Commercial Video Research Articles

The Puzzle Challenge Analysis Tool. A Tool for Analysing the Cognitive Challenge Level of Puzzles in Video Games

Video games are often designed around puzzles and problem-solving, leading to challenging yet engaging experiences for players. However, it is hard to measure or compare the challenge level of puzzles in video games. This can make designing appropriately challenging puzzles problematic. This study collates previous work to present refined definitions for challenge and difficulty within the context of video games. We present the Puzzle Challenge Analysis tool which can be used to determine the best metrics for analysing the challenge level of puzzles within video games. Previous research has focused on measuring the difficulty of simple action video games, such as Pac-Man, which can be easily modified for research purposes. Existing methods to measure challenge or difficulty include measuring player brain activity, examining game features and player scores. However, some of these approaches cannot be applied to puzzles or puzzle games. For example, approaches relying on game scores will not work for puzzle games with no scoring system, where puzzles are either solved or not. This paper describes the design and development of the Puzzle Challenge Analysis tool using two case studies of commercial video games The Witness and Untitled Goose Game. The tool is also tested for generalisability on a third commercial puzzle video game, Baba Is You. This proposed tool can help game designers and researchers to objectively analyse and compare puzzle challenge and produce more in-depth insights into the player experience. This has implications for designing challenging and engaging games for a range of player abilities.

Ecomodding. Understanding and Communication the Climate Crisis by Co-Creating Commercial Video Games

Ecomodding. Understanding and Communication the Climate Crisis by Co-Creating Commercial Video Games

Design and Validity Evidence for a Unique Endoscopy Simulator Using a Commercial Video Game.

BackgroundProcedural simulation enhances early endoscopy training. Multiple commercial simulators are available; however, their application is limited by cost and poor user compliance. First-person “shooter” (FPS) video games are popular. In this study, we aimed to show that a novel in-house designed colonoscope controller used to play an FPS video game shares similar constructs with real-life endoscopy.MethodologyParticipants completed the first three levels on an FPS video game, Portal (Valve Corporation, Bellevue, WA), first using a conventional controller and then the modified endoscope controller. A total of 12 expert endoscopists and 12 surgical residents with minimal endoscopy experience were evaluated based on completion time, button presses, and hand motion analyses.ResultsExperts outperformed novices for completion time (expert: 944 seconds; novice: 1,515 seconds; p = 0.006) and hand movements (expert: 1,263.1; novice: 2,052.6; p = 0.004) in using the novel colonoscope controller. There was no difference in button presses or total path length traveled. Furthermore, performance did not differ using conventional game controls.ConclusionsExperts outperformed novices using the endoscope but not the conventional controller with respect to the economy of movement and completion time. This result confirms that our endoscope-controlled video game shares similar paradigms with real-life endoscopy and serves as a first step toward creating a more enjoyable and cheaper alternative to commercially available endoscopy simulators.

6G Networks for Next Generation of Digital TV Beyond 2030.

This paper prosed a novel 6G QoS over the future 6G wireless architecture to offer excellent Quality of Service (QoS) for the next generation of digital TV beyond 2030. During the last 20 years, the way society used to watch and consume TV and Cinema has changed radically. The creation of the Over The Top content platforms based on Cloud Services followed by its commercial video consumption model, offering flexibility for subscribers such as n Video on Demand. Besides the new business model created, the network infrastructure and wireless technologies also permitted the streaming of high-quality TV and film formats such as High Definition, followed by the latest widespread TV standardization Ultra-High- Definition TV. Mobile Broadband services onset the possibility for consumers to watch TV or Video content anywhere at any time. However, the network infrastructure needs continuous improvement, primarily when crises, like the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the worldwide pandemic, creates immense network traffic congestions. The outcome of that congestion was the decrease of QoS for such multimedia services, impacting the user’s experience. More power-hungry video applications are commencing to test the networks’ resilience and future roadmap of 5G and Beyond 5G (B5G). For this, 6G architecture planning must be focused on offering the ultimate QoS for prosumers beyond 2030.

Review: Gaming Utopia: Ludic Worlds in Art, Design, and Media, by Claudia Costa Pederson

Review: <i>Gaming Utopia: Ludic Worlds in Art, Design, and Media</i>, by Claudia Costa Pederson

Commercial Off-The-Shelf Video Games for Reducing Stress and Anxiety: Systematic Review.

