HCI Games Group

Researching Affective Systems and Engaging Interactions

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Extended Abstract

Curioscape: A Curiosity-driven Escape Room Board Game

Joseph Tu and Ekaterina Durmanova. 2020. Curioscape: A Curiosity-driven Escape Room Board Game. New York, NY, USA. ACM, 94–97. doi:10.1145/3383668.3419925
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Abstract

Are you frustrated when a board game has too many rules? Do you want to jump straight into the game and just play? We created Curioscape, an escape room board game that focuses on the idea of whether eliminating a rule book is possible in a board game context. This means players can start the game without having to learn rules or understand how the game works. This paper describes Curioscape's conception to release, along with the exploration of replicating escape rooms in a smaller space and investigates if we can use curiosity to create meaningful game design choices.
Article

Demystifying the First-Time Experience of Mobile Games: The Presence of a Tutorial Has a Positive Impact on Non-Expert Players’ Flow and Continuous-Use Intentions

Mario Passalacqua, Raphaël Morin, Sylvain Sénécal, Lennart E. Nacke, and Pierre-Majorique Léger. 2020. Demystifying the First-Time Experience of Mobile Games: The Presence of a Tutorial Has a Positive Impact on Non-Expert Players’ Flow and Continuous-Use Intentions. In Multimodal Technologies and Interaction 4, 3: 41. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. doi:10.3390/mti4030041
DOI

Abstract

The purpose of video game tutorials is to help players easily understand new game mechanics and thereby facilitate chances of early engagement with the main contents of one’s game. The mobile game market (i.e., phones and tablets) faces important retention issues caused by a high number of players who abandon games permanently within 24 h of downloading them. A laboratory experiment with 40 players tested how tutorial presence and player expertise impact on users’ psychophysiological states and continuous-use intentions (CUIs). The results suggest that in a simple game context, tutorials have a positive impact on non-expert players’ perceived state of flow and have no effect on expert players’ perceived flow. The results also suggest that flow has a positive impact on CUIs for both experts and non-experts. The theoretical contributions and managerial implications of these results are discussed.
Proceedings

Food Literacy while Shopping: Motivating Informed Food Purchasing Behaviour with a Situated Gameful App

Marcela Bomfim, Sharon Kirkpatrick, Lennart E. Nacke, and James Wallace. 2020. Food Literacy while Shopping: Motivating Informed Food Purchasing Behaviour with a Situated Gameful App. In Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI EA '20. . doi:10.1145/3313831.3376801
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Abstract

Establishing healthy eating patterns early in life is critical and has implications for lifelong health. Situated interventions are a promising approach to improve eating patterns. However, HCI research has emphasized calorie control and weight loss, potentially leading consumers to prioritize caloric intake over healthy eating patterns. To support healthy eating more holistically, we designed a gameful app called Pirate Bri's Grocery Adventure (PBGA) that seeks to improve food literacy—meaning the interconnected combination of food-related knowledge, skills, and behaviours that empower an individual to make informed food choices— through a situated approach to grocery shopping. Findings from our three-week field study revealed that PBGA was effective for improving players' nutrition knowledge and motivation for healthier food choices and reducing their impulse purchases. Our findings highlight that nutrition apps should promote planning and shopping based on balance, variety, and moderation.
Article

Game Atmosphere: Effects of Audiovisual Thematic Cohesion on Player Experience and Psychophysiology

Giovanni Ribeiro, Katja Rogers, Maximilian Altmeyer, Thomas Terkildsen, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2020. Game Atmosphere: Effects of Audiovisual Thematic Cohesion on Player Experience and Psychophysiology. In Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY '20). New York, NY, USA. ACM. doi:10.1145/3410404.3414245
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Abstract

Game atmosphere and game audio are critical factors linked to the commercial success of video games. However, game atmosphere has been neither operationalized nor clearly defined in games user research literature, making it difficult to study. We define game atmosphere as the emerging subjective experience of a player caused by the strong audiovisual thematic cohesion (i.e., the harmonic fit of sounds and graphics to a shared theme) of video game elements. We studied players' experience of thematic cohesion in two between-subjects, independent-measures experiments (N=109) across four conditions differing in their level of audiovisual thematic fit. Participants' experiences were assessed with physiological and psychometric measurements to understand the effect of game atmosphere on player experience. Results indicate that a lack of thematic fit between audio and visuals lowers the degree of perceived atmosphere, but that while audiovisual thematic dissonance may lead to higher-intensity negative-valence facial events, it does not impact self-reported player experience or immersion.
Article

