Game User Experience And Player-Centered Design (eBook)

Foreword 6
Acknowledgements 7
Contents 8
Part I Cognition and Player Psychology 11
1 ERP Correlates of Working Memory Load in Excessive Video Game Players 12
Contents 12
1.1 Introduction 13
1.1.1 Video Gaming and Working Memory 14
1.1.2 Goal of the Study 15
1.2 Method 16
1.2.1 Participants 16
1.2.2 Materials 16
1.2.2.1 Pathological Game Addiction Symptoms List 16
1.2.2.2 Game Addiction Scale 17
1.2.2.3 N-back Task 17
1.2.3 Electrophysiological Recording and Pre-processing 17
1.2.3.1 Data Analysis 18
1.3 Results 20
1.3.1 Behavioral Results 20
1.3.2 ERP Results 22
1.3.2.1 Results for 2-Back Condition 22
1.3.2.2 Results for 3-Back Condition 23
1.4 Discussion 25
References 27
2 Integrate: A Digital Game for Testing Conformity in Decision Making 30
Contents 30
2.1 Introduction 31
2.1.1 Purpose 31
2.1.2 Background 32
2.1.3 Similar Game Designs 33
2.2 Methodology 35
2.2.1 Initial Game Concept 35
2.2.2 Designing for Obedience and Conformity 37
2.2.3 Collecting Player Data 39
2.2.4 Measuring Conformity and Empathy 40
2.2.5 Data Analysis with R 40
2.3 Results 41
2.3.1 Distribution of Data 41
2.3.2 Analysis of Dataset 42
2.4 Discussion 45
2.5 Conclusion 48
Appendix 48
References 50
Ludography 51
3 Investigation of Response Inhibition in Excessive Video Game Playing: An Event-Related Potential Study 52
Contents 52
3.1 Introduction 53
3.1.1 Neurobiology of Video Gaming 54
3.1.2 Information Processing and Video Gaming 54
3.1.3 Inhibition and Video Gaming 55
3.1.4 Goal of Study 56
3.2 Method 57
3.2.1 Participants 57
3.2.2 Materials 58
3.2.2.1 Pathological Game Addiction Symptoms List 58
3.2.2.2 Game Addiction Scale 58
3.2.2.3 Go/NoGo Task 58
3.2.3 Electrophysiological Recording and Pre-processing 59
3.2.3.1 Data Analysis 60
3.3 Results 60
3.3.1 Behavioral Results 60
3.3.2 ERP Results 60
3.3.2.1 ERP Results for Go Condition 63
3.3.2.2 ERP Results for NoGo Condition 64
3.3.3 Correlation Results 66
3.4 Discussion 67
References 69
4 Four Pillars of Healthy Escapism in Games: Emotion Regulation, Mood Management, Coping, and Recovery 72
Contents 72
4.1 Introduction 73
4.2 Healthy Escapism in Games 74
4.2.1 Emotion Regulation 74
4.2.2 Mood Management 75
4.2.3 Coping 77
4.2.4 Recovery 78
4.2.5 A Pilot Study 79
4.3 Discussion 79
4.3.1 Game Content 79
4.3.2 Game Medium 80
4.3.3 Assessment 80
4.3.4 Learning and Intervention 81
4.4 Conclusion 81
References 82
5 User Experience and Motivation of Professional Video Game Players: A Case Study of Esports in Turkey 86
Contents 86
5.1 Introduction 87
5.1.1 Definition of Game 91
5.1.2 Def?n?t?on of Sport 94
5.1.3 Definition of Esport 98
5.2 Esports Versus Gambling 102
5.3 Conclusion: I 106
5.4 Motives and Psychology of Amateur (Casual) Gamers 111
5.5 Motives and Psychology of Esports Players 114
5.6 Conclusion: II 118
References 122
Part II Modelling and Measuring Player Experience 130
6 Revisiting Heuristics for Evaluating Player Experience in Different Gaming Platforms: A Multi-Modal Approach 131
Contents 131
6.1 Introduction 132
6.2 Related Work 134
6.3 Methodology 136
6.3.1 The Game 137
6.3.2 Participants 137
6.3.3 Material 138
6.3.4 Procedure 139
6.4 Results 140
6.4.1 Results of Observations and Interviews 142
6.4.2 Grouping of Problems 143
6.4.2.1 Device-Dependent Problems 144
6.4.2.2 Design-Dependent Problems 145
6.4.2.3 Game-Specific Problems 145
6.5 Discussion 145
6.5.1 Analysis of Device-Dependent Problems 146
6.5.2 Analysis of Design-Dependent Problems 148
6.5.3 Analysis of Game-Specific Problems 153
6.5.4 Usability Evaluation of the Game 155
