Mobile Phone Game Research Articles

Screen time and quality of life in Austrian young adults

Abstract Aim This study aimed to investigate the screen-related habits and quality of life among a sample of young Austrian adults. Subject and methods A cross-sectional online questionnaire study was conducted, assessing quality of life using the World Health Organization (WHO) Quality of Life–BREF questionnaire. Participants were queried about their physical activity levels and screen-based activities, including social media engagement, computer or mobile phone gaming, and on-demand TV or series watching. Linear regression analysis was employed to explore the relationship between quality of life and screen time. Additionally, gender differences and correlations between quality of life and BMI and age were assessed. Results The study comprised 400 young Austrian adults aged 18 to 30. Findings revealed negative associations between quality of life and social media usage, as well as watching series. Conversely, quality of life was positively correlated with physical activity. While female participants exhibited significantly greater engagement with computer or mobile games, no gender differences were observed in physical activity levels. Notably, gaming accounted for the majority of screen time. Conclusion Elevated screen time was linked to decreased quality of life, while increased physical activity was associated with higher quality of life. Gaming emerged as the predominant screen-related activity. Future research should investigate strategies to integrate physical activity into gaming to potentially enhance overall quality of life. Promoting awareness among young adults regarding their screen usage across various devices and its potential adverse effects on their well-being could play a pivotal role in fostering improvements.

Prevalence and Pattern of Mobile Gaming among Senior Secondary School Students in a Semi-Urban Town in Nigeria

Background: Excessive mobile gaming among young people has become a global public health issue. This paper aimed to determine the prevalence and pattern of mobile phone gaming among secondary school students.
 Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 401 secondary school students in Orlu, selected using multistage sampling technique. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to acquire information on the socio-demographic characteristics and pattern of gaming. The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) was used to assess problems related to gaming in the last 12 months. Data was entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 21. Pearson's Chi-square test was used for categorical variables while Students ttest was used for continuous variables. p 0.05 was regarded as significant.
 Results: Two (0.6%) of the respondents met the criteria for Internet gaming disorder. Three hundred and fifty-seven (89%) respondents had played mobile games at least once in their lifetime while three hundred and thirteen (78.1%) had played mobile games at least once in the past 12 months. One hundred and ten respondents (35.1%) had played mobile games nearly every day in the past 12 months. Most respondents, 132 (42.2%) played games offline. Two hundred and twentynine respondents (73.2%) have betted with others on the outcome of games played.
 Conclusion: Mobile gaming was common among secondary school students in Orlu, but the rate of gaming disorder was low. Measures targeted at adolescents should be developed to educate them on the potential dangers of mobile gaming.

Role of Gaming Devices Associated With Internet Gaming Disorder in China: Cross-sectional Study.

Chinese gamers use computer and mobile phone games widely. Consequently, concerns regarding the development of internet gaming disorder (IGD) in adolescents have been raised. However, only a few studies have focused on the influence of gaming devices on IGD. This study aims to compare sociodemographic information, gaming use characteristics, personality traits, and gaming motivations between computer game users (CGUs) and mobile phone game users (MGUs), as well as identifying IGD predictors. This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 3593 internet game players took part in an online survey, which included sociodemographic information, gaming patterns, gaming motivations, the Chinese version of the Video Game Dependency Scale, and the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory brief version. The population was divided into 2 groups for comparison by mobile phone or computer use, and the IGD population was also compared within the 2 groups. There were significant differences between the 2 gaming device groups in the time (t2994=7.75, P<.001) and money (t2994=5.11, P<.001) spent on gaming and in internet game addiction scores (t2994=3.68, P<.001). Individuals using different gaming devices had different game motivations and personality traits and preferred different genres of games. Results showed that IGD predictors were different for the 2 groups, for example, strategy (odds ratio [OR] 4.452, 95% CI 1.938-10.227; P<.001) and action shooter (OR 3.725, 95% CI 1.465-9.474; P=.01) games increased the risk for MGUs. Gaming devices should be considered during early identification, such as long daily gaming time, much money spent on gaming, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. In addition, more research should be conducted on new gaming devices and IGD treatment.

Increased Incidence of Obesity in Children and Adolescents Post-COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review Article.

