Simulation Game Research Articles

Does diversity matter? Explaining the effects of team diversity on team performance using data from a student’s business simulation game

Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of different diversity criteria (age and gender) on team performance using a business simulation game, where performance is operationalized by market valuation (Tobin’s Q) and profitability (cumulative net income). Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data of a business simulation game at a German public university (128 student groups and 645 individuals). Using multiple linear regression models, they investigated the impact of the different diversity criteria on team performance. Findings The authors found no significant effects of gender diversity on market valuation and profitability. However, the results of this study indicate a positive relationship between age diversity and both performance variables. Originality/value This paper contributes to the debate on the relationship between diversity and team performance by using data from a business simulation game. This study adds value by considering different diversity factors, objective performance indicators and the endogeneity of team formation (the seminar leaders randomly assign students to teams) which has not been applied in similar studies yet. Because of the setting of a simulated business game, the results could also be applied to the real economy where we observe working teams every day.

Exploring the importance of stochasticity to Hybrid Equilibria in a Discrete Signaling Game

Abstract Communication via evolved signals is ubiquitous (both within and between species) in the natural world. However, how honest we should expect signals to be remains an open question. Hybrid equilibria are a form of equilibria predicted by discrete signaling games in which signalers are sometimes dishonest and signals do not completely reliably convey information on signaler quality. While these equilibria have been theoretically demonstrated in several signaling games, their dynamics in a stochastic simulation of evolutionary trajectories (that include representation of the inherent noise expected in evolution in the natural world) have not previously been studied. In this paper, we present an agent-based simulation of a discrete signaling game which exhibits hybrid equilibria. We find that while hybrid equilibria are evolutionarily attractive where they exist, populations exhibit variable and often drastic oscillating behavior around the predicted equilibrium values. We discuss how these dynamics might offer valuable opportunity for detecting hybrid equilibria in natural populations.

Technology-enhanced Learning in Information Systems Education

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted higher education but also accelerated the adoption of technology-enhanced learning and innovative teaching practices to promote student-centred learning in higher education. Nevertheless, traditional, didactic, teacher-centred approaches in university teaching are still prevalent. Specifically, Information Systems (IS) and other technology-related disciplines are expected to adopt technological innovations more readily. Moving beyond the pandemic, there is a need to reassess the current state of Information Systems education and explore technologies that have been effectively deployed to identify best practices. This study involves reviewing thirteen subjects as part of a Master of Information Systems course offered by one of Australia’s leading universities. It aims to identify innovative technology-enhanced practices that promote student-centred learning, assess their adoption levels and impact, and reflect on any difficulties hindering their adoption. We identified three innovative technology applications that effectively facilitate student-centred learning: web-based interactive content, online collaborative workspaces, and simulation games. However, we found that these technologies are primarily adopted for tutorials. Nevertheless, the use of technology has led to a notable shift from the traditional teaching approach to a flipped classroom model. The findings highlight the need for university-wide support, policy changes, and investments in time, resources, and staff training to enhance student-centred learning through the use of technology.

Interdisciplinary participation in climate-adapted urban land-use planning – findings of two gaming simulations in the city of Bottrop, Germany

Purpose Sustainable and climate-adapted urban development requires integrative governance approaches and forms of collaboration between different disciplinary actors in urban society. Integrative approaches are a particular challenge for those planning cultures in which they are not yet sufficiently established. This also applies to formal urban land-use planning in Germany, which forms the governance setting of this study. This study aims to examine how interdisciplinary participation in formal urban land-use planning contributes to the consideration of climate adaptation in the planning process. Design/methodology/approach This paper traces the process of two differently designed interdisciplinary participation formats based on the methodological framework of a gaming simulation, each in the context of a formal urban land-use planning procedure in Bottrop, Germany. The gaming simulations are designed as performance simulations in which we involved several representatives from different public authorities. Findings The gaming simulations show that interdisciplinary participation can lead to an increased awareness of climate adaptation requirements in particular and a mutual understanding of different logics of action in the context of comprehensive and sustainable urban planning in general. In addition, this paper provides recommendations as to how and under what conditions the benefits of the simulations can be transferred to municipal practice. Originality/value While integrative and interdisciplinary formats are increasingly being used in the context of informal urban planning, this does not apply to formal urban land-use planning. Participation in formal urban land-use planning procedures is classically linear and multidisciplinary in Germany. Using two simulated interdisciplinary participation formats, this paper tested to what extent the consideration of climate adaptation requirements as a cross-sectoral task can benefit from interdisciplinarity in the context of two formal urban land-use planning procedures.

