Identifying Commercial Games with Therapeutic Potential through a Content Analysis of Steam Reviews

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (CHI PLAY) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Cody Phillips ◽  
Madison Klarkowski ◽  
Julian Frommel ◽  
Carl Gutwin ◽  
Regan L. Mandryk
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Time Investment ◽  
Player Experience ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Commercial Off The Shelf

While evidence supports that some commercial off-the-shelf video games may promote mental wellbeing, it is an extensive time investment to experimentally identify games that benefit players. The time delay between commercial games research and commercial game development can render such research out-of-date. In this work, we explore player-written game reviews as a way to expeditiously identifying games with potential benefits for mental wellbeing. Through a content analysis of review data, we found that players publicly disclose experiences consistent with self-care. Our analysis generated categories related to coping and recovery, emotional regulation, social connectedness, and obsessive play. Through this process, we identified several games as strong candidates for further research. Our work contributes to an emerging research agenda of commercial video games as therapy (VGTx), by providing a technique for rapidly identifying games with therapeutic potential. Further, we demonstrate that Steam user reviews are a valuable source of affective player experience data-a contribution with broad implications for player experience research.

scholarly journals Therapeutic Potential of Hericium erinaceus for Depressive Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pit Shan Chong ◽  
Man-Lung Fung ◽  
Kah Hui Wong ◽  
Lee Wei Lim
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Fruiting Bodies ◽  
Hericium Erinaceus ◽  
Treatment Of Depression ◽  
Antidepressant Effects ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Potential Alternative ◽  
Global Disease Burden

Depression is a common and severe neuropsychiatric disorder that is one of the leading causes of global disease burden. Although various anti-depressants are currently available, their efficacies are barely adequate and many have side effects. Hericium erinaceus, also known as Lion’s mane mushroom, has been shown to have various health benefits, including antioxidative, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects. It has been used to treat cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Bioactive compounds extracted from the mycelia and fruiting bodies of H. erinaceus have been found to promote the expression of neurotrophic factors that are associated with cell proliferation such as nerve growth factors. Although antidepressant effects of H. erinaceus have not been validated and compared to the conventional antidepressants, based on the neurotrophic and neurogenic pathophysiology of depression, H. erinaceus may be a potential alternative medicine for the treatment of depression. This article critically reviews the current literature on the potential benefits of H. erinaceus as a treatment for depressive disorder as well as its mechanisms underlying the antidepressant-like activities.

APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNIQUES IN MS. PAC-MAN GAME: A REVIEW

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tse Guan Tan ◽  
Jason Teo
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Engineering Economics ◽  
Game Ai ◽  
Content Analysis Method ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Future Direction

AbstrakTeknik Kecerdasan Buatan (AI) berjaya digunakan dan diaplikasikan dalam pelbagai bidang, termasukpembuatan, kejuruteraan, ekonomi, perubatan dan ketenteraan. Kebelakangan ini, terdapat minat yangsemakin meningkat dalam Permainan Kecerdasan Buatan atau permainan AI. Permainan AI merujukkepada teknik yang diaplikasikan dalam permainan komputer dan video seperti pembelajaran, pathfinding,perancangan, dan lain-lain bagi mewujudkan tingkah laku pintar dan autonomi kepada karakter dalampermainan. Objektif utama kajian ini adalah untuk mengemukakan beberapa teknik yang biasa digunakandalam merekabentuk dan mengawal karakter berasaskan komputer untuk permainan Ms Pac-Man antaratahun 2005-2012. Ms Pac-Man adalah salah satu permainan yang digunakan dalam siri pertandinganpermainan diperingkat antarabangsa sebagai penanda aras untuk perbandingan pengawal autonomi.Kaedah analisis kandungan yang menyeluruh dijalankan secara ulasan dan sorotan literatur secara kritikal.Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa, walaupun terdapat berbagai teknik, limitasi utama dalam kajianterdahulu untuk mewujudkan karakter permaianan Pac Man adalah kekurangan Generalization Capabilitydalam kepelbagaian karakter permainan. Hasil kajian ini akan dapat digunakan oleh penyelidik untukmeningkatkan keupayaan Generalization AI karakter permainan dalam Pasaran Permainan KecerdasanBuatan. Abstract Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques are successfully used and applied in a wide range of areas, includingmanufacturing, engineering, economics, medicine and military. In recent years, there has been anincreasing interest in Game Artificial Intelligence or Game AI. Game AI refers to techniques applied incomputer and video games such as learning, pathfinding, planning, and many others for creating intelligentand autonomous behaviour to the characters in games. The main objective of this paper is to highlightseveral most common of the AI techniques for designing and controlling the computer-based charactersto play Ms. Pac-Man game between years 2005-2012. The Ms. Pac-Man is one of the games that used asbenchmark for comparison of autonomous controllers in a series of international Game AI competitions.An extensive content analysis method was conducted through critical review on previous literature relatedto the field. Findings highlight, although there was various and unique techniques available, the majorlimitation of previous studies for creating the Ms. Pac-Man game characters is a lack of generalizationcapability across different game characters. The findings could provide the future direction for researchersto improve the Generalization A.I capability of game characters in the Game Artificial Intelligence market.