The recent coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has immensely impacted all classes of society, but the effects on children and adolescents are much more pronounced than on others. While obesity and its comorbidities in children and adolescents have always been a concern, the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be one of the leading causes of health problems in children and adolescents worldwide, leading to various complications. Hence, understanding its long-term sequelae is of utmost importance. The role of physicians in family counseling, nutrition counseling, and diet education is vital in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The BMI (body mass index) measurements and retrospective cohort studies of various individuals are useful for the pertinent research. During the pandemic, social isolation, staying at home, increased screen time due to online classes, reduced outdoor activities, and more snacking are some of the contributing factors that have increased the prevalence of obesity and further morbidities associated with it. Multiple studies and guidelines are available for combating these issues; still, an increasing number of such cases have been encountered in routine outpatient department (OPD) practice. As opposed to specific infectious illnesses, obesity and its comorbidities are non-infectious, and a slow-growing silent risk; hence parents approach the pediatrician quite late in the disease process. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, every aspect of our life has entered a more virtual domain and is no longer confined to a mere physical sphere. This sudden shift to virtual online classes has significantly impacted children and adolescents by decreasing their physical activities and social interactions in schools. This has even led to increased use of social media and mobile phone games by children and adolescents, a grave concern for parents, pediatricians, and epidemiologists. A more detailed assessment and multidisciplinary approach might benefit in dealing with the management of this emerging issue. Gaining enhanced clarity by establishing more guidelines can help physicians as well as parents in the management of this critical issue.

Multitasking Application for Systematic Intervention Program And Games (MASIPAG) in Science: An Evaluation

Student participation has received a lot of attention in recent decades as a result of moves toward student-centeredness, as well as promising research that suggests a link between student engagement and academic success. The researchers wanted to see how computer-generated software/applications influenced the academic performance of senior high school students. The randomized Pretest-Posttest control group design was used in this study. This study included only 40 students in Grade 11. The cover of the lesson depicts science, and the materials used are computers and cellphones, with Appgeyser serving as the application that the lessons were integrated into. The games were sent to students studying science in grade 11-Life Science and installed on their cellphones by the researchers. Giving a Pre-Test before the lesson and a Post-Test after the lesson was one of the strategies used in this study for each class. For groups 1, the lesson was delivered in a modular format using technology such as a cell phone and a computer application. Based on the data gathered, the researchers concluded that students who used mobile games performed better during the post-test than students who used SLMs. The MASIPAG mobile game was also more effective in teaching life science when compared to modular learning. The use of mobile phone games versus the use of SLMs during pandemic education was found to be significantly different in post-test results. The researcher recommended that teachers use a variety of computer applications in their classrooms based on the findings and conclusions of the study. More strategies for engaging teaching-learning situations should be developed.

Impact of Mobile Game Addiction Tendency on Chinese University Students: A Hierarchical Linear Modeling Study.

This study used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to investigate the differences in mobile game addiction tendencies among universities (i.e., double first-class universities, ordinary colleges and universities, and higher vocational colleges), and to examine the influencing factors of mobile game addiction tendency at the individual and university levels. The participants of this study were 4,024 college students who completed the Chinese Mobile Phone Game Addiction Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Loneliness (β = 0.052), positive emotions (β = −0.126), negative emotions (β = 0.232), and double first-class universities (γ = 0.368) significantly predicted mobile game addiction tendencies. A significant cross-level interaction between double first-class universities and other factors (i.e., positive emotions, negative emotions, and mobile game addiction) was observed. The novelty of this study is that it distinguishes the various effects of mobile phone addiction tendency at the individual and university levels.

Non-Pharmacological Self-Management Strategies for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in People with Advanced Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Non-pharmacological self-management interventions for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotherapy (CIPN) are of clinical interest; however, no systematic review has synthesized the evidence for their use in people with advanced cancer. Five databases were searched from inception to February 2022 for randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of non-pharmacological self-management interventions in people with advanced cancer on the incidence and severity of CIPN symptoms and related outcomes compared to any control condition. Data were pooled with meta-analysis. Quality of evidence was appraised using the Revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Trials (RoB2), with data synthesized narratively. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) was applied to assess the certainty of the evidence. Thirteen studies were included, which had a high (69%) or unclear (31%) risk of bias. Greatest confidence was found for physical exercise decreasing CIPN severity (SMD: −0.89, 95% CI: −1.37 to −0.41; p = 0.0003; I2 = 0%; n = 2 studies, n = 76 participants; GRADE level: moderate) and increasing physical function (SMD: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.02 to 1.00; p = 0.04; I2 = 42%; n = 3 studies, n = 120; GRADE level: moderate). One study per intervention provided preliminary evidence for the positive effects of glutamine supplementation, an Omega-3 PUFA-enriched drink, and education for symptom self-management via a mobile phone game on CIPN symptoms and related outcomes (GRADE: very low). No serious adverse events were reported. The strongest evidence with the most certainty was found for physical exercise as a safe and viable adjuvant to chemotherapy treatment for the prevention and management of CIPN and related physical function in people with advanced cancer. However, the confidence in the evidence to inform conclusions was mostly very low to moderate. Future well-powered and appropriately designed interventions for clinical trials using validated outcome measures and clearly defined populations and strategies are warranted.

