Empirical evaluation of player experience using a machine-learning approach to dynamic difficulty adjustment in video games

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nigel Robb ◽  
Bo Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Machine Learning Approach ◽  
Player Experience ◽  
Control Version ◽  
Performance Results ◽  
Player Performance ◽  
Experience Of Flow

Dynamic difficulty adjustment (DDA) in video games involves altering the level of challenge provided based on real-time feedback from the player. Some approaches to DDA use measurements of player performance, such as success rate or score. Such performance-based DDA systems aim to provide a bespoke level of challenge to each player, so that the game is neither too hard nor too easy. Previous research on performance-based DDA shows that it is linked to better player performance, but finds mixed results in terms of player experience (e.g., enjoyment). Also, while the concept of flow is regarded as an important aspect of video game experience, little research has considered the effects of performance-based DDA on flow. We conducted an experiment on the effects of performance-based DDA on player performance, enjoyment, and experience of flow in a video game. DDA was achieved using a generalised algorithm. 221 participants played either the DDA version of the game, a control version (difficulty remained constant), or an incremental version (difficulty increased regardless of performance). Results show that the DDA group performed significantly better. However, there were no significant differences in terms of enjoyment or experience of flow.

scholarly journals Under Pressure

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (CHI PLAY) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Nicole A. Beres ◽  
Madison Klarkowski ◽  
Regan L. Mandryk
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Coping Styles ◽  
Initial Step ◽  
Approach And Avoidance ◽  
Player Experience ◽  
Competitive Games ◽  
Player Performance ◽  
Public Self Consciousness

Video games frequently invoke high-pressure circumstances in which player performance is crucial. These high-pressure circumstances are incubators for 'choking' and 'clutching'-phenomena that broadly address critical failures and successes in performance, respectively. The eruption of esports into the mainstream has vitalized the need to understand performance in video games, and particularly in competitive games spaces. In this work, we explore the potential mechanisms behind choking and clutching and how they are related to player traits and tendencies. We report the results of multiple regression analyses, finding that the propensity to choke is positively correlated with Reinvestment, Obsessive Passion, and Public Self-Consciousness, as well as Approach and Avoidance coping styles. Likewise, we find that the propensity to clutch is negatively correlated with Social Anxiety, and positively with Private Self-Consciousness and player experience with competitive gaming. We propose that these findings can be utilized to scaffold and support performance in high-pressure gaming spaces, such as esports. This work represents an initial step in the empirical exploration of choking and clutching in competitive video game contexts.

scholarly journals Unifying Rigid and Soft Bodies Representation: The Sulfur Physics Engine

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Maggiorini ◽  
Laura Anna Ripamonti ◽  
Federico Sauro
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Game Engine ◽  
Unified Approach ◽  
Game Mechanics ◽  
Physics Simulation ◽  
Game Engines ◽  
Player Experience ◽  
Game Environment

Video games are (also) real-time interactive graphic simulations: hence, providing a convincing physics simulation for each specific game environment is of paramount importance in the process of achieving a satisfying player experience. While the existing game engines appropriately address many aspects of physics simulation, some others are still in need of improvements. In particular, several specific physics properties of bodies not usually involved in the main game mechanics (e.g., properties useful to represent systems composed by soft bodies), are often poorly rendered by general-purpose engines. This issue may limit game designers when imagining innovative and compelling video games and game mechanics. For this reason, we dug into the problem of appropriately representing soft bodies. Subsequently, we have extended the approach developed for soft bodies to rigid ones, proposing and developing a unified approach in a game engine: Sulfur. To test the engine, we have also designed and developed “Escape from Quaoar,” a prototypal video game whose main game mechanic exploits an elastic rope, and a level editor for the game.

The Puzzle Challenge Analysis Tool. A Tool for Analysing the Cognitive Challenge Level of Puzzles in Video Games

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (CHI PLAY) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Megan Pusey ◽  
Kok Wai Wong ◽  
Natasha Anne Rappa
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Game Features ◽  
Action Video Games ◽  
Player Experience ◽  
Cognitive Challenge ◽  
Puzzle Games ◽  
Simple Action

Video games are often designed around puzzles and problem-solving, leading to challenging yet engaging experiences for players. However, it is hard to measure or compare the challenge level of puzzles in video games. This can make designing appropriately challenging puzzles problematic. This study collates previous work to present refined definitions for challenge and difficulty within the context of video games. We present the Puzzle Challenge Analysis tool which can be used to determine the best metrics for analysing the challenge level of puzzles within video games. Previous research has focused on measuring the difficulty of simple action video games, such as Pac-Man, which can be easily modified for research purposes. Existing methods to measure challenge or difficulty include measuring player brain activity, examining game features and player scores. However, some of these approaches cannot be applied to puzzles or puzzle games. For example, approaches relying on game scores will not work for puzzle games with no scoring system, where puzzles are either solved or not. This paper describes the design and development of the Puzzle Challenge Analysis tool using two case studies of commercial video games The Witness and Untitled Goose Game. The tool is also tested for generalisability on a third commercial puzzle video game, Baba Is You. This proposed tool can help game designers and researchers to objectively analyse and compare puzzle challenge and produce more in-depth insights into the player experience. This has implications for designing challenging and engaging games for a range of player abilities.

