Abstract
From the middle-20th century to today, video games have grown from an idiosyncratic interest of computer programmers and engineers to a globally dominant form of media entertainment. Advances in technology and creativity have combined to present players with interactive experience that vary in their cognitive, emotional, physical, and social complexity. That video games constitute co-authored experiences—dialogues between the player and the system—is at least one explanation for their appeal, but this co-authorship brings with it an enhanced set of requirements for the player’s attention. For this thematic issue, researchers were invited to debate and examine the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social demands of video games; their work (as well as the impetus for this work) is summarized below.
Highlights
It could be said that a driving motivation behind the development of mediated technologies is to close myriad gaps between users and spaces, events, and agents
Higher levels of cognitive demand diminished players’ sense of control following the game, suggesting that the mental effort required of the harder game likely had a fatiguing effect on players
This article made study materials and data analysis freely available at https://osf.io/jgp58, and the research provides additional data points for the broader literature focused on interactive media and psychological outcomes associated with well-being
Summary
It could be said that a driving motivation behind the development of mediated technologies is to close myriad gaps between users and spaces, events, and agents (or some combination of each). Media and Communication, 2019, Volume 7, Issue 4, Pages 144–148 video games provide players with “a series of interesting decisions.’’
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