BackgroundUsing commercial off-the-shelf video games rather than custom-made computer games could have several advantages for reducing stress and anxiety, including their low cost, advanced graphics, and the possibility to reach millions of individuals worldwide. However, it is important to emphasize that not all commercial video games are equal, and their effects strongly depend on specific characteristics of the games.ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review was to describe the literature on the use of commercial off-the-shelf video games for diminishing stress and anxiety, examining the research outcomes along with critical variables related to computer game characteristics (ie, genre, platform, time of play).MethodsA systematic search of the literature was performed following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. The search databases were PsycINFO, Web of Science, Medline, IEEExplore, and the Cochrane Library. The search string was: [(“video game*”) OR (“computer game*”)] AND [(“stress”) OR (“anxiety”) OR (“relaxation”)] AND [(“study”) OR (“trial”) OR (“training”)].ResultsA total of 28 studies met the inclusion criteria for the publication period 2006-2021. The findings demonstrate the benefit of commercial off-the-shelf video games for reducing stress in children, adults, and older adults. The majority of the retrieved studies recruited young adults, and fewer studies have involved children, middle-aged adults, and older adults. In addition to exergames and casual video games, other genres of commercial off-the-shelf games helped to reduce stress and anxiety.ConclusionsEfficacy in reducing stress and anxiety has been demonstrated not only for exergames and casual video games but also for other genres such as action games, action-adventure games, and augmented reality games. Various gaming platforms, including consoles, PCs, smartphones, mobile consoles, and virtual reality systems, have been used with positive results. Finally, even single and short sessions of play had benefits in reducing stress and anxiety.Trial RegistrationInternational Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols INPLASY202130081; https://inplasy.com/?s=INPLASY202130081

Getting under your skin(s): a legal-ethical exploration of Fortnite's transformation into a content delivery platform and its manipulative potential*

This article investigates the ethical and legal implications of increasingly manipulative practices in the gaming industry by looking at one of the currently most popular and profitable video games in the world. Fortnite has morphed from an online game into a quasi-social network and an important cultural reference point in the lifeworld of many (young) people. The game is also emblematic of the freemium business model, with strong incentives to design the game in a manner which maximizes microtransactions. This article suggests that to properly understand Fortnite's practices – which we predict will become more widely adopted in the video game industry in the near future – we need an additional perspective. Fortnite is not only designed for hyper-engagement; its search for continued growth and sustained relevance is driving its transformation from being a mere video game into a content delivery platform. This means that third parties can offer non game-related services to players within Fortnite's immersive game experience. In this paper, we draw on an ethical theory of manipulation (which defines manipulation as an ethically problematic influence on a person's behaviour) to explore whether the gaming experience offered by Fortnite harbours manipulative potential. To legally address the manipulative potential of commercial video game practices such as the ones found in Fortnite, we turn to European data protection and consumer protection law. More specifically, we explore how the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation and Unfair Commercial Practices Directive can provide regulators with tools to address Fortnite's manipulative potential and to make Fortnite (more) forthright.

Exploration of Parental Advertising Literacy and Parental Mediation: Influencer Marketing of Media Character Toy and Merchandise

This study uncovers parents’ advertising literacy and their mediation strategies of influencers’ commercial videos that contain media character merchandise. Thirty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of preschool-aged children currently living in the United States. Few parents could articulate how influencer marketing works on social media in detail. For a majority of parents, influencer marketing was powerful and alluring but also inappropriate for young children. Popular media characters were limitedly discussed as a strategy to attract young children. While multiple mediation strategies were shared, parents with higher affective and moral advertising literacy tended to practice either restrictive mediation or active mediation. Practical implications for scholars and educators are discussed.