Experience of Mobile Phone Gaming in a Traditional Community

Experience of Mobile Phone Gaming in a Traditional Community

Temple Run

Abstract Amongst young people in Freetown, ‘Temple Run’, a mobile phone game that requires the player to run for their life across treacherous obstacles, is used as code for the perilous journey that an increasing number of young Sierra Leoneans made to Europe via Libya. Through ethnographic accounts, the article discusses the role of dreams of migration in Freetown youths’ articulations of a distinctive political imagination through which they at once critique and re-imagine their relation to the state and assert their identity and expectations as Sierra Leonean citizens. These narratives are rooted in everyday experiences of neglect and state violence but also embody a long history in the region of intersections between migration, insecurity, and contestations of power. Exploring migration as discourse, separate from practice, the paper shows how migration imageries become incorporated into expressions of presence rather than simply longings for absence and into normative ideas of citizenship.

Development and Implementation of Java Game Engine Based on Network Information Technology

With the development of computer technology and network technology, various digital learning methods have seriously impacted the traditional education and teaching mode, among which gameplay learning represented by teaching games has attracted wide attention of educators. It is considered to be the most effective way to stimulate learners’ learning motivation. Mobile game is an important part of mobile phone value-added service. The research of mobile game engine has extremely important application value for the development of mobile phone game. This paper mainly studies how to realize a high-performance mobile game engine. Through the analysis of mobile phone operating system, mobile game market, mobile phone game user needs, the technology selection and main function modules of the engine are determined. Through the research of java technology, the technical architecture of engine server and client is determined. Performance and algorithm optimization are the focus of this paper, because performance issues are the biggest bottleneck in developing games on java phones.

Integrating Monte Carlo Tree Search with Knowledge-Based Methods to Create Engaging Play in a Commercial Mobile Game

Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) has produced many recent breakthroughs in game AI research, particularly in computer Go. In this paper we consider how MCTS can be applied to create engaging AI for a popular commercial mobile phone game: Spades by AI Factory, which has been downloaded more than 2.5 million times. In particular, we show how MCTS can be integrated with knowledge-based methods to create an interesting, fun and strong player which makes far fewer plays that could be perceived by human observers as blunders than MCTS without the injection of knowledge. These blunders are particularly noticeable for Spades, where a human player must co-operate with an AI partner. MCTS gives objectively stronger play than the knowledge-based approach used in previous versions of the game and offers the flexibility to customise behaviour whilst maintaining a reusable core, with a reduced development cycle compared to purely knowledge-based techniques.

Heuristics and Think-aloud Method for Evaluating the Usability of Game-based Language Learning

Digital learning environments are increasingly becoming popular in recent years. The rising usage of cell phones has invited researchers to design and develop learning applications and games for mobile phones. Specifically, game-based language learning is being promoted by researchers in many parts of the world. “Language Learning Serious Game (LLSG)” is based on a theoretical model constructed by the researcher that supports children learning English as a second language in a cultural context. The usability of such games is evaluated based on well-defined heuristics and other standard methods. This research aims to appraise the usability of LLSG through heuristics and think-aloud approaches while involving all essential stakeholders, including language experts, students, teachers, and game developers. The researcher proposed the heuristics in a cultural context, whereas the think-aloud review is compiled from the rigorous discussion session involving these stakeholders to evaluate the LLSG. The findings obtained from the heuristics evaluation reveal that the usability of LLSG is acceptable. On the other hand, various interesting suggestions and reviews were gathered from the discussion between experts and students. This evaluation will further improve the future versions of the game.

The Effects of Two Game Interaction Modes on Cortical Activation in Subjects of Different Ages: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

Increasing age and various pathological factors lead to cognitive function decline among the elderly. The most serious cognitive dysfunctions among the elderly include mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VAD). Cognitive training is an effective approach to mitigate the decline in cognitive function. Recent studies have confirmed that emerging training methods using new technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and mobile phones, can be used effectively for cognitive training. This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to compare the brain activation of young and elderly people during VR and mobile phone training when performing a cognitive training game. fNIRS has been shown to be an effective tool for monitoring cognitive decline. In the current study, the MMSE scale was used to measure cognitive performance and fNIRS was used to measure brain activation among 20 youth (mean age 25.33± 1.59 years) and 17 elderly people (mean age 63± 4.35 years). The results showed that the mobile phone game produced significant activation of the prefrontal lobe (PFC) and the VR game produced significant activation of the parietal lobe (MC). The average MMSE scale score of the elderly group was lower than that of the young group and was strongly correlated with PFC activation. This study confirms that elderly people have reduced cognitive function compared to young people. The results indicate that mobile phone games have a positive training effect on reducing cognitive decline, and that VR is a suitable means for cognitive function training among the elderly.

