Madison Klarkowski

Operationalising and Evaluating Sub-Optimal and Optimal Play Experiences through Challenge-Skill Manipulation

The study examines the relationship of challenge-skill balance and the player experience through evaluation of competence, autonomy, presence, interest/enjoyment, and positive and negative affect states. To manipulate challenge-skill balance, three video game modes -- boredom (low challenge), balance (medium challenge), and overload (high challenge) -- were developed and experimentally tested (n = 45). The study showed that self-reported positive affect, autonomy, presence, and interest/enjoyment differed between the levels. The balance condition generally performed well in terms of positive player experiences, confirming the key role challenge-skill balance plays in designing for optimal play experiences. Interestingly, the study found significantly lower negative affect scores when playing the boredom condition. Greater feelings of competence were also reported for the boredom condition than the balance and overload conditions. Finally, some measures point to overload as a more enjoyable experience than boredom, suggesting possible player preference for challenge > skill imbalance over skill > challenge imbalance. Implications for design and future research are presented.

Redefining Videogame Reward Types

The aim of our research is to iteratively refine and begin validating a proposed videogame reward typology and its associated definitions. A mixed methods approach has been taken so as to best evaluate and refine the taxonomy. The views of an expert focus group have been explored and considered. Separately, a review of the videogame rewards observed within recreational videogames has been undertaken and analyzed. The collective findings of both the focus group and the videogame reward review have prompted the redesign of an existing videogame reward taxonomy, resulting in more robust definitions with increased applicability.

A Sense of Belonging: Pokémon GO and Social Connectedness

The free-to-play mobile game Pokémon GO’s (PGO) use of real-world mapping encourages play in public spaces, opening up the possibility of greater engagement with other players, local communities, and surrounds. This study conducted a series of interviews (N = 15) and collected online social forum reports of gameplay (N = 880), in order to determine what the social outcomes of play may be and what mechanisms might be facilitating the social connectedness. Thematic analysis revealed that playing PGO produced a sense of belonging, linked to a sense of place, as well as facilitating conversations with strangers and strengthening social ties. This was due to the use of accessible technology able to be integrated into daily routines, shared passion for the game, and mechanics that encouraged players out of their homes. “Shared passion” was tied to the nostalgic connection many players felt for the franchise. This study shows how gameplay can build social connectedness through real-world engagement.

Operationalising and Measuring Flow in Video Games

This paper explores the obstacles associated with designing video game levels for the purpose of objectively measuring flow. We sought to create three video game levels capable of inducing a flow state, an overload state (low-flow), and a boredom state (low-flow). A pilot study, in which participants self-reported levels of flow after playing all three game levels, was undertaken. Unexpected results point to the challenges of operationalising flow in video game research, obstacles in experimental design for invoking flow and low-flow, concerns about flow as a construct for measuring video game enjoyment, the applicability of self-report flow scales, and the experience of flow in video game play despite substantial challenge-skill differences.

Video Game Selection Procedures For Experimental Research

Videogames are complex stimuli, and selecting games that consistently induce a desired player experience (PX) in an experimental setting can be challenging. The number of relatively high-quality games being released each year continues to increase, which makes deriving a shortlist of plausible candidate games from this pool increasingly problematic. Despite this, guidance for structuring and reporting on the game selection process remains limited. This paper therefore proposes two approaches to game selection: the first leverages online videogame databases and existing PX research, and is structured with respect to widely-applicable videogame metadata. The second process applies established game design theory to serve researchers when insufficient connections between desired PX outcomes and recognisable game elements exist. Both methods are accompanied by example reports of their application. The present work aims to assist experimental researchers in selecting videogames likely to meet their needs, while encouraging more rigorous standards of reporting in the field.

The Impact of Rewards and Trait Reward Responsiveness on Player Motivation

Despite rewards being seemingly ubiquitous in video games, there has been limited research into their impact on the player experience. Informed by extant literature, we built a casual video game to test the impact of reward types, both individually (i.e. rewards of: access, facility, sustenance, glory, praise) and by variety of rewards (i.e. no rewards, individual rewards, all rewards). No evidence was found for differing reward types impacting the player experience differently. However, evidence was found for a greater variety of rewards having a positive impact on interest and enjoyment. Regardless of the impact of variety of rewards, the individual characteristic of reward responsiveness was found to be predict sense of presence and interest and enjoyment. This paper makes contributions to the application of reward types, general understanding of the impact of rewards on the player experience, and discusses the importance of trait reward responsiveness in player experience evaluation.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: The Effect of Challenge-Skill Manipulation on Electrodermal Activity

Challenge plays a critical role in enabling an enjoyable and successful player experience, but not all dimensions of challenge are well understood. A more nuanced understanding of challenge and its role in the player experience is possible through assessing player psychophysiology. The psychophysiology of challenge (i.e. what occurs physiologically during experiences of video game challenge) has been the focus of some player experience research, but consensus as to the physiological markers of challenge has not been reached. To further explore the psychophysiological impact of challenge, three video game conditions -- varying by degree of challenge -- were developed and deployed within a large-scale psychophysiological study (n = 90). Results show decreased electrodermal activity (EDA) in the low-challenge (Boredom) video game condition compared to the medium- (Balance) and high-challenge (Overload) conditions, with a statistically non-significant but consistent pattern found between the medium- and high-challenge conditions. Overall, these results suggest electrodermal response increases with challenge. Despite the intuitiveness of some of these conclusions, the results do not align with extant literature. Possible explanations for the incongruence with the literature are discussed. Ultimately, with this work we hope to both enable a more complete understanding of challenge in the player experience, and contribute to a more granular understanding of the psychophysiological experience of play.

Greater rewards in videogames lead to more presence, enjoyment and effort

Highlights • Existing research has often focussed on single reward types in videogames • The current study explored the impact of varying amount and diversity of rewards • Effort, enjoyment and sense of presence were greater in response to greater rewards • Heart-rate measures indicate greater arousal in response to greater rewards • Greater amount and diversity of rewards has a positive influence on player experience Abstract There is currently limited understanding of whether and how different amounts and diversity of virtual rewards impact on the player experience. A repeated-measures experiment was undertaken in which participants (N = 59) were compared on subjective measures (competence, presence-immersion, tension, effort and enjoyment), as well as psychophysiological measures (electrodermal activity and heart-beat rate), during the play of a videogame with three levels of video game reward (high, medium, low). Effort, enjoyment and presence-immersion significantly varied across conditions such that they were greater when all rewards were present compared to one or both of the other conditions. Heart-beat rate was found to vary across conditions consistent with the explanation that greater rewards lead to greater arousal. Our study suggest a number of advantages to greater amount and diversity of virtual rewards in the context of a casual videogame, with potential application to the design of new gamification systems. Keywords videogame; reward; psychophysiology; player experience

Understanding initial experiences with Mindmax, an mHealth app that draws on shared interests in sports and video games

Mobile health (mHealth) apps have significantly increased in use and popularity in recent years. However, the initial experience of users with these apps is poorly understood. MindMax is an mHealth wellbeing app, designed and championed by the Australian Football League Players Association (AFLPA), which aims to harness the high levels of engagement with video games and widespread interest in sports to connect with users. Our qualitative research uses MindMax as a case study to understand the initial experiences of seven users. Our findings suggest that mHealth apps like MindMax can engage people in wellbeing training and goal setting; and video games and connections with sports stars and fellow fans can draw people back to the app to foster engagement and support wellbeing goals.