Dive Deeper

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.

‘Thank you for your compliance’: Overwatch as a Disciplinary System

Toxicity in online multiplayer games has long been an issue, and game developers implement various strategies such as reputation systems to curb such behaviour. Although Foucault’s notion of discipline seems an ideal lens through which to analyse such reputation systems, as of yet there has been little work on the subject. This article addresses the reputation system implemented in 2018 by Blizzard, who created an endorsement system in the team-based multiplayer shooter Overwatch. This successfully encouraged positive player behaviour by implementing rewards, rather than only punishments. In this article, we examine the endorsement system as an example of Foucault’s discipline, one that is particularly relevant to game design because it uses incentives as well as deterrents. We argue that the endorsement system is particularly effective as a form of discipline because it includes players as part of the process, by actively constructing subjects (gamers) to fit a pre-defined mould.

The Musings of ‘Evil Bastards’: Perspectives from Social Casino Game Professionals

Technology has blurred the lines between gambling and gaming. While the convergence can be witnessed on many different levels, social casino games on social networking sites and mobile apps illustrate just one example. Much of what we currently know about social casino games focuses on player behaviour, with little understanding about this genre from the perspective of social game professionals. This paper aims to fill the gap in our understanding of social casino games through interviews with the professionals who design them. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 professionals from the social casino games industry. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings illustrate tensions that exist between the two fields of gambling and gaming; however, both are trying to separate themselves from the stigmatized ‘dirty secret’ that is gambling. Further, as a result of social casino games residing, for the most part, in an unregulated ‘grey area,’ findings illustrate the ethical struggle felt by social casino game professionals. This convergence has significant consequences, not only for players, but for game developers, designers, and researchers, and highlights the importance of game designer education.

Interest in Purchasing In-Game Content Based on Game Characteristics and Indonesian Player Behaviour

This research aimed to find out what games are currently being played and how many contents purchased in them. Information regarding the interest in purchasing the game contents is crucial for the game developers to determine the game type to be developed. The research used a survey method conducted on 455 respondents aged 18-30 years from Indonesia. The survey results stated that most Indonesian game players were in the Regular Player category who played Action games with a population of 71%. The amount of interest in purchasing the contents from the Frequent Players towards Action and RPG games was 92%. As for games in the Puzzle category, the amount of interest in purchasing the contents was very small. 96% of puzzle game players certainly had no interest in purchasing the contents.

The hidden intricacy of loot box design: A granular description of random monetized reward features

Loot boxes are the focus of growing research and regulatory attention. While they are frequently treated as a monolithic feature of games by researchers and policymakers, loot box implementations are not uniform: the features of loot boxes vary from game to game in ways that may have important consequences for player spending and behaviour. Despite this, previous attempts to classify loot boxes have either not focused on the impact of loot box features on player behaviour and spending, or have not attempted to fully map the different forms that loot boxes currently take. In this work, we attempt to illustrate the nuance present in loot box implementation in a featural model. Using our lived experience, a qualitative coding exercise, and consultation with an industry professional, we identify thirty-two features of loot box-like mechanics that might be expected to influence player behavior or spending, which we group into five domains: point of purchase, pulling procedure, contents, audiovisual presentation, and salience. Each feature is broken down into two or more categorization tags for a given loot box, and illustrative examples of each feature are provided. This work may serve to guide researchers in studying how different types of loot boxes may affect players, aid regulators in ensuring that any proposed legislation is sufficiently nuanced to handle the wide variation in loot box design, and help parents and players to better understand the inner workings of loot boxes during play.

Changing player behaviour in sport during the COVID-19 pandemic: Shake on it?

To prevent the spread of infection during matches and training activities is a major challenge facing all sports returning from the enforced COVID-19 shutdown. During training and matches, rugby league players make contact with others which can result in SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission. While these interactions characterise the appeal of the game, a number of them can be avoided, including shaking hands and conversing after the match. This paper presents a framework underpinned by behavioural science (capability, opportunity, motivation and behaviour model, COM-B) to support stakeholders in helping players adopt new social distance norms and behaviours. This framework helps to ensure the players have the capability, opportunity, and motivation to adopt new COVID-19 risk minimising behaviours, which they will need to commit to 100%.