Game Genre Research Articles

Evaluating the effect of action-like video game play and of casual video game play on anxiety in adolescents with elevated anxiety: protocol for a multi-center, parallel group, assessor-blind, randomized controlled trial

BackgroundAdolescence is a critical period for the onset and maintenance of anxiety disorders, which raises the importance of intervening early; one possibility of doing so is via digital interventions. Within that research field, at least two important research paths have been explored in the past years. On the one hand, the anxiolytic effect of casual video games has been tested as such gaming activity may distract away from anxious thoughts through the induction of flow and redirection of attention toward the game and thus away of anxious thoughts. On the other hand, the bidirectional link between weak attentional control and higher anxiety has led to the design of interventions aiming at improving attentional control such as working memory training studies. Taking stock that another genre of gaming, action video games, improves attentional control, game-based interventions that combines cognitive training and action-like game features would seem relevant. This three-arm randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and the efficacy of two video game interventions to document how each may potentially alleviate adolescent anxiety-related symptoms when deployed fully on-line.MethodsThe study aims to recruit 150 individuals, 12 to 14 years of age, with high levels of anxiety as reported by the parents’ online form of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders questionnaire. This trial contrasts a child-friendly, “action-like” video game designed to improve attentional control abilities in a progressive and stepwise manner (Eco-Rescue), a casual puzzle video game selected to act as a positive distraction tool (Bejeweled) and finally a control group with no assigned training intervention to control for possible test-retest effects (No-training). Participants will be assigned randomly to one of the three study arms. They will be assessed for main (anxiety) and secondary outcomes (attentional control, affective working memory) at three time points, before training (T1), one week after the 6-week training (T2) and four months after completing the training (T3).DiscussionThe results will provide evidence for the feasibility and the efficacy of two online video game interventions at improving mental health and emotional well-being in adolescents with high levels of anxiety. This project will contribute unique knowledge to the field, as few studies have examined the effects of video game play in the context of digital mental health interventions for adolescents.Trial registrationThe trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05923944, June 20, 2023).

Study on MOBA Game Players' Non-Functional Virtual Goods Consumption Motivation and Consumption Intention

The MOBA game genre is one of the most influential and largest consumer groups in the current online game market, and its source of income is mainly from the sale of non-functional virtual items, which are mainly used to beautify the game characters and enrich the sensory experience, also known as "skins", and are different from functional virtual items, which do not accelerate the progress of the game or disrupt the game balance. Unlike functional virtual items, these items do not speed up the progress of the game, nor do they upset the balance of the game. This paper explores players' motivation and willingness to consume these virtual goods through questionnaire surveys.

Problematic video gaming is negatively associated with bone mineral density in adolescents.

Adolescent bone health may be negatively impacted by problematic video gaming (PVG) due to factors such as prolonged screen time, poor sleep quality, and increased depression. Although sedentary behaviors have been linked to decreased bone mass, there is limited research on how PVG impacts bone health. We aimed to evaluate the association between PVG and bone mineral density (BMD) in adolescents by comparing the BMD z-scores of adolescents with and without PVG and by identifying PVG-related risk factors that may affect low BMD scores. This cross-sectional study took place between May 2019 and August 2021 with 110 adolescents who played video games for at least two hours per day. Data on screen time, game genre, tobacco, alcohol, caffeine consumption, and vigorous physical activity status were recorded. PVG was assessed using the Internet Gaming Disorder-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), with scores ≤ 16 comprising the control group and > 16 the PVG group. Sleep quality was assessed by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and depression was evaluated by Children's Depression Inventory. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements of femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD were compared between the two groups. The mean age of the participants was 14.2 ± 1.8years, and 86.4% were males. The PVG group exhibited lower femoral neck z-scores (p = 0.013) and a higher proportion of adolescents with low femoral neck BMD risk (27.8% vs 9.7%, p = 0.041). Lumber spine z-scores did not differ (p = 0.271). Despite poorer depressive symptoms and sleep quality in the PVG group, they were not associated with low BMD risk (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.97-1.08, p = 0.398 and OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.87-1.18, p = 0.972, respectively). Among all PVG-related risk factors, video game time (aOR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.06-1.41, p = 0.006) and vigorous physical activity amount (aOR = 2.86, 95% CI = 0.93-8.76, p = 0.080) showed the strongest associations with femoral neck z-scores. Conclusion: The results of this study, showing a negative association between PVG and femoral neck BMD in adolescents, underscore the importance evaluating, monitoring, and supporting lower extremity bone health in adolescents with PVG. What is Known: • Adolescents with problematic video gaming are at risk for depression, impaired sleep; sedentary lifestyle; consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs; and high caffeine intake. • These risk factors might lead to compromised bone health. What is New: • Problematic video gaming is associated with the low femoral neck bone mineral density risk in adolescents. • Extended video game time and reduced physical activity are found to be the primary risk factors.

