Category Archives: Blog

Stop Searching. Just Watch.

Posted on by

Stop Searching. Just Watch.

It’s the end of the work week and you’re ready to watch a movie. You’ve been waiting all day to watch Pulp Fiction, but where can you stream it? This is question that leads film buffs into a frustrating and timely scavenger hunt. 

 

It’s not uncommon to check dozens of service subscriptions before finding your flick. In more unfortunate instances, the movie is not on any streaming service– wasting time and energy (as if you had much left wasted). Throughout the hunt, some users become distracted and compromise for another title to save time and discard original plans. It’s a struggle to find what you want to watch across several streaming services because often you don’t know what’s available unless it’s directly recommended to you.

With JustWatch, movie searches begin and end in one seamless experience. Find where to stream, rent, or buy any movie or TV show. The website shares elements with IMDB.com, but regarding finding streaming options, it is much more comprehensive than IMDB. IMDB is owned by Amazon. The “Watch Options” often pushes Amazon Prime subscription or rent/buy options ignoring other viable options, or they only suggest one of several streaming options. JustWatch may not replace IMDB for movie information, but it does include the IMDB rating, trailer, and film synopsis to explore other movie options within the website.

JustWatch is best utilized as a comprehensive searching browser across your various streaming subscriptions. There are four main tabs where you can surf and explore TV and movie titles across all your subscriptions.

JustWatch is available to download using the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Picture of Leo Herrera

Leo Herrera

Leo Hererra is a graduate student of EMDD. He currently works as a graduate assistant for the program. His research interests include film and media theory.

Share this post
Native Bound-Unbound

Native Bound Unbound (NBU) a nonprofit organization based in New Mexico is dedicated to uncovering and preserving the untold stories of Indigenous peoples across the

Read More »
January 18, 2025
Student Story
Interview with Ian Gonzales

Recently, Emerging Media Design and Development Graduate Student Ian Gonzales’s research paper: Overlapping Expectations: Studying the Genre Relationship of Ecocritical Genres was accepted by the

Read More »
September 23, 2024

Contact Us

  • Art and Journalism Building (AJ),
    Room 300, Muncie, IN 47303
  • 765-285-8229
  • bsujourn@bsu.edu
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram

Mythcast Spots Unidentified Flying Object

Posted on by

EMDD Blog

Mythcast Spots Unidentified Flying Object

Jolee Edge and Austin Hostetter explore UFOs and the unearthly creatures that may be inside them. 

Available Episodes

contact us
  • 765-285-8229
  • emdd@bsu.edu
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin

Mythcast Gets Magical

Posted on by

EMDD Blog

Mythcast Gets Magical

Are you impatiently awaiting spooky season? We may have just the thing to hold you over!  Join EMDD’s very own Staci Seber and Nicole Nimri as they explore the mythical world of Harry Potter for the latest episodes of Mythcast. The best news? Both episodes are available right now! From Horcruxes to wand making, these episodes will surely fill your cauldron with an urge to re-watch (or re-read) the HP series.

Witches, wizards, and muggles, get lost in the magic with Staci and Nicole today.

Available Episodes

contact us
  • 765-285-8229
  • emdd@bsu.edu
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin

Dr. Kevin Moloney Speaks to Designing in an Age of Uncertainty

Posted on by

EMDD Blog

Dr. Kevin Moloney Speaks to Designing in an Era of Uncertainty

This summer, the 24H Worldwide Design Conversations event held its second edition to narrow in on the concept of “Designing in an era of uncertainty”. In this conversation, designers across the globe join forces to investigate current and future conditions of design. Of the guest panelists, EMDD assistant professor Dr. Kevin Moloney brings his expertise in transmedia storytelling, design thinking, and photojournalism. Check out this groundbreaking conversation with leading designers in the video below. And remember, we are not alone in an age of uncertainty: “no designer is an island“.

24H Worldwide Design Conversations

24H Worldwide Design Conversations is a live, 24-hour streaming event dedicated to design practices of various disciplines and research. The event is promoted by the Polimi Design System, and includes the Department of Design, School of Design and POLI.design.

contact us
  • 765-285-8229
  • emdd@bsu.edu
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin

Mythcast Episode 1 Released

Posted on by

EMDD Blog

Mythcast: Episode One RELEASED

How to Train Your Demodog

How might we train a demodog? This adolescent form of a demogorgon from Stranger Things storyworld proves to be a compelling (and troublesome) challenge for students at the Center for Emerging Media Design & Development. Listen to how they apply design thinking and usability research to (hypothetically, anyway) train one! They get some important help from zoo keepers and wolf-dog owners. 

