Ken Koontzonline
Short bio
In house game designer, artist, producer and lover of games. I bring diversity, design experience and the NOISE!!!!
Top-3 games
- Divinity: OS 2
- Heroes of The Storm
- Warframe
“Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated.”
Paul Rand
About me
My background in the arts and architectural design have afforded me the ability to engage in projects that cross the disciplines of visual art and design, combined with my love of visual media and entertainment I find myself passionate about developing video games. I view development with perspective from both art and design. Through exploration, experience and sheer desire for discovery, my approach constantly jumps over the edge of the two disciplines to find the best solution for creating a fun and aesthetically appealing game environment.
I love this quote because in games, the best ones are always simple to grasp (i.e. put the ball in the basket or capture your opponents king) however these games take a lot of time to master (Basketball or Chess). I believe games find depth not in the amount of options/features the player has but in the number of strategies the player can develop. Now fuse in visual aesthetics that can enhance an emotional connection or trigger a memory in the player and a deep satisfying experience can ensue.
Projects I’ve worked on
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CategorySubstance AbuseDate16/12/2018Study/CourseLocation
Designing and Testing a Video Game to Help Youth Quit Smoking
About the projectSmoking is one of the leading public health problems in the world. Currently, there is no evidence-based intervention program available to help youth and young adults quit smoking. Besides the lack of high-quality research, recruitment and retention of youth and young adults are two of the most challenging aspects of the implementation and evaluation of smoking cessation interventions. We argue that limitations in current smoking cessation interventions for youth can be maximally addressed by using video games as interventions. In the current project a video game will be developed and tested on its effectiveness and mechanisms of change to help youth and young adults quit smoking.
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CategoryResilienceDate24/04/2018Study/CourseLocation
Facing the Challenge Together: a Social Game for Emotional Resilience
About the projectOur research aims to transform young people’s mental health by developing and testing a social game for resiliency when facing stress events. Working in collaboration with the Award winning studio Aardman Animations, we want to harness the important mental health implications of both social support and mindsets, to develop a fun and engaging intervention.
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CategoryDepressionDate30/10/2017Study/CourseLocation
Information Sampling in Depression
About the projectIn this project, we aim to take a closer look at the way in which information is being sampled and integrated in individuals suffering from or at risk for depression. Since human beings are only able to perceive and process a limited amount of information, we have evolved to sample parts of information instead and attempt to draw accurate and workable conclusions based on the sample available to us. We have reason, however, to think that this process may be affected in depression, and aim to find out how exactly using methods such as behavioural computational modeling.
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CategoryDepressionDate16/12/2018Study/CourseLocation
Social Games as Prevention Tools for Depression in Young Adolescents
About the projectIn my PhD project I study social games for the prevention of depression. In my project I take part in both the development and testing of games. I want to use video games to help youth become more emotionally resilient and to decrease the stigma that surrounds depression. I do this in close collaboration with other researchers and game designers. I am particularly interested in games that are played in a social context, because I believe that both social threat and social support are key factors in the development and maintenance of depression.
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CategoryResilienceDate16/12/2018Study/CourseLocation
Creating a Feeling of Social Support in Virtual Reality
About the projectPeople with large social networks on average live longer, happier, less stressed lives. We can potentially leverage virtual reality to increase the experience of social support and impact daily stress and anxiety. Therefore, this project aims to pinpoint which aspects of virtual social interaction are needed to convey a sense of social support.
My updates
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@Ken Koontz - 19-03-2018
https://t.co/F0E2sVgsr8 Is it the Game Design that is addicting or the connections to online friends made while playing?
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The Most Meaningful Waste of a Month
Ken Koontz - 19-03-2018The condition "Gaming Disorder" describes a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior so severe that it takes "precedence over other life interests". But is it the game design that is addicting or the emotional connections to an online social network made while playing the game?
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Theme Month March - Gaming by Campfire
Ken Koontz - 09-03-2018Every March, to coincide with the Game Developers conference and many other major gaming news & updates, we felt now would be a great opportunity to take a look at some of the games available that can have a positive impact on mental and emotional well-being. Games that you can relax to but still be immersed in a non casual way.