The Functioning of Communicative Units in the In-game Text of Video Games

This article describes the results of a pragmatic analysis of communicative units that were selected from different types of in-game text (spoken and written game plot-related text and interface text) taken from six video games of various game genres (action-shooter, action-adventure, role-playing game, simulator etc.) and narrative genres (fantasy, science fiction, horror, military, medieval, western). It further offers a model for classification of the abovementioned units based on the pragmatic aim of the utterance, i.e. to assist the player during gameplay or to express the artistic aspects of the game. The two main pragmatic types of utterances have respectively been labelled as ludic and narrative. It has also been noted that ludic utterances are widespread in any video game, while narrative ones can only appear in games with an in-depth virtual world, and their perception by the player does not usually affect the completion of the game. The article further suggests to use the following terms to describe the different kinds of ludic utterances: 1) identificatory (helping to recognise and distinguish between the different subjects and objects of the in-game world); 2) informative (giving practical information about those objects); 3) explicitly appellative (directly encouraging the player to act); 4) implicitly appellative (encouraging the player to act, but in an indirect manner); 5) feedback (responding to the player’s actions). Among the narrative functions, the following terms have been offered: 1) storytelling (depicting the in-game events); 2) descriptive (artistically describing the in-game world and its characters); 3) compositional (outlining the structure of the game and assisting the player to navigate through it). The study also suggests that an utterance can combine multiple communicative functions, and the abovementioned functions be expressed not just verbally, but also via the visual, auditory, haptic and other modes since videogame discourse is a multimodal type of discourse. The results of this study can help in training of localization specialists as this research should facilitate their understanding of the pragmatic purpose behind the translated fragments of text.

Development of The Momon Adventure HTML5 Canvas Game Based on Website

The development of games is increasingly rapid, followed by tools for making games. There are many game genres, Platform Games or Platformers is one of them. Platform games are a genre of video games whose main objective is to control a character who jumps or climbs between platforms to achieve a specific goal. Platformers are characterized by level designs that feature terrain that varies in challenge and demands the player character's abilities (such as jumping and climbing) to navigate the player's environment and achieve the objectives in each level. For example, there are many famous platformer games such as Super Mario, Sonic, Metal Slug and so on. This game is inspired by the game Fly Bird. This development uses HTML 5 Canvas and uses the Javascript programming language.

ANALYSIS OF THE VARIATIONS IN BRAIN ACTIVITY IN RESPONSE TO VARIOUS COMPUTER GAMES

The influence of video games on the human brain has been a topic of extensive research and discussion. Video games, characterized by their dynamic and immersive qualities, have demonstrated the capacity to impact diverse cognitive processes. In this study, we conducted a detailed analysis of brain response variations to different genres of computer games, specifically focusing on boring, calm, horror, and funny games. To achieve this, we computed the sample entropy and approximate entropy of electroencephalograms (EEG) signals recorded from participants while they engaged with each type of game. Our findings revealed that EEG signals exhibited the highest complexity during the funny game and the lowest complexity during the calm game. This suggests that the brain is most active when playing the funny game and least active during the calm game. These results provide valuable insights into how different types of video game content can influence brain activity. The methodology employed in this study can be extended to explore brain activity under various conditions, potentially offering a broader understanding of how different stimuli impact cognitive processes. This approach can be useful in examining the effects of various interactive media on brain function and could inform the design of video games and other digital experiences to optimize cognitive engagement and mental well-being.

