Aspects Of Game Research Articles

Acceptance and use of virtual reality games: an extension of HMSAM

Virtual reality (VR) is considered as one of the technological megatrends of 2020s, and today, VR systems are used in various settings, digital gaming being among the most popular ones. However, there has been a dearth of understanding regarding the central factors behind VR gaming acceptance and use. The present study therefore aimed to explain the factors that drive the use and acceptance of VR games. We extended the hedonic-motivation system acceptance model with utilitarian and inconvenience factors to capture the pertinent features of VR systems more holistically. We proposed a theoretical model and analyzed it through covariance-based structural equation modeling using an online survey sample of 473 VR gamers. Our findings help explain the role of different antecedents behind VR gaming acceptance and demonstrate that VR gaming is driven more by the hedonic gaming aspects than by the utilitarian health and well-being aspects of VR games, enjoyment being the strongest driver behind VR gaming intention and immersion. Moreover, findings also suggested that use intentions and immersion levels are not significantly diminished by physical discomfort and VR sickness. The findings, which potentially extend to other VR systems as well, also pose important implications for the providers of VR games. As the main contribution, based on our empirical findings, we provide a greater theoretical understanding on VR gaming acceptance and use.

Adaptive Support With Working Examples in Serious Games About Programming

Serious games are a growing field in academic research and they are considered an effective tool for education. Game-based learning invokes motivation and engagement in students resulting in effective instructional outcomes. An essential aspect of a serious game is the method of support for presenting the teaching material and providing feedback. A support design that evaluates students’ progress and adapts accordingly, has the potential of producing better learning results. This paper presents an adaptive model based on fuzzy logic that adjusts the support acquisition according to student knowledge level. A serious game for teaching the concepts of sequence and iteration in programming to novice students was built to assess the model. It employs working examples as a support method since previous research indicated that it produced less cognitive load during problem-solving. An empirical study with 102 students has been conducted to evaluate the learning efficiency of the model. The analysis indicates positive results and a potential solution for balancing the amount of assistance in serious games.

Formative evaluation of immersive virtual reality expedition mini-games to facilitate computational thinking

Recently, virtual reality (VR) technology has shown great potential in advancing education with many pedagogical benefits for building the 21st-century teaching and learning experience. This study conducted a formative evaluation of an immersive VR expedition application with the aim of understanding users' learning processes and how the application facilitates higher education students' computational thinking skills. Six participants were randomly selected to conduct this evaluation. A mixed research approach consisting of quantitative and qualitative methods was employed. The study quantitatively analyzed users' scores from gameplay to understand how the intervention supported computational thinking skills. Participants were also interviewed to collect data after playing the mini-games to investigate users' experiences. The study showcases players' computational thinking competency, assessed automatically during gameplay. Further, this study used inductive content analysis to demonstrate users' reactions to prototyped VR mini-games. The qualitative findings suggest that users found the VR mini-games interactive and immersive, which provided an opportunity to foster learners' computational thinking skills. The quantitative analysis revealed that student's computational thinking competency can be enhanced through consistent playing of the mini-games. Moreover, the expedition aspect of the VR game stimulated learners' curiosity, which sustained their learning progress. Furthermore, users gained new knowledge and found the mini-games educative. Nevertheless, several aspects of the VR mini-games need improvements, according to users' perceptions. This study contributes to the knowledge in terms of the affordances of VR in education research and provides relevant insights that can shape future studies, for example, the recent hype of metaverse in education.

Positive and Negative Aspects of Digital Games from the Perspective of Adolescents

The game, which is the work of the child, is handled in two ways as real play and digital play. From these games, digital games can be played with technological tools owing to the development of technology. These games also have positive and negative aspects. For this reason, it was aimed to reveal the positive and negative aspects of digital games from the point of view of adolescents in the study. Therefore, the study was carried out with 106 voluntarily adolescents who play digital games and between ages 12-14. In the study, where the data were collected quantitatively, a questionnaire consisted of open-ended-multiple-choice questions were used. According to the adolescents, the positive aspects of digital games were; eliminating boredom, reflex development, learning language, strategic thinking, experiencing competitiveness, earning money, relaxation, possibility to being an e-sport player. The negative aspects of digital games were; physical problems, problems related to lessons, attention, family.