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Game Experiences for Better Mental Well-Being
Ken Koontz - 09-03-2018GEMH Lab recommends games available that can have a positive impact on mental and emotional well-being.
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@Ken Koontz - 13-12-2017
GEMH Lab - Theme Month December - Loneliness | GEMH Lab https://t.co/llqgxVnfzg
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@Ken Koontz - 12-12-2017
GEMH Lab - Theme Month December - Loneliness | GEMH Lab https://t.co/llqgxV5EHI
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Loneliness and I are Frenemies
Ken Koontz - 11-12-2017It makes me feel comfortable knowing that I can be by myself and enjoy that time on my own, however when I start to frequently choose to be by myself rather than join others out and about am I being self confident or retreating into loneliness?
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@Ken Koontz - 09-11-2017
We asked if there is a game that can give social support from strangers that still feels meaningful and memorable?… https://t.co/pdheGcP486
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November Game Day: Examining Social Support in Guild Wars 2
Ken Koontz - 09-11-2017In the first installment of our bi-monthly Game Day we explore if we can make a player engage challenging situations confident that other players would help them personally. We chose the MMORPG Guild Wars 2 to examine how its unique combat system, map exploration and character progression could create a context for the player to experience personalized social support.
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@Ken Koontz - 01-11-2017
RT @Gryphire: We’re back, @GEMH_lab - @gcutoday game projects off to a great start after productive brainstorm sessions with @KenKoontz17 a…
Events View all events
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30JuneAbout the event
Indigo 2017
LocationDe Lik, Utrecht
Dutch Game Garden invites you to INDIGO, the showcase for the finest, most outstanding games by independent developers.
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UNTILL15October18OctoberAbout the event
CHI Play 2017
LocationPakhuis De Zwijger, Amsterdam
CHI PLAY is an international and interdisciplinary conference for researchers and professionals across all areas of play, games and human-computer interaction.
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02JuneAbout the event
Symposium Health Games
LocationUniversity of Utrecht
Anouk Tuijnman from the GEMH lab will give a presentation on Applied Games and Mental Health: Moving Stories. Moving Stories will also be shown at the demo session.
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26FebruaryAbout the event
Games for Mental Health in the Lowlands
LocationKU Leuven
The symposium will be held in the renovated building 'Collegium Veteranorum'
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UNTILL24October26OctoberAbout the event
VR Days
LocationDeLaMar Theatre/Kromhouthal
VR Days Europe is a 3-day celebration of Virtual and Augmented content, creativity and innovation.
My publications
Worked together with
Clinical child psychologist and PhD Candidate interested in gamedesign, -research and –play. Also known as: Game Night General; World Traveler; Pokémon Master.
PhD-Candidate
Researcher, psychologist, PhD-candidate, gamer, language enthusiast and lover of all things geeky.
PhD-Candidate
Professor and Chair of the Developmental Psychopathology department in the Behavioural Science Institute; writer; voracious podcast consumer; mother of two upstanding little gamers
Director of GEMH Lab
Researcher, multidisciplinary work and collaboration, wants to understand the how's and why's, loves her high heels and coffee in the morning, walks and talks too fast.
PhD-Candidate
Maartje Luijten
Assistant Professor
Game designer, VR-guru, mocap artist, animator, video editor and all-round problem solver. Avid gamer, movie lover and dabbling photographer.
Game Designer
Assistant prof. and data geek at the GEMH lab, dynamical modelling, personalisation, wants to put the I back into AI, news junkie, cat lover.
Assistant Professor
I work with clients to design ecosystems, adapt bleeding edge research and develop end-to-end strategies that help improve the lives of their patients, practitioners and users.
Executive Creative Director - Collaborator
Wil Cunningham
William Cunningham is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto and holds a cross appointment in the Marketing Area at the Rotman School. Research and Teaching interests in: Affective Science, Social Cognition, Neuroscience, Attitude and Evaluation
Associate Professor, University of Toronto
Assistant Professor within the Developmental Psychopathology group of the Behavioural Science Institute
Assistant Professor
Researcher; beginner blogger; explorer.
Research Assistant