The effect of simulated basketball game load on patellar tendon load during stop-jump movement

Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is frequently observed among basketball players, particularly in sports involving repetitive jumping movements. However, the overall impact of accumulated exercise load on the patellar tendon is still not fully comprehended. Therefore, the goal of this study is to examine how a simulated basketball game affects the biomechanics of stop-jump movements, specifically focusing on the effects on the patellar tendon. The kinematic and kinetic data were collected immediately after the warm-up and each phase of the simulated basketball game (P1, P2, P3, and P4). A musculoskeletal model was built to calculate patellar tendon force (PTF) and the key biomechanical metrics during the horizontal landing and vertical jumping phases were explored separately, followed by correlation analyses. Linear regression analyses were performed on variables strongly correlated with PTF. The accumulation of load led to significant differences (p < 0.05) in the angles, velocities, torques, work contributions, peak patellar tendon force (PTF), and anterior-posterior ground reaction force (APGRF) observed during the landing and vertical jump phases at the hip, knee, and ankle joints. PTF showed strong correlations with knee flexion angle, knee extension angular velocity, ankle plantarflexion angular velocity, and APGRF, with R2 values of 0.50, 0.58, 0.70, and 0.56, respectively. PTF significantly decreased in P3 and P4, possibly due to the subjects’ adaptation and adjustment of their stop-jump posture strategy after load accumulation, including reducing knee and hip flexion angles and decreasing the net knee extension moment.

Higher Education Students’ Experiences of Game-Based Learning - Fostering and Hampering Aspects in Virtual Teamwork

The application of digital game-based learning (GBL) methods has lately received more attention in higher education (HE). An extensive body of previous investigations has recognised the potential of instructional games to advance the learning of appropriate work life skills. However, there seems to be a lack of understanding in the current literature regarding the students’ views towards meaningful ways to collaborate in virtual teams during educational activities. The current study is contextualised by a business simulation game and examines university students' experiences through working collaboratively in multi-site teams. In that context, the focus is on the fostering and hampering aspects of virtual collaboration as experienced by the students during the simulation sessions. The study was executed among 66 undergraduate university students in Finland. The data were collected from the students' reflection papers and were then analysed using a qualitative content analysis approach. The evidence shows that students experienced fostering and hampering aspects in relation to communication, collaboration, organising, and technology during the simulated sessions. As these are all very typical to modern distributed collaborative work, we may conclude that the GBL course presented in this study provided students with opportunities to experience and rehearse collaborative virtual teamwork in an authentic work context. Our findings highlight the importance of allowing students to practice 21st century skills in an authentic, safe and stimulating environment. Simulation games provide a feasible context for doing so.

The Effect of KOURIBGA (Family Planning Postpartum Bouquet Ribbon Game) Education on The Self-Efficacy of Health Cadres

The low self-efficacy of health cadres can impact the effectiveness of community education on postpartum family planning (KBPP). Previous studies indicate that with appropriate educational methods, the number of KBPP users can increase significantly. The Simulation Game known as the Family Planning Postpartum Bouquet Ribbon Game, or KOURIBGA, presents a promising approach to health education by offering an engaging and interactive simulation format. This study aimed to analyze the influence of KOURIBGA education on the self-efficacy of health cadres in Kedungwinong Village, Nguter District, Sukoharjo Regency. Employing a pre-experimental, pretest-posttest design, the research used a total sample of 35 health cadres. In this study, the KOURIBGA education served as the independent variable, while the dependent variable was the self-efficacy of the cadres. The results, analyzed using the Wilcoxon test, indicated a significant effect (p-value < 0.05), demonstrating that KOURIBGA education positively influenced health cadres' self-efficacy in Kedung Winong Village. Thus, KOURIBGA education can be effectively utilized to enhance self-efficacy, contributing to better reproductive health services.

Assessing the Quality of an Innovative Learning Path for BIM Education: The DIGITAL DECATHLON

The Erasmus+ funded project DIGITAL DECATHLON addresses the urgent need to modernize educational practices in the construction industry, especially in the field of Building Information Modeling (BIM). This study investigates how interdisciplinary, international and game-based learning can improve the BIM skills of students from different academic backgrounds and institutions in Europe. The study investigates whether an immersive simulation game involving students from five universities in Germany, Finland, Italy and Poland can effectively develop BIM skills and promote international and intercultural collaboration. The research uses a mixed methods approach that includes observational analysis, expert evaluations and surveys to assess the effectiveness of learning methods used in the game, to exploit for the optimization of the second game experience foreseen by the project. The results show that the simulation successfully engages students and improves their practical BIM skills. Nevertheless, there are areas that need improvement. Key challenges include harmonizing disciplines, improving the understanding of project management and ensuring consistent and equal communication between teams. These findings emerge from both qualitative feedback and quantitative performance data. This makes it clear that the existing simulation game is well suited to teaching the basics of the BIM methodology, but that some improvements are still needed, which will be incorporated in a second run, again subject to evaluation for capitalization and future replication.