Positive and Negative Aspects of Digital Games from the Perspective of Adolescents

The game, which is the work of the child, is handled in two ways as real play and digital play. From these games, digital games can be played with technological tools owing to the development of technology. These games also have positive and negative aspects. For this reason, it was aimed to reveal the positive and negative aspects of digital games from the point of view of adolescents in the study. Therefore, the study was carried out with 106 voluntarily adolescents who play digital games and between ages 12-14. In the study, where the data were collected quantitatively, a questionnaire consisted of open-ended-multiple-choice questions were used. According to the adolescents, the positive aspects of digital games were; eliminating boredom, reflex development, learning language, strategic thinking, experiencing competitiveness, earning money, relaxation, possibility to being an e-sport player. The negative aspects of digital games were; physical problems, problems related to lessons, attention, family.

Game of Twisted Shouting

This article takes a deeper look at the notion of ludo-narrative dissonance (henceforth LND), a popular term that refers to the perceived clash between the ludic and the narrative aspects of games. We wish to argue that a better understanding of the nature of LND and the reasons it appears in games enables us to look at this phenomenon from a new perspective that was not, as of yet, considered in game studies literature or the popular discourse. The typical approach to LND presents it as a problem or a design flaw that needs to be avoided by the developers. In contrast to this, we suggest that LND can be seen as a source of inspiration for the creators as it inherently invites the developers and the players to reflect on the game structure. We start with a closer look at the notion of LND and present three ways it can be interpreted. In section two we analyze the reasons LND can appear in games (regardless of the developers’ intentions). Section three goes through some of the existing methods of dealing with LND. Here we argue that embracing LND as a result of some of the necessary tensions of game design can result in the creative victory of the developers. We finish the paper, in the fourth section, with a longer case study of Manhunt which we see as a good exemplification of the reinvigorating power of LND.

The Concept of ‘Play’ from the Point of View of Theories of Museology

In the first decades of the 21st century, the topic of the ‘playing’ person has become the core of interdisciplinary research on human activity. As museums have been adopting a new approach towards cultural dissemination and educational goals, the discourse of play is also becoming one of the current fields of research in museology. Although the cultural aspects of play and game have been discussed for a long time, the interpretation of the concept of play from the museological point of view is a relatively new field which requires the definition of the synonymously used terms and the respective concepts. The aim of this article is to highlight the concept and function of play in museology based on the analysis of museology theories, to identify the preconditions for the formation of play communication, and to identify the directions of the development of the concept of play in the contemporary museological research. The article is based on an integrated literature review of the analysis of the concept of play while focusing on theoretical texts and monographs of scholars studying the phenomenon of play, as well as on theoretical and empirical research articles analysing the expression of play in all types of museums. This paper also discusses the linguistic use of the terms play and game. In the Lithuanian language, we not only have to deal with the synonymous use of play (žaismas)/game (žaidimas) in the translation of spel, play, spielen, but also with the use of play in the translation of both play and game used in different contexts in the English-language literature. Since game is a structured form of play, and, in the museological research and practice, game is more commonly defined as the digital expression and referred to as gamification, it is suggested that play (as an action and a state of being) should be distinguished from game (as a structured form of action) by using two different terms in the Lithuanian language. The literature reviewed in this article has highlighted that the concept of play in the museum is linked to the development of new theories of museology, and it reveals itself as a creative construct that is shaped and sustained by the institution. Play is defined as the concept for communicating the theme of the museum, manifested through the act of play and the elements of game. This approach to the dissemination of content and the organisation of activities is expressed through the application of play and game methods which allow the audience to engage in a more intensive relationship with the museum’s theme and exhibits. Play becomes a necessary medium for the museum’s metagame which includes and expresses playfulness, play action, playful elements, real and digital games, whereas the audience is engaged by play to satisfy its educational and entertainment needs. To summarise on the interdisciplinary context of the phenomenon of play, in museology, it is most appropriate to associate play with an intellectual or conceptual state that involves exchange, change and playful action. The term game in the museological context is more commonly used to refer to a specific spatial, temporal or rule-based action which, in the museum practice, is more frequently associated with gamification.

Social networks for enhanced player churn prediction in mobile free-to-play games

Social networks have been shown to enhance player experience in online games and to be important for the players, who often build complex communities. In online and mobile games, the behavior of players is bursty as they tend to play intensively at first for a short time and then quit playing altogether. Such players are known as churners. In the literature, several attempts have been made at predicting player churn in online and mobile games using behavioral features from the games’ player logs as input in supervised machine learning models. Previous research shows that information from social networks provides alternative and significant information when predicting churn, and yet the importance of networks has not been fully researched in mobile gaming. In this research, we study player churn in a mobile free-to-play game with one-versus-one matches. We build two types of networks based on how two players are matched. We train churn prediction models with features extracted from the networks to evaluate their predictive performance in terms of churn. Furthermore, we predict churn using the players’ behavioral features during their first day of game playing. According to our results, the network features greatly increase the predictive performance of the models, indicating that they carry alternative information about intention to churn. In addition, the first-day features are quite predictive, which means that first day activity is sufficient to predict churn of players quite accurately, validating the bursty behavior. Our research gives an indication of which aspects of game playing are associated with churn and allow us to study influence and social factors in mobile games.

