Current Game Research Articles

NarrativeGenie: Generating Narrative Beats and Dynamic Storytelling with Large Language Models

Interactive narrative in games utilize a combination of dynamic adaptability and predefined story elements to support player agency and enhance player engagement. However, crafting such narratives requires significant manual authoring and coding effort to translate scripts to playable game levels. Advances in pretrained large language models (LLMs) have introduced the opportunity to procedurally generate narratives. This paper presents NarrativeGenie, a framework to generate narrative beats as a cohesive, partially ordered sequence of events that shapes narrative progressions from brief natural language instructions. By leveraging LLMs for reasoning and generation, NarrativeGenie, translates a designer’s story overview into a partially ordered event graph to enable player-driven narrative beat sequencing. Our findings indicate that NarrativeGenie can provide an easy and effective way for designers to generate an interactive game episode with narrative events that align with the intended story arc while at the same time granting players agency in their game experience. We extend our framework to dynamically direct the narrative flow by adapting real-time narrative interactions based on the current game state and player actions. Results demonstrate that NarrativeGenie generates narratives that are coherent and aligned with the designer’s vision.

Women in Video Games: An Analysis of the Biased Representation of Female Characters in Current Video Games

AbstractVideo games have become the largest sector of the global entertainment industry, making their cultural influence significant. This study examines gender representation in mainstream videogames in Spain across PlayStation, XBOX, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms. Using content analysis, we analyze 313 female and male characters presented in video games. The results show a problematic representation of women in terms of quantity and quality. Women are significantly underrepresented, starring in only 17.78% of game covers and 35.29% of in-game audiovisual content, limiting their visibility and relatability for players. Furthermore, female characters are frequently relegated to secondary roles, depicted with submissive attitudes, unrealistic body types, and subjected to various forms of violence. Despite some games promoting inclusion, a tendency to masculinize female figures persists. The research underscores the impact of these patterns on children and young players’ identity formation, urging reflection on gender values in popular videogames and proposing practical solutions for educators and the video game industry to foster more equitable and diverse portrayals of women in media.

Gender differences in internet gaming among university students: a discriminant analysis

IntroductionResearch on gaming and gaming habits has predominantly focused on younger populations, particularly males. The main objective of this study was to analyze gender-based differences in gamer profiles, considering variables related to gaming habits and the gaming community.MethodsA total of 180 Spanish university students currently engaged in video gaming (M = 21.51 years, SD = 3.09, 57.4% male) participated in the study by completing an online questionnaire addressing gaming characteristics such as the age of onset, gaming hours, motives of gaming, and perceived toxicity in the video gaming community.ResultsThe results revealed statistically significant gender differences in the age of gaming initiation, weekly gaming hours, community toxicity, and several gaming motivations, including customization, cognitive challenge, violent gratification, and social interaction. Linear discriminant analysis identified that higher scores in the age of initiation and customization, along with lower scores in violent gratification and community toxicity, formed the combination of predictor variables that most strongly distinguished between genders.ConclusionUnderstanding these gender differences is essential for capturing current gaming trends and addressing the needs of diverse gamers. Finally, the potential clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Older adults and game-based systems: Engagement model and player types of characterization based on their motivations

Older adults are now actively participating in game-based systems. They find in these technological solutions not only a form of entertainment and socialization, but also a way to stimulate themselves physically and cognitively. Although, their participation is increasing, they face challenges such as the digital divide, since most of the games are oriented to a young audience with different tastes and motivations. Therefore, although positive results are obtained in terms of participation, there is still potential for improvement, since current game experiences are not fully adapted to the tastes and needs of older adults. Consequently, the objective of this paper is to propose a characterization of the types of players in older adults, based on the motivations previously identified. This is to better understand this population and design more appropriate game experiences. It is hoped that from the results of this research it will be possible to create attractive and fun game environments for older adults, thus improving their experience as players in these systems.

Players’ continuous willingness to play in MOBA game ranking mode: through the lens of self-determination theory and social comparison theory

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games are a popular genre in the current gaming field, and the highly competitive ranking mode is one of the core parts of the gameplay, and the study of the factors affecting players’ continuous willingness to play is a necessary issue to ensure the sustainable profitability of these games. This study has developed a conceptual model delineating the continuous willingness of players within the MOBA game ranking mode, employing the frameworks of self-determination theory (SDT) and social comparison theory (SCT). In this study, 396 valid data samples were collected using questionnaire method. The results show that, social comparison enhances players’ continuous willingness and avatar identification, and indirectly enhances their continuous willingness through mediation by avatar identification, while game frustration has a significant positive moderating effect in both paths. This study contributes to both theoretical explorations and practical approaches to MOBA game ranking mode.