Physical Exercise and Yoga: as an alternative approach towards COVID-19 management

2021 ◽  
Vol 07 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saurabh Kumar ◽  
Sakshi Sudha ◽  
Madhu Chopra ◽  
Famida Khan ◽  
Kanupriya Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
World Population ◽  
Cd8 Cells ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Background: Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), a highly contagious ssRNA +Ve sense virus that emerged in late 2019, has created a global panic. With no effective therapy available, the virus has significantly affected the world population causing millions of death. Therefore, it is the utmost need to look towards all the possible strategies to benefit the community. Objectives: In view of the current global pandemic, we tried to discuss the potential benefits of two cost-effective alternative approaches, i.e., physical exercise and yoga. Method: The editorial is based on a literature search available on PubMed, Google Scholar, and WHO portal. Search terminologies include “yoga”, “physical exercise”, “COVID-19”, “viral infections”, and a combination of these words. Results: A literature search defines yoga and physical exercise efficacy in different viral diseases, including HIV, influenza, and HSV. It ameliorates the quality of life (QoL) by improving both the physical and mental wellbeing of an individual. This is mainly done by promoting the better functioning of the immune system (increases CD4+ and CD8+ cells and reduces pro-inflammatory response). Conclusions: Regular involvement of these activities in day-to-day life may limit latent virus reactivations and reduce infection chances.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Behavior Changing Strategies in Fitness Video Games: Theory-Based Content Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. e81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Jane Lyons ◽  
Claire Hatkevich
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Games Theory

Enriching the Experience in Video Games Based on Playability Development Techniques

2013 ◽  
pp. 87-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis González Sánchez ◽  
Rosa Maria Gil Iranzo ◽  
Francisco L. Gutierrez Vela
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Interactive Systems ◽  
Entertainment Industry ◽  
Educational Video ◽  
Know How ◽  
Player Experience ◽  
Game Elements ◽  
Educational Field

Video games are the most economically profitable entertainment industry. The nature of their design means that user experience is enriched by emotional, cultural, and other subjective factors that make design and / or evaluation difficult using traditional methods commonly used in interactive systems. It is therefore necessary to know how to apply Playability in order to design, analyze, optimize, and adapt it to a player’s preferences. In this chapter, the authors present a way to perform UX based on Playability techniques by adding hedonic factors that enrich the development of video games. The aim is to easily and cost-effectively analyze the different degrees of Playability within a game and determine how player experience is affected by different game elements. These results can be applied in the educational field where the experience of the pupils with educational video games is a crucial factor for the success of the learning process.

