Effects of Self-selected Music and the Arousal Level of Music on User Experience and Performance in Video Games

Abstract

Music is important in video games. It has to be considered more than just an environmental stimulus. However, the role of music in user experience in video games has received little attention in the literature. In particular, there is still a need for investigation of the effects of self-selected music and the arousal level of music on player experience. An experiment was designed to study the effects of these music characteristics on player performance and player experience in different genres of games. Although no significant effect on performance was observed, results showed that the type of music displayed when playing has an impact on players’ affective enjoyment and music perception. Moreover, further analyses revealed significant interactions between the genre of game and the type of music presented on player experience. Overall, these findings suggest that music should be better taken in account in video game design to optimize player experience.