Video Game Content Research Articles

Gaming the conflict: Fursan Al-Aqsa’s narrative of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle and its reception through moral disengagement

This study explores Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque (developed by Nidal Nijm Games in 2022) highlighting its role in the portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a paradigm between propaganda and entertainment. By examining the game’s discourse, and its impact on player perceptions, this research sheds light on how video games can shape understanding and engagement with geopolitical issues. The research utilises Albert Bandura’s concept of moral disengagement to analyse the game’s content and its reception on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. By assessing how the game frames moral considerations through its narrative and gameplay, this study reveals the potential of digital games to affect player perceptions and contribute to the broader media landscape surrounding political issues. The analysis also explores the reception and re-interpretation of the game by players and content creators, thus offering insights into the complex interplay between video game content, ideological influence, and audience engagement.

The Analysis of Video Game Title Translation: A Case Study of Iranian Darinoos Publishing

With video games gaining popularity worldwide and becoming one of the most common forms of entertainment in the digital age, the game's title holds both commercial and entertainment value. This study aims to analyze foreign video game titles that have been translated into Persian by the Iranian Darinoos publishing. The practical analysis in the research study is based on Vinay and Darbelnet (1995) and Chaume’s (2020) translation strategies. Those models were applied to compare the translation strategies used by the Darinoos with the translation strategies used by participant translators and to identify the most commonly used translation strategies by both groups. The overall results showed that literal translation remained the most widely used translation strategies in title translation. The Darinoos team used new translation, partial translation, and modulation to translate video game titles into Persian in a more creative way than the other participants. In some instances, participants didn't consider titles to be translatable and used the original title in the target language. These obtained results will be benefical to journalists, video game publishers, content writers, and game localizers.

PERSPECTIVES ON VIDEO GAME RESEARCH THROUGH THE CONCEPT OF MEDIA ARCHAEOLOGY

This article delves into various approaches to the cultural and philosophical study of video games. It primarily examines the potential of employing methodological foundations of media archaeology to enhance the understanding of the history of video game technical media. Additionally, it offers a brief review of existing publications on the proposed topic.To justify the applicability of the media-archaeological approach, the article provides a concise analysis of key research directions in game studies, highlighting their advantages and main shortcomings. The paper includes a succinct history of video game research, elucidates the philosophical concepts underpinning early works on the essence of video games, and explores the principal directions within game studies. Special attention is given to several approaches: Espen Aarseth’s narratological perspective, which interprets the cyberspace of games as a text that can be decoded and read; Gonzalo Frasca’s ludological approach, where the primary characteristic of a game is its interactivity; and Ian Bogost’s multi-level theory of video game study, which integrates the use of media anthropology.Subsequently, the article outlines the core principles of media anthropology as an interdisciplinary field that not only investigates the past of media and attempts to forecast the future of technologies by identifying patterns in their development but also addresses the relationship between humans and technologies. The primary representatives of this field, such as Friedrich Kittler, Jussi Parikka, and Erkki Huhtamo, are also mentioned.In the final section of the article, the necessity of employing media anthropology for understanding video games is discussed, particularly emphasizing the hegemony of technical media over the content of video games. Furthermore, examples of the application of the archaeological approach in game studies are provided, illustrating the potential of this direction.This comprehensive exploration aims to advance the discourse on video game studies by integrating insights from media archaeology and media anthropology, thereby fostering a deeper and more nuanced understanding of video games as cultural and technological artifacts.

Applying machine learning to assess emotional reactions to video game content streamed on Spanish Twitch channels

This research explores for the first time the application of machine learning to detect emotional responses in video game streaming channels, specifically on Twitch, the most widely used platform for broadcasting content. Analyzing sentiment in gaming contexts is difficult due to the brevity of messages, the lack of context, and the use of informal language, which is exacerbated in the gaming environment by slang, abbreviations, memes, and jargon. First, a novel Spanish corpus was created from chat messages on Spanish video game Twitch channels, manually labeled for polarity and emotions. It is noteworthy as the first Spanish corpus for analyzing social responses on Twitch. Secondly, machine learning algorithms were used to classify polarity and emotions offering promising evaluations. The methodology followed in this work consists of three main steps: (1) Extracting Twitch chat messages from Spanish streamers’ channels related to gaming events and gameplays; (2) Processing and selecting the messages to form the corpus and manually annotating polarity and emotions; and (3) Applying machine learning models to detect polarity and emotions in the created corpus. The results have shown that a Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Transformers (BERT) based model excels with 78% accuracy in polarity detection, while deep learning and Random Forest models reach around 70%. For emotion detection, the BERT model performs best with 68%, followed by deep learning with 55%. It is worth noting that emotion detection is more challenging due to the subjective interpretation of emotions in the complex communicative context of video gaming on platforms such as Twitch. The use of supervised learning techniques, together with the rigorous corpus labeling process and the subsequent corpus pre-processing methodology, has helped to mitigate these challenges, and the algorithms have performed well. The main limitations of the research involve category and video game representation balance. Finally, it is important to stress that the integration of machine learning in video games and on Twitch is innovative, by allowing the identification of viewers’ emotions on streamers’ channels. This innovation could bring benefits such as a better understanding of audience sentiment, improving content and audience retention, providing personalized recommendations and detecting toxic behavior in chats.

Sexually explicit media literacy education: a scoping review of parental perspectives and relevant resources

ABSTRACT Viewing sexually explicit media (SEM) can influence young people’s sexual attitudes and behaviours. Media literacy education can help young people navigate this, yet parental opposition is sometimes cited as a barrier to the implementation of comprehensive school programmes. A scoping review explored parent perspectives towards and comfort with SEM literacy education, parent-focused resources, and the level of parental engagement in resource development. An expansive view of SEM included pornography alongside sexually explicit content in movies, television shows, video games, or other online spaces. Collectively, a focused search of five academic databases, an online search for grey literature and resources from non-governmental and government organisations, and interviews (n = 7) with key stakeholders were undertaken. Screening reduced 4,745 peer-reviewed records to seven. The online search located 35 resources from 28 organisations. While parents support SEM literacy education for their children, other sexuality education topics (e.g. contraception and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections) were more widely endorsed. Parental comfort in providing such education was variable. Online resources vary in type and content, with limited information available about development processes or evaluation. Further research and co-design are needed to ascertain parent needs to support their children’s SEM literacy knowledge and understanding.

Evidence of Ambivalent Sexism in Female Video Game Character Designs

ABSTRACT This report shares the results of a systematic, quantitative analysis of themes resonant with ambivalent sexism in playable female video game characters. Applying principles of ambivalent sexism’s underlying concepts of paternalism, compulsory heterosexuality, and gender differentiation, we developed a coding scheme for assessing themes in character personalities, stories, and other aspects of their characterizations. We sampled games developed in Japan and the United States released between 1983 and 2017 (N = 398) and derived data from primary texts (i.e. video game content) and paratexts (i.e. character wiki entries). Our results provide evidence of sexist portrayals for playable characters. Evidence of sexist portrayals emerged with meaningful associations observed among theoretically relevant concepts (i.e. capability, sexualization, development location). We discuss our findings with respect to ambivalent sexism theory and the sociocultural contexts of video game development in Japan and the United States.

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.

Эскапизм и видеоигровая аддикция у подростков

<p>The article analyzes the problem of the formation of video game addiction in adolescents with a tendency to escapism. Escapism is considered as a predictor of video game addiction in adolescents in the information society, the motivation to escape from the fear of a trivial life and everyday difficulties in the virtual worlds of cyberspace. The study involved students of the Agricultural College of the city of Tula from 16 to 18 years old in the amount of 98 people. The purpose of the article is to provide a psychological and pedagogical analysis of the personality characteristics of adolescents that influence the formation of an addictive behavior model in relation to computer games. To achieve the goal of the study, the following psychological tools were used: the Thomas A. Tucker test (adapted by I.A. Konygina), the General Scale for Problematic Internet Use-3 (GPIUS-3) (A.A. Gerasimov, A.B. Kholmogorova), test "Scale for assessing the level of reactive and personal anxiety" Ch.D. Spielberg (adapted by Yu.L. Khanin), a questionnaire to identify the approximate time spent by teenagers on video game content, the test "Methodology for measuring the level of escapism" (T.N. Savchenko, O.I. Teslavskaya, E.V. Belovol, A.A. Kardapoltseva). The conducted study allows us to conclude that the parameter "escapism" is significantly correlated with the parameters "anxiety", "the degree of formation of a video game addict", as well as the time spent by a teenager on gaming content. There is a significant correlation of escapism with the parameter "negative consequences" from a computer game. It is worth noting the absence of a significant correlation between “flight” and “preference for online communication”. The results of the study are considered by the authors in the context of solving the problems of preventive work with adolescents implementing an escapist strategy of behavior, preventing the development of video game addiction. The obtained empirical data confirm the expediency of taking into account the personality characteristics of adolescents in the psychological and pedagogical prevention of video game addiction in adolescents</p>

An exploration of why gaming communities may make younger and non-normative gamers vulnerable to Internet Gaming Disorder

Existing literature has primarily evaluated how exposure to video game content impacts social and behavioral functioning. However, the parameters of video game engagement have expanded with multiplayer online gaming, live streaming, and community discussion on social media platforms. This study sought to examine how participation in online gaming communities is associated with problematic gaming behaviors and symptoms of Internet gaming disorder (IGD). A sample of 1176 gamers completed an online survey investigating game habits, community involvement, and gaming preferences as measured by both the Game Community of Inquiry Scale (GCoIS) and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short form (IGDS9-SF). Results from a multiple hierarchical regression indicated several predictors of problematic gaming, including both community attractiveness and community receptiveness. Moreover, data showed that younger gamers and non-normative gamers were more vulnerable to problematic gaming and more severe symptoms of IGD.

The Relationship Between Cognitive Resource Consumption During Gameplay and Postgame Aggressive Behaviors: Between-Subjects Experiment.

The question of how video games can shape aggressive behaviors has been a focus for many researchers. Previous research has focused on how violent video game content leads to postgame aggressive behaviors. However, video games not only convey violence or prosocial content to players but also require cognitive effort from individuals. Since human cognitive resources are limited, consuming more cognitive resources in a game leads to less cognitive resources to suppress aggressive impulses. Therefore, the depletion of cognitive resources from playing video games may also lead to changes in postgame aggressive behaviors. This study aimed to examine the relationship between cognitive resources consumed in video games and postgame aggressive behaviors. A total of 60 participants (age: mean 20.22; range 18-24 y) were randomly assigned to either the high-load group or the low-load group. Participants from both groups played a video game centered around college life. In the low-load group, participants followed the gameplay instructions to complete it. In the high-load group, participants were given an extra digital memory task to complete while playing the game. Participants in both groups played the video game for about 25 minutes. A maze selection task was then conducted to measure the participants' helping and hurting behaviors. The independent samples 2-tailed t tests showed that the high-load group had significantly higher hurting scores (mean 3.13, SD 2.47) than the low-load group (mean 1.90, SD 2.12; t58=-2.07, P=.04; Cohen d=-0.535), whereas helping behaviors were not significantly affected (t58=1.52, P=.13; Cohen d=0.393). As more cognitive resources are consumed in a video game, more hurting behaviors are exhibited after the game. This finding proposes an alternative route by which video games impact aggressive behaviors, adding to previous theories and raising concerns about the popularity of cognitive training games.

THE IMPACT OF MICROTRANSACTIONS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTER GAME BUSINESS MODELS

The paper deals with the impact of microtransactions on the development of new business models in the field of computer games, caused by various monetized offerings within computer games, as well as other platforms such as gaming consoles and smartphones. The paper also examines the reasons for the emergence of business models based on microtransactions in the video game industry and the influence of the industry’s transition towards a consumer-oriented model. The central hypothesis of the paper is that microtransactions have a strong impact on the development of business models in the entire video game industry, and that over time, the value of products monetized in this way increases, despite consumers’ efforts to prevent this development direction of the industry. The paper conducted research on a population of consumers of video game content, mainly students of the Faculty of Organization and Informatics at the University of Zagreb, as well as respondents from other EU countries. The conclusion is that the number of microtransactions and the number of business models based on microtransactions will continue to grow in the future, but there are ways to combat those forms of microtransactions that have negative effects on consumers, especially minors, and, in some situations, even illegal.

A Video Game to Teach Young Adults the Brain Basics of Addiction

While we struggle to find effective ways to prevent drug-related harm in young people all around the world, families and communities continue to get hurt. World-renowned experts on addiction believe if people understand its basics, they will make better decisions regarding drug use. Nonetheless, addiction happens in the brain, and the bases of brain function involved in addiction are quite complex. I asked whether young adults could learn with a video game some important basics of synaptic function in the brain related to addiction. My team and I developed ‘You VS Drugs’, a 3D video game beta which, through an adventure that takes place inside a synapse between two cells, explains some of the complex bases of brain function different drugs alter to produce their effects, including addiction. I ran an online questionnaire in which, as 340 young adults aged 18-25 viewed the video game content, answered five multiple-choice and two true-false questions which sought to measure their learning. Then, we ran a simulation with a thousand hypothetical participants who would answer the questionnaire at random. We found that, on average, participants had significantly greater performance on the questionnaire than the simulation group (p <.00001, r = .77). Also, the average of correct responses participants gave over the course of the video game (5.644) corresponds to a group performance of 80.63% in the questionnaire. Results show young adults understand complex bases of neurobiological function related to the effect of psychoactive substances and addiction while playing ‘You VS Drugs’, and they also highlight the potential video games have to teach complex subjects in an engaging way. If we want to reduce the misery drug addiction imposes on families in our societies, we should educate young people in any effective way possible.

Game Transfer Phenomena in a Clinical Case with Psychosis and Gaming Disorder

Little is known about the interplay of Gaming Disorder (GD) with psychotic processes in schizophrenia. Only a few clinical cases involving video game playing and psychotic symptoms have been previously reported in literature. This case report describes a 24-year-old male diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and GD. Our case, Patient G, had premorbid excessive video game playing and Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP) prior to the onset of his schizophrenia illness. GTP are common among gamers and are characterised by abnormal perceptions, intrusive thoughts, and temporal change on behaviours related to the content of video games. However, GTP are not necessarily of delusional intensity for meeting the threshold of psychosis. The relapse in Patient G’s paranoid schizophrenia was associated with recent cannabis use, social withdrawal, and excessive video game playing. Patient G’s psychotic symptoms were influenced by video game themes and the movie “Matrix”, including the delusion that he was in a video game and that people around him were “non-playable characters”. Awareness of GTP can help clinicians to demarcate GTP from psychotic features and identify their interactions, given the ensuing treatment implications. Our case report highlights the importance of GTP, which in some cases may be an early sign of developing mental illness and could have implications for early intervention and prevention of illness onset and complications.

Comparing software product lines and Clone and Own for game software engineering under two paradigms: Model-driven development and code-driven development

Game developers often face more challenges when reusing code compared to non-game developers, and Software Product Lines (SPLs) have been successful in addressing this issue. In this study, we compare different approaches to code reuse in Classic Software Engineering (CSE) and Game Software Engineering (GSE) through a commercial video game called Kromaia. We specifically focus on two development paradigms: Model-Driven Development (MDD) and Code-Driven Development (CDD). We conduct an empirical evaluation where subjects develop game elements using two approaches: Clone and Own (CaO) and SPLs. The results show that game elements developed using SPLs are more correct (over 23%) than those developed with CaO in both MDD and CDD paradigms. In CDD, there are significant improvements in efficiency (51%) and satisfaction (13%) when using SPLs compared to CaO. However, no improvements are observed when working under MDD. The impact of using SPLs or CaO is greater in CDD than in MDD for game developers. Our findings suggest that SPLs in GSE may have a different role compared to their traditional role in CSE. Specifically, SPLs can be valuable in balancing game difficulty or generating new video game content, such as the one present in the bosses of the game.

Is playing violent video games a risk factor for aggressive behaviour? Adding narcissism, self-esteem and PEGI ratings to the debate.

Aggressive behaviour is a challenge for society. There continues to be considerable debate over whether the consumption of violent video games affects aggression, as violent video game content has become more accessible in recent years due to the growing use of online distribution platforms. Personality traits often linked to aggression, such as narcissism and self-esteem, have been considered in the context of violent video game play and their relationship with aggression. We surveyed an international population of 166 game players on their personality traits and their three favourite video game choices, which were classified as violent or non-violent, using Pan European Game Information (PEGI) 16 and 18 ratings. We found that violent video game choice is a predictor of verbal aggression alongside narcissism, and hostility alongside self-esteem. A categorical regression highlighted the desire to impersonate society's undesirable role models (e.g., 'be a thief or a killer') as one of the motivations for aggression and violent video game choice. These findings show that video game violence should be considered a risk factor for aggression, as in other violent media, as it provides a social reinforcement of aggressive behaviour and observational learning of aggressive models, calling for the introduction of stricter online age verification procedures on online game platforms to safeguard children from violent video game content; and increased use of parental controls on content fruition. More granularity should be considered in the PEGI classifications.

Short-Term Effects of Competitive Video Games on Aggression: An Event-Related Potential Study

Previous research on factors affecting video game player aggression has mainly reflected on the violent content of video games; in recent years, some researchers have focused on competitive factors in video games. However, little research has examined the sole impacts of competitive factors in video games without violent content on aggression, and the neurological processes of these effects are still unknown. The present study was the first to examine the electrophysiological characteristics of short-term competitive video game exposure and aggression. Thirty-five participants played a video game in either competitive or solo mode for 15 min, followed by an ERP experiment based on the oddball paradigm and the hot sauce paradigm to measure aggressive behavior. Results showed that playing competitive game mode was associated with faster judgment of aggressive words, larger P300 amplitudes, and selection of more chili powder than in solo mode. Mediation analysis further revealed that the P300 amplitude evoked by the aggressive words partially mediated the relationship between competitive game exposure and aggressive behavior. These findings support the general aggression model. However, this study has limitations, such as a single form of competitive game examined and single blindness, which need further improvement in future studies.

A narrative video game for adults with subjective and objective cognitive impairment. Design and preliminary results on user-interaction and efficacy

ABSTRACT The design of a narrative video game for cognitive training of memory and executive functions in older adults with subjective and objective cognitive impairment is reported along with preliminary results on preferences (Study 1), user interaction experience (Study 2), and efficacy of the game (Study 3). A study of aesthetic preferences in backgrounds and avatars was implemented in 13 older adults, who were asked for their opinion on the acceptability of the plot. After completion of the design, a user interaction study was conducted in a sample of 19 older adults. In addition, a Matched Paired Experimental Design (MPED) was implemented as a preliminary test of the efficacy of the narrative video game in a sample of 22 participants with Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Preferences for free violence content in videogames was supported in our sample of low-frequency adult gamers and acceptability of the plot was high. The video game was rated favourably by the older adults in terms of user preferences and acceptability. The results of the preliminary MPED study suggest that the video game could be a useful tool for cognitive training in SCD and MCI older adults.

Examining the Predictors of Video Game Addiction According to Expertise Levels of the Players: The Role of Time Spent on Video Gaming, Engagement, Positive Gaming Perception, Social Support and Relational Health Indices.

This study aimed to examine the predictive relationship between video gaming addiction (VGA) and the level of video gaming competency among video gamers. Additionally, the role of time spent playing video games, video game engagement (VGE), video game positive perception (VGPP), social support and quality of relationships with peers were examined. We recruited 227 participants using the purposive sampling method. Of the participants, 50.20% self-identified as Novice-Amateur video gamers while 49.80% indicated being a regular-expert level players. We collected data from participants utilizing a personal and video games information form and five scales and (video game positive perception, videogame addiction scale, video engagement scale, multidimensional scale of perceived social support and relational health indices). These scales are valid and reliable instruments suitable for research purposes. The primary data analysis method was the Partial least squares- structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Our results demonstrated that the relationship between VGA and VGE differs based on the participants' video gaming competency level. Another important result is that VGPP has a significant positive relationship with VGA (p < 0.001), VGE (p < 0.001) and video game playing and watching activities (p < 0.001). Furthermore, an increase in the time spent on watching Twitch content is associated with an increased VGA level (p < 0.05). Finally, the time spent on playing video games has different patterns with perceptions of social support according to the level of expertise of the players. This study indicates that VGPP plays a crucial role in predicting VGA and VE and highlights the importance of considering the level of players when examining the relationship between VGA and VE. The conclusions also exhibit that the increasing popularity of esports and video game content tracking may significantly impact VGA. The role of social support in video gaming behaviors varies based on the player's level of expertise.

Application of Gamification in Ethnic Excellence-Based Character Education Programs

This paper describes how the game is a tool to support the strengthening of character education for its users. In implementing the Independent Learning Education, Merdeka Campus, Bandung State Polytechnic, collaborated with the industry to apply gamification to the concept of character education and the nation's cultural values. Some of the objectives of this gamification activity are: (a) Getting the ethnic group’s information; (b) Providing users inspiration to develop themselves; (c) Growing a better direction mindset. The game developed is a web-based application (online gamification), so as many students/students and lecturers as possible can use the game to support strengthening character education and the nation's cultural values. The manual version of the video game content (prototype) is available, namely the 2021 research output containing Pancasila character content based on ethnic excellence. The elements of educational content in online gamification contain the results of identifying the prominent characters of 10 ethnic groups in Indonesia with the largest population (Dayak, Madura, Jawa, Sunda, Baduy, Batak, Banjar, Minahasa, Betawi, Minang). This study used three approaches which are Qualitative-Explorative, Qualitative-Descriptive, and Evaluation. The method used to know how gamification was implemented in character education and the nation's cultural values. It is hoped that gamification can integrate into the learning process for compulsory national subjects. Thus, students can become users and a market for the gamification industry.

Инструментарий этического анализа компьютерных игр: ответ на вызовы нового просвещения

The authors of the idea of a “new Enlightenment”, Ernst von Weizsäcker and Anders Wijkman, in their 2018 report to the Club of Rome analyse the causes of the explosive development of science and technology in the Modern period and come to the conclusion that their triumph and existential threats stem in many ways from the ideals of Enlightenment, so that the future of humankind depends crucially on an ideological rethinking of man’s status in the world. They stress the need to enhance the responsibility of the individual so that each individual becomes conscious of sharing the destiny of the whole of mankind and the world. I argue that in the framework of Enlightenment 2.0 the Kantian concept of social development, which is closely linked with the moral ideal — the kingdom of ends — may form the basis of the concept of society in which individual freedom and social development are interconnected and the mutually determining elements of the human being in whom freedom can be exercised only if it contributes to social good. The Kantian interpretation of social development as the human being forming the sphere of free being can be the basis of a critical assessment of the content of video games in terms of their media impact on the shaping of the ideology of modern society. I show that the boundaries of the exercise of freedom in a video game, supported by artificial intelligence, influence the way an individual perceives society and his/her place in it. I come to the conclusion that video games, which express a certain idea about society, can contribute to or impede the formation of a new ideological foundation of society whose aim, according to Enlightenment 2.0, should be overcoming the antagonism between the individual and the collective.