Investigating Psychological Disparities Across Gamers: A Genre-Based Study

Objective: While video games have become a widespread form of entertainment, the exploration of their relationship with psychological factors remains relatively limited. The primary aim of this study was to examine potential disparities in levels of everyday stress, perceived stress, and positive mental health among individuals involved in three distinct video game genres: horror, competitive shooters, and sandbox. Although the study maintains an exploratory nature, we anticipated the emergence of significant differences between these genres. Method: A total of 54 participants were recruited, queried about their primarily favored video game genre, and then asked to complete an online survey consisting of three questionnaires, each corresponding to one of the dependent variables. Results: Three 1 × 3 between-subject analyses of variance indicated that levels of everyday and perceived stress were notably higher in the competitive shooter gamers, with sandbox gamers having the lowest levels. No significant differences were observed for levels of positive mental health. Conclusions: It is possible that competitive shooters either elevate everyday and perceived stress levels in individuals, or that already-stressed gamers are drawn to this genre. Finally, the absence of significant variations in levels of positive mental health across genres suggests that individuals may simply choose to play whichever game aligns with their personal sources of enjoyment.

Unveiling the Connection Between Video Games and Mental Health Among College Students in South India

Introduction: Playing Video Games without control can lead to Gaming Disorder (GD) which is also called a problematic gaming pattern or video game addiction. This study is to determine the prevalence of video game disorders and the various associated factors leading to them. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was done among 930 medical students studying MBBS in a private medical college in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu. Data was collected by pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Gaming disorder was assessed by Internet Gaming Disorder Short Form – 9 (IGD-SF 9), depression by Patient Health Questionnaire – 9, and anxiety by Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 Questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26. Results: Among the study participants, 37% were males, and 63% were females. The prevalence of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) was 9.7%. Greater than 2 hours of gaming per day, online game genre, having academic impact due to gaming, sleep problems, and neck pain/back pain due to gaming were found to be important predictors of gaming disorder. Conclusion: Awareness has to be created among students and stakeholders regarding gaming disorders among medical college students. Further research should be done to understand the relationship between GD and psychological problems like depression and anxiety.

A Study of Musical Characteristics Across Game Genres

A Study of Musical Characteristics Across Game Genres

EDUCATING GOOD MORAL VALUES THROUGH VIDEO GAME: HARVEST MOON BACK TO NATURE PERSPECTIVES

Globalization makes cultural absorption faster, but this also has a negative effect if the culture exposed is unsuitable. This will also affect the morale of a generation. One media that can spread culture and moral values is video games. For example, in a role-playing game genre which makes the players act like it is their real life, they can grasp many valuable experiences. Therefore, this study aims to identify the moral values in a video game called Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. Harvest Moon: Back to Nature or HM BTN is a role-playing game in which the player acts as an amateur farmer to save his inheritance farm. The data in this study is in the form of text and co-text derived from the game. This study applies qualitative descriptive methods to analyse and present the results. The analysis results demonstrate that seven types of moral values were identified from the video game. They are; bravery, love and affection, sympathy to others, cooperativeness, thankfulness, trustworthiness, and kind-hearted. This result indicated that Harvest Moon: Back to Nature video game presents not only entertaining gameplay to the gamers but also several moral values that construct a good personality to them. It can be concluded that video games can be utilized as learning media depending on the genre and theme. Educators need to select the appropriate one.

DESIGNING A 3D ROGUELIKE GAME WITH PROCEDURAL CONTENT GENERATION USING THE GRAPH GRAMMARS METHOD

Roguelike is a genre of role-playing video game in which the player explores dungeons through procedurally generated levels. If they lose, the player loses progress, and the character starts over again. Procedural Content Generation (PCG) is a computer program that can create game content automatically, randomly, and uniquely, either by itself or with human assistance. In this study, the 3D roguelike game was designed with players playing a character to explore dungeons. Players will enter at one point, explore the surrounding environment, defeat the enemies encountered, avoid traps, collect treasure, and finally exit at another point. Each time the player starts a new game session, the game will generate a dungeon with a mission structure that changes randomly to create a variety of gameplay. This mission generation is implemented using the Graph Grammar method. The game is built using the Unity game engine and is intended to run on Android devices. Based on the black box test results, all the game's features are running well according to their functions. The built games will be evaluated using the GUESS-18 to determine the level of player satisfaction. Based on the evaluation results, the game is included in the "GOOD" category, with an overall score of 49.07 out of 63 maximum scores. The game that has been built is superior in the aspect of personal gratification, while it is weak in the aspect of social connectivity.

