Jan D. Smeddinck

Visual complexity, player experience, performance and physical exertion in motion-based games for older adults

Motion-based video games can have a variety of benefits for the players and are increasingly applied in physical therapy, rehabilitation and prevention for older adults. However, little is known about how this audience experiences playing such games, how the player experience affects the way older adults interact with motion-based games, and how this can relate to therapy goals. In our work, we decompose the player experience of older adults engaging with motion-based games, focusing on the effects of manipulations of the game representation through the visual channel (visual complexity), since it is the primary interaction modality of most games and since vision impairments are common amongst older adults. We examine the effects of different levels of visual complexity on player experience, performance, and exertion in a study with fifteen participants. Our results show that visual complexity affects the way games are perceived in two ways: First, while older adults do have preferences in terms of visual complexity of video games, notable effects were only measurable following drastic variations. Second, perceived exertion shifts depending on the degree of visual complexity. These findings can help inform the design of motion-based games for therapy and rehabilitation for older adults.

Classification of Player Roles in the Team-Based Multi-player Game Dota 2

Computer games are big business, which is also reflected in the growing interest in competitive gaming, the so-called electronic sports. Multi-player online battle arena games are among the most successful games in this regard. In order to execute complex team-based strategies, players take on very specific roles within a team. This paper investigates the applicability of supervised machine learning to classifying player behavior in terms of specific and commonly accepted but not formally well-defined roles within a team of players of the game Dota 2. We provide an in-depth discussion and novel approaches for constructing complex attributes from low-level data extracted from replay files. Using attribute evaluation techniques, we are able to reduce a larger set of candidate attributes down to a manageable number. Based on this resulting set of attributes, we compare and discuss the performance of a variety of supervised classification algorithms. Our results with a data set of 708 labeled players see logistic regression as the overall most stable and best performing classifier.

Exergames for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation: A Medium-term Situated Study of Motivational Aspects and Impact on Functional Reach

Exergames are increasingly considered as an exercise instruction modality in health applications. Studies are typically conducted in non-situated contexts and capture short-term effects. We present first results from a medium-scale study conducted over the course of 5 weeks and integrated into a normal rehabilitation program. The study features three groups, comparing manually adjustable exergames with the identical games in adaptive versions and manual physiotherapy interventions without games. The results indicate that the exergames and traditional therapy are comparable regarding measures of competence and enjoyment, while exergames led to significantly higher scores for autonomy, presence, and in a functional reach test. With traditional therapy, scores for tension-pressure and effort-importance were significantly higher. The initial results of the broader study presented in this paper deliver insights regarding motivational aspects of exergames and traditional therapy and point out which motivational aspects could be strengthened in future implementations.

How to Present Game Difficulty Choices?: Exploring the Impact on Player Experience

Matching game difficulty to player ability is a crucial step toward a rewarding player experience, yet making difficulty adjustments that are effective yet unobtrusive can be challenging. This paper examines the impact of automatic and player-initiated difficulty adjustment on player experience through two studies. In the first study, 40 participants played the casual game THYFTHYF either in motion-based or sedentary mode, using menu-based, embedded, or automatic difficulty adjustment. In the second study, we created an adapted version of the commercially available game fl0w to allow us to carry out a more focused study of sedentary casual play. Results from both studies demonstrate that the type of difficulty adjustment has an impact on perceived autonomy, but other player experience measures were not affected as expected. Our findings suggest that most players express a preference for manual difficulty choices, but that overall game experience was not notably impacted by automated difficulty adjustments.