Gamification of Older Adults’ Physical Activity: Thematic Analysis of an Eight-Week Experimental Study

Lennart E. Nacke, Pejman Mirza-Babaei, and Dennis L. Kappen. 2020. Gamification of Older Adults’ Physical Activity: Thematic Analysis of an Eight-Week Experimental Study. In Frontiers in Computer Science 2: 44. Frontiers.
BibTeX

Abstract

Gamification technology has served as behaviour change mechanism for increasing the engagement and motivation of consumers in many areas including health and wellness domains. While research on physical activity (PA) and motivation to participate in PA in the context of older adults exist, there are fewer studies on the usage of gamified technology by older adults over longer periods of time. We conducted a mixed-method, eight-week, synchronous, three-condition experimental study with older adults in the 50+ age group. Participants were randomized into Group 1 (gamified), Group 2 (non-gamified) and a control group. The weekly semi-structured interview questions focused on their motivation for PA, setting up goals, accomplishments, fears or barriers, rewards and tracking in PA. Thematic analysis of the interview data showed distinct variations in emergent themes for the three groups over an eight-week …
Article

How to Gamify Learning Systems? An Experience Report using the Design Sprint Method and a Taxonomy for Gamification Elements in Education

Seiji Isotani, Alexandra Cristea, Isabela Gasparini, Ana C. T. Klock, Luiz Rodrigues, Wilk Oliveira, Paula Palomino, and Armando Toda. 2020. How to Gamify Learning Systems? An Experience Report using the Design Sprint Method and a Taxonomy for Gamification Elements in Education. In Journal of Educational Technology & Society 22, 3: 47-60. International Forum of Educational Technology & Society. doi:10.2307/26896709
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Abstract

One of the main goals of gamification in educational settings is to increase student motivation and engagement. To facilitate the design of gamified educational systems, in recent years, studies have proposed various approaches (e.g., methodologies, frameworks and models). One of the main problems, however, is that most of these approaches are theoretical, and do not provide a proof-of-concept. This paper advances the state of the art by providing a practical way to help implement this kind of system. In this study, we present, for the first time, how one can apply gamification elements in a learning system using the Design Sprint method, to guide designers and developers on replicating this process. Additionally, as starting point, we use a taxonomy composed of 21 game elements, proposed to be used within learning environments, organised into five game element categories, according to their goal/usage. Our main contribution is to present how to systematically implement the gamification elements focused on educational ends, which is of special value to practitioners, designers and developers.
Extended Abstract

Imi Pono: Creating an Ethical Framework for User Experience Design

Laura Fong, Jenny Waycott, Aynur Kadir, Jet Gispen , and Lennart E. Nacke. 2020. Imi Pono: Creating an Ethical Framework for User Experience Design. . doi:10.1145/3334480.3375161
DOI

Abstract

Privacy breaches and a drastic increase in the monetary value of our personal information require user experience (UX) designers and researchers to consider ethical choices more imperatively than ever before in their daily practice. The UX industry lacks ethical guidelines and standards or even a governing body that enforces any kind of universal framework of ethics. This workshop is designed to establish a foundation of understanding of ethical practice for designers, educators, developers, programmers, and individuals working in UX. Participants will collaborate and share knowledge between industries and practices, working together towards a framework that participants can take with them and implement them into their current UX workflow.
Proceedings

Keep Calm and Ride Along: Passenger Comfort and Anxiety as Physiological Responses to Autonomous Driving Styles

Nicole Dillen , Marco Ilievski, Edith Law, Lennart E. Nacke, Krzysztof Czarnecki, and Oliver Schneider. 2020. Keep Calm and Ride Along: Passenger Comfort and Anxiety as Physiological Responses to Autonomous Driving Styles. In Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. . doi:10.1145/3313831.3376247
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Abstract

