Multiplayer Games Research Articles

Stability of pairwise social dilemma games: Destructive agents, constructive agents, and their joint effects.

Destructive agents, who opt out of the game and indiscriminately harm others, paradoxically foster cooperation, representing an intriguing variant of the voluntary participation strategy. Yet, their impact on cooperation remains inadequately understood, particularly in the context of pairwise social dilemma games and in comparison to their counterparts, constructive agents, who opt out of the game but indiscriminately benefit others. Furthermore, little is known about the combined effects of both agent types on cooperation dynamics. Using replicator dynamics in infinite and well-mixed populations, we find that contrary to their role in facilitating cooperation in multiplayer games, destructive agents fail to encourage cooperation in pairwise social dilemmas. Instead, they replace defection in the prisoners' dilemma and stag-hunt games. Similarly, in the chicken game, they can destabilize or replace the mixed equilibrium of cooperation and defection, undermining cooperation in the harmony (trivial) game. Conversely, constructive agents, when their payoffs exceed their contributions to opponents, can exhibit effects similar to destructive agents. However, if their payoffs are lower, while they destabilize defection in prisoners' dilemma and stag-hunt games, they do not disrupt the cooperation equilibrium in harmony games and have a negligible impact on the coexistence of cooperation in chicken games. The combination of destructive and constructive agents does not facilitate cooperation, but instead generates complex evolutionary dynamics, including bistable, tristable, and quadstable states, with outcomes contingent on their relative payoffs and game types. These results, taken together, enhance our understanding of the impact of the voluntary participation mechanism on cooperation, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of its influence.

Pink-noise dynamics in an evolutionary game on a regular graph.

We consider a multiplayer prisoner's dilemma game on a square lattice and regular graphs based on the pairwise-Fermi update rule, and we obtain heatmaps of the fraction of cooperators and the correlation of neighboring pairs. In the heatmap, we find a mixed region where cooperators and defectors coexist, and the correlation between neighbors is significantly enhanced. Moreover, we observe pink-noise behavior in the mixed region, where the power spectrum can be fitted by a power-law function of frequency. We also find that the pink-noise behavior can be reproduced in a simple random-walk model. In particular, we propose a modified random-walk model which can reproduce not only the pink-noise behavior but also the deviation from it observed in a low-frequency region.

Transgressive play or playful transgressions? Dynamic interpretations of toxic behaviour in multiplayer online games

ABSTRACT Toxic behaviour in the gaming sphere is variably and inconsistently defined even though it is frequently used in gaming-related literature. It also tends to be used interchangeably with tangential terms (e.g., trolling, griefing) that aren’t conceptually equivalent. Thus, although toxic behaviour has been flagged as a prevalent and problematic issue in online gaming, there remain challenges for effectively assessing its impact on gaming experience and player well-being due to definitional uncertainties. The present study is an attempt to reconcile these uncertainties through an exploration of how players define and recognize toxic behaviour in multiplayer online games. Through semi-structured interviews with 30 online gamers, we propose that toxic behaviour in MOGs can be defined by highlighting the socially undesirable nature of an action, its detrimental effects on victims, and the perpetrator’s intentionality in executing an action. Interestingly, there is a paradoxical disconnect between how players conceptually define toxic behaviour, and how they practically recognize it in actual gameplay. The latter can often be impulsive, or otherwise involve a dynamic evaluation influenced by their attitudinal and emotional dispositions, the people that they are playing with, and the gameplay setting. These interpretations sometimes deviate from the understood definition in a decontextualized setting. Findings from this study have strengthened our understanding of how players dynamically navigate social encounters in games, and how they distinguish between toxic and benign gameplay interactions. An emergent typology of toxic behaviour is also proposed along with some recommendations for future research directions.

Structures that tilt: Understanding “toxic” behaviors in online gaming

Destructive or “toxic” behaviors in online gaming have received increased attention in recent years. These are forms of verbal harassment or behavioral misconduct which disrupt another’s experience of the game. While previous explanations have explained toxic behaviors as intentional acts of deviant individuals or a larger online “trickster” culture, this article provides empirical support for a recent “tilt”-based explanation in the literature. Toxic behavior is seen as situated within and emergent from specific social contexts—as a spur-of-the-moment loss of control (associated with the term “tilt”), triggered by contextual factors within the game. Based on interview data on the popular multiplayer game League of Legends, it is shown how weak normative and relational structures within a gaming context can lead to negative emotions in players, prompting toxic behaviors. Avenues for future research and implications for improving online social spaces are discussed.