Improving group problem solving through awareness of members’ problem-solving preferences

PurposeMany groups in organisations are unsuccessful in problem solving. However, the principle of continuous improvement necessitates that organisations refine their employees’ problem-solving skills. In this mixed-method, field-based lab experiment, we explored the impact of a treatment to enhance the quality of group problem-solving processes.Design/methodology/approachWe focused on the structured problem-solving process in Kaizen Events by differentiating six consecutive phases. About 16 Kaizen Event groups (101 members) participated in a field-based lab experiment that used a lean simulation game to establish a group problem-solving context. Data were collected via video, surveys and group interviews. We examined if a high-quality process is strengthened through group members’ elevated awareness of problem-solving preferences. About 11 groups received a treatment of tailor-made individual feedback to increase awareness of their problem-solving preferences. Additionally, we repeated the experiment in five control groups, where member preferences were not shared.FindingsIn the treatment groups, where problem-solving preferences had been shared, we observed a clear improvement in Kaizen Event process quality and higher problem-solving self-efficacy levels. Moreover, their self-reported Kaizen Event behaviour had changed. Within the control groups, the participants also reported that their problem-solving self-efficacy had improved, but this did not have a positive impact on the quality of the objectively measured Kaizen Event process.Originality/valueBy combining insights from operations management and organisational behaviour, we demonstrate that the structured Kaizen Event problem-solving process improves when group members’ individual problem-solving preferences are shared. We thus add an individual-level variable to the extant models of Kaizen Event success factors. Our results provide fresh insights into how to improve the continuous improvement process within organisations. Kaizen Event stakeholders and their facilitators are offered guidance on how to increase one’s awareness of own and others’ problem-solving preferences in group-based problem-solving events.

Virtual Simulation Games in Entrepreneurship Education: Status Quo and Prospects

This study reviews the current status and future perspectives of virtual simulation games in entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions. Virtual simulation games act as digital twins to replicate real-world scenarios, which can be integrated as a part of online learning in entrepreneurship courses or digital learning resources in entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions. Virtual simulation games as digital tools for specific learning tasks or teaching methods engage students with virtual simulation learning experiences to generate improved student learning in immersive and interactive environments through the use of extended reality (XR) including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) in a virtual or blended learning environment. This study indicates the promising development of AI and XR applications in virtual simulation games in entrepreneurship education. It provokes discussions on the technological, pedagogical, and content design of virtual simulation games and their integration into hybrid and online models of entrepreneurship education, which has significant implications for the digital transformation and innovation of entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions. It draws attention to digital well-being and digital inclusion in virtual simulation game-based learning in entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions.

National differences in gambling-driven stock trading behavior: evidence from a simulated trading game

There are significant differences in real-life gambling behavior between Germany and Italy. Contemporary theories suggest that these differences in individual preferences would translate to differences in trading behavior. We elicited trading behavior from participants of both Italian and German language groups using a stylized hold-or-trade scenario distributed via a survey. Additionally, we collected data on their self-stated gambling preferences. Our findings confirm the existence of large and significant differences in gambling consumption, problem gambling, and trading behavior between the two nationalities. Furthermore, we observed that gambling preferences explain most of the national differences. This suggests that established factors of financial decision-making play a more prominent role in explaining national differences in trading behavior than any latent cultural factors.

Mod Installation as Reclaiming Representational Diversity: The Role of Aesthetic Agency in Stardew Valley

Media (e.g., film) are often designed around cisgender, heternormative logics and are not representative of the multiplicity of identities and identity expressions that exist in the world. Thus, media impedes the identity expression and performance of the communities who use them, as we do not see many parts of our identities represented or find that our identities are misrepresented. Video games, which are a genre of media, are especially problematic in how they perpetuate heteronormative normative logics. Unlike most media, however, video games give people agency over the aesthetics of game worlds--the characters and narratives--through the installation of mods. We conducted a content analysis coupled with a triangulation of mods through personal experience focused on the widely popular farming simulation game Stardew Valley. Drawing on a conceptual lens bringing together theories of identity and aesthetic agency, we highlight how the aesthetic agency afforded by mod installation provides opportunities for reclaiming representational diversity in game worlds along the following dimensions: sex and intimacy, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, and body diversity. We discuss the implications of mod installation, exploring its potential relationship with identity work and identity play. We then propose design guidelines for achieving aesthetic alignment.

