Game Prototype Research Articles

A Rogue Dream: Automatically Generating Meaningful Content For Games

Procedural content generation is often seen simply as a means to generate stuff, elaborating on or rearranging abstract data types that describe levels or modular pieces of gameplay. Generating content which is situated in an understanding of the real-world is a much harder task; it requires access to large amounts of knowledge, and a good technique for parsing and using that knowledge. In this paper we describe A Rogue Dream, a game prototype which can generate new visual content and change its design based on an input word from the player at the start of the game. We describe the game and the tools it makes use of to do this, and use the game to discuss ways in which such techniques might enable unique kinds of gameplay or new directions for intelligent design tools.

Exploring Abductive Event Binding for Opportunistic Storytelling

We present a prototype game system using opportunistic storytelling, a particular commitment in the space of interactive narrative. It uses abductive event binding to deliver authored stories about the actions that the player is already taking to achieve game play goals. We show results of a simulation experiment that characterizes efficiency in delivering story event content, in terms of parameterized player motivation to follow storylines and the constraints placed on the events. Results show the value of two reasoning features in the system, incentive and look-ahead.

Mixed Reality Meets Procedural Content Generation in Video Games

The use of artificial intelligence and procedural content generation algorithms in mixed reality games is an unexplored space. We posit that these algorithms can enhance the gameplay experience in mixed reality games. We present two prototype games that use procedural content generation to design levels that make use of the affordances in the player’s physical environment. The levels produced can be tailored to a user, customizing gameplay difficulty and affecting how the player moves around the real-world environment.

A Digital Gaming Intervention to Improve HIV Testing for Adolescents and Young Adults: Protocol for Development and a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundTwo strategies of the US Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative are early diagnosis of infections via widespread testing and prevention of new infections using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). These strategies are particularly important for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who are disproportionately affected by HIV, particularly if they identify as Black and/or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and others (LGBTQ+). This study will develop and test an interactive life-simulation game in which players can enact real-life behaviors and receive their HIV risk profile to improve HIV testing and PrEP access among AYAs aged 13-24 years in Washington, DC.ObjectiveThis mixed methods study aims to determine the acceptability of an interactive, enhanced life-simulation game prototype among AYAs, conduct a pilot test of the gaming intervention among a small cohort of AYAs to ensure game usability and acceptability, and evaluate the efficacy of the game in a randomized controlled study with AYAs at risk for HIV in Washington, DC.MethodsThis research protocol will be conducted in 3 phases. A formative phase will involve surveys and focus groups (n=64) with AYAs living in the DC area. These focus groups will allow researchers to understand youth preferences for game enhancement. The second phase will consist of a pilot test (n=10) of the gaming intervention. This pilot test will allow researchers to modify the game based on formative results and test the planned recruitment and data collection strategy with intended end users. The third phase will consist of a randomized controlled study among 300 AYAs to examine the efficacy of the life-simulation game compared with app-based HIV educational materials on HIV and PrEP in changing HIV testing, knowledge, risk behaviors, and PrEP access. Participants will have unlimited access to either the life-simulation game or the educational app for 3 months from the time of enrollment. Study assessments will occur at enrollment and at 1, 3, and 6 months post enrollment via e-surveys. At 6 months, a subset of intervention participants (n=25) will participate in in-depth exit interviews regarding their experience being in the study.ResultsInstitutional review board approval was received on February 5, 2020. This project is currently recruiting participants for the formative phase.ConclusionsThis interactive life-simulation intervention aims to increase HIV testing and PrEP access among AYAs in the DC area. In this intervention, players can enact real-life behaviors and receive their HIV risk profile to promote HIV testing and PrEP seeking. Such an intervention has great potential to improve knowledge of HIV and PrEP among AYAs, increase motivation and self-efficacy related to HIV testing and PrEP use, and decrease individual and structural barriers that often preclude engagement in HIV prevention services.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04917575; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04917575International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/29792

User Experience With Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Methods for an Affective Exergame: Comparative Laboratory-Based Study.