Gaming with Etiquette: Exploring Courtesy as a Game Mechanic in Speech-Based Games

As the gaming industry advances, it seeks increased immersion. Concurrently, recent advancements in speech recognition substantially enhanced its accuracy, creating opportunities for speech-based interactions in gameplay. Integrating speech into single-player games with non-player characters (NPCs) introduces a new social dimension. Yet, like toxicity in social media and multiplayer games, anti-social behavior can infiltrate NPC interactions, generating a toxic gaming atmosphere. We designed a speech-based game called “A Day at the Office” and conducted a within-subject study with 26 participants to explore player interactions with NPCs possessing different human qualities. Furthermore, we introduced courtesy-based game mechanics, where NPCs react to players’ choice of words and loudness, investigating player experiences. Results revealed that participants spoke differently with NPCs based on their human qualities, such as gender and hierarchical roles. Moreover, the courtesy-based interactions fostered greater cognitive engagement, suggesting that tactful interactions contribute to enhanced immersion and presence in the game.

Demystifying youth’s play intention of multiplayer online mobile game: an UTAUT3 model perspective

Purpose The primary objective of this study is to identify and examine the effects of the various determinants of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT3) model on multiplayer online mobile games (MPOMGs) adoption and actual play behaviour of young gamers. Design/methodology/approach The research used an online survey method to collect data from a sample of 685 Indian youth. The participants were selected using a convenience sampling procedure. Structural equation modelling technique was used to evaluate the sufficiency and structural relationship between the various dimensions of the UTAUT3 model in the context of MPOMG. Findings The findings of the study indicate that the dimensions of “Price Value” and “Facilitating Condition” did not show a significant relationship with the play intention of MPOMG among youth. However, the newly introduced dimension, “Personal Innovativeness,” was found to have a significant impact on predicting the play intention of MPOMG. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to young Indian gamers. Therefore, future study is needed to analyse across cultures and regions. Moreover, this study contributes to the existing scholarly literature on the implementation of a newly established technological framework, namely, UTAUT3, in the context of MPOMG research. Hence, this study offers a fresh viewpoint for comprehending the youth’s inclination towards MPOMG. Additionally, various determinants the affects the MPOMG adoption and play behaviour is highly relevant for industry managers and game developers to create MPOMG, that are more likely to attract and retain users, leading to increased levels of engagement and success. Originality/value UTAUT3 is a novel framework to determine the technology adoption in a different context. UTAUT3 model is still unexplored and adopted in MPOMG play intention research. Therefore, this study provides a novel perspective to understand the youth’s intention to play the MPOMG in the newly developed technology adoption model perspective.

Applications of Psychological Principles in Game Design: Unveiling the Dynamics and Psychology of Valorant

"Valorant" is a multiplayer shooter game developed by Riot Games that has gained significant popularity in the competitive gaming community. Players are provided with an immersive gameplay experience with a blend of first-person shooter mechanics, distinctive character skills, and strategic teamwork dynamics. This article explores several elements of Valorant, including agents, game types, weapons mechanics, map layouts, and team strategy through case study and some literature review. Whats more, it analyzes the roles and dynamics within teams, investigating their impact on achieving success in gameplay. Moreover, the article explores the elements of risk and safety in Valorant, providing insight into how cognitive and emotional processes influence player decision-making. This examination provides readers with valuable insights into the intricacies of Valorant and its substantial impact on the competitive gaming arena.

Ready player one: The world of online gamers who play multiplayer games alone

Ready player one: The world of online gamers who play multiplayer games alone

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

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

Assessing the impact of griefing in MMORPGs using self-determination theory

Toxic behavior has been impacting players in online multiplayer environments since their inception. Griefing is a type of toxic behavior that focuses on player-to-player in-game disruption and is quite prevalent. However, research into the extent of the impact is still scarce. The present study investigated the impact on the psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as defined by the self-determination theory, for players that perform griefing (the griefers) and those subjected to griefing (the griefed). A sample of 656 respondents from massively multiplayer online role-playing game communities participated in the study. The results discovered that for the majority of players there is no change to their wellbeing, but that when there was a change, the griefed players in general were impacted more negatively, and the perpetrators were impacted more positively. Significant associations also revealed that the magnitude of impacts increased as the player was subjected to or performed griefing more frequently.

Legal nature of the metaverse

Representing a network of virtual worlds, the metaverse ultimately forms a complex object of legal regulation due to the possibility of its normalization according to the provisions of different branches of law. The present work sets out to reveal the legal nature of the metaverse from a legal perspective. The selected methodology for determining its legal nature consists in comparing objects that are similar to the metaverse, but are already regulated by legal provisions. Such objects include the Internet, websites, multiplayer online video games, and virtual space in general. In order to identify their similarities and differences, the metaverse is compared to the specified objects. While the multifaceted nature of the metaverse permits its definition from a Russian legal perspective as information, as an object of intellectual property, or as a means of communication, the metaverse resembles the compared objects only in the most general way, while their differences are so significant that reducing its legal nature to only one of them does not fully account for its salient characteristics. By analogy with other spatial categories, but taking into account its specific features, the metaverse can be considered as a virtual space sui generis. While there is a lack of current legal regulation to support such a conclusion, future legislation of the metaverse should be built with this in mind.