Mental Fitness: Psychological Warfare from Battlefield to Playground.

India and its people are commonly known for their unique culture and tradition. Cricket and mythology are much interwoven into the lives of people as both are almost inseparable part of their life and culture. Although the two fields are completely different from each other, there is a deep-rooted connection between them when it comes to their popularity in India. Most of the people of India have spent their childhood either by listening to the stories of mythology or watching cricket, because the two interesting activities that consciously impact the mind and gain the attention so easily. The psychological aspects of both game and stories literally leave a strong impact in human mind. Hence, this paper attempts to integrate the psychological aspects of the game and mythology by analyzing the existing mental health problems of Indian cricketers with reference to the mythological stories of Indian heroes. It further aims to provide the proposed model for mental fitness named SPORTS as a guide to mental training for contemporary cricketers to manage their emotions and control their mind for optimal performance.

Digital Gaming Trends of Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Sample from Turkey

Background Although the gaming habits of children, adolescents, and younger adults have been investigated in Turkey there has been less emphasis on the gaming patterns of middle-aged and older adults. The current study therefore investigated middle-aged and older adults' digital gaming habits, the aspects of digital games that they believe are enjoyable and any perceived psychological and cognitive advantages. Methods Of the 177 middle-aged and older adults aged between 55 and 85 years ( M = 62) living in Turkey who partook in the study, data from 140 participants were analyzed. Participants completed the ‘Demographic Information Form’ and Engagement with Digital Games Questionnaire’ via a Qualtrics link that was distributed on social media platforms and using the convenience and snowball sampling technique. Results Findings of this study showed that out of the 57 digital game players, the majority ( N = 34) reported to play puzzle games such as Candy Crush. Moreover, gamers indicated that they believed digital games had psychological and cognitive benefits. Conclusion Overall, the findings of the current study revealed that middle-aged and older adults enjoy playing digital games for fun, stress relief, and as a mental exercise regime.

The effect of scaffolding programming games and attitudes towards programming on the development of Computational Thinking

Teaching and learning Computational Thinking (CT) is at the forefront of educational interest. In the process of teaching and learning CT, learning strategies and tools play an important role. Efforts have been made to apply several learning strategies for teaching Computational Thinking. Among them, game-based learning and scaffolding are widely adopted. However, more research is needed on how the absence and presence of scaffolding strategies in programming games could affect students' cognitive CT learning gains. This study aims to investigate the effect of scaffolding programming games on the development of middle school students’ CT. In addition, herein we aim to explore the effect of students’ programming attitudes in their CT development. To this end, students were introduced to CT under two distinct experimental conditions: a scaffolding version of a programming game and a non-scaffolding version of the same game. Results report statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-intervention CT scores for all students and statistically significant improvement in learning outcomes in favor of the scaffolding group. In addition, the study hypothesized that attitudes towards programming would have an impact on students’ CT. Although this hypothesis has not been confirmed, the results suggest that students who have a less positive attitude towards programming could particularly benefit from scaffolding aspects in programming games.

Researching and designing educational games on the basis of "self-regulated learning theory".

As one of the important research fields of educational technology, the potential of educational games has been widely recognized by academic researchers. However, in terms of practical application, it is difficult to balance education and recreation, and problems have also arisen in learners' cognitive development and skill enhancement. On this basis, this paper initially compares the educational and entertainment aspects of educational games from a learning motivation perspective. It draws on the theory of self-regulated learning and ARCS learning to establish an ARCS learning motivation model and educational game design framework. Finally, it develops a bio evolution education game that is based on this framework, and this verifies that this framework can feasibly guide practice. In drawing on the theory of autonomous learning, this paper discusses the design framework of stimulating and sustaining learning in educational games, and establishes a bridge between user learning behavior and entertainment behavior. This will provide a theoretical and case study reference for the integration of educational purpose and game entertainment into educational games.