Commercial video games as a resource for mental health: A systematic literature review

ABSTRACT Game-based interventions have been gradually and successfully implemented in the mental health domain given the games’ ability to positively affect a variety of mental health conditions. To this aim, scholars have recently discovered the usefulness of Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) video games, due to their increasing popularity, availability, and cost effectiveness. Nevertheless, key aspects of this line of research have not emerged yet, since a comprehensive overview of how commercial video games impact on different mental disorders is still missing. In this article, we present a systematic literature review of recent research that focuses on the usage of commercial video games in mental health. We analyse 39 papers and map the relevant themes that are recurrent in the last ten years of research, offering a detailed understanding of the methodological approaches that were used, the results obtained, the main disorders addressed, and the video game genres exploited. On the basis of these findings, we highlight open issues in current work and point out a variety of research opportunities that could be tackled in future years, like the need of conducting more field and longitudinal studies, the necessity of developing the design knowledge, and the possibility of connecting research with clinical practice.

Player Profiling with Fallout 3

In previous research we concluded that a personality profile, based on the Five Factor Model, can be constructed from observations of a player’s behavior in a module that we designed for Neverwinter Nights (Lankveld et al. 2011a). In the present research, we investigate whether we can do the same thing in an actual modern commercial video game, in this case the game Fallout 3. We stored automatic observations on 36 participants who played the introductory stages of Fallout 3. We then correlated these observations with the participants’ personality profiles, expressed by values for five personality traits as measured by the standard NEO-FFI questionnaire. Our analysis shows correlations between all five personality traits and the game observations. These results validate and generalize the results from our previous research (Lankveld et al. 2011a). We may conclude that Fallout 3, and by extension other modern video games, allows players to express their personality, and can therefore be used to create personality profiles.

Sharing is entertaining: the impact of consumer values on video sharing and brand equity

PurposeThe study aims to ascertain the impacts of entertainment, social and functional values on the likelihood of sharing commercial videos online and verify whether consumers' likelihood to share videos impacts brand attachment and brand equity.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted with 368 university students who watched videos of five companies on YouTube Brazil. The electronic form had 24 questions covering the constructs entertainment value, social value, functional value, likelihood to share, brand attachment and brand equity. The structural equation modeling (SEM) tested the survey´s hypothetical model.FindingsThe entertainment value and the social value had positive impacts on the likelihood to share commercial videos online. Moreover, the likelihood to share videos positively impacted brand attachment and brand equity. Finally, brand attachment had a positive effect on brand equity.Practical implicationsEntertainment and social values affect the likelihood to share commercial videos, stimulating consumer engagement with brands through interactive marketing on SNSs. Therefore, companies should produce fun videos that add social value to consumers to go viral, positively influencing brands. Finally, another contribution is the impact of video sharing on brand attachment. Previous studies have contemplated only the opposite relationship between these constructs.Originality/valueThis research adds value to interactive marketing by investigating consumers' behaviors, their interactivity in social networking sites (SNSs) and the impacts on brands. It is the only study that simultaneously contemplates the effects of entertainment, social and functional values on the likelihood to share commercial videos online and demonstrates its impact on brand attachment and brand equity.

Gaming Your Mental Health: A Narrative Review on Mitigating Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety Using Commercial Video Games.

Globally, depression and anxiety are the two most prevalent mental health disorders. They occur both acutely and chronically, with various symptoms commonly expressed subclinically. The treatment gap and stigma associated with such mental health disorders are common issues encountered worldwide. Given the economic and health care service burden of mental illnesses, there is a heightened demand for accessible and cost-effective methods that prevent occurrence of mental health illnesses and facilitate coping with mental health illnesses. This demand has been exacerbated post the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent increase in incidence of mental health disorders. To address these demands, a growing body of research is exploring alternative solutions to traditional mental health treatment methods. Commercial video games have been shown to impart cognitive benefits to those playing regularly (ie, attention control, cognitive flexibility, and information processing). In this paper, we specifically focus on the mental health benefits associated with playing commercial video games to address symptoms of depression and anxiety. In light of the current research, we conclude that commercial video games show great promise as inexpensive, readily accessible, internationally available, effective, and stigma-free resources for the mitigation of some mental health issues in the absence of, or in addition to, traditional therapeutic treatments.