Sympathy for the Devil: Serial Mediation Models for Toxicity, Community, and Retention

Disruptive behaviors in online gaming communities are a growing concern, affecting player experience, retention, and well-being. While previous research has primarily focused on the victims’ experiences, this study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying the attitudinal and behavioral responses to both encountering disruptive behaviors and being flagged for such behaviors, as well as the effects on retention. The study retrieved longitudinal telemetry records of player reporting and gameplay data from the North American server of a popular competitive player vs. player multiplayer online game, coupled with a psychometric survey of a randomly selected sample of 1,217 players. Based on the rejection-disidentification model, this research identifies a shared pathway for both reporting and being reported for disruptive behavior. Our findings support a serial mediation model where both experiences are linked to decreased player engagement. This reduced engagement, reflected in diminished participation in game battles over time, is mediated by perceived discrimination and a reduced sense of community. Moreover, drawing on the concept of procedural justice from the group engagement model, the study delineates unique pathways for the disengagement process for reporters and those reported. Being flagged for disruptive behavior leads to a significant drop in sustained engagement through a decreased sense of community, which is not the case for reporting disruptive behavior. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Forced to Choose Silence: Social Gaming with Disabilities

Background Socialization during gaming is an important aspect of gaming for people with and without disabilities. However, we know little about how gamers with disabilities play with others. Aim This study investigated the social gaming experiences of individuals with disabilities focusing on research questions 1) Who do people with disabilities play with?, and 2) How do people with disabilities communicate while gaming? Method We conducted a survey study which focused on experiences of gaming with disabilities. In total 92 responses were analyzed. Results The results suggest that gamers with disabilities play digital multiplayer games locally and online with friends, family, strangers, and people they know. The most used communication methods were speech, text, and built-in features. However, some were not communicating at all due to a lack of suitable communication methods. Furthermore, communication varied depending on if the gaming was happening online or locally, and depending on the gaming companions. Discussion The results align with previous research indicating that people with disabilities engage in gaming with friends, family, and strangers similar to any other gamer. However, there is a lack of studies on how people generally communicate in games, nonetheless, as speech and text communication methods are most commonly seen in games, we can assume that they are the most used communication methods for all gamers. Limitations and Future Research This study has limitations both related to the survey questions and the survey participants. We cannot be sure if all understood the questions in the same way, furthermore, most of the participants were experienced Finnish gamers with physical disabilities which could have skewed the results. Further research is necessary to address these limitations and broaden the scope of the study's findings. Conclusions Based on the results, we argue that games should provide multiple means of communication to make social gaming more accessible.

Bipartite containment control of multi-agent systems subject to adversarial inputs based on zero-sum game

In this paper, we investigate bipartite containment control problem of multi-agent systems (MASs) with signed directed graph under adversarial inputs. Firstly, we define the bipartite containment error and establish the equivalence between the bipartite containment error converging to zero and the achievement of bipartite containment control. Subsequently, we prove that the bounded L2-gain bipartite containment problem under adversarial inputs can be reformulated as a multi-player zero-sum differential graphical game problem and can be solved via the solution to the coupled Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs (HJI) equation. To address this, we propose a policy iteration (PI) algorithm and prove its convergence under different updating cases. The proposed algorithm is implemented by neural networks (NNs) and a numerical simulation example is provided to show its effectiveness.

Adaptive event‐triggered safety control for multiplayer mixed zero‐sum game with partial inputs delay

AbstractThis paper proposes an adaptive safety control method applicable to a multiplayer mixed zero‐sum (MZS) game of nonlinear systems with partial inputs delay. Firstly, a framework is introduced involving N players, where player 1 and player N form a zero‐sum (ZS) game, and player 1 and players 2 to N‐1 form nonzero‐sum (NZS) games, with some players experiencing time delays. Subsequently, the system's value function is augmented with a control barrier function (CBF) to ensure that the system's state remains within a safe region. Secondly, to approximate Nash equilibrium solutions, the study employs adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) and utilizes a critic‐only neural network (NN) to approximate optimal solutions. Diverging from traditional time‐trigger methods, computational and communication load reduction is achieved by introducing a state‐related event trigger condition. The stability of the system is then meticulously analyzed using the Lyapunov theorem. Finally, to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, the study provides a simulation example demonstrating its performance. In summary, this research introduces an efficient adaptive safety control method for addressing multiplayer MZS games with partial inputs delay, incorporating CBFs, ADP, and state‐related event triggering.

