Frans Mäyrä, head of the research group

Frans Mäyrä is the professor of information studies and interactive media, with specialization in digital culture and game studies. His background is in the textual, media and cultural studies and his current interests focus on the broad field of digital culture, including games and net cultures.

keywords: game studies, media studies, cultural studies, digital culture, online media, fantasy, science fiction
Homepage: www.uta.fi/~frans.mayra/ and www.fransmayra.fi

Kati Alha

Kati Alha has been at the Game Researh Lab since 2008 and she is one of the first reserachers there who graduated from Hypermedia Master’s Degree programme. On her free time she uses her time in gaming, reading, watching movies, and collecting games and game consoles.

Keywords: free-to-play, social network games, game history, innovation

Juho Hamari

Juho Hamari (M. Sc. Econ) is a researcher at Game Research Lab in the University of Tampere, an editor of Virtual Economy Research Network, and a Doctoral student in Information System Science at Aalto University School of Business. His research focuses on consumer behaviour within games. Lately his research has specifically concentrated on gathering and collecting large survey data and using psychometric and econometric modelling to investigate what motivates people to play and pay for games.

Jani Kinnunen

Jani Kinnunen started at Game Research Lab in January 2007. Since then he has been working in numerous reserach projects on gambling and games in social networks. His background is in social sciences and especially in sociology and media culture.

Keywords: gambling, social networks, social games, online communities

Annakaisa Kultima

Annakaisa Kultima started at Game Research Lab in September 2006 and has since then managed a number of reserach projects. Her educational background is in theoretical philosophy. She also occasionally writes game reviews for Gamereactor Finland. On her freetime she plays tug of war with her dog, goes to movies and travels as much as she can afford. She is also responsible for the Game Research Lab graphic design.

Keywords: innovation, creativity, ideation, casual games, design process
Homapage: aakoosgamelab.com/

Markus Montola (grant researcher)

Markus Montola works with pervasive games and role-playing games. He previously worked as the project manager of the Integrated Project on Pervasive Games. His background is in social sciences, specifically communication studies. He spends his free time singing in a choir and playing all sorts of of role-playing games.

Keywords: pervasive games, role-playing, role-playing games, larp
Homepage: users.tkk.fi/mmontola/

Timo Nummenmaa
Timo Nummenmaa has been at the Game Research Lab since 2007. He has a background in computer science and focuses on researching the utilization of executable formal specifications in game development and design.

Keywords: formal methods, game design, game development, playfulness, gamification

Janne Paavilainen

Janne Paavilainen started his game researcher career in Jyväskylä University, but in 2006 he moved to Tampere to manage research projects. His background is in computer science. He plays online games, mainly Team Fortress Classic, and enjoys motorcycling and martial arts.

Keywords: social games, heuristics, casula games, game design, FPS, playability

Hannamari Saarenpää

Hannamari Saarenpää started in Game Research Lab in 2006 and since then has participated in several game-related projects. Her main focus and responsibility in these projects has been evaluation of player experience.  On her freetime she likes to play with her dogs, read, and watch movies. She also enjoys doing sports. Her background is in interactive technology.

Keywords: playability, user experience, UI design, evaluation methods, and learning

Olli Sotamaa

Olli Sotamaa is a founding member of the Game Research Lab. He completed his PhD on players’ productive practices among computer game cultures in 2009. He has abackground in cultural studies. During the years he has tought courses on designing hypermedia, digital popular culture, virtual communities, and game research and design. He has been active in Digra Finland since its foundation. In his spare time Olli enjoys music (live gigs, vinyl records and singing), games (Nintendo DS, Uno, football, etc.) and repairing his apartment.

Keywords: computer game modding, player-centred game design, mobile games, experimental user-centred design methodologies
Homepage: www.uta.fi/~olli.sotamaa/

Jaakko Stenros

Jaakko Stenros started at Game Research Lab in June 2006. His background is in sociology. He worked in numerous both national and international research projects. He spends his free time with role-playing games and comic books.

Keywords: pervasive games, role-playing, role-playing games, larp, social games, sociability, party games, player experience
Homepage: jaakkostenros.wordpress.com/

 

Heikki Tyni

Heikki has worked in Game Research Lab since 2010. His background is in University of Lapland media science studies and he is one the researchers in Gamelab to have graduated from Hypermedia Master’s Degree programme. His Master’s Thesis studied downloadable content model in console games and since then his focus has been on the workings of game and toy industries.

Keywords: Game industry, marketing practices, toy industry, toy design, player studies

Alumni:

Maria Alaoja
Inger Ekman
Laura Ermi
Martin Harmala
Satu Heliö
Mika Isomaa
Anu Jäppinen
Aki Järvinen
Kirsikka Kaipainen
Kirsi Pauliina Kallio
Tero Karppi
Juho Karvinen
Jussi Kuittinen
Juha Köönikkä
Jussi Lahti
Petri Lankoski
Tero Laukkanen
Mikko Malinen
Tiina Malinen
Johannes Niemelä
Jani Nummela
Eetu Paloheimo
Erkka Rautio
Tuuli Saarinen
Tanja Sihvonen
Mikko Svartsjö
Antti Syvänen
Saara Toivonen
Chienting Weng