Research on the Prediction on the Sales of Electronic Games

This essay's primary goal is to predict and analyze the sales characteristics of electronic games based on different features, including but not limited to release time, ranking, publisher, and game genre. The methods employed in this paper include a neural network architecture where the activation function is ReLU , XGBoost model, and LightGBM model. Through experiments, this paper effectively constructs machine learning models using these three methods to predict video game sales. Furthermore, the performance of these three methods is compared and analyzed using three evaluation metrics: root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean squared error (MSE). And the prediction error of each model is plotted as a related line chart to visually show the details of the three methods in analyzing this problem. Finally, by comparing the experimental results of these three methods in the field of electronic game sales prediction, this article analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of neural networks, XGBoost, and LightGBM in related problem analysis, providing readers with reference and reference.

Creating a treadmill running video game with smartwatch interaction

In recent years, indoor or at-home sports have experienced significant growth. However, monotony is a common challenge in these static physical activities. Exergames, a genre of video games that combines physical activity and entertainment, have emerged as an attractive solution. Nevertheless, running on a treadmill and engaging in other activities simultaneously presents additional challenges. The balance and concentration required during running while interacting with a video game demand a special focus on the design of the Exergame. This paper presents a mobile Exergame designed specifically for treadmill running, utilizing interaction with a smartwatch. The game offers natural environments where, through smartwatch technology, it interprets the player's movements, transforming them into running speed and interactive actions by detecting gestures within the game. The main objective is to provide users with a satisfying gaming experience tailored to the characteristics of treadmill running. Particular emphasis has been placed on prioritizing the playful component of this Exergame, recognizing its relevance in the context of treadmill running. To evaluate the achievement of objectives and the proposed hypothesis, a comparative study was conducted between the proposed Exergame and a treadmill running simulator. Participants experienced both experiences and subsequently completed the Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ), specifically the In-game GEQ version. The results obtained indicate that participants had a better gaming experience in the Exergame than in the simulator. These findings highlight the importance of prioritizing the playful component in Exergames and provide guidelines for future improvements and developments in the field.

Global visual attention SPAN in different video game genres

Video games, specifically action video games, have been demonstrated to be a useful tool in improving certain visual aspects in the general population. Visual attention span, the ability to simultaneously process multiple distinct visual elements during a single fixation, has been shown to improve among action video game players. The goal of this study was to verify that visual attention span is better not only in action video games, but also in other video game genres such as sports simulators or role-playing games. A total of 41 participants, aged 18 to 40 years old, were asked about the type of video games they were playing, name and genre, and the frequency of play. Visual attention span was assessed in all participants. Participants were divided into 4 groups according to the genre of video game they played. The total percentage of letter identification in the visual attention span was not significantly different between groups. A significant difference was found in the sixth position letter, and the right hemifield performance between groups, especially in sports simulators and action video game participants who showed a better performance. The action video game group showed a significant correlation between visual attention span performance and weekly hours played. Playing regularly different genres other than action video games can contribute to raise visual attention resources.

Video Game Playing and Internet Gaming Disorder: A Profile of Young Adolescents.