Listen to the full trailer. 

Subscribe Now

Spotify Podcast

Share this post

contact us
  • 765-285-8229
  • emdd@bsu.edu
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin

Can We Improve Video Game Movie Adaptations?

Posted on by

EMDD Blog

Can We Improve Video Game Movie Adaptations?

Written by Leo Herrera

Common forms of transmedia storytelling are film adaptations of books and video games. In fact, the relationship between video games and movie adaptations is quite infamous. Research shows that the majority of movies based on video games are not well-received by viewers. These films usually accrue insignificant box office, terrible reviews, or both. There are only four video-game-to-movie adaptations to earn more than $200 million in the worldwide box office and have a Rotten Tomatoes score higher than 50%, respectively:

Rotten Tomatoes Scores
Detective Pikachu (2019) 68%
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) 63%
Rampage (2018) 51%
Tomb Raider (2018) 51%

More about

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes is a review website for movies and TV shows. Ratings are given a score using the Tomatometer, a form of measurement based upon the quality of a tomato; Good reviews receive a fresh tomato. Bad reviews receive a rotten tomato.

In 2017, the highest Rotten Tomato score for film adaptations of video games was 48% for Mortal Kombat (1995). With a score of 37%, both Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017) tied for second highest rating. The average score across all 38 titles was 19.9%. It’s safe to say that the history of video game adaptations transitioning to the silver screen was ill-advised.

With several dissatisfying films at the wayside, production studios were forced to revamp and refresh their efforts. Through tumultuous trial and error, a set of best practices were used to structure and present narratives pulled from video games storylines. One corporation took note of these changes and set out to make a plan that could change film adaptation as we know it.

Sony Leads the Way

*Sony has entered the chat*

Sony is the only corporation to have a department for both motion pictures (Sony Pictures Releasing) and video games (PlayStation, Sony Interactive Entertainment). Despite these resources, Sony has only produced a movie adaptation for one video game, Ratchet & Clank (2016). Unfortunately, this film did not beat the odds, producing little in box-office sales and receiving a mere 22% Rotten Tomato score.

However, this failure did not stop Sony.

Tony Vinciquerra, Sony Pictures Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, recently announced the One Sony program, a collaborative effort between Sony departments for project development. The current objective for One Sony is to produce three movies and seven TV shows based on video games exclusive to the PlayStation.

The One Sony project is an opportunity to promote PlayStation across with their distribution and production companies. PlayStation exclusives are a huge advantage for the One Sony program. Video game exclusives, such as God of War, Uncharted, Jak and Dexter, The Last of Us, and Bloodborne, can only be manufactured and distributed by Sony.

So, What Happens now?

There is hope! The future of entertainment is ready for a new era of well-produced video game adaptations. As of today, there are two exciting video game adaptations scheduled for release. This includes the film Uncharted, starring Tom Holland, and HBO’s The Last of Us series. 

Perhaps the stigma may shift from always-bad towards often-good, and studios become motivated to adapt more of our favorite video games and expand beloved story worlds.

Picture of Leo Herrera

Leo Herrera

Leo Hererra is a graduate student of EMDD. He currently works as a graduate assistant for the program.

Share this post

contact us
  • 765-285-8229
  • emdd@bsu.edu
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin

Monday Motivation: A Plumber and His Brother Save Video Games

Posted on by

Monday Motivation: A Plumber and His Brother Save Video Games

In 1983, video game consoles weren’t as popular as you see today. In fact, it was during this time that the United States saw a large-scale video game recession. The market was over-saturated. While video games continued to pour from companies across the globe, consumers purchased less and less.  

Gaming products from companies like Atari and Mattel had put a bad taste in the mouths of many American households. The constant product issues often left families frustrated or bored. These reasons led many to purchase a personal computer instead. 

Two years later, the video game market was still oversaturated and underwhelming. But one man believed he had just the thing to change it. And so, Hiroshi Yamauchi headed to New York City to introduce the Nintendo Entertainment System. 