Storytelling Games for General Anxiety: Clinician Perspectives on Walking Simulator Games as Intervention

General anxiety is a common mental health condition across the world, with many barriers preventing people from accessing treatments. A growing body of evidence suggests that serious games offer appealing and effective solutions for anxiety. Despite their potential, an understanding of game design qualities and contextual game mechanics in game-based interventions are significantly under-explored, especially for general anxiety. Alternative and emerging game genres may offer new intervention approaches previously overlooked in digital mental health research. We use story-led exploration games, particularly the environmental storytelling walking simulator game genre, as an analytical template to understand new game design strategies and features that can potentially enable engaging and efficacious serious games as interventions for general anxiety. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, we summarize input from expert clinical participants who identified and evaluated several game design qualities towards developing walking simulators as potential serious game interventions.

A deep reinforcement learning framework for achieving super-human hazard perception in autonomous driving agents

Modeling driver behavior can significantly improve autonomous vehicles and intelligent driver assistance/training systems. Hazard perception (HP) is an essential driving skill for preventing driving accidents in potentially dangerous traffic situations. HP is not a Markov decision process, so modeling HP with reinforcement learning techniques is challenging. We introduce a framework for modeling HP scenarios using the soft actor-critic approach. Then, we use this framework to model HP in the emergence of a critical lateral hazard onto the road. The dual environments – the mirror environment for training and the target environment for usage – accelerate the learning process. The agent is employed in the target environment using an interpreter algorithm. The results show that the agent learns HP and outperforms the best human results by 2.6%. The training is implemented 40 times faster in the mirror environment. Evaluation tests show a driving experience similar to real-world scenarios rather than gaming simulations.

Corporate political action and R&D investments: complementary effects and the role of communication in overcoming ex-post transaction costs

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of interfirm communication on the complementary effect between corporate political action (CPA) and research and development (R&D) investments under transaction costs. Design/methodology/approach A quasi-experiment study design was used, combining business game simulation and a public goods experiment with communication as a controlled variable. A fixed-effect regression analysis was performed on panel data collected from 72 students. Findings The findings indicate that collective CPA is positively and significantly associated with R&D investments, particularly when interfirm communication is present. Conversely, for non-communicating firms, the effect is limited to the relationship between individual CPA and R&D investment. Research limitations/implications Despite advancing the research on political ties and innovation, the study acknowledges limitations related to framing effects and institutional variability. Practical implications The complementary effects indicate that institutional arrangements (i.e. business associations) may foster interfirm communication and cooperation in CPA efforts, mitigating opportunistic behaviours and legitimising CPA strategy towards innovation. Social implications This study contributes to understanding how firms’ political and R&D decisions can positively impact innovation, despite the challenges of ex post transaction costs. Originality/value The positive effect of communication on political action and cooperation on firms’ innovation, even in weak institutional environments, is highlighted. An innovative methodological approach combining business games and economic experiments was used to examine participants’ decisions under transaction costs.

LuckyMera: a modular AI framework for building hybrid NetHack agents

In the last few decades we have witnessed a significant development in Artificial Intelligence (AI) thanks to the availability of a variety of testbeds, mostly based on simulated environments and video games. Among those, roguelike games offer a very good trade-off in terms of complexity of the environment and computational costs, which makes them perfectly suited to test AI agents generalization capabilities. In this work, we present LuckyMera, a flexible, modular, extensible and configurable AI framework built around NetHack, a popular terminal-based, single-player roguelike video game. This library is aimed at simplifying and speeding up the development of AI agents capable of successfully playing the game and offering a high-level interface for designing game strategies. LuckyMera comes with a set of off-the-shelf symbolic and neural modules (called "skills"): these modules can be either hard-coded behaviors, or neural Reinforcement Learning approaches, with the possibility of creating compositional hybrid solutions. Additionally, LuckyMera comes with a set of utility features to save its experiences in the form of trajectories for further analysis and to use them as datasets to train neural modules, with a direct interface to the NetHack Learning Environment and MiniHack. Through an empirical evaluation we validate our skills implementation and propose a strong baseline agent that can reach state-of-the-art performances in the complete NetHack game. LuckyMera is open-source and available at https://github.com/Pervasive-AI-Lab/LuckyMera.