Research and Design of Shooting Games Based on Unity

This paper is based on design and implementation of the Unity3D shooting game. From the point of view of design, it is analyzed for the shooting game design ideas,the key of the game experience design, game design, as well as the details of the design details and interactive details .It is focus on the design and implementation process of unity3d development of mobile phone game and developed a mobile game.the game has a good entertainment and interactivity.

Impact of Mobile Phone Game Addiction on Sri Lankan Teenagers: An Exploratory Study

Technology has become an essential part of human life and it has significantly changed the behaviors of individuals. One of the popular applications of technology is the smartphone and it has an inseparable relationship with modern teenagers. With the improvement of technology, many teenagers use their mobile phones for playing games. Teenagers use these games for multiple purposes such as a hobby, for relaxation, to be adventurous, and for gambling. Most of the time it is started as a hobby but sometimes it becomes an addiction. The current study examined the impact of mobile phone game addiction on Sri Lankan teenagers. The main objectives were to identify how mobile phone game addiction affected their academic performance, aggression, self-identity, physical health, mental health, and family relationships. The study was conducted according to the qualitative research method. Six teenage participants were interviewed using semi-structured interviews and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results show that the influence of mobile phone game addiction differs according to the amount of time they play. From the participants’ point of view, mobile phone gaming is a major barrier for academics and physical health and it increased their aggression. Results show that it has no powerful effect on self-identity and mental well being. Its effect on family relationships is neutral. Most of the participants wanted to stop playing games but a few didn’t see anything wrong with playing mobile games. More research is needed to identify reasons as to why they are addicted to games and how to rescue them from mobile phone game addiction.

Can individuals with down syndrome improve their performance after practicing a game on a mobile phone?—A new insight study

IntroductionDown syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder characterized by the presence of an extra chromosome, which is typically associated with motor and cognitive changes that interfere with the ability to perform daily activities. To enable gains in motor skills in individuals with DS, one option is to use new technologies such as mobile phone tasks in a virtual reality environment. ObjectiveTo explore whether a mobile phone game is a feasible tool to improve motor performance of upper limbs in individuals with DS. MethodThe game Marble Maze Classic® was used, in which the participants moved the mobile phone to guide a virtual marble through a maze design. We evaluated 100 individuals, 50 with DS and 50 individuals with typical development matched by gender and age. The participants were divided into two conditions: a ‘condition with an original maze’, with 25 individuals in the comparison group (typical development) and 25 in the experimental group (DS) and a ‘reverse condition’ with the same number of participants that used a maze design with an opposite path to the original as a counter-balance measure. The dependent variable used was time in seconds to finish the maze path. ANOVA was used in analysis of group differences. Post-hoc comparisons were performed using Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference test (p < 0.05). ResultsThe comparison group improved during practice and maintained performance in the retention phase; they were able to transfer learning to different mazes. The DS group improved and retained motor performance, but transferred motor performance only in the original maze, not in the reverse condition. That is, the DS group failed to transfer learning as effectively as the comparison group. ConclusionPeople with DS managed to adapt to the task but underperformed compared to people with TD. Difficulty in maintaining performance with increased task difficulty was observed in the DS participants, highlighting the need to differentiate such tasks in improving performance.

Getting in the Flow Together: The Role of Social Presence, Perceived Enjoyment and Concentration on Sustainable Use Intention of Mobile Social Network Game

Mobile Social Network Games (MSNGs) are defined as a product that combines games and social network services (SNSs). Compared with games played individually, MSNGs offer additional enjoyment to users through competition or cooperation. Mobile phone games, which rely on SNS platforms, can develop a strong social presence for users. This study focuses on factors affecting the sustainable use intention of MSNGs. In our study, we chose social presence as our dependent variable and proved that the social presence perceived by players in MSNGs has a positive impact on the sustainable use intention through a series of mediator variables. Second, the game product itself can easily lead to player addiction; therefore, in this study, we use the flow theory—perceived enjoyment and concentration—as our mediator variables. The results showed that perceived enjoyment and concentration are important factors driving the attitude towards MSNGs and that attitude presents a significant positive effect on sustainable use intention. This study enhances the current understanding of sustainable use intention of MSNGs and provides practical implication for MSNG development strategies and the theoretical implication.

Autonomy Need Dissatisfaction in Daily Life and Problematic Mobile Phone Use: The Mediating Roles of Boredom Proneness and Mobile Phone Gaming.