The year 1985 met Yamauchi with a lot of rejection. Retailers scoffed at the thought of placing the NES on their shelves. At some point, Yamauchi agreed to set up the consoles at various stores in hopes that audience engagement would increase sales. It took a full year for the Nintendo Entertainment System to gain any support in the U.S.. and we have a plumber and his brother to thank. 

Yes, the popularity behind Nintendo Entertainment Systems is due to the release of Super Mario. Since it’s release, Super Mario has sold over 58 million copies. It is considered one of the top ten best-selling games ever created. 

In the winter of 1986, Hiroshi Yamauchi finally accomplished his dreams. Nintendo Entertainment Systems flew off the shelves across America and continue to be a staple in American households.

Additional Resources

Share this post

Picture of Melodie Griffin

Melodie Griffin

Melodie Griffin is the project manager for the Center for Emerging Media Design & Development. Her research focuses on virtual reality enhancement and UX in video game design. She also teaches usability, design thinking, and UX.

More Empathy Research Was Needed Here: A Series of Student Perspectives

Posted on by

More Empathy Research Was Needed Here: A Series of Student Perspectives

Hi! I’m Mel, EMDD’s project manager and Ball State University’s instructor.  I’ve taught usability design and design thinking over the last 12 months at Ball State University. Each semester, I ask students to write about a poorly designed product they’ve experienced. And each semester, I am impressed by the passionate responses I receive to this question. Listed below are a few of my favorite and most relatable instances of product failure from the perspective of Ball State undergraduates. Enjoy!

1/5

Single-Ply Toilet Paper | Written by Mia Basso

People joke about it all the time, but we all know it’s true. Single ply toilet paper is the worst. Ideally, a thinner ply means more paper per roll, and more paper per roll means less rolls needed overall to maintain a public bathroom or similar space. It’s a cost saving strategy, but what’s the real cost? Single ply toilet paper is infamous, nay infamously legendary for its abysmal quality. What’s the point of single ply anyway? If the paper is thinner, then you have to use nearly twice as much to accomplish what a two ply could. Doesn’t that mean you’re using the same amount of paper either way? Single ply is miserable, nobody is happy to sit down and see a roll of single ply nestled in those commercial use toilet paper rolls. Sometimes you can’t even drag any of it out, because it’s so thin, so flimsy, so unbelievably ineffective that it tears at the slightest application of pressure. Its absorbency is practically nonexistent. You would be better off taking a piece of copy paper and laying it over a puddle than an entire swath of single ply toilet paper. I really can’t think of any action more apathetic than knowingly stocking a bathroom with singly ply toilet paper. 1 out of 5 stars for the 1 ply this sorry excuse of a hygiene product has to its name. 

2/5

Public Bathroom Stalls | Written by Ethan Bell

The public toilet partition, often replicated but never perfected. We have all sat down at a bathroom on campus or in public and locked the door just to see a 1/4 inch gap around all the walls, exposing yourself to anyone looking hard enough. Everyone who has ever used one of these stalls knows the anxiety created by that small gap. This is one of the key things that people hate about using the bathroom in public, that and the single ply paper of course. After doing some more research, I found that this is just an American issue. European stalls typically have privacy protectors on the cracks. Most of these American partitions are designed to produce few parts that apply to many different partition setups. This allows the companies to operate cheaper and make more money for shareholders. It would certainly be possible for these stalls to be made with more privacy, but it would cost manufactures a fortune. The only way American stalls will change is with a change in the law that requires more privacy to public stalls, or if the customer demands it and is willing to pay the higher price. The disconnect though lies between the developers installing the partitions though, and the customer actually using them. Overall, if I had to rate public partitions, I would give it 2/5 stars because it does its job, just not very well. 

 

2/5

Two-Piece Bathing Suit Sets are Outdated | Written by Genevieve Eldred

Two-piece swimsuits sold as a pair are the worst!  We’re all aware that people come in every shape and size. Personally, I know I have super narrow hips. If I’m wearing a particular size for the top, the bottom usually should be a smaller size.  Broad marketing research should not be done to get an average size of people. This leads to the production of a very standard size, a “one fits all”  type of thing. It’s disheartening to find a swimsuit you like, only to find out that it just won’t work for you. In today’s climate of body positivity and awareness of body image as a whole, people can take offense to such outdated practices. It shows a real disconnect between a company and its users, which makes no one happy. The current trend of selling swim pieces separately has worked well as a solution (so long as your size is in stock). However, one draw back from this solution is that it’s often more expensive to buy the pieces separately. Super frustrating! But I digress… I give two-piece swimsuits sold as a pair a 2 out of 5 stars.