BackgroundIn affective exergames, game difficulty is dynamically adjusted to match the user’s physical and psychological state. Such an adjustment is commonly made based on a combination of performance measures (eg, in-game scores) and physiological measurements, which provide insight into the player’s psychological state. However, although many prototypes of affective games have been presented and many studies have shown that physiological measurements allow more accurate classification of the player’s psychological state than performance measures, few studies have examined whether dynamic difficulty adjustment (DDA) based on physiological measurements (which requires additional sensors) results in a better user experience than performance-based DDA or manual difficulty adjustment.ObjectiveThis study aims to compare five DDA methods in an affective exergame: manual (player-controlled), random, performance-based, personality-performance–based, and physiology-personality-performance–based (all-data).MethodsA total of 50 participants (N=50) were divided into five groups, corresponding to the five DDA methods. They played an exergame version of Pong for 18 minutes, starting at a medium difficulty; every 2 minutes, two game difficulty parameters (ball speed and paddle size) were adjusted using the participant’s assigned DDA method. The DDA rules for the performance-based, personality-performance–based, and all-data groups were developed based on data from a previous open-loop study. Seven physiological responses were recorded throughout the sessions, and participants self-reported their preferred changes to difficulty every 2 minutes. After playing the game, participants reported their in-game experience using two questionnaires: the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and the Flow Experience Measure.ResultsAlthough the all-data method resulted in the most accurate changes to ball speed and paddle size (defined as the percentage match between DDA choice and participants’ preference), no significant differences between DDA methods were found on the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and Flow Experience Measure. When the data from all four automated DDA methods were pooled together, the accuracy of changes in ball speed was significantly correlated with players’ enjoyment (r=0.38) and pressure (r=0.43).ConclusionsAlthough our study is limited by the use of a between-subjects design and may not generalize to other exergame designs, the results do not currently support the inclusion of physiological measurements in affective exergames, as they did not result in an improved user experience. As the accuracy of difficulty changes is correlated with user experience, the results support the development of more effective DDA methods. However, they show that the inclusion of physiological measurements does not guarantee a better user experience even if it yields promising results in offline cross-validation.

A Systematic Literature Review on the User Experience Design for Game-Based Interventions via 3D Virtual Worlds in K-12 Education

A substantial body of literature has well-documented and demonstrated the potential of using three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds (VWs) across various learning subjects and contexts in primary and secondary (K-12) education. However, little is known when it comes to issues related to child-interaction research and the impact that design decisions have on the user experience (UX), especially when game-based learning approaches are employed in 3DVWs. Hence, in this systematic literature review, we appraise and summarize the most relevant research articles (n = 30) conducted in K-12 settings, published between 2006–2020 and that elicit information related to (a) the interaction design (ID) of game events and trends associated with game elements and features that were utilized for the development and creation of game prototypes, (b) the research methods which were followed to empirically evaluate their teaching interventions, and (c) the design-related issues and factors affecting ID and UX by identifying the most frequent set of learning and game mechanics that were adopted in various game prototypes in different learning subjects. The vast majority of game prototypes enhanced students’ engagement and participation, affecting their achievements positively. This systematic literature review provides clear guidelines regarding the design decisions that educational stakeholders should consider, and provides recommendations on how to assess and evaluate the students’ learning experience (i.e., performance, achievements, outcomes) using 3DVWs.

Science teachers\u2019 experiences of inquiry-based learning through a serious game: a phenomenographic perspective

This study employed a phenomenographic approach to investigate science teachers’ conceptions of inquiry-based learning through a serious game. Simaula is a prototype game designed and used as a virtual practicum for eliciting understandings on how in-game inquiry was appeared to, or experienced by, the participating teachers. Group interviews with 20 secondary education science teachers revealed four qualitatively different ways of experiencing inquiry-based learning through Simaula: (a) as uncovering insights about student’s learning needs, interests and emotions; (b) as generating ideas and concepts for meaningful inquiry; (c) as a set of operations for designing and carrying out scientific research; and (d) as authentic inquiry for enabling knowledge building processes. Seven dimensions of variation have been identified viewed as contextual influences on conceptions of in-game inquiry constituting discernment of: epistemic inquiry-based learning modes; role of teacher; role of student; game-play focus; core mechanics focus; feedback and progress mechanics and game uncertainty. The results illuminated a partial in-game inquiry approach with distinct epistemic modes from developing empathy and meaning making to knowledge construction and knowledge building. The findings also indicated that game design elements played central role in shaping conceptions of in-game inquiry from focusing on rules and logic as means to completing the game’s level to understanding the complexity of core mechanics for developing and transferring in-game inquiry to the real classroom. This insinuates that distinct game design properties may be considered in terms of extending intrinsic in-game inquiry experiences to actual in-class inquiry practice.