Knowledge and Experience in Video Game Play: Understanding Individual Differences and Mental Model Transfer Across Game Genres

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 1587-1591
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
Video Game Development ◽  
Player Experience ◽  
Model Transfer ◽  
Developing Area ◽  
Human Factors Research

Research suggests that a variety of factors can alter video game play-from usability to aesthetics to expertise. An important developing area for human factors research is understanding how individual differences may influence interactions with video games, but the field lacks adequate methods for evaluating and classifying differences. This paper provides a notional framework for characterizing one critical individual difference in video game play, that of knowledge differences arising from player experience. This framework attends to common video game genres and mechanics and is illustrated using two distinct video games: Minecraft and Ark. The purpose is to highlight the sorts of knowledge making up player mental models and show how to identify the form of transferable individual differences that can be measured and improve research on video game development and use.

Playability Design Patterns

2013 ◽  
pp. 118-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amer Ibrahim ◽  
Francisco L. Gutiérrez Vela ◽  
Natalia Padilla Zea ◽  
José Luis González Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Educational Video ◽  
Educational Video Games ◽  
Video Game Design ◽  
Player Experience ◽  
Educational Video Game ◽  
Learning Through Play

Learning through play is currently an effective and attractive educational strategy. Recently, many educational video games have failed because methods of analysis have not been used to discuss playability level in a structured way. Ensuring a good player experience characterized by playability requires cooperation and collaboration between game designers and educators. To this end, the authors have proposed a new set of patterns to support educational video game design and analysis. These patterns aim to facilitate the development of educational video games, summarize the essential information and requirements needed to understand a particular problem and the proposed solution, and present the interrelationships between educational video game components and playability attributes.

scholarly journals Paralysis by Analysis: Choking, Clutching, and Reinvestment in Competitive Gameplay

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Beres ◽  
Madison Klarkowski ◽  
Regan Mandryk
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Full Paper ◽  
Player Experience ◽  
Competitive Games ◽  
Player Performance ◽  
Selection Of

Video games frequently invoke high-pressure circumstances in which player performance is crucial. These high-pressure circumstances are incubators for ‘choking’ and ‘clutching’—phenomena that broadly address critical failures and successes in performance, respectively. The eruption of esports into the mainstream has vitalized the need to understand performance in video games, and particularly in competitive games spaces. In this short workshop paper, we present a selection of findings and insights from a full paper (submitted for review) exploring potential mechanisms behind choking and clutching. We find that propensity to choke is positively predicted by trait reinvestment—a predisposition to ‘focus inwards’ in high pressure contexts, reverting to slower ‘declarative’ processing in lieu of more automated ‘procedural’ processing. We also find that propensity to clutch is positively predicted by player experience with competitive gaming. We propose that such findings can be utilized to scaffold and support performance in high-pressure gaming spaces, such as esports.

scholarly journals Increasing Player Performance and Game Experience in High Latency Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (CHI PLAY) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
David Halbhuber ◽  
Niels Henze ◽  
Valentin Schwind
Keyword(s):  
Neural Networks ◽  
Artificial Neural Networks ◽  
Deep Learning ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Video Game ◽  
User Study ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Streaming Services ◽  
Player Performance

Cloud gaming services and remote play offer a wide range of advantages but can inherent a considerable delay between input and action also known as latency. Previous work indicates that deep learning algorithms such as artificial neural networks (ANN) are able to compensate for latency. As high latency in video games significantly reduces player performance and game experience, this work investigates if latency can be compensated using ANNs within a live first-person action game. We developed a 3D video game and coupled it with the prediction of an ANN. We trained our network on data of 24 participants who played the game in a first study. We evaluated our system in a second user study with 96 participants. To simulate latency in cloud game streaming services, we added 180 ms latency to the game by buffering user inputs. In the study we predicted latency values of 60 ms, 120 ms and 180 ms. Our results show that players achieve significantly higher scores, substantially more hits per shot and associate the game significantly stronger with a positive affect when supported by our ANN. This work illustrates that high latency systems, such as game streaming services, benefit from utilizing a predictive system.

Interactive Works and Gameplay Emotions

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 856-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Frome
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Entertainment Media ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Player Experience

Video games differ from films, books, and other mainstream media both in their interactive capabilities and in their affordances for gameplay. Interactivity and gameplay are closely related, as interactivity is necessary for gameplay. Unfortunately, this close relationship has led many video game scholars to conflate these two concepts when discussing player experience. In this article, I argue that, when discussing emotional responses to video games, gameplay and interactivity should be understood as distinct concepts: Gameplay involves both interactive and noninteractive elements, and interactive works do not always involve gameplay. I propose that there are significant drawbacks to overlooking this distinction and that highlighting it is important for understanding player experience, player emotion, and the ways video games differ from other entertainment media.

Frustration and Violence in Mobile Video Games

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-70
Author(s):  
Petr Květon ◽  
Martin Jelínek
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Implicit Association Test ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Mobile Video ◽  
Violent Content ◽  
Before And After

Abstract. This study tests two competing hypotheses, one based on the general aggression model (GAM), the other on the self-determination theory (SDT). GAM suggests that the crucial factor in video games leading to increased aggressiveness is their violent content; SDT contends that gaming is associated with aggression because of the frustration of basic psychological needs. We used a 2×2 between-subject experimental design with a sample of 128 undergraduates. We assigned each participant randomly to one experimental condition defined by a particular video game, using four mobile video games differing in the degree of violence and in the level of their frustration-invoking gameplay. Aggressiveness was measured using the implicit association test (IAT), administered before and after the playing of a video game. We found no evidence of an association between implicit aggressiveness and violent content or frustrating gameplay.

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