Analysing elite European basketball players’ performances according to travel demands, game schedule and contextual factors

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effects of travel demands, scheduling, and contextual factors on individual player performances in the top 10 European basketball teams across the 2020–2021 season. Game-related statistics were analysed (n = 8,824 observations). Players were categorized into high, medium, and low status according to their average playing times. Hierarchical regression models evaluated the effects of distance travelled, hours since the previous game, contextual factors for the prior and current game, and playing position on performance indicators. Medium-status players collected fewer defensive rebounds (p = 0.009) and committed fewer fouls (p = 0.026), with more time between games. Further travelled distances were associated with reduced defensive rebounds (p = 0.017), alongside increased turnovers (p = 0.038) and 3-point shooting percentage (p = 0.032) in high-status players. After facing higher-level teams, high- and low-status players’ shooting worsened (p<0.05). Guards excelled in free-throw shooting and assists, forwards had fewer turnovers, and centers had better 2-point shooting and rebounds.

A Serious Game for the Digital Transformation of Organizations

To aid human resource management professionals design a configuration of human resource management practices that facilitates the employee behaviour needed for the digital transformation, a serious game was created. The serious game challenges human resource management professionals to combine and design human resource management practices that align to the organizational strategy and optimize employee digital transformation behaviour over multiple simulated years. In this paper, the underlying rationale, design, and outcomes of the first test rounds of the game are presented. Organizational change shaped by the diffusion of technology is labelled the digital transformation (Hanelt et al., 2021). Employees can accelerate or slow down the digital transformation. Hence, organizations are looking to facilitate digital transformation enhancing employee behaviours: adaptive performance and proactive agility behaviour (Collou and Bruinsma, 2022). Aligned human resource management configurations (i.e., combination of human resource management practices such as recruitment, selection, and job design) can shape that employee behaviour (Gratton and Truss, 2003; Delery and Doty, 1996). Designing such a human resource management configuration however is challenging. There are many human resource management practices that need to be designed over multiple years and effects on employee behaviour vary. Serious games are well suited tools to enhance understanding of challenges such as strategic human resource management design. They allow professionals to experiment with choices and gauge the outcomes of their selection without the need to test these decisions in real life. Prior work (Collou and Bruinsma, 2022, 2019) illustrated that a serious game can aid human resource management professionals in their quest to design human resource management configurations that align to the organizational strategy. In the current game an additional challenge was added: shaping digital transformation behaviour. Tested in multiple rounds the game shows great promise for professionals and students to experiment with human resource management configuration design. First evaluations illustrate that responders are positive in terms of their learning experience. Balancing the need to align the human resource management configuration and affecting the employee behaviour simultaneously has proven to be challenging for players of the game. Future steps are focused on this balance and empirically validating the serious game.

Exploring the SoundVizVR Plugin in the Development of Sound-Accessible Virtual Reality Games: Insights from Game Developers and Players

Based on a virtual reality (VR) sound visualization indicator system named “SoundVizVR” proposed and evaluated in previous research, we developed a plugin for the Unity platform, enabling developers to adopt the SoundVizVR system in their VR applications and games. Next, we worked with two VR game developers to explore the usability of the plugin and how it impacted the view on accessibility from the game developers’ perspectives. The developers used the plugin for one week to integrate it into their current projects or design new games with the plugin. Then, we recruited ten Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) participants and five hearing participants to play the two developed VR games to evaluate the user experience and effectiveness of the SoundVizVR system in advancing audio accessibility in VR games. According to the findings of the study process, we provide game design practices for making sounds in VR games accessible and suggestions on optimizing the developers’ and players’ experiences of a sound accessibility plugin for the Unity platform.