Co-design of mini games for learning computational thinking in an online environment.

Understanding the principles of computational thinking (CT), e.g., problem abstraction, decomposition, and recursion, is vital for computer science (CS) students. Unfortunately, these concepts can be difficult for novice students to understand. One way students can develop CT skills is to involve them in the design of an application to teach CT. This study focuses on co-designing mini games to support teaching and learning CT principles and concepts in an online environment. Online co-design (OCD) of mini games enhances students’ understanding of problem-solving through a rigorous process of designing contextual educational games to aid their own learning. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, where face-to-face co-designing between researchers and stakeholders could be difficult, OCD is a suitable option. CS students in a Nigerian higher education institution were recruited to co-design mini games with researchers. Mixed research methods comprising qualitative and quantitative strategies were employed in this study. Findings show that the participants gained relevant knowledge, for example, how to (i) create game scenarios and game elements related to CT, (ii) connect contextual storyline to mini games, (iii) collaborate in a group to create contextual low-fidelity mini game prototypes, and (iv) peer review each other’s mini game concepts. In addition, students were motivated toward designing educational mini games in their future studies. This study also demonstrates how to conduct OCD with students, presents lesson learned, and provides recommendations based on the authors’ experience.

Mobile Math Game Prototype on the Base of Templates for Primary School

The paper presents the first steps in the creation of a package with mobile math educational games for primary school. Examples of mobile math learning games in primary school are examined. The role of games and especially mobile games in learning and game specific elements are presented. Classification of game problems with 13 types, suitable for mobile software development, is shown. For each type, the software template is designed and developed, appropriate for the target group. The prototype of an educational game on the base of the templates is created, where learners have to pass levels, solve math problems and receive bonuses and virtual rewards.

Entrepreneurship Game Apps to Enhancement Student Skill Thinking Analytic in Class Online

The use of educational entrepreneurship game apps as a medium for an online class for students to improve analytical skills regarding business processes. Learning that is only through gamification in game learning. This learning is carried out on a number of students who have the ability to play games well. There is also a desire to study business without using entrepreneurship textbooks as the object of this study. Game-based mobile apps development using entrepreneurial learning materials such as laundry and beverage sales is designed using the Design Thinking Process method. With a game prototype made according to the real market location and market potential which is quite profitable. Determination of initial capital is very important in this educational game to successfully play the game until the final level. (there are 5 trial levels). The results obtained from this gameplay show an increase in entrepreneurial analysis in students with the ability to answer post-test questions well with an average of 88.2 percent with an average game time of 42.8 minutes per level

Procedural generation of dungeons’ maps and locked-door missions through an evolutionary algorithm validated with players

The present research introduces an evolutionary algorithm able to procedurally generate dungeon maps containing locked door missions. The evolutionary algorithm evolves a tree structure, which encodes dungeons, aiming to generate levels close to the input configuration provided by a game designer. The tree structure holds information about the number of rooms, connections between them, and their position within a 2D map. The proposed encoding also allows evolving semantic information about the narrative of the game. This is done by feasibly setting keys and locks throughout the dungeons for locked door missions. The generated dungeons are then evaluated computationally and as a proof of concept using an adventure game prototype. A total of 70 players evaluated the contents and the results show that the procedurally generated levels are perceived as more human-made, fun, and difficult than their human-made counterparts for most cases.

Social acceptance of serious games for physical and cognitive training in older adults residing in ambient assisted living environments

AimsAlthough ambient assisted living (AAL) environments and serious games for healthcare have been proposed as solutions to meet the changing demographics, the two approaches are rarely combined. We present the development and empirical evaluation of two serious games for healthcare in AAL. The first uses a cooking scenario for training of cognitive functioning. The latter uses a gardening scenario and motion capture for training agility and endurance. As the frequent lack of social acceptance is a major challenge in consumer health technology, we integrated methods of technology acceptance research by means of the UTAUT2-model and intention to use into the evaluation.Subject and methodsWe developed both games utilizing user-centered and participatory design methods ranging from low-fidelity paper prototypes to usability and acceptance evaluations of functional prototypes. In the final evaluation, each game prototype was evaluated by 64 participants form different age groups.ResultsThe results show that although performance decreases with age, the performance attained in the games is not decisive for social acceptance measured as intention to use. However, user diversity factors shape the evaluation of the games, and older people and people with low technical competence are in danger of being excluded from using serious games for healthcare.ConclusionExercise games, if designed right, can mitigate the negative effects of demographic change. Nevertheless, user diversity needs must be considered to ensure that the games are usable and used by a broad audience. The article concludes with guidelines and open research questions for the design of serious games in AAL environments.