Trustworthy High-Performance Multiplayer Games with Trust-but-Verify Protocol Sensor Validation.

Multiplayer online video games are a multibillion-dollar industry, to which widespread cheating presents a significant threat. Game designers compromise on game security to meet demanding performance targets, but reduced security increases the risk of potential malicious exploitation. To mitigate this risk, game developers implement alternative security sensors. The alternative sensors themselves become a liability due to their intrusive and taxing nature. Online multiplayer games with real-time gameplay are known to be difficult to secure due to the cascading exponential nature of many-many relationships among the components involved. Behavior-based security sensor schemes, or referees (a trusted third party), could be a potential solution but require frameworks to obtain the game state information they need. We describe our Trust-Verify Game Protocol (TVGP), which is a sensor protocol intended for low-trust environments and designed to provide game state information to help support behavior-based cheat-sensing detection schemes. We argue TVGP is an effective solution for applying an independent trusted referee capability to trust-lacking subdomains and demands high-performance requirements. Our experimental results validate high efficiency and performance standards for TVGP. We identify and discuss the operational domain assumptions of the TVGP validation testing presented here.

Development and Validation of the Psychological Motivations for Playing Video Games scale (PMPVGs)

Background The gaming industry is experiencing rapid growth, and videogames in various forms have become an integral part of our daily routines. While research has delved into motivations for playing specific types of videogames, such as online multiplayer games, there is still a need for exploration of the broader concept of video game engagement, irrespective of the genre. Aim The primary aim of this study was to develop and validate a gaming motivation scale that focuses on the intrinsic reasons and psychological aspects of video game motivation. Additionally, the goal was to create a scale that does not rely on game genres to assess gamers’ motivational profiles. Research methods The study was conducted in two phases, involving a total of 2641 Italian participants. In the first phase, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed with data from Italian 543 participants ( M = 28.92; sd = 8.26). In the second phase, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted with data collected from 2098 participants ( M = 31.60, sd = 8.81), showing an adequate fit to the theorized model (𝑥2 (878) =3843.28; CFI = .95, TLI = .95, RMSEA = .040, and SRMR = .042). Key Findings and Discussion In the first part of the study, EFA confirmed 14 dimensions out of the original 18. While CFA demonstrated that the scale had good reliability, with values ranging from .77 to .94. Furthermore, significant correlations were found between the Psychological Motivations for playing Video Games (PMPVGs) scale and dimensions from the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ) and Gaming Motivation Scale (GAMS) scales. The final version of the scale comprises 12 dimensions with 45 items in total and it holds potential to explore the players’ psychological needs satisfied through the gaming activity.

DESIGNING A MULTIPLAYER PUZZLE PLATFORMER GAME 2D CHO CHO CAT ON PC PLATFORM

“Cho Cho Cat” is an online multiplayer puzzle platformer game on the PC platform. This game will be developed with Unity 2021.3.15f1 and C programming language. To play this game, a minimum of two players and a maximum of four players are required. Each player requires a computer with a minimum Windows 10 operating system and an internet connection. This game has five themes and each theme has two levels. Each themes have different mechanisms. With the nature of this game, namely online multiplayer, level design is dynamic according to the number of players. The mechanics of this game are moving left or right, jumping, pushing boxes, and pressing buttons. The objective of this game is to find a key to open a door then moves to the next level.

Can likes returned by peers within a day improve users’ depressive/manic levels in a massive multiplayer online game? A randomized controlled trial

Can likes returned by peers within a day improve users’ depressive/manic levels in a massive multiplayer online game? A randomized controlled trial

Weakly Supervised Deep Embedding for Product Review Sentiment Analysis

Online reviews have become an important source of information for users before making an informed purchase decision. Early reviews of a product tend to have a high impact on the subsequent product sales. In this project, we take the initiative to study the behavior characteristics of early reviewers through their posted reviews on two real-world large e-commerce platforms, i.e., Amazon and Yelp. In specific, we divide product lifetime into three consecutive stages, namely early, majority and laggards. A user who has posted a review in the early stage is considered as an early reviewer. We quantitatively characterize early reviewers based on their rating behaviors, the helpfulness scores received from others and the correlation of their reviews with product popularity. We have found that (1) an early reviewer tends to assign a higher average rating score; and (2) an early reviewer tends to post more helpful reviews. Our analysis of product reviews also indicates that early reviewers’ ratings and their received helpfulness scores are likely to influence product popularity. By viewing review posting process as a multiplayer competition game, we propose a novel margin-based embedding model for early reviewer prediction. Extensive experiments on two different e-commerce datasets have shown that our proposed approach outperforms a number of competitive baselines. In our project we have used algorithms like Decision Tree (DT) and Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP). All are measured in terms of accuracy