Abstract
With the growing popularity of exergames, researchers have noted the importance of presenting players with customizable avatars to encourage the long-term adoption of healthy behaviors offline. However, the “idealized” avatar bodies presented in avatar customization interfaces can represent limited body types and often problematically represent gender as binary. In this paper, we present a systematic analysis of the avatar customization interfaces of six console-based exergames. Results of our analysis indicate that customization options tend to be limited in exergames, especially with regard to body type and gender. Implications for avatar self-priming, self-identification, and healthy behavior adoption are discussed.
Highlights
The growing popularity of exergames in both the public and research spheres has mobilized several game-based exercise interventions on an international scale
To productively explore the relationship between avatar appearance and offline health behaviors, we propose that first a comparative analysis of avatar customization options in exergames must be conducted
Critical analysis of avatar customization interfaces is largely discursive, providing narrative accounts of limitations on selfrepresentation that are strongly grounded in relevant theories, but fall short at producing productive discourses that contextualize these results in a meaningful way
Summary
The growing popularity of exergames in both the public and research spheres has mobilized several game-based exercise interventions on an international scale (e.g., see Ho et al, 2017; Matallaoui et al, 2017). When performing squats, the glutes and legs of the avatar light up. If the squats are performed perfectly, these sections of the body light up brightly and appear to be on fire, which indicates that the exercise is being performed most effectively. Avatar customization options in exergames are typically limited in both quality and quantity, focusing on the customization of athletic gear rather than the avatar’s body. We present an analysis of avatar body customizations available in console-based exergames that offer avatar customization, focusing on the choices pertaining to body type and gender. We propose that more options for avatar bodies – choices that move beyond the gender-binary and take different body types into account – would ensure a more socially inclusive design in future exergames involving customizable avatars
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