A multimodal approach to video games and the player experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 743-745
Author(s):  
Qurrat-ul-ain Mukhtar
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Multimodal Approach ◽  
Player Experience

Gender and Racial Stereotypes in Popular Video Games

2009 ◽  
pp. 922-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Mou ◽  
Wei Peng
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Gender Role ◽  
Racial Stereotypes ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Violent Content ◽  
Psychological Impacts ◽  
Racial Portrayals

While the violent content of video games has caused wide concern among scholars, gender, and racial stereotypes in video games are still an understudied area. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a better understanding of the stereotypical phenomenon in video games. The book chapter first provides a comprehensive review of previous studies conducted upon gender-role and racial portrayals in video games. Then a small-scale content analysis on a sample of official trailers, introductory sequences and covers of 19 of the most popular video games is introduced. Finally, the implications of stereotype in video games and the possible social and psychological impacts on players, especially adolescent players, are discussed.

scholarly journals White Man’s Virtual World: A Systematic Content Analysis of Gender and Race in Massively Multiplayer Online Games

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Franklin Waddell ◽  
James D. Ivory ◽  
Rommelyn Conde ◽  
Courtney Long ◽  
Rachel McDonnell
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Social Reality ◽  
Online Game ◽  
Gender And Race ◽  
Massively Multiplayer Online Game ◽  
Content Analyses ◽  
Character Portrayals ◽  
Massively Multiplayer

Based on previous research indicating that character portrayals in video games and other media can influence users’ perceptions of social reality, systematic content analyses have examined demographic trends in the way video game characters are portrayed. Although these studies have extensively documented character portrayals in traditional console and computer video games, there is a lack of content analyses examining character portrayals in the very popular massively multiplayer online game (MMO) genre. Such studies are needed because many characters in MMOs are customized avatars created by users, which may lead to different trends in character demographics. This content analysis examined representations of gender and race among 417 unique characters appearing 1,356 times in 20 hours of recorded content from four popular commercial MMOs, which was generated by five recruited users. Characters tended to be disproportionately male and white, with females and racial minorities appearing much less often. Implications for potential effects on users’ perceptions of social reality are discussed.

Values of cancer survivors and the supportive role of recreational video games

2019 ◽  
pp. 135910531987166
Author(s):  
Maria Leonora (Nori) Comello ◽  
Diane B Francis ◽  
Laurie Hursting ◽  
Elizabeth Swarner ◽  
Laura H Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Openness To Change ◽  
Supportive Role ◽  
Self Transcendence ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes

Value-affirming activities have been linked to positive health outcomes and improved ability to cope. For cancer survivors who regularly play video games, might the games have potential to affirm values? We surveyed gameplaying survivors and included an open-ended question asking about values and the extent to which they perceived gameplaying as supporting values. A content analysis of responses ( N = 533) using Schwartz’s value typology revealed that a majority perceived gameplaying as supporting values or offering other benefits. Self-transcendence followed by openness to change were the most frequently coded higher-order categories. The results contribute to a richer understanding of survivors who gameplay.

scholarly journals Enacting agency: exploring how older adults shape their neighbourhoods

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carri Hand ◽  
Debbie Laliberte Rudman ◽  
Suzanne Huot ◽  
Rachael Pack ◽  
Jason Gilliland
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Community Action ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Participatory Approaches ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Helping Others ◽  
Neighbourhood Level ◽  
Potential Benefits

AbstractWithin research on ageing in neighbourhoods, older adults are often positioned as impacted by neighbourhood features; their impact on neighbourhoods is less often considered. Drawing on a study exploring how person and place transact to shape older adults’ social connectedness, inclusion and engagement in neighbourhoods, this paper explores how older adults take action in efforts to create neighbourhoods that meet individual and collective needs and wants. We drew on ethnographic and community-based participatory approaches and employed qualitative and geospatial methods with 14 older adults in two neighbourhoods. Analysis identified three themes that described the ways that older adults enact agency at the neighbourhood level: being present and inviting casual social interaction, helping others and taking community action. The participants appeared to contribute to a collective sense of connectedness and creation of social spaces doing everyday neighbourhood activities and interacting with others. Shared territories in which others were present seemed to support such interactions. Participants also helped others in a variety of ways, often relating to gaps in services and support, becoming neighbourhood-based supports for other seniors. Finally, participants contributed to change at the community level, such as engaging politically, patronising local businesses and making improvements in public places. Study findings suggest the potential benefits of collaborating with older adults to create and maintain liveable neighbourhoods.

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