Wannes Ribbens

Perceived digital game realism: A quantitative exploration of its structure

A quantitative exploration is presented of the concept of perceived digital game realism, based upon the frameworks described by Malliet (2006), and Shapiro, Pea-Herborn, and Hancock (2006). The concepts and categories outlined in both studies are complemented with an additional literature study and subjected to an exploratory factor analysis. Principal axis factoring was performed on items completed by 385 respondents whose ages ranged between 15 and 19 years. Seven factors of perceived game realism were identified: simulation, freedom of choice, character involvement, perceptual pervasiveness, authenticity regarding subject matter, authenticity regarding characters, and social realism. These findings are to a considerable extent congruent with the theoretical framework.

How male young adults construe their playing style in violent video games

This study explores the various ways in which male young adults engage with violence in video games. Based on an ethnographic study (N = 26) with triangulation of diary reports, focus group interviews and a video commentary model, three conceptual axes are distinguished along which players differ in their enactment of video game violence: narration versus action, discovery versus mission-based play and reaction versus strategic play. The results suggest that individual playing styles result in exposure to different quantities and a different quality of virtual violence.

The Enjoyment of Shooting Games: Exploring the Role of Perceived Realism

Abstract The enjoyment of violent digital games (e.g., shooting games) is paradoxical in the sense that players often enjoy shooting and killing people in the virtual world, even though they would reject this in the real world. Earlier studies indicated that perceived realism is an important concept to understand this paradox. However, no consensus exists on the nature of the relationship between perceived realism and game enjoyment. On the one hand, the enjoyment players experience when engaging with virtual violence can be initiated by an increased sense of realism which causes the player to feel present in the virtual world. On the other hand, a decreased sense of realism can allow players to justify and take moral distance from in-game violence. This study explores how a multidimensional conceptualization of perceived realism can reconcile these seemingly contradictory perspectives. We distinguish five dimensions of perceived game realism that may impact game enjoyment: simulational realism, freedom of choice, social realism, character involvement, and perceptual pervasiveness. Based on survey data of 728 college students who played a shooting game, perceptual pervasiveness and character involvement were found to positively and significantly relate to game enjoyment, while the other three dimensions did not. This study provides clarification on a theoretical level, contributing to the integration of research on the enjoyment of virtual violence.