6.6 Conclusion 156
Appendix 1 Results of Device-Dependent Playability Problems 158
Appendix 2 Results of Design-Dependent Playability Problems 161
Appendix 3 Results of Game-Specific Playability Problems 165
References 166
7 Developing Gaming Instinctual Motivation Scale (GIMS): Item Development and Pre-testing 170
Contents 170
7.1 Introduction 171
7.2 The 6-11 Framework 172
7.3 The 11 Instinctual Motivations 174
7.4 Research Aims 178
7.5 Methods 179
7.5.1 Participants and Design 179
7.5.2 Measures 179
7.5.3 Procedure 179
7.5.4 Proposed Data Analysis Strategies 182
7.6 Results 182
7.6.1 Data Cleaning 182
7.6.2 Validity and Reliability 182
7.6.3 Differences in Instinctual Motivation by Game Genres 183
7.7 Discussion 183
7.7.1 Key Findings 183
7.7.2 Gaming Instinctual Motivations 184
7.7.3 Practical Implications 185
7.7.4 Limitation and Future Studies 186
References 187
Ludography 189
8 The Game Experience Model (GEM) 190
Contents 190
8.1 Introduction 191
8.2 The Structure of the GEM 192
8.3 Looking Deeper into the GEM 194
8.3.1 Mechanics and Action 196
8.3.2 Storyworld and Narratives 198
8.3.3 Aesthetics and Sensory Stimulus 199
8.4 Comparing the GEM with Other Models 201
8.4.1 Smed and Hakonen 201
8.4.2 Björk and Holopainen 203
8.4.3 Hunicke et al. (MDA) 205
8.4.4 Ermi and Mäyrä (SCI) 205
8.4.5 Adams 206
8.4.6 Summary 207
8.5 Sample Case Games 209
8.5.1 XCOM 209
8.5.2 Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice 209
8.6 Conclusion 210
References 211
9 Driven, Imaginative, and Casual Game Experiences 213
Contents 213
9.1 Introduction 214
9.2 Theoretical Background and the Concept of Game Experience 215
9.2.1 Player Preference Research 216
9.2.2 Game Experience Measures 217
9.3 GET Inventory Development 219
9.3.1 Preliminary Surveys and Two EFAs 219
9.3.1.1 Survey Participants of the First Sample 219
9.3.1.2 Results of the First Exploratory Factor Analysis 220
9.3.2 Survey Participants of the Second Sample 222
9.3.2.1 Results of the Second Exploratory Factor Analysis 223
9.4 Item Screening and Confirmatory Factor Analysis 224
9.4.1 Survey Participants of the Third Sample 224
9.4.2 Results of the Item Screening Process 225
9.4.3 Confirmatory Factor Analysis 227
9.4.4 Do Game Experience Preferences Predict Gaming Habits? 229
9.5 Discussion and Future Research 231
References 233
10 Physiological Measures in Game User Research 236
Contents 236
10.1 Introduction 237
10.2 An Overview of Player Emotional State in Relation To User's Physiological State 238
10.2.1 Cardiovascular System and Its Measures 240
10.2.2 BCI Technologies 242
10.2.3 Facial Expressions 244
10.2.4 Electrodermal Activity and Its Measures 246
10.2.5 Eye-Related Measures 248
10.3 Conclusion and Discussion 249
References 250
Ludography 254
Part III Game Design and Player Experience 255
11 The Ethics of Game Experience 256
Contents 256
11.1 Introduction 257
11.2 Background 258
11.3 Revenue and Business Models 260
11.4 Ethical Problems 261
11.4.1 Money 261
11.4.2 Time and Attention 262
11.4.3 Social Capital 263
11.4.4 Mental and Physical Energy 263
11.4.5 Security 264
11.5 Concluding Remarks 264
References 265
12 Death and Rebirth in Platformer Games 267
Contents 267
12.1 Introduction 268
12.2 Background 270
12.2.1 Game Taxonomies and Frameworks 270
12.2.2 In-Game Death 270
12.2.3 Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment 271
12.2.4 Grounded Theory 272
12.3 Methodology 272
12.3.1 Search Strategy 273
12.3.2 Analysis Procedure 273
12.3.2.1 Phase 1: Observations of Death and Rebirth Mechanics 273
12.3.2.2 Phase 2: Open, Axial, and Selective Coding 274