Psychological needs dissatisfaction has been identified as hindering adaptive development, in which autonomy need dissatisfaction, as one core component, may be associated with adolescents’ maladaptive online behaviors. Sporadic research has examined the association between autonomy need dissatisfaction and problematic mobile phone use (PMPU). Boredom proneness and mobile phone gaming were suggested to be linked to this association. This study aimed to examine the mediating effects of boredom proneness and mobile phone gaming in the association between autonomy need dissatisfaction and PMPU. A total of 358 secondary school students completed questionnaires at three waves; autonomy need dissatisfaction was measured in time 1 (T1); boredom proneness and mobile phone gaming were measured one year later (time 2, T2); PMPU was measured two years later (time 3, T3). The structural equation model results showed that T1 autonomy need dissatisfaction not only directly predicted T3 PMPU, but also exerted effects via the mediating role of T2 boredom proneness and the chain mediating role of T2 boredom proneness and T2 mobile phone gaming. These findings reveal the unique role of specific psychological need in engaging PMPU, which provides support to targeted interventions, such that promoting autonomy need satisfaction may be an instrumental procedure to prevent adolescents from addiction-like online behaviors.

Design and development of a sensored glove for home-based rehabilitation

Study DesignDescriptive. IntroductionRehabilitation programs that focus on motor recovery of the upper limb require long-term commitment from the clinicians/therapists, require one-to-one caring, and are usually labor-intensive. Purpose of the StudyTo contribute to this area, we have developed a sensored hand glove integrated with a computer game (Flappy Bird) to engage patients playing a game where the subject's single/multiple fingers are involved, representing fine motor skill occupational therapeutic exercises. MethodsWe described the sensored rehab glove, its hardware design, electrical and electronic design and instrumentation, software design, and pilot testing results. ResultsExperimental results supported that the developed rehab glove system can be effectively used to engage a patient playing a computer game (or a mobile phone game) that can record the data (ie, game score, finger flexion/extension angle, time spent in a therapeutic session, etc.) and put it in a format that could be easily read by a therapist or displayed to the therapists/patients in different graph formats. ConclusionsWe introduced a sensored rehab glove for home-based therapy. The exercise training using the glove is repetitious, functional, and easy to follow and comply with.

Creating a Theoretically Grounded Gaming App to Increase Adherence to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: Lessons From the Development of the Viral Combat Mobile Phone Game.

BackgroundIn the United States, young minority men who have sex with men (MSM) are most likely to become infected with HIV. The use of antiretroviral medications to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV infection (pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP) is an efficacious and promising prevention strategy. There have been significant advances regarding PrEP, including the definitive demonstration that PrEP reduces HIV acquisition and the development of clinical prescribing guidelines. Despite these promising events, the practical implementation of PrEP can be challenging. Data show that PrEP’s safety and effectiveness could be greatly compromised by suboptimal adherence to treatment, and there is concern about the potential for an increase in HIV risk behavior among PrEP users. Due to these challenges, the prescribing of PrEP should be accompanied by behavioral interventions to promote adherence.ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop an immersive, action-oriented iPhone gaming intervention to improve motivation for adherence to PrEP.MethodsGame development was guided by social learning theory, taking into consideration the perspectives of young adult MSM who are taking PrEP. A total of 20 young men who have sex with men (YMSM; aged 18-35 years) were recruited from a sexually transmitted infection (STI), HIV testing, and PrEP care clinic in Jackson, Mississippi, between October 2016 and June 2017. They participated in qualitative interviews guided by the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model of behavior change. The mean age of participants was 26 years, and all the participants identified as male. Acceptability of the game was assessed with the Client Service Questionnaire and session evaluation form.ResultsA number of themes emerged that informed game development. YMSM taking PrEP desired informational game content that included new and comprehensive details about the effectiveness of PrEP, details about PrEP as it relates to doctors’ visits, and general information about STIs other than HIV. Motivational themes that emerged were the desire for enhancement of future orientation; reinforcement of positive influences from partners, parents, and friends; collaboration with health care providers; decreasing stigma; and a focus on personal relevance of PrEP-related medical care. Behavioral skills themes centered around self-efficacy and strategies for adherence to PrEP and self-care.ConclusionsWe utilized youth feedback, IMB, and agile software development to create a multilevel, immersive, action-oriented iPhone gaming intervention to improve motivation for adherence to PrEP. There is a dearth of gaming interventions for persons on PrEP. This study is a significant step in working toward the development and testing of an iPhone gaming intervention to decrease HIV risk and promote adherence to PrEP for YMSM.