Developing a more engaging safety training in agriculture: Gender differences in digital game preferences

Digital games have been effectively used in different working sectors as an occupational safety training method but they are still overlooked in agriculture, despite the high hazardousness of this industry. At the same time, the gender issue is becoming more and more relevant both in the digital game and agricultural fields because of an increasing number of females, both among the agricultural operators and the game players . Based on these considerations, our study aimed at investigating gender differences in the preference for different game characteristics to point out which aspects of a new game for safety training purposes in agriculture may appeal to both male and female operators and which aspects need instead a careful design and high levels of customization, to be equally appreciated by both genders. An online questionnaire was administered to a group of Italian Agricultural Science university students (N = 137, 65% males and 35% females) to investigate their game preferences, in terms of game characteristics, genre and graphic style. Some clear differences (in tasks, quests, rules, and goals, colors and variety), and similarities (in graphics, drama, better rewards and game genre) emerged in males' and females' preferences. Based on these results, some practical guidelines are provided for the design of a gamified safety training tool which can appeal to and be considered engaging by both genders.

COMPUTER GAMES AS A SUBJECT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

The article is devoted to the specifics of the study of computer games. The authors propose to analyzethe phenomenon of computer games in three dimensions: philosophical and cultural, socio-economic andpsychological and pedagogical. The research methodology consists of general scientific methods of systemanalysis and an interdisciplinary approach to the subject of study. As a result, the authors conclude that thereis a need for an integrated approach to the study of computer games and the impossibility of studying one ofthe aspects of computer games in isolation from the other. The experience of interdisciplinary research makesit possible to prevent a one-sided view of computer games and to consider the game as a key accompliceof progress that has led to the development of digital culture, new forms of cognition, means and scales ofcommunication, ways of monetization, new methods of psychological relief.

Mobile phone virtual reality game for pediatric home burn dressing pain management: a randomized feasibility clinical trial

BackgroundVirtual reality (VR) gaming is considered a safe and effective alternative to standard pain alleviation in the hospital. This study addressed the potential effectiveness and feasibility of a VR game that was developed by our research team for repeated at-home burn dressing changes.MethodsA randomized clinical trial was conducted among patients recruited from the outpatient burn clinic of a large American Burn Association–verified pediatric burn center between September 2019 and June 2021. We included English-speaking burn patients aged 5–17 years old requiring daily dressing changes for at least 1 week after first outpatient dressing change. One group played an interactive VR game during dressing changes, while the other utilized standard distraction techniques available in the home for up to a week. Both child and caretaker were asked to assess perceived pain on a numerical rating scale (NRS) of 0–10. For the VR group, patients were also asked to rate various aspects of the VR game on a NRS of 0–10 and caregivers were asked questions assessing ease of use.ResultsA total of 35 children were recruited for this study with 24 fully completing study measures. The majority of participants were male (n=19, 54.3%), White (n=29, 82.9%), and with second degree burns (n=32, 91.4%). Children and caregivers in the VR group reported less pain than the control group at the 4th dressing change. Participants in the VR group showed a clinically meaningful (≥30%) reduction in child-reported overall pain (33.3%) and caregiver-reported worst pain (31.6%) in comparison with subjects in the control group. Children’s satisfaction with the VR remained at a high level across dressing changes over the 1-week period, with reported realism and engagement increasing over time. Over half of the children (54.5%) enjoyed playing the game and did not report any challenges nor any side effects.ConclusionsSubjects found the VR to be a useful distraction during home dressing changes and reported no challenges/side effects. VR should be considered as a nonpharmacologic companion for pain management during at-home burn dressing changes.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04548635. Registered September 14, 2020—retrospectively registered

Gamification of robotic simulation to train general surgery residents.

Gamification applies game design elements to non-game contexts in order to engage participation and increase learner motivation. Robotic surgery is gaining popularity in general surgery but requires specialized technical skills. We sought to determine whether gamification of robotic simulation training could increase robotic simulator utilization among general surgery residents. General surgery residents were recruited and sent weekly progress on simulator performance including leaderboards for 4weeksduring the intervention periods. There were also two control periods setup in an ABAB study design. Usage time and mean scores were compared between the control periods and intervention periods. A post-study qualitative assessment interview using semi-structured interviews determined barriers and motivational components of simulator usage. Fifteen general surgery residents enrolled in the study (n = 15). Intervention increased total simulator usage time 9.7-fold from 153 to 1485min. Total simulator days increased threefold from 9 to 27days. Resident participation increased from 33 to 53%. Median average scores were higher during the intervention periods (58.8 and 81.9 vs 44.0). During the first intervention period, median individual-level simulator usage time increased 17min (P = 0.03). However, there was no individual-level increase in median usage minutes or days during the second intervention period. Qualitative assessment determined barriers to be limited time due to clinical duties, and simulator availability while motivational factors included competitive factors such as leaderboards and gaming aspects. Potential improvements were increasing attending visibility of scores to increase recognition of progress by the residents and creating dedicated time for training. Gamification of robotic simulation training increased general surgery resident participation, usage time and scores. Impact was not durable. Instituting dedicated practice time and more attending engagement may increase trainee motivation and performance.