1/5

Unknown Materials Used in Pet Collars | Written by Sam Smith

A product example of poor empathy research that personally effects my life would be pet collars.  More specifically, I strongly dislike collars that do not include a list of materials used to make the product. Before becoming a cat parent, I did not know how common it is for cats to have fabric/elastic allergies. For my cat, Cuddles, it’s been nearly impossible to find an affordable collar that doesn’t cause an allergic reaction. Collars sold without a material listing make it a guessing game when make such a necessary purchase. Like typical cats, Cuddles is a playful feline. She enjoys chewing on her cat collar as if it were a toy. This constant chewing means constantly on the market for new cat collars. I am only made aware of her allergies when a reaction occurs —  scabs and bumps all over her neck. They appear quickly but take a long time to heal even with medication. With a simple list of materials used to create cat collars, it would be much easier to narrow down what exact she is allergic too to be able to keep her safe and healthy. I would rate my experience with this collar 1 out of 5 stars. 

3/5

Car Visors | Written by Cassie Pomierski

One example of product design that I feel lacks empathetic experience are car visors. I think this product is a great invention to shield passengers and drivers from the sun while driving, but I think it could definitely be more accommodating. Being 5’3″, it’s always been annoying to have the sun shine in your eyes while sitting in the car, and the car visor doesn’t pull down far enough to shade your eyes unless you scoot your seat all the way forward. It may vary from car to car, but from my own experience, it seems like most of the car visors are designed with a lack of empathy. A lot of times, the visors can pull outward/side to side, but they don’t pull downwards to block the light for short people like myself (at least with all the cars I’ve been in). If an accommodation could be made for people of different heights (such as an additional/mini visor that pulls out from underneath it) or a new design is made, this product could benefit more people than just the average and tall people it was designed for. My rating would be 3 out of 5 stars since the intent of the design is there, but the actual outcome isn’t as successful as it could be.

Share this post

Picture of Melodie Griffin

Melodie Griffin

Melodie Griffin is the project manager for the Center for Emerging Media Design & Development. Her research focuses on virtual reality enhancement and UX in video game design. She also teaches usability, design thinking, and UX.

Holiday Shopping Made Easier with Chrome Extensions

Posted on by

Holiday Shopping Made Easier with Chrome Extensions

It’s easy for holiday stress to consume you throughout the winter season– finding the perfect gifts at the right price all for that gratifying Christmas morning. However, as the old saying goes, “work smart, not hard.” With a second wave of coronavirus infections crashing over the country like a Hawaii wave, you may be weary of in-person shopping and opt for online websites. Fortunately for you, ecommerce innovation has caught up, and there are many ways to save money on gifts this holiday season by adding a Chrome extension. You will be able to find incredible sales and deals long after Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

With so many websites competing for your eyes, companies have turned toward deal offerings featured on popular tablet and mobile applications. Using such applications provide you deals at familiar stores and small-scale. So, what’s the catch? As you use these applications, the companies gain access to your shopping data. By adding an additional chrome extension, you are profiting, too. Each extension has their own unique value proposition to help you save money while shopping for your holiday gifts!

 

RetailMeNot

RetailMeNot is a Chrome extension offering cash back on certain stores. It differs from Rakuten because instead of providing you cash-back, it searches for last-minute coupons when you reach the checkout page. On its website, it also highlights sales on ecommerce stores from essentially every category, while also providing a blog which highlights current and upcoming deals, the best ways to shop, and affordable gift ideas. Their instant search for coupons at the checkout menu has saved me dozens of dollars. With one click, the application does all the work.

Acorns

Acorns’ core value proposition is completely different from the previously mentioned sites because it is an investment app where you can start an IRA (Individual Retirement Account). There are three methods of investment: manual deposits, purchase roundups (if you pay $12.85 with your linked card, $0.15 will be invested), and cash back promotions.   Acorns has an extensive list of participating companies that will help directly invest into your portfolio with two methods. They either invest a percentage of your purchase (2% of your $50 purchase is $1 invested into your portfolio) or invest a specific amount between $1 to $10. In the long run, that $5 or 2% of your purchase can become a few hundred dollars when you or your child turns 59.5 years old.