Autonomous vehicles have been rapidly progressing towards full autonomy using fixed driving styles, which may differ from individual passenger preferences. Violating these preferences may lead to passenger discomfort or anxiety. We studied passenger responses to different driving style parameters in a physical autonomous vehicle. We collected galvanic skin response, heart rate, and eye-movement patterns from 20 participants, along with self-reported comfort and anxiety scores. Our results show that the presence and proximity of a lead vehicle not only raised the level of all measured physiological responses, but also exaggerated the existing effect of the longitudinal acceleration and jerk parameters. Skin response was also found to be a significant predictor of passenger comfort and anxiety. By using multiple independent events to isolate different driving style parameters, we demonstrate a method to control and analyze such parameters in future studies.
Masters Thesis

LightPlay: An Ambient Light System for Video Game Indicators and Notifications

Kin Pon Fung. 2020. LightPlay: An Ambient Light System for Video Game Indicators and Notifications. University of Waterloo. Online: http://hdl.handle.net/10012/16112
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Abstract

Video games often have indicators and notifications to convey in-game information. However, displaying these visuals on-screen come with trade-offs, such as consuming screen real estate and an inability for them to be configured independently from its host screen; denying users freedoms such as increasing indicator and notification brightness levels for better awareness without increasing the brightness of main content. As an alternative, we introduce LightPlay, an ambient light system set on the back border of a monitor to display video game indicators and notifications. We compare the speed, error rate, and perceived workload, between on-screen and ambient light indicators and notifications in a first-person camera view video game environment. Results show that ambient lights provide 17.5% faster times for capturing attention compared to on-screen indicators. In addition, ambient lights performed at least as well as on-screen across all other tested metrics.
Article

Me, Myself, and Not-I: Self-Discrepancy Type Predicts Avatar Creation Style

Mitchell Loewen, Chirstopher BUrris, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2020. Me, Myself, and Not-I: Self-Discrepancy Type Predicts Avatar Creation Style. In Frontiers in physiology 11. .

Abstract

In video games, identification with avatars—virtual entities or characters driven by human behaviour—has been shown to serve many interpersonal and intraindividual functions (like social connection, self-expression, or identity exploration) but our understanding of the psychological variables that influence players’ avatar choices remains incomplete. The study presented in this paper tested whether players’ preferred style of avatar creation is linked to the magnitude of self-perceived discrepancies between who they are, who they aspire to be, and who they think they should be. One-hundred-and-twenty-five undergraduate gamers indicated their preferred avatar creation style and completed a values measure from three different perspectives: their actual, ideal, and ought selves. The average actual/ideal values discrepancy was greater among those who preferred idealized avatars versus those who preferred …
Proceedings

Older Adults’ Motivation for Physical Activity Using Gamified Technology: An Eight-Week Experimental Study

Dennis L. Kappen, Pejman Mirza-Babaei, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2020. Older Adults’ Motivation for Physical Activity Using Gamified Technology: An Eight-Week Experimental Study. . doi:10.1007/978-3-030-50249-2_22
DOI

Abstract

While gamification strategy has been used in many areas such as marketing, education, health and wellness, only a few projects have investigated the relevance of longer study durations. There are limited number of long-term studies in the usage of gamification elements to facilitate motivation and engagement of users in a physical activity (PA) setting, especially for the older adult demographic. We conducted a synchronous, three-condition (gamified, non-gamified and control), eight-week, experimental study which randomized 30 participants in the 50+ age group. Results from quantitative analysis indicated that the addition of motivational affordances increased engagement of participants. Perceived competence, perceived autonomy was significant for the gamified group against the non gamified (traditional PA monitor – pedometer) and control group. Results from the quantitative analysis rejects the null hypothesis that there was no change between the groups as measured by motivation, enjoyment and engagement. Furthermore, the results also support our hypotheses that enjoyment and engagement was less in groups with pedometers (non-gamified PA monitors) than in the group with gamification elements. Results highlight the possibility of adaptive engagement where gamification elements can be customized to participants for the 50+ age group to foster engagement tailored to suit their current health conditions and prevalent barriers to participate in PA.
Article

Personal Space in Play: Physical and Digital Boundaries in Large-Display Cooperative and Competitive Games

Rina R. Wehbe, Terence Dickson , Anastasia Kuzminykh, Lennart E. Nacke, and Edward Lank. 2020. Personal Space in Play: Physical and Digital Boundaries in Large-Display Cooperative and Competitive Games. In Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '20). New York, NY, USA. ACM. doi:10.1145/3313831.3376319
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Abstract