Designing Wheelchair-Based Movement Games

People using wheelchairs have access to fewer sports and other physically stimulating leisure activities than nondisabled persons, and often lead sedentary lifestyles that negatively influence their health. While motion-based video games have demonstrated great potential of encouraging physical activity among nondisabled players, the accessibility of motion-based games is limited for persons with mobility disabilities, thus also limiting access to the potential health benefits of playing these games. In our work, we address this issue through the design of wheelchair-accessible motion-based game controls. We present KINECTWheels, a toolkit designed to integrate wheelchair movements into motion-based games. Building on the toolkit, we developed Cupcake Heaven, a wheelchair-based video game designed for older adults using wheelchairs, and we created Wheelchair Revolution, a motion-based dance game that is accessible to both persons using wheelchairs and nondisabled players. Evaluation results show that KINECTWheels can be applied to make motion-based games wheelchair-accessible, and that wheelchair-based games engage broad audiences in physically stimulating play. Through the application of the wheelchair as an enabling technology in games, our work has the potential of encouraging players of all ages to develop a positive relationship with their wheelchair.

Exercise My Game: Turning Off-The-Shelf Games into Exergames

Exercise video games (exergames) can motivate players to be more physically active. However, most exergames are controlled by confined and predefined movements and do not promote long-term motivation. Well-funded commercial games often excel at long-term motivation, but are not operated with motion input. Exercise My Game (XMG) is a design framework for turning off-the-shelf action games into full-body motion-based games. Challenges with this approach involve finding mappings from control input to game-action, as well as blending active input feedback with the game’s interface. XMG facilitates transforming well-produced, non-exercise video games into captivating exergames by structuring the design space and outlining game requirements. We illustrate XMG with the example of turning the popular first-person action game Portal 2 into the exergame Sportal.

Anpassbare Computerspiele für Senioren

Vom Spielverhalten alterer Erwachsener, warum Computerspiele dabei helfen konnen, fit und gesund zu bleiben und von einem beachtlichen Markt

Suspended Walking: A Physical Locomotion Interface for Virtual Reality

We present a novel physical locomotion interface for virtual environments. It suspends the user in a torso harness so that the feet just touch ground. Low friction materials allow walking motions with ground contact similar to real walking, while maintaining the user in the same position. We detail the hardware and motion tracking setup and outline results of a first user study.

Personalized and Adaptive Serious Games

Personalization and adaptivity can promote motivated usage, increased user acceptance, and user identification in serious games. This applies to heterogeneous user groups in particular, since they can benefit from customized experiences that respond to the individual traits of the players. In the context of games, adaptivity describes the automatic adaptation of game elements, i.e., of content, user interfaces, game mechanics, game difficulty, etc., to customize or personalize the interactive experience. Adaptation processes follow an adaptive cycle, changing a deployed system to the needs of its users. They can work with various techniques ranging from simple threshold-based parameter adjustment heuristics to complex evolving user models that are continuously updated over time. This chapter provides readers with an understanding of the motivation behind using adaptive techniques in serious games and presents the core challenges around designing and implementing such systems. Examples of how adaptability and adaptivity may be put into practice in specific application scenarios, such as motion-based games for health, or personalized learning games, are presented to illustrate approaches to the aforementioned challenges. We close with a discussion of the major open questions and avenues for future work.

Games for Health

Health is an elementary foundation of prosperous human life. Average human life expectancy has never been as long as it is today and medical advances have greatly improved overall population health. However, modern societies are burdened by new complications in the form of lifestyle diseases which arise due to various aspects of modern life, such as sedentary behavior. The pressure on public health systems is ever increasing with the emergence of further complex and expensive treatment options, and due to the complications resulting from demographic change. The technological advancements of the industrial and information age, the computational revolution in general, and video games for entertainment specifically contribute to the prevalence of some prevalent lifestyle-related health issues. At the same time, computing devices and interactive applications also play an important role in improving all areas of individual and public health. Recent research and early commercial releases deliver convincing evidence that playful applications and games for health in particular offer approaches that can help overcome the motivational barriers which often restrain successful health treatments or preventive actions and behavior. This chapter provides an overview of the arguments that motivate the application of play and game techniques for personal and public health. It summarizes the basic promises and challenges of games for health research and development, provides starting points regarding their design and implementation, illustrates selected aspects along the lines of exemplary applications, and hints at pressing open challenges as well as promising avenues for further research and developments. A selection of quality references for further reading is included in the last section.