Retraction Note: Application of optical imaging equipment based on deep neural network in basketball training game simulation

Retraction Note: Application of optical imaging equipment based on deep neural network in basketball training game simulation

Real-World Geopolitical Influences on In-Game Financial Behaviour

This paper explores how real-world geopolitics can influence financial decision-making in virtual environments. The study primarily focuses on trading dynamics in a pandemic simulation game. The players manage resources and trade with each other to save their population. We compared two groups: one playing with made-up country names (control) and another with real country names (test). The players were not permitted to communicate outside of the resources the game provides and were finally ranked based on the number of months survived and trade volume. Our findings reveal two distinct player archetypes, one focusing on maximising trade volume and a second focusing on resource conservation. Real country names compared to color-coded labels seem to delay the perception of competition and reduce overall trade volume, suggesting increased immersion and a more conservative approach towards resource management. Observations from gameplay footage reveal instances of potential bias, with players forming diplomatic ties based on national identities. The data collected suggests that real-world geopolitics can influence financial behaviour in virtual environments as hypothesised. It also explores virtual environments to study how political narratives and dynamics affect human decision-making. The findings offer practical insights for game developers regarding fostering player engagement, mitigating bias, and creating fair economies. While parallels with real-world resource trading and allocation during pandemics were noted, further analysis would be required to explore these connections.

Impact of Digital Game-based Learning Experiences on Reasoning Skills and Science Engagement

This research seeks to use games to promote scientific reasoning and inquiry skills among middle-school children. Particularly, it focuses on the Control of Variables Strategy (CVS), a fundamental component of scientific thinking which enables individuals to test hypotheses and make valid causal inferences based on evidence. The present study draws on and combines existing streams of research in the fields of science education, embodied cognition, and game-based learning to investigate the efficacy of an intervention using the Preparation for Future Learning paradigm in which students play an online text-based adventure simulation game about solving escape rooms in order to prime them for later formal instruction in CVS via a randomized-controlled trial, as well as whether structured or unstructured access to the game has a differential impact on immediate learning vs. retention after a delay. Students were given tests of scientific reasoning at baseline, immediately following the training phase, and a week thereafter. The impact of playing this game on motivation and engagement with science is also analyzed in this trial through the use of survey data. The study found significant effects of study condition on all measures, with students assigned to the game groups outperforming control students, and the unstructured play group showing the strongest performance in the post-study test while the structured play group performed the most poorly in the retention test. The unstructured play group also showed the highest level of intrinsic motivation, as well as higher self-determination and self-efficacy than the structured playing group in the science engagement survey.

Design Framework for VR Games in the Police Domain

The escalation in the number of conflicts poses various implications and consequences to society, demanding a comprehensive understanding from a law enforcement perspective. The surge in conflicts introduces significant challenges related to public safety, necessitating adaptive strategies for both conflict and crime prevention and resolution. Accordingly, effective policing must adapt to the evolving dynamics, employing a nuanced approach that addresses the root causes of conflicts and enhances community resilience to avoid or mitigate them and their broader societal impact. A pivotal role is this direction is played by the ongoing technological advancements that facilitate actions like enhancement of situational awareness, analyzing patterns and anticipating potential hotspots and activities, facts that sustain both proactive and reactive measures. In particular, technological advancements in Virtual Reality (VR) present a valuable avenue for addressing policing challenges, especially in relation to conflict resolution, mitigation, and prevention. Building VR simulations for training purposes offers a controlled yet realistic environment for officers to practice e.g., de-escalation strategies and decision-making under stress. These gaming simulations provide a platform to expose officers to diverse scenarios, fostering adaptability, encouraging communication and collaboration, and enhancing their ability to properly handle conflicts with precision and self-control. At the same time, VR systems can be developed for societal awareness and educational purposes, fostering better understanding and communication between law enforcement and the public. While a broad range of governmental, practitioner, and academic efforts exist aiming at building and incorporating VR solutions for various purposes in the police domain, specific areas that involve other societal forces and bystanders need more attention. It is then the aim of this article to capture existing design and evaluation principles as well as lessons learned from existing VR solutions in the police domain. This is done by proposing a design framework for responsible VR gaming solutions in the police domain following the Design Science Research methodology in a transdisciplinary approach.