard to play, learning, and game design.  It answers such questions as:

Can video games be used to develop or enhance creativity?Is there a place for video games in the classroom?What types of creativity are needed to develop video games?

While video games can be sources of entertainment, the role of video games in the classroom has emerged as an important component of improving the education system.  The research and development of game-based learning has revealed the power of using games to teach and promote learning.  In parallel, the role and importance of creativity in everyday life has been identified as a requisite skill for success.

Summarizes research relating to creativity and video gamesIncorporates creativity research on both game design and game playDiscusses physical design, game mechanics, coding, and moreInvestigates how video games may encourage creative problem solvingHighlights applications of video games for educational purposes

Acknowledgements

Video Games and Creativity: An Introduction

Part 1: Creativity and Video Game Play

Chapter 1 - Video Games and Creativity

Linda A. Jackson and Alex I. Games

Chapter 2 - The Impact of Video Game Play on Human (and Orc) Creativity

Nicholas D. Bowman, Rachel Kowert, and Christopher J. Ferguson

Chapter 3 - Video Games and Malevolent Creativity: Does One Thing Lead to Another?

David H. Cropley

Chapter 4 - Problem Solving Through "Cheating" in Video Games

Karla R. Hamlen and Fran C. Blumberg

Chapter 5 - Opportunities and Challenges in Assessing and Supporting Creativity in Video Games

Yoon J. Kim and Valerie J. Shute

Chapter 6 - Content, Collaboration and Creativity in Virtual Worlds

Thomas B. Ward

Part 2: Creativity and Video Games in Education

Chapter 7 - Teaching Creativity: Theoretical Models and Applications

Jorge A. Blanco-Herrera, Christopher L. Groves, Ann M. Lewis, & Douglas A. Gentile

Chapter 8 - Teachers Designing Learning Games: Impact on Creativity

Frederique Frossard, Anna Trifonova, and Mario Barajas

Chapter 9 - Cognitive Brain Training, Video Games, and Creativity

Oshin Vartanian and Erin L. Beatty

Chapter 10 - Game Narrative, Interactive Fiction, and Storytelling: Creating a "Time for Telling" in the Classroom

Michael F. Young, Stephen T. Slota, Roger Travis, and Beomykyu Choi

Part 3: Creativity and Video Game Development

Chapter 11 - Creating Code Creatively - Automated Discovery of Game Mechanics Through Code Generation

Michael Cook

Chapter 12 - Patented Creativity: Reflecting on Videogame Patents

Casey O’Donnell

Chapter 13 - Tension and Opportunity: Creativity in the Video Gaming Medium

Grant Tavinor

Chapter 14 - Creative Interactivity: Customizing and Creating Game Content

Katharina-Maria Behr, Richard Huskey, and Rene Weber