Moving outside the lab: Markerless motion capture accurately quantifies sagittal plane kinematics during the vertical jump

Markerless motion capture using deep learning approaches have potential to revolutionize the field of biomechanics by allowing researchers to collect data outside of the laboratory environment, yet there remain questions regarding the accuracy and ease of use of these approaches. The purpose of this study was to apply a markerless motion capture approach to extract lower limb angles in the sagittal plane during the vertical jump and to evaluate agreement between the custom trained model and gold standard motion capture. We performed this study using a large open source data set (N = 84) that included synchronized commercial video and gold standard motion capture. We split these data into a training set for model development (n = 69) and test set to evaluate capture performance relative to gold standard motion capture using coefficient of multiple correlations (CMC) (n = 15). We found very strong agreement between the custom trained markerless approach and marker-based motion capture within the test set across the entire movement (CMC > 0.991, RMSE < 3.22°), with at least strong CMC values across all trials for the hip (0.853 ± 0.23), knee (0.963 ± 0.471), and ankle (0.970 ± 0.055). The strong agreement between markerless and marker-based motion capture provides evidence that markerless motion capture is a viable tool to extend data collection to outside of the laboratory. As biomechanical research struggles with representative sampling practices, markerless motion capture has potential to transform biomechanical research away from traditional laboratory settings into venues convenient to populations that are under sampled without sacrificing measurement fidelity.

Applications of Biological and Physiological Signals in Commercial Video Gaming and Game Research: A Review

Video gaming is now available as a fully immersive experience that creates responsive inputs and outputs concerning the user, and some experimental developers have integrated the use of the voice, brain, or muscles as input controls. The use of physiological signal equipment can provide valuable information regarding the emotion of a player or patient during gameplay. In this article, we discuss five of the most common biosignals that are used in gaming research, and their function and devices that may be used for measurement. We break down those individual signals and present examples of research studies that implement them. We also discuss the usage of biological signals within commercial gaming and conclude with some possible future directions for the use of biological signals in gaming and game research.

Hands Off Yet All In: A Virtual Clerkship Pilot in the Ambulatory Setting During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

There is a paucity of guidance regarding implementation of telemedicine curricula at the clerkship level, particularly with students actively engaged in video and telephone encounters. The COVID-19 pandemic caused rapid shifts in the delivery of medical education to clerkship-level students. This article describes the successful pilot of a direct patient care, virtual health curriculum at the clerkship level and discusses lessons learned. All 18 preceptors and 5 students at Stanford University School of Medicine, California, enrolled in the required 4-week family medicine clerkship in April 2020 were connected as virtual partners via a commercial video platform. The combined use of both this video program and Epic electronic health record (EHR) software as modes for teaching and patient care led to technical challenges and logistical hurdles. As part of an iterative process, clerkship leadership identified problems via preceptor and student interviews and integrated that feedback to create a model for delivering high-quality, clerkship-level clinical instruction during the COVID-19 shelter in place order. Of those who completed an evaluation, the majority of preceptors (n = 16; 89%) and students (n = 4; 100%, 1 student did not respond) expressed satisfaction with the virtual, remote teaching model conducted over 37 clinic visits. A detailed 14-step process list resulted from identifying and addressing both audio and video technical challenges and is provided for use by other institutions that wish to implement this workflow. Future directions include assessing patient perspectives on the involvement of students in virtual visits, soliciting patient input for a more robust patient-physician-student virtual experience, and integrating a multiparty platform, when available, via the EHR to afford greater student autonomy.

Integration of Motor Learning Principles Into Virtual Reality Interventions for Individuals With Cerebral Palsy: Systematic Review.

BackgroundIncreasing evidence supports the use of virtual reality systems to improve upper limb motor functions in individuals with cerebral palsy. While virtual reality offers the possibility to include key components to promote motor learning, it remains unclear if and how motor learning principles are incorporated into the development of rehabilitation interventions using virtual reality.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to determine the extent to which motor learning principles are integrated into virtual reality interventions targeting upper limb function in individuals with cerebral palsy.MethodsA systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The search was performed in 10 databases using a combination of keywords related to cerebral palsy, virtual reality, video games, and rehabilitation. Studies were divided into 2 categories: commercial video game platforms and devices and custom virtual reality systems. Study quality was assessed using the modified Downs and Black checklist.ResultsThe initial search yielded 1497 publications. A total of 26 studies from 30 publications were included, with most studies classified as “fair” according to the modified Downs and Black checklist. The majority of studies provided enhanced feedback and variable practice and used functionally relevant and motivating virtual tasks. The dosage varied greatly (total training time ranged from 300 to 3360 minutes), with only 6 studies reporting the number of movement repetitions per session. The difficulty progression and the assessment of skills retention and transfer were poorly incorporated, especially for the commercial video games.ConclusionsMotor learning principles should be better integrated into the development of future virtual reality systems for optimal upper limb motor recovery in individuals with cerebral palsy.Trial RegistrationPROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42020151982; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020151982