In recent times, growing concern has arisen regarding the utilization of technology, video games, and the emergence of internet gaming disorder (IGD), particularly among young adolescents. This worry arises from the ambiguity in distinguishing between "normal" and "problematic" video game behavior, despite efforts to establish clear criteria for defining both. The goal of this study is to outline distinct profiles of adolescent video game players and identify variables associated with their gaming practices that correlate with problematic gaming. The study utilizes a substantial sample of adolescents drawn from a representative cross-section of educational institutions in the city of Madrid, ranging in age from 12 to 16 years. In total, 1516 participants (75%) acknowledged engaging in video game activities. The research delves into characterizing prevailing profiles of video game participants within this cohort and scrutinizes the profile that aligns with issues of IGD. In summary, approximately three-quarters of young adolescents participate in video gaming, with males constituting the majority. Typically, participants immerse themselves in action genre games for over three days per week, with males exhibiting a higher frequency than their female counterparts. Elevated gaming frequency correlates with heightened IGD scores, particularly among females. Young adolescents show a preference for game consoles (males) and mobile phones (females) and often play alone at home. Specific factors such as the device used, online mode, company, and gaming location impact the IGD scores. These profiles aim to assist families and educators in recognizing potential risk behaviors and IGD concerns; however, it is crucial to emphasize the necessity for case-specific screening and evaluation before deliberating on such behaviors.

Detailed Implementation about Street Fighter Game using Python

This paper examines the varied cultural meanings of computer game play in competitive and professional computer gaming and live-streaming. A fighting game is a genre of video game that involves combat between two or more characters. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as blocking, grappling, counter-attacking, and chaining attacks together into "combos". Characters generally engage in battle using hand-to-hand combat—often some form of martial arts. The fighting game genre is related to, but distinct from, the beat 'em up genre, which pits large numbers of computer- controlled enemies against one or more player characters. The controls for Final Fight consist of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for attacking and jumping respectively. Pressing the attack button repeatedly when attacking an enemy Pressing the attack and jump buttons simultaneously allows the player to perform a special attack that strikes all surrounding enemies, but will drain a small portion of the player's health. Enemies can be grabbed simply by walking into one of them. When an enemy is grabbed, the player can perform a grab attack by pressing the attack button or perform a throw by tilting the joystick left or right. A thrown enemy can be tossed at another for additional damage. Items such as weapons, health recovery items, and items awarding extra points can be picked up by standing over one and pressing the attack button. Weapons have limited uses and will disappear if the player is disarmed by an enemy too much or when the player moves to a new area.

Multi-Layer Perceptron Model for Dota 2 Game Results from UCI Using MLP Classifier

Dota 2 is a genre game Moba in the PC (Personal Computer) system battle arena game online (online) with multiplayer ( bringing together 2 players in 1 machine ). Game Dota 2 consists of 2 opposing teams To get the victory, every team has 5 players who can choose hero 1 from 121 different heroes. Study This discusses the use of the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) model to predict the results Dota 2 game. The author uses the UCI dataset containing historical data of Dota 2 matches, processed and trained with the MLP model using MLPClassifier from the scikit learn Python library. The data preprocessing process includes normalization features and handling of missing data. Training involves hyperparameter selection and validation cross To prevent overfitting. Although the MLP model is successful in predicting results with accuracy high, the author takes notes room For improvement, like additional features or the use of more models complex. In research, This obtained results with Accuracy Train results: 68.06%, Accuracy Test: 58.00%, Accuracy Precision: 58.53%, Accuracy Recall: 73.50%, Accuracy f1: 63.39%.

Development of a serious game-based cognitive rehabilitation system for patients with brain injury

BackgroundTraumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting from a forceful impact to the head can cause severe functional disabilities, with cognitive impairment being a major hindrance to patients' return to daily life. Encouraging patients to engage in rehabilitation programs consistently poses a significant challenge for therapists. To address this issue, gamification has gained momentum as an effective approach. This study aims to develop a serious game-based cognitive rehabilitation system tailored for patients with brain injury.MethodsThe study included four stages. Initially, the requirements were analyzed through focus groups. Then the system structure and game content were discussed and was agreed as a conceptual model. In second stage, the system design was drawn using various modeling diagrams. In third stage, a system prototype was developed using the Unity game engine and C# programming. Finally, a heuristic evaluation method was employed to assess usability.ResultsBased on the focus group meetings with seven participants, a conceptual model of the system structure and game content was designed. Game's interface was developed for both the therapist and patient versions. The focus groups determined a 2D casual gaming genre with a postman character and 10 missions on the smartphone platform. For example, in the first mission, the postman must move from mailboxes 1 to 10 and pick up the letters. This is according to Trail Making Test task. The 16 tasks in different subcategories of attention were selected to make these missions. The usability evaluation highlighted privacy, help and documentation, and aesthetic and minimalist design as the areas with the highest percentage of problems.ConclusionsCognitive rehabilitation is vital in facilitating patients' faster return to daily routines and enhancing their quality-of-life following brain injury. Incorporating a game-based system provides patients with increased motivation to engage in various cognitive exercises. Additionally, continuous monitoring by specialists ensures effective patient management. The game-based system offers different game stages to strengthen and rehabilitate attention in patients with brain injury. In the next step, the clinical effects of this system will be evaluated.

