Courses
Game Design
Fall Semester Annually
An introduction to the psychology of games. Topics include game theory, system dynamics, logic, human frailty, role playing, artificial intelligence, kinesics, theater, and human-computer interaction. We will look at video games from the viewpoint of the user and the psychology it entails, as well as from the designer as they attempt to make their game engaging.
Game Mechanics
Spring Semester Annually
An intermediate class in ludology, primarily analyzing games almost exclusively from the perspective of rules and system dynamics. Topics include luck vs. skill, cooperation vs. competition, game balancing, and kinesiology.
Game Development
Fall Semester Annually
This is a group project-based course in which constantly changing teams develop a number of small games, both in 2D and 3D .
Game Development II
Spring Semester Annually
This is a group project-based course in which we will closely follow the actual game development cycle, with each team producing a complete PC game.
Computer Game Development Academy
Summer Annually
A two-to-three-week summer academy designed for rising high school seniors. We seek both programmers and artists, and your team will make at least one complete PC game completely from scratch. Applications are accepted in late spring.
Research Interests
My research is divided between two fields: games and cognitive science. Fortunately, these fields are not mutually exclusive. On the games side, my interests are in game design and analysis, dynamic systems, interface design, psychology of play, artificial intelligence
That is, what are games, and what makes them fun? What are the different perspectives that children, athletes, actors, gamblers, and tricksters bring to the field of play? What is the role of storytelling in games? I am interested in all forms of interactive entertainment, including virtual reality and certain types of theme park attractions. I am especially interested in the analysis and development of systems of rules that create interesting emergent behavior, and the larger cultural impacts of gaming.
On the cognitive science side, my interests lie in rapid decision making, and classifying actions at the 1/3–3 second level. My main applications for performing this research are the Tetris that we all know and love, and a special research-oriented game called Space Fortress
Publications
Changizi, M., Destefano, M. (in press) Common scaling laws for city highway systems and the mammalian neocortex. Complexity.
Destefano, M., Gray, W. (2008) An integrated model of action video game play. Poster presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, Washington, DC.
Destefano, M. (2008) Rapid inter-process communication between ACT-R and external simulations. Presented at the 15th Annual ACT-R Workshop, Pittsburgh, PA.
Destefano, M., Gray, W. (2007) Use of Complementary Actions Decreases with Expertise. Poster presented at the 29th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, Nashville, TN.
Bringsjord, S., Khemlani, S., Arkoudas, K., McEvoy, C., Destefano, M., Daigle, M. (2005). "Advanced Synthetic Characters, Evil, and E." Proceedings of Game-On 2005, 6th International Conference on Intelligent Games and Simulation. European Simulation Society.
Noble, R., Ruiz, K., Destefano, M., Mintz, J. "Terms of Engagement." Proceedings of Level Up, the 1st International Conference of the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA). University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Presentations
- “Minds, Machines, and Games” Guest Lecture, Minds & Machines FYS 9/8/05
- Panel member, IBM Game Industry Press Briefing, Hawthorne Industry Solutions Lab, 8/11/04
- "Random Ramblings on AI in Games" Guest Lecture, 4/15/04
- "A Ludologist Admits (Partial!) Defeat" RPI Minds & Machines Seminar, 4/14/04
- "Creating an Ontology of 'A Game World'" RPI Minds & Machines Seminar. 2/04/04
- “What the RAIR Lab Offers for Wargaming” Air Force Research Lab, Rome, NY, 1/7/04
- “Toward a Formal Understanding of Games” RPI Minds & Machines Seminar. 3/19/03
- “Philosophical Robotics” SUNY Stony Brook, 11/20/02