12.4 A Taxonomy of Death and Rebirth in Platformer Games 274
12.4.1 Obstacles 275
12.4.1.1 Intelligent 276
12.4.1.2 Environmental 276
12.4.1.3 Interactive 277
12.4.2 Death Conditions 277
12.4.2.1 Instant Death 279
12.4.2.2 Out of Health 279
12.4.2.3 No Death 279
12.4.3 Aesthetics 280
12.4.3.1 Visual 280
12.4.3.2 Auditory 280
12.4.4 Changes to Player Progress 281
12.4.4.1 Upgrades 281
12.4.4.2 Inventory Changes 281
12.4.5 Respawn Locations 283
12.4.5.1 Respawn at Beginning of Game 283
12.4.5.2 Respawn at Beginning of Level 285
12.4.5.3 Respawn at Checkpoint 285
12.4.5.4 Respawn at Save Point 286
12.4.5.5 No Respawning 286
12.5 Discussion 286
12.5.1 Differentiating Roguelikes/Roguelites from Other Platformers 287
12.5.2 Examining Common Combinations of Design Choices 287
12.5.3 Guiding Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment and Related Techniques 288
12.6 Limitations 289
12.7 Conclusion 289
Ludography 290
References 291
13 Player-Centred Design in Role-Playing Game Branching Dialogue Systems 296
Contents 296
13.1 Introduction 297
13.2 The Design of Branching Dialogue Systems 299
13.2.1 Systems-Centred Design 299
13.2.2 Developer-Centred Design 299
13.2.3 Player-Centred Design 300
13.3 Necessary Distinctions Within Role-Playing Games 300
13.3.1 Types of Worlds 300
13.3.2 Types of Player Characters (PCs) 301
13.3.3 Types of Players 301
13.3.4 Types of User Interfaces (UIs) 302
13.3.4.1 Mass Effect (2007) (Fig. 13.1) 303
13.3.4.2 Dragon Age: Origins (2009) (Fig. 13.2) 304
13.3.4.3 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) (Fig. 13.3) 304
13.3.4.4 Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011) (Fig. 13.4) 305
13.4 Player-Centred Design and the Four Essential Properties of Branching Dialogues 306
13.4.1 Agency 306
13.4.1.1 Letting the Player Know What is Possible 306
13.4.1.2 Reflecting the Player's Choices 309
13.4.1.3 Resolving Trivial Choices 310
13.4.2 Ambiguity 311
13.4.2.1 Unexpected Consequences (Defining the Player's Character Without Their Consent) 311
13.4.2.2 Conversational Bottlenecks 312
13.4.2.3 Let the Player Feel the Appropriate Emotions (Sometimes Ambiguity Is Unnecessary) 314
13.4.3 Context 315
13.4.3.1 Giving the Player Clues to Understand Their Background 315
13.4.3.2 Player Character Competence 316
13.4.3.3 Omitting Important Information for Emotional Impact 318
13.4.4 Lack of Judgement 319
13.4.4.1 Provide a Consistent Universe 319
13.4.4.2 Let the Player Express Their Motivations 320
13.4.4.3 Choose the Player's Boundaries 322
13.5 Player-Centred Design in Deus Ex: Human Revolution's Debate System 324
13.6 Conclusions 325
13.6.1 Questions to Ask When Designing Branching Dialogue Systems 325
References 325
14 Designing a CAD-Enriched Empathy Game to Raise Awareness About Universal Design Principles: A Case Study 327
Contents 327
14.1 Introduction 328
14.2 What Is Cerebral Palsy 329
14.3 What Is Accessibility, Inclusive Design, Design-for-All, and Universal Design 330
14.4 Literature Review 331
14.4.1 Raising Empathy with Video Games (Games for Change) 332
14.4.2 Design Based Games and CAD-Based Games 334
14.5 Method 336
14.5.1 Educational Methodology and Scenario of the Whole Day (8 h) Learning Experience 337
14.5.2 Educational Methodology Among the Themes of the Game 338
14.5.3 The Educational Methodology Used Within the Particular Theme 338
14.6 Games Designed During the Workshop 339
14.7 The PUDCAD Game 340
14.8 Interaction Decisions 343
14.9 Conclusion 344
References 344
Part IV Case Studies of Computer Games 347