Video Game Addiction, Its Risk Factors, and Relationships with the Big Five Personality Traits

Video games have become the modern way of socialising and entertaining especially among teenagers and young adults. Studies have pointed out the negative outcomes of excessive gameplay. Personality, as one of the main influencers of behaviours, the relationship it holds with video game addiction should be investigated. Personalities are formed because of genetic and environmental influences and the most established classification is the big five models of personality: Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion (extroversion), Agreeableness and Neuroticism. Video game addiction falls under the category of behavioural addiction and is formed because of the dopamine effect. Flow state and the Zeigarnik effect are used to explain the mechanisms behind addiction. Some diagnostic symptoms are excessive playtime, preoccupation, and tolerance. People with relationship issues are more vulnerable to Video Game Addiction (VGA). For personality, neuroticism is positively correlated, and conscientiousness is negatively correlated with VGA. Extraversion and agreeableness are negatively correlated with VGA, but this depends on the game genres to an extent. Openness to experience has the least effect on video game addiction. For future studies, game genres are worth investigating as gamers with different personalities may prefer or dislike certain games, which lead to them being addicted or not addicted to this game, this may affect the accuracy of the results. Other factors such as psychopathological conditions and social background are also important.

The Role of Self-Control Dimensions, Game Motivation, Game Genre, and Game Platforms in Gaming Disorder: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Findings.

Gaming disorder (GD) is the result of an interplay between gaming-related factors, individual factors, and environmental factors. Current research primarily highlights single types of factors. Consequently, the present study simultaneously analyzed the role of individual factors, such as self-control dimensions and motives for gaming, and gaming-related factors, such as game genres, and gaming platforms in GD among female and male gamers. Additionally, the study provides a comprehensive analysis of these factors in relation to GD both cross-sectionally (Study 1) and longitudinally (Study 2). Study 1 comprised 620 active gamers (M=22.16 years; SD=2.99), and Study 2 comprised 405 active gamers (M=28.05 years; SD=4.51). The instruments used in the studies included the Gaming Disorder Test, the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Short-Form (IGDS9-SF), Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire, Video Game Questionnaire, and Self-Knowledge New Sheet. The results showed that GD was associated with (i) self-control deficits associated with difficulties in implementation control and taking actions related to goals without unnecessary delay, (ii) retaining information about intentions and long-term plans, (iii) refraining from immediate, impulsive behavior, and (iv) inhibiting emotional reactions. GD was also associated primarily with escape, coping, and competition motives for gaming. However, the longitudinal study showed that social, fantasy, and skill-development motives were also related to GD development over time. The action game genres associated with GD but were not very important for GD over time. The cross-sectional study results indicated a negative relationship between GD and tablets and consoles used as gaming platforms. However, the longitudinal study showed that desktop computers and consoles use as gaming platforms were associated with the GD over time. Moreover, gaming-related factors explained only 9% of the variance in the GD model among female gamers and only 10% of the variance in the GD model among male gamers in cross-sectional study. In contrast, individual factors such as self-control dimensions and gaming motivation explained 32% of the variance in the GD model among both female and male gamers. Individual factors, such as self-control dimensions and motives for gaming, were more important in explaining GD than gaming-related factors, such as game genres and gaming platforms. Moreover, self-control deficits and motivation related to escape, coping and competence can be important factors to consider in the prevention and treatment of GD.