CySecEscape 2.0—A Virtual Escape Room To Raise Cybersecurity Awareness

An increasing number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) use the Internet to support and grow businesses. The application of new technologies comes with inherent risks of ever-changing cyberspace and increasing cybercrime. Previous research has shown that the human factor remains the core element in the cybersecurity chain. Therefore, it is paramount that employees receive effective training to acquire a security mindset. This study puts forward previous research that resulted in a portable escape room game to raise cybersecurity awareness. The purpose of the study is to elaborate the transformation of the physical game into a virtual learning experience to increase flexibility in times such as the Covid-19 lockdown. As main method, we applied the design science framework of Hevner et al. As main result, the research elaborates the design of the developed artifact—a virtual prototype of the escape room game addressing the cybersecurity challenges of SMEs. For the evaluation of the prototype, empirical data was collected in qualitative and quantitative form. As main conclusions, we have observed that a physical escape room can be transformed into a virtual setting with little means without sacrificing player immersion. A limitation was identified in teaching targeted social engineering attacks.

게이미피케이션을 활용한 문화예술교육과정 설계에 관한 연구 - 게임 프로토타입 [어린이 박사들의 독도 탐험]을 중심으로

게이미피케이션을 활용한 문화예술교육과정 설계에 관한 연구 - 게임 프로토타입 [어린이 박사들의 독도 탐험]을 중심으로

The Development of a Coding Scheme for Intergenerational Learning and Its Application to the Patterns of Intergenerational Collaborative Communication.

Much research has focused on intergenerational learning. However, its patterns and processes have rarely been explored. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a coding scheme for intergenerational learning, and to explore the patterns of collaborative communication emerging in the context of intergenerational learning. A total of 16 individuals (seven older adults and nine University students) participated in the study. Participants were invited to design digital games with their intergenerational team members. Of all the interactions, two sets of collaborative interactions were coded and analyzed. The findings revealed that the coding scheme for intergenerational learning was developed with high inter-rater reliability for three sub-systems: power process, communication skills, and responses to bids. Additionally, although the patterns of collaborative communication showed a balance of power during the task involving the collection of game elements, younger learners dominated during the task of completing the game prototype.

A Virtual Reality Exergame to Engage Adolescents in Physical Activity: Mixed Methods Study Describing the Formative Intervention Development Process

BackgroundEarly adolescence (13-17 years) is a critical developmental stage for physical activity promotion. Virtual reality (VR) exergaming is a promising intervention strategy to engage adolescents in physical activity.ObjectiveThe vEngage project aims to develop a physical activity intervention for adolescents using VR exergaming. Here, we describe the formative intervention development work and process of academic-industry collaboration.MethodsThe formative development was guided by the Medical Research Council framework and included recruiting an adolescent user group to provide iterative feedback, a literature review, a quantitative survey of adolescents, qualitative interviews with adolescents and parents, inductive thematic analysis of public reviews of VR exergames, a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews with users of the augmented reality running app Zombies, Run!, and building and testing a prototype with our adolescent user group.ResultsVR exergaming was appealing to adolescents and acceptable to parents. We identified behavior change techniques that users would engage with and features that should be incorporated into a VR exergame, including realistic body movements, accurate graphics, stepped levels of gameplay difficulty, new challenges, in-game rewards, multiplayer options, and the potential to link with real-world aspects such as physical activity trackers. We also identified some potential barriers to use, such as cost, perceived discomfort of VR headsets, and motion sickness concerns. A prototype game was developed and user-tested with generally positive feedback.ConclusionsThis is the first attempt to develop a VR exergame designed to engage adolescents in physical activity that has been developed within a public health intervention development framework. Our formative work suggests that this is a very promising avenue. The benefit of the design process was the collaborative parallel work between academics and game designers and the involvement of the target population in the game (intervention) design from the outset. Developing the game within an intervention framework allowed us to consider factors, such as parental support, that would be important for future implementation. This study also serves as a call to action for potential collaborators who may wish to join this endeavor for future phases and an example of how academic-industry collaboration can be successful and beneficial.