VRodel - A virtual sledding simulator

Introduction &amp; Purpose Sledding is a low-cost and accessible recreational activity popular in alpine regions. However, the risk of injury is high, especially for beginners or tourists, according to the Österreichisches Kuratorium für Alpine Sicherheit (2021). Therefore, promoting sledding safety is important to minimize the number of accidents and fatalities in the sport. Sterr (2019) says, the major reason behind an accident is often the lack of skill in steering the sled. Hence, it would be ideal to acquire the skill to steer before going on a track. In many fields skill training is done in virtual reality. Realism in skill training is a major aspect in the virtual worlds according to Newman et al. (2022). Therefore, the goal of VRodel was to create a virtual environment for training that is as close as reasonably possible to reality. Methods In the first step, an environment had to be chosen that would be safe yet effective for training the skill of steering the sled. Next, the sledding track of Kühtai was transferred to a virtual model by means of drone based photogrammetry. The three-dimensional model was then cleaned, polished, and set into the virtual valley that surrounds the track. In a third step, a game was developed in the virtual world to create a virtual training experience. Input from professional sledders and comparisons to time splits of the real track were used to adapt the physics. The user steers the sled by moving their hands in space to reflect the pulling of the reins and leaning into curves. To increase immersion, the safety training uses gamification aspects. As a fourth step, the game was tested by four experts from Rodel Austria and 49 beta-testers, which gave feedback about the realism. Results The project resulted in a virtual reality safety training for the sport of sledding, that excels the current sledding simulation games in terms of appearance and realism. This was underlined by the feedback from the experts of the Austrian Luge Federation and the beta-testers that gave the simulation an average score of 4.98 out on a scale from 1 to 7. In Figure 1, a glimpse of the virtual world is visible. Discussion Le Noury et al. (2022) mention the potential of extended reality for training a skill in sports in their review. They also outlined that this field showed low efficacy on improving motor skills in the past and more research is needed. This project is addressing the needs of society for safer luging and at the same time uses an approach that needs more research according to Le Noury et al. (2022). Therefore, not only the project’s goals have been met, but also a contribution to the scientific progress in this field was made. Conclusion The immersive nature of the VRodel training program successfully engaged users, particularly children, through its gamified elements. Furthermore, this initiative not only enables sledding on a virtual track but also enables a study on the efficacy of virtual skill training in sledding.

The Influencing Factors of RMB Exchange Rate in the Background of Anti-globalizationAn Empirical Evidence Based on VAR Model

Affected by the epidemic and geopolitics, global economic growth has slowed down, trade protectionism has begun to emerge, and anti-globalization sentiment has begun to sprout. With the pace of the Federal Reserve's interest rate hike, the global exchange rate, especially the RMB exchange rate, is gradually under pressure, which has a great impact on the economy and financial sector of the whole country. The research topic of this paper is the influencing factors of the RMB exchange rate in the background of anti-globalization, and the empirical analysis of the VAR model based on Stata software. The study found that rising domestic interest rates, a rising balance between import and export trade and rising uncertainty about US economic policy will lead to the appreciation of the RMB, while the growth of money supply will lead to the depreciation of RMB. It is worth noting that the RMB exchange rate is less affected by the uncertain economic policy factors in the United States, which shows that under the current anti-globalization and international game background, China still has a relatively independent control of the foreign exchange market.

A game model based optimisation approach for generalised shared energy storage and integrated energy system trading

In the context of integrated energy systems, the synergy between generalised energy storage systems and integrated energy systems has significant benefits in dealing with multi-energy coupling and improving the flexibility of energy market transactions, and the characteristics of the multi-principal game in the integrated energy market are becoming more and more obvious, but it is difficult to improve the flexibility of the transactions between “source-load-storage” in a one-way master–slave game structure, and the problem of how to establish an optimisation strategy for the coordination of integrated energy systems and energy storage systems is an urgent issue. How to establish a coordinated optimisation strategy of integrated energy system and energy storage system is an urgent problem. Therefore, this paper proposes a generalised shared energy storage and integrated energy system transaction optimisation method based on a two-stage game model, which improves the flexibility of the system transaction by constructing a two-stage game energy transaction model in which the subject acts as a leader and a gamer. Compared with the current one-way game model that does not consider the game on the energy storage side, the coordinated optimisation method proposed in this paper enables the energy storage side to participate more actively in the scheduling, which improves its revenue by 20.6%, the revenue on the energy-using side by 6.3%, and the overall revenue of the system by 5.4%, and at the same time, the load demand response regulation effect is more obvious, so the energy scheduling strategy proposed in this paper is able to weigh the interests of each subject and increase the overall economic benefits of the system.

The Popularity Puzzle: A Deep Dive into Video Game Success Factors

In the digital age characterized by technological advancements, video games have risen to prominence as a leading form of global entertainment. Beyond their primary role as a source of amusement, they have seamlessly integrated into various aspects of our lives, from social interactions and education to mental well-being. However, despite their widespread influence, there exists a noticeable void in comprehensive research that delves into the determinants of a game's success and the evolving trends that shape the industry. This study embarked on a journey to bridge this gap. Utilizing regression analysis, we meticulously examined key parameters such as publishers, ratings, release dates, and game genres. Our systematic exploration of extensive video game datasets revealed intriguing patterns: certain game types, styles, and themes consistently resonate with audiences; there's a tangible correlation between game ratings and their commercial success; and historical data offers a glimpse into the potential future trajectories of popular games. Our findings indicate that specific game styles, such as adventure and indie genres, have a heightened popularity among users. A discernible relationship was observed between game ratings and indicators of success, emphasizing the pivotal role of user feedback in shaping a game's market performance. Additionally, by analyzing past trends, we've identified potential directions for the industry's evolution, hinting at a surge in narrative-driven and innovative gameplay mechanics in the coming years. These insights not only provide a comprehensive understanding of the current gaming landscape but also offer a roadmap for future developments, making this study invaluable for developers, analysts, and policymakers.

Educational Games of Museums: A Literature Review

On the basis of theoretical verification and case support of gamified learning effects, educational games have been widely valued by museum education providers for their advantages in enhancing users’ intrinsic motivation, building interactive experiences, and creating social situations. This paper attempts to analyze the learning theories, game elements, and positive effects of specific educational games by conducting an integrated review of the current museum educational game literature in academia and selecting 24 thematic papers from the period 2017–2022. Based on the literature review, it is hoped that the advantages and limitations of current museum educational games can be illustrated to a certain extent, and the value of the games for education and enjoyment can be explored and utilized to provide reference for the design and development and continuous optimization of future museum educational games and promote the further deepening of museum educational functions.

Comparing Learning Outcomes of Machine-Guided Virtual Reality-Based Training With Educator-Guided Training in a Metaverse Environment: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Virtual reality (VR) modules are commonly used for health care training, such as adult advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), due to immersion and engagement. The metaverse differs from current VR serious gaming by enabling shared social connections, while current VR modules focus on computer-based content without social interaction. Educators in the metaverse can foster communication and collaboration during training sessions. This study aimed to compare learning outcomes of VR-based, machine-guided training with educator-guided, VR-based training in the metaverse environment. A total of 62 volunteered students from Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University Vocational School for Anesthesiology were randomly divided into 2 groups of 31 participants each: one group received VR-based training with machine guidance (MG), and the other received VR-based training with educator guidance (EG) in the metaverse. The members of both groups undertook VR-based basic training for ACLS. Afterward, the MG group was trained with a VR-based advanced training module, which provides training with full MG, whereas the EG group attended the VR-based, educator-guided training in the metaverse. The primary outcome of the study was determined by the exam score of the VR-based training module. Descriptive statistics defined continuous variables such as VR exam scores and time spent on machine- or educator-guided training. The correlation between training time and VR exam scores was assessed with the Spearman rank correlation, and nonnormally distributed variables were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical significance was set at P<.05, with analyses executed by MedCalc Statistical Software (version 12.7.7). Comparing the VR test scores between the MG and EG groups revealed no statistically significant difference. The VR test scores for the EG group had a median of 86 (range 11-100). In contrast, the MG group scores had a median of 66 (range 13-100; P=.08). Regarding the correlation between the duration of machine-guided or educator-guided training and VR-based exam scores, for the MG group, =0.569 and P=.005 were obtained. For the EG group, this correlation was found to be =0.298 and P=.10. While this correlation is statistically significant for the MG group, it is not significant for the EG group. The post hoc power analysis (80%), considering the correlation between the time spent on training and exam scores, supported this finding. The results of this study suggest that a well-designed, VR-based serious gaming module with MG could provide comparable learning outcomes to VR training in the metaverse with EG for adult ACLS training. Future research with a larger sample size could explore whether social interaction with educators in a metaverse environment offers added benefits for learners. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06288087; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06288087.

Analysis of Mobile MOBAs Design Based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Analysis Theory

Modern society is accompanied by the development of Internet information technology, game exploitation technology, and the rapid popularization of smart phones. Multi-player online tactical competitive mobile games have increasingly become one of the most important choices for teenagers to reduce stress and emissions due to the convenience of carrying equipment, popularity of use, and entertainment in the process of use. This paper analyzes the main game needs of mobile game players through the questionnaire, interview, self-participation method, and objective observation method, so as to construct the correspondence between the needs of multiplayer online tactical competitive mobile games and Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. Based on this correspondence, this paper analyzes the game behaviors and attitudes of mobile game players towards the current major multiplayer online tactical competitive mobile games, and concludes that the positive influence of respect demand, aesthetic demand, and self-actualization demand of multiplayer online tactical competitive mobile games on players' attitudes is more obvious.

Research on interregional oil cooperation-sanctions with evolutionary game

PurposeThe game strategies differ when different regions participate in the oil game. Under what circumstances will different participants choose cooperation or sanction strategies? This is the core issue of this paper.Design/methodology/approachRegarding the current and future game behavior between different regions in the oil trade, this paper constructs an evolutionary game model between two regions to explore the possibility of sanctions strategies between the two sides in different situations.FindingsThe research finds: (1) When the benefits of in-depth cooperation between the two regions are greater, both sides tend to adopt cooperative strategies. (2) When the trade conflict losses between the two regions are smaller, both sides adopt sanctions strategies. (3) When a strong region trades with a weak region, if the former adopts a sanctions strategy, the net profits are greater than the benefits of in-depth cooperation between the two regions. If the latter adopts a sanctions strategy, the net profits are less than the trade conflict losses between the two regions. There will be the strong region adopting a sanctions strategy and the weak region adopting a non-sanctions strategy. At this time, the latter should reasonably balance the immediate and future interests and give up some current interests in exchange for in-depth cooperation between the two regions. Otherwise, it will fall into the situation of unilateral sanctions by the strong against the weak.Originality/valueThere is no paper in the existing literature that uses the evolutionary game method to analyze the oil game problem between the two regions. This paper constructs a two-party evolutionary game model composed of crude oil importers and crude oil exporters and, based on this, analyzes the evolutionary stability between the two regions under sanctions and cooperation strategies, which enriches the energy research field.

Behavioral design in video games

Game design has an impact on health and well-being. Due to their evolving capacities, young people and children are especially sensitive to the negative and positive impacts of media design choices. To protect vulnerable people, ethical and responsible game design practices are necessary. But what constitutes “ethical” and responsible game design? Defining “behavioral design” as video game design decisions that elicit, either accidentally or purposefully, self-negative or self-beneficial behavior in the gamer, we draw from expertise in public health, game design, and legal scholarship to analyze current game design practices. Our work illustrates the centrality of changing business models with game design and the resulting tension within games. In practice, monetization strategies regularly guide decision-making in game design, facilitating risks for gamer welfare and finances.

Research on Children’s Game Activity Design Strategies Based on Embodied Cognition Theory

Edutainment, in the kindergarten education stage, emphasizes the game as the basic activity and combines the content of education with the form of the game, thus it also forms the educational method of gamification teaching. Through investigation and analysis, it is found that the current kindergarten game activity design has the problem of improper combination of educational content and game form. The current kindergarten game activity design has problems such as stereotypes, children’s lack of active learning opportunities in activities, teachers’ insufficient theoretical understanding, inappropriate teacher guidance methods, and so on. Embodied cognition theory attaches importance to the important role of the body in the development of cognition, provides new guidance for classroom teaching, and opens up a new path for classroom teaching reform. Based on the perspective of embodied cognition theory, the concept of body and mind integration should be adhered to in kindergarten teaching with games as the basic activity, experiential teaching situation should be created, children’s subjective experience should be respected, and games and interactions should be designed to promote children’s physical and mental participation, thus laying a foundation for the realization of children’s individual freedom, autonomy, and all-round development. Therefore, this paper aims at the existing problems in the current kindergarten gamification teaching and discusses the design strategy of children’s game activities based on embodied cognition theory.

Deep learning in multiplayer online battle arena games

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena games, known as MOBA in abbreviation, are developing rapidly, and more and more new players are growing interests to it. But some parts of these games are quite complicate for those beginners, such as how to pick appropriate champions, how to choose suitable items for purchasing, what is the win rate for current game session and how to make correct strategy decisions. This paper summarized some works, that can help players to solve those complicate parts and understand the game well, using machine learning and deep learning models. These works have all proved their feasibility according to either their result comparing with other baseline methods, or simulating some game sessions played by or against AI using their champion picking, item purchasing and strategy making suggestions. There are also some limitations of these works and some improvements of using machine learning and deep learning in MOBA game industry mentioned in this paper.

Innovative Strategies of Mobile Game Marketing in Social Media Environment

Compared with traditional computer games, mobile games have advantages such as portability, ease of use, and fragmented time utilization, attracting a large number of users. In the current era where social media and mobile games are intertwined, effective mobile game marketing in the social media environment has become a topic worthy of in-depth exploration. The article provides an overview of the current situation of the mobile game market in the social media environment, emphasizing the importance of social media in game marketing. Next, the challenges and issues of current mobile game marketing in the social media environment were analyzed, including user positioning, content creativity, and interactive participation. This article proposes a series of innovative strategies to address these issues. These strategies aim to fully utilize the characteristics and advantages of social media, establish closer connections and interactions with target users, and enhance the visibility and competitiveness of mobile games.