15 The Relationship Between Cohesive Game Design and Player Immersion: A Case Study of Original Versus Reboot Thief 348
Contents 348
15.1 Introduction 349
15.2 Background 349
15.2.1 Cohesive Design 349
15.2.2 Immersion in Games 350
15.3 Methodology 350
15.4 Results 352
15.5 Discussion 355
References 357
Ludography 358
16 Empathy and Choice in Story Driven Games: A Case Study of Telltale Games 359
Contents 359
16.1 Introduction 360
16.2 Theoretical Framework 361
16.2.1 Prosocial Behavior and Empathy 362
16.2.2 Hot Cognition and Cold Cognition 363
16.2.3 Analyzing Games in the Context of Empathy 364
16.2.4 Selected Games: The Walking Dead and the Wolf Among Us 365
16.3 Participants and Methodology 366
16.4 Findings and Discussion 367
16.4.1 Statistical Tests 367
16.4.2 Qualitative Analysis 371
16.5 Conclusion 373
References 374
17 Gender Representation and Diversity in Contemporary Video Games 377
Contents 377
17.1 Introduction 378
17.2 Research Method 378
17.3 What Is Queer Theory? 379
17.4 Approaching Video Games and Etymology 380
17.5 Changing Heteronormative Game Playing 381
17.6 Indie Queer Video Games 385
17.7 Differences Between Indie Queer Games and AAA Game Titles 388
17.8 Conclusion 389
References 390
18 A Deadly Game User Experience: The Case of#BlueWhaleChallenge 392
Contents 392
18.1 Introduction 393
18.2 Fun in Game User Experience 394
18.3 Virtual Slavery of Children and Teenagers 395
18.4 The Blue Whale Challenge 396
18.5 Methodology 398
18.6 Analysis and Discussion 399
18.7 Conclusion 402
References 402
19 Exploring Experiential Spaces in Video Games: Case Studies of Papers, Please, Beholder, and Mirror's Edge 405
Contents 405
19.1 Introduction 406
19.2 Methodology 407
19.2.1 Representation 408
19.2.2 Style 409
19.2.3 Navigation 410
19.2.4 Interaction 411
19.3 Game Analysis and Findings 411
19.3.1 Papers, Please 411
19.3.2 Beholder 416
19.3.3 Mirror's Edge 420
19.4 Conclusion 425
References 429
Ludography 430
Part V New Technologies and Player Experience 431
20 Immersiveness and Usability in VR: A Comparative Study of Monstrum and Fruit Ninja 432
Contents 432
20.1 Introduction 433
20.2 Background 433
20.3 Methodology 434
20.4 Results 435
20.5 Discussion 440
20.6 Conclusions 442
References 442
Ludography 443
21 Interactive Storytelling in Extended Reality: Conceptsfor the Design 444
Contents 444
21.1 Introduction 445
21.2 Background 446
21.2.1 Field of View 447
21.2.2 Spatial Storytelling 448
21.2.3 Eye-Contact and Gaze 449
21.2.4 Sound Cues 450
21.2.5 Social Aspects 450
21.3 Designing UX in XR 451
21.3.1 UX in Game Design 452
21.3.2 Challenges in XR 453
21.3.3 Finding a Balance in the Design 454
21.4 Case Examples 456
21.4.1 Location-Based AR Experience 456
21.4.2 VR Safety Training 458
21.4.3 Collaborative Multiplayer XR Storygame 459
21.5 Conclusion 461
References 461
22 Using AR Mechanics and Emergent Narratives to Tell BetterStories 463
Contents 463
22.1 The Emergence of Emergent Mechanics 464
22.2 A Game Is a Story That the Player Tells Themselves 466
22.3 Things That Go Bump in Your Phone 466
22.4 Onboarding in Games 467
22.5 Onboarding in Stores 469
22.6 Building a World 470
22.7 Get Players Out of Their Heads (By Getting Them Out of Their Seats) 471
22.8 Player Mechanics and Story Mechanics 472
22.8.1 Play Hide and Seek 472
22.8.2 Make Virtual Creatures Reactive 473
22.8.3 Break Reality Carefully 474
22.8.4 Selective Surprises 475
22.8.5 Any Spatial Variable Can Be a Strategy 475
22.8.6 The World Is a Shared Space 476
22.8.7 Make Your World Accessible to Everyone 476
22.9 Conclusion 477
References 478
Index 479