Rakuten

The Google Chrome extension for Rakuten offers up to 20% cash back when you shop at certain stores. In addition, it highlights exclusive deals such as ‘Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO)’, ‘free shipping’, and travel and vacation deals. Rakuten also offers a credit card for  an additional 3% cash back on any store that already offers cash back, plus 1% cash back on all other purchases. Throughout your purchasing history, your cash back bank cumulates all your deals until you determine it is enough to order your check, which is sent to you through the mail. I can personally attest the validity of the application as I have already earned $13 in cash back.

Honey

The Honey Chrome extension does not offer cash back, rather their focus is highlighting sales and notifying you when prices drop for products that you bookmark. Just like RetailMeNot, they also run through a list of coupons at your checkout page in case your purchase qualifies for a discount. Their unique value derives from Honey Gold Balance. As you make more purchases through Honey, you earn a balance of Honey currency, and when you reach 1,000 Honey points, you can redeem a $10 gift card of your choice from select stores.

Picture of Leo Herrera

Leo Herrera

Leo Hererra is a graduate student of EMDD. He currently works as a graduate assistant for the program.

Share this post
Native Bound-Unbound

Native Bound Unbound (NBU) a nonprofit organization based in New Mexico is dedicated to uncovering and preserving the untold stories of Indigenous peoples across the

Read More »
January 18, 2025
Student Story
Interview with Ian Gonzales

Recently, Emerging Media Design and Development Graduate Student Ian Gonzales’s research paper: Overlapping Expectations: Studying the Genre Relationship of Ecocritical Genres was accepted by the

Read More »
September 23, 2024

Contact Us

  • Art and Journalism Building (AJ),
    Room 300, Muncie, IN 47303
  • 765-285-8229
  • bsujourn@bsu.edu
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram

How to Block Distractions While Working From Home

Posted on by

How to Block Distractions While Working From Home

Since March, working from home has been the new normal around the world. Many people loved the idea in the beginning and still do. There is nothing better than having half an hour more to sleep in the morning, wearing your favorite comfy clothes, sitting by your desk, and eating homemade food. It sounds like a dream., right? Unfortunately, the reality is a little more complicated than that. Our homes are full of distractions: loud family members, clingy pets, binge-worthy t.v. series, and those pesky chores. With such interruptions, are we really surprised at our inability to maintain focus while working from home? Thankfully, there are two easy solutions that can help people that work from home during the pandemic or holidays.

Step 1: Set Up A Work Station

First of all, it is important to find a place in your house that is strictly your work station. That way, once you get there, your mind knows that your main goal is to do work.

Step 2: Download App

The second step is to download an application that helps you focus. There are many applications on the internet, but my favorite one is Dewo.

Dewo tracks your activity on your computer and smartphone and recognizes when you are working and when you are not. Then, based on that, it blocks notifications from distracting apps automatically, so that your work does not get distracted. Also, it notifies anyone that messages you that you are busy at the moment. Once you are done working, it gives you some data on your efficiency and how you can improve your productivity. It highlights when you worked without getting distracted, compares your performance to previous days and weeks, and advises you to change any future events that are not scheduled in an efficient way. 

Dewo works best when connected to both your computer and smartphone so that it can control notifications and track your activity on both devices. Once connected, it creates a shield around you that blocks all distractions with no extra cost and helps you stay efficient and enjoy the benefits of working from home.

Check Out Dewo

Picture of Angelos Mandilaris

Angelos Mandilaris

Angelos is a first-year graduate student of the Center for Information and Communication Sciences program at Ball State University. He is an EMDD graduate assistant and plays for the BSU Men's Volleyball team.

Share this post
Native Bound-Unbound

Native Bound Unbound (NBU) a nonprofit organization based in New Mexico is dedicated to uncovering and preserving the untold stories of Indigenous peoples across the

Read More »
January 18, 2025
Student Story
Interview with Ian Gonzales

Recently, Emerging Media Design and Development Graduate Student Ian Gonzales’s research paper: Overlapping Expectations: Studying the Genre Relationship of Ecocritical Genres was accepted by the

Read More »
September 23, 2024

Contact Us

  • Art and Journalism Building (AJ),
    Room 300, Muncie, IN 47303
  • 765-285-8229
  • bsujourn@bsu.edu
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram