A Formalism to Define, Assess and Evaluate Player Behaviour in Mobile Device Based Serious Games

The strong integration of “intelligent mobile devices” into modern societies offers a great potential for a wide spread distribution of mobile serious games. As in the case of Virtual Reality based systems, in order to be useful and efficient, these serious games need to be validated ecologically. In this context, this paper addresses the use of ecological interactions for a mobile serious game. We exploit a wearable insole in order to let users interact with a virtual soccer game via real-world soccer movements. We analyzed the concept of ecological interactions. The system used for recognition of ecological gestures is also detailed. A primary study showed that proposed system can be exploited for real time gesture recognition on a mobile device.

Download Full-text

Dive Deeper

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction ◽

10.1145/3474663 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (CHI PLAY) ◽

pp. 1-25

Author(s):

Isabelle Kniestedt ◽

Marcello A. Gómez Maureira ◽

Iulia Lefter ◽

Stephan Lukosch ◽

Frances M. Brazier

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Serious Games ◽

Perceived Value ◽

Serious Game ◽

Game Mechanics ◽

Casual Games ◽

Insight Into ◽

Player Behaviour

Validation of serious games tends to focus on evaluating their design as a whole. While this helps to assess whether a particular combination of game mechanics is successful, it provides little insight into how individual mechanics contribute or detract from a serious game's purpose or a player's game experience. This study analyses the effect of game mechanics commonly used in casual games for engagement, measured as a combination of player behaviour and reported game experience. Secondly, it examines the role of a serious game's purpose on those same measures. An experimental study was conducted with 204 participants playing several versions of a serious game to explore these points. The results show that adding additional game mechanics to a core gameplay loop did not lead to participants playing more or longer, nor did it improve their game experience. Players who were aware of the game's purpose, however, perceived the game as more beneficial, scored their game experience higher, and progressed further. The results show that game mechanics on their own do not necessarily improve engagement, while the effect of perceived value deserves further study.

Download Full-text

Analyzing and Predicting Empathy in Neurotypical and Nonneurotypical Users with an Affective Avatar

Mobile Information Systems ◽

10.1155/2017/7932529 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Esperanza Johnson ◽

Ramón Hervás ◽

Carlos Gutiérrez-López-Franca ◽

Tania Mondéjar ◽

José Bravo

Keyword(s):

Down Syndrome ◽

Intellectual Disability ◽

Mobile Device ◽

Mobile Application ◽

Serious Games ◽

Learning Algorithm ◽

Ground Truth ◽

Health Issues ◽

Cognitive Health ◽

Therapy Treatment

In recent times, diagnosing and treating different health issues have improved greatly with the help of technology, with an example being cognitive health issues. Despite this, there is still a difference between how the technology is working towards it and the actual potential that can be achieved. In this paper, we propose a mobile application with an affective avatar, encompassed in the area of serious games, which will obtain information related to the interactions performed by the users. There are a total of 50 users, of neurotypical and nonneurotypical backgrounds, with the latter being people with Down syndrome and intellectual disability. Based on collected data from the different users interacting with the avatar in a mobile device, we analyzed the results to obtain a ground truth about prototypic empathic interactions and feed those interactions to a learning algorithm to support the diagnosis process and therapy treatment of empathy and socialization issues.

Download Full-text

Formative Research for STEM Educational Games

Zeitschrift für Psychologie ◽

10.1027/2151-2604/a000134 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 221 (2) ◽

pp. 90-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

John L. Sherry

Keyword(s):

Video Game ◽

Serious Games ◽

Educational Games ◽

Sesame Street ◽

Children's Television ◽

Educational Video ◽

Educational Media ◽

Television Shows ◽

Educational Video Game ◽

Games For Health

Millions in taxpayer and foundation euros and dollars have been spent building and testing educational video games, games for health, and serious games. What have been the fruits of this frenzy of activity? What educational video game has had the reach and impact of Sesame Street or Blues Clues television shows? By comparison, the Children’s Television Workshop (CTW) managed to get Sesame Street off the ground within a couple of years, writing the basic scientific literature on educational media design in the process. Not only is Sesame Street well known and proven, it laid the basis for every effective educational show to follow. This article explores the differences between the CTW scientific approach to educational media production and the mostly nonscientific approach consuming so many resources in the educational games, games for health, and serious games movements. Fundamental scientific questions that remain unanswered are outlined.

Download Full-text