Developing Board Game to Improve Students’ Grammar Mastery of The Eleven Grade Students of SMKN 4 Malang

A board game is a type of play where participants follow defined rules. A board games as the utilization of games to support teaching and learning grammar. Board games that incorporate curriculum content or other educational material are referred to as educational games (Michel, 2016). Educational games can be considered as an example of these fun-based teaching methods. This study uses Research and Development (R&D) design, it develops supplementary material for helps students to learning grammar. The product was designed through adopted stages of development from Akker (1999). The researcher found every aspect of the board game in this research then can be used as upplementary material for students have more knowledge on how to arrange a word by word to make a apropriate sentence, how to learn about tenses, how to make a teamwork with partner, how to handle certain situation and also how to develop themselves better as a student will be. In this addition, the researcher discussed the material of the the product. The first step was preliminary stage the researcher used SMKN 4 Malang as a place of observation. Second, the formative evaluation phase or analysis stage, the researche was interviewing a english teacher in SMKN 4 Malang to know the problem of students to learning grammar. The third step was prototyping. In this step, the researcher design the product (TANGAMES board game) An expert give the feedback to product. The product is validated by expert to make sure that the product meets the requirements needed as a proper teaching media that can be used in teaching process. After feedbacks received, the product then will be tested in SMKN 4 Malang. Next stage is interviewing, Some students will be interviewed by the research to know the effectiveness of the product. Last stage, product will be revised and adjusted as needed.

Digital games, literacy and language learning in L1 and L2

In this comparative systematic review, we analyse how the use of digital games inside and outside school settings might support primary and secondary students’ literacy and language learning in relation to first language (L1) and second language (L2) educational contexts. Our findings indicate widely different patterns from utilising diverse game aspects, theories, and research methodologies in relation to the two different subject areas, which show that they are less convergent than what often is suggested in research that compares the two subjects in a globalised world. The L1 studies indicate positive findings with mainly commercial games in relation to writing, multimodal production, critical literacy, and, partly, to reading. The L2 studies report positive findings with educational games in relation to the investigated language skills (vocabulary, reading, and writing), though with an increasing number of studies conducted in out-of-school settings examining commercial gaming practices. We discuss the findings from the two K-12 subjects using a cross-disciplinary perspective, and we suggest directions for future research.

Socio-psychological background of national games

The article is about the socio-psychological aspect of folk games, which stood at the origins of the formation of the centuries-old culture of the Kazakh people, although, they are still poorly studied. The main object of the study is the intellectual game «Uyshik-uyshik», that is an integral part of the national culture and contributes to the formation of personality in the first years of the person’s life. Anattempt has been made to study the nature of national games. Collected materials, works of shcolars showed a gap in the study of this topic. The article examines the abilities of the participant of the game: imagination, creativity, imitation, rivalry, worldview, orientation in time and space, also explains the conditions and rules of the game. It is noted that one of the conditions for the formation of children’s speaking skills is listening; the formation of intellectual abilities is due to the ability to verbally express what they see, hear and think. This is facilitated by the children’s game «Uyshik-uyshik». The relations between the players are based on the principles of solidarity, understanding, respect, friendship, and this serves as a socio-psychological basis for instilling universal values in children. The role of the game as the foundation of the formation of a mature person is proved. The result of the research and evidence revealed the socio-psychological significance of the game.

Serious games in science education: a systematic literature

Teaching science through computer games, simulations, and artificial intelligence (AI) is an increasingly active research field. To this end, we conducted a systematic literature review on serious games for science education to reveal research trends and patterns. We discussed the role of virtual reality (VR), AI, and augmented reality (AR) games in teaching science subjects like physics. Specifically, we covered the research spanning between 2011 and 2021, investigated country-wise concentration and most common evaluation methods, and discussed the positive and negative aspects of serious games in science education in particular and attitudes towards the use of serious games in education in general.