Guidelines for the development of educational games to motivate the learning of theoretical concepts in Engineering and Computing courses

AbstractEducational software, especially gaming, have been the target of research in different areas due to their potential benefits in promoting more dynamic, interactive, and motivating learning. The use of educational games for teaching in Engineering and Computing courses, such as Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, and Computer Science, given the familiarity of these students with computers, can promote greater engagement in the study of theoretical concepts. However, existing educational games still lack the good motivational quality considered essential to ensure real learning. In this context, this paper defines guidelines that address the development of educational games focusing on motivational quality. To support the definition of these guidelines, different motivational methods, together with the attributes that can be improved in a student such as autonomy, effort, and overcoming, were analyzed. These guidelines were applied in the development of an educational game prototype as proof of concept to confirm its effective applicability and its contributions to motivate students. The prototype was assessed by 118 students of the higher education in Computing for 15 days. The majority of participants in the assessment process attested that the prototype meets the motivational quality subcriteria, promoting fun (55%), challenge (68%), social interaction (59%), and feeling of satisfaction (74%). It was then possible to verify its attendance to the desired motivational quality and attest to the potential of the established guidelines.

A Qualitative Investigation of Factors Influencing Successful Crowdfunding Campaigns in the UK and China Using the Reward Model

Crowdfunding is an alternative funding mechanism whereby innovators can access funding for their projects using a variety of “payback” options to investors – from traditional rewards such as equity, dividends and repayments with interest to non-monetary rewards such as physical or digital rewards. It has been defined by Schwienbacher and Larralde (2010) as an open call to the crowd to generate financial resources for particular purposes. The reward-based model is of great interest as it gives the option of providing incentives to investors without using money (which is in short supply) or giving up equity – yet still being able to provide rewards which are of great interest to investors such as prototypes of games, a character in a game, early versions of products, or products at an exclusive discount (Islam and Phillips, 2020).

Dartanan: Prototype evaluations of a serious game to engage children in the calibration of their hearing aid functionalities.

IntroductionIt is notoriously difficult to obtain a perfect fitting of hearing aids (HAs) for children as they often struggle to understand their hearing loss well enough to discuss the fitting adequately with their audiologist. Dartanan is an ‘edutainment’ game developed to help children understand the functions of their HA in different sound contexts. Dartanan also has elements of a leisure game for all children, in order to create an inclusive activity.MethodsGame prototypes were evaluated during two formative evaluations and a summative evaluation. In total 106 children with and without hearing loss in Italy, Spain and the UK played Dartanan. A built-in virtual HA enabled children with hearing loss to use headphones to play.Results and conclusions: During the formative stages, feedback was discussed during focus groups on factors such as the audiological aspects, the extent to which children learned about HA functions, accessibility and usability, and this feedback was presented to the developers. After redevelopment, a summative evaluation was performed using an online survey. It was concluded that the game had met the goals of helping children understand their HA functionalities and providing an inclusive activity. User-evaluations were crucial in the development of the app into a useful and useable service.

A comparative analysis of tools for developing location based games

The extended usage of mobile digital devices has nowadays become commonplace. Location-based games make the most of the mobile technologies by being played solely on mobile devices. The ever-growing interest for this type of applications goes beyond the mere goal of player entertainment, even reaching to the advocacy of civilization, research and education. In this article, three of the most famous and modern authoring tools for location-based games, Taleblazer, ARIS and Unity with Mapbox, are studied in-depth. The objective is to produce a comparative analysis of the aforementioned tools. Game developers may refer to this analysis to opt for the appropriate tool based on their needs, goals and technical expertise. In order to better understand the tool functionality and thus construct a reliable comparison framework, three game prototypes have been implemented. The results have shown that all studied tools provide the mechanics to develop location-based interactive experiences. Nevertheless, significant differences exist in their functionality, in their coding requirements, and in the extent of their respective learning curves. In conclusion, TaleBlazer seems to favor educational role-based games while ARIS favors hybrid story-based games. Unity with Mapbox, in turn, favors the development of recreational action-based games.