Getting Under Your Skin(s): A Legal-Ethical Exploration of Fortnite’s Transformation Into a Content Delivery Platform and Its Manipulative Potential

This paper investigates the ethical and legal implications of increasingly manipulative practices in the gaming industry by looking at one of the currently most popular and profitable video games in the world. Fortnite has morphed from an online game into a quasi-social network and an important cultural reference point in the lifeworld of many (young) people. The game is also emblematic of the freemium business model, with strong incentives to design the game in a manner which maximizes microtransactions. This article suggests that to properly understand Fortnite’s practices – which we predict will become more widely adopted in the video game industry in the near future – we need an additional perspective. Fortnite is not only designed for hyper-engagement; its search for continued growth and sustained relevance is driving its transformation from being a mere video game into a content delivery platform. This means that third parties can offer non game-related services to players within Fortnite’s immersive game experience. In this paper, we draw on an ethical theory of manipulation (which defines manipulation as an ethically problematic influence on a person’s behavior) to explore whether the gaming experience offered by Fortnite harbors manipulative potential. To legally address the manipulative potential of commercial video game practices such as the ones found in Fortnite, we turn to European data protection and consumer protection law. More specifically, we explore how the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation and Unfair Commercial Practices Directive can provide regulators with tools to address Fortnite’s manipulative potential and to make Fortnite (more) forthright.

Video Games for the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.

Video games are a promising area of intervention for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, reviews on this topic are scarce. This review on studies exploring video games for the treatment of ASD followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, and its protocol was registered in PROSPERO. PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, WebOfScience and clinicaltrials.gov databases were searched. Twenty-four articles were included in the review. Video game-based interventions were effective for alleviating ASD symptoms, albeit with small effect sizes. High rates of acceptability and adherence to treatment were obtained. Conclusion: Video games are a promising area for improving the treatment of children with ASD. Exploring commercial video games is one of the lines for future research.

Getting under your skin(s): a legal-ethical exploration of Fortnite's transformation into a content delivery platform and its manipulative potential

This article investigates the ethical and legal implications of increasingly manipulative practices in the gaming industry by looking at one of the currently most popular and profitable video games in the world. Fortnite has morphed from an online game into a quasi-social network and an important cultural reference point in the lifeworld of many (young) people. The game is also emblematic of the freemium business model, with strong incentives to design the game in a manner which maximizes microtransactions. This article suggests that to properly understand Fortnite's practices – which we predict will become more widely adopted in the video game industry in the near future – we need an additional perspective. Fortnite is not only designed for hyper-engagement; its search for continued growth and sustained relevance is driving its transformation from being a mere video game into a content delivery platform. This means that third parties can offer non game-related services to players within Fortnite's immersive game experience. In this paper, we draw on an ethical theory of manipulation (which defines manipulation as an ethically problematic influence on a person's behaviour) to explore whether the gaming experience offered by Fortnite harbours manipulative potential. To legally address the manipulative potential of commercial video game practices such as the ones found in Fortnite, we turn to European data protection and consumer protection law. More specifically, we explore how the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation and Unfair Commercial Practices Directive can provide regulators with tools to address Fortnite's manipulative potential and to make Fortnite (more) forthright.

Let CONAN tell you a story: Procedural quest generation

This work proposes an engine for the Creation Of Novel Adventure Narrative (CONAN), which is a procedural quest generator that uses a planning approach. The engine is tested on its ability to create quests, which are sets of actions that must be performed in order to achieve a certain goal. The engine takes in a world description represented as a set of facts, including characters, locations, and items, and generates quests according to the state of the world and the preferences of the characters in it. We evaluate quests through the classification of the motivations behind the quests. We also compare world descriptions of two different sizes. Compared to human structural quest classification, the current engine was found to be able to replicate the quest structures found in commercial video game quests.