As multi-touch displays grow in size and shrink in price, they are more commonly used as gaming devices. When co-located users play games on a single, large display, establishing and maintaining their physical and digital territories poses a social challenge to their interaction. To gain insight into the mechanisms of establishing and maintaining users' physical and digital territories, we analyze territorial interactions in cooperative and competitive multiplayer gameplay. Participants reported weighing each game interaction based on perceived intent to determine how socially acceptable they deemed each behaviour. In light of our observations, we contribute and discuss implications for the design of multi-user, large display, co-located, touchscreen games that consider display properties, digital and physical space, permeability of boundaries, and asymmetry of play to create interactions between players.
Article

Playing in the backstore: interface gamification increases warehousing workforce engagement

Mario Passalacqua, Pierre-Majorique Léger, Lennart E. Nacke, Marc Fredette, Élise Labonté-Lemoyne, Xinli Lin, Tony Caprioli, and Sylvain Sénécal. 2020. Playing in the backstore: interface gamification increases warehousing workforce engagement. In Industrial Management & Data Systems.. . doi:10.1108/IMDS-08-2019-0458
DOI

Abstract

In a warehouse setting, where hourly workers performing manual tasks account for more than half of total warehouse expenditure, a lack of employee engagement has been directly linked to company performance. In this article, the authors present a laboratory experiment in which two gamification elements, goal setting and feedback, are implemented in a wearable warehouse management system (WMS) interface to examine their effect on user engagement and performance in an item picking task. Both implicit (neurophysiological) and explicit (self-reported) measures of engagement are used, allowing for a richer understanding of the user's perceived and physiological state.
Article

Technology Facilitates Physical Activity Through Gamification: A Thematic Analysis of an 8-Week Study

Lennart E. Nacke, Pejman Mirza-Babaei, and Dennis L. Kappen. 2020. Technology Facilitates Physical Activity Through Gamification: A Thematic Analysis of an 8-Week Study. In Frontiers in Computer Science - Human-Media Interaction 2: 530309. Frontiers in Computer Science. doi:10.3389/fcomp.2020.530309
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Abstract

Gamification has enabled technology to facilitate behavior change through increasing the engagement and motivation of people in health and wellness domains. While research on physical activity (PA) and why older adults engage in PA exists, there are not many long-term studies on how gamification influences technology use and adherence to PA by older adults. We conducted a synchronous, 8-week, experimental study with older adults in the 50+ age group. Participants were randomized into three groups: Gamified technology, non-gamified technology and a control group. We conducted a weekly semi-structured interview with them focused on their PA motivations, setting up goals, accomplishments, fears or barriers, (immediate and long-term) rewards, and tracking in PA. Thematic analysis (TA) of the interview data showed these distinct variations in themes for the three groups over the 8-week period. This indicates that motivational affordances or gamification elements can be customized for older adults to suit their current health conditions and PA participation barriers. We define gamification design guidelines for PA motivation of older adults based on self-determination theory, setting up progressive goals, accomplishments to track PA quality, intangible rewards, and activity tracking.
Proceedings

The Potential Disconnect between Time Perception and Immersion: Effects of Music on VR Player Experience

Katja Rogers, Maximillian Milo, and Michael Weber. 2020. The Potential Disconnect between Time Perception and Immersion: Effects of Music on VR Player Experience. In Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY '20). New York, NY, USA. ACM, 414–426. doi:10.1145/3410404.3414246
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Abstract

How much music contributes to player experience (PX) in virtual reality (VR) games remains unclear in the games user research literature. A core factor of PX in VR games that has not been studied before (in relation to audio or otherwise) is time perception. Thus, we provide the first empirical exploration of how music affects time perception in a VR game. In a user study (N=64), we investigated the effects of music on PX and time perception (operationalized as retrospective time estimation). Participants retrospectively perceived time to pass significantly quicker in the VR game when music was present, but reported no difference in PX components, including immersion. This contributes to ongoing discourse on the surprising lack of music effects in VR games. Moreover, our results highlight the need to re-conceptualize our understanding of the relationship between time perception and immersion in games.
Article

Validating the effectiveness of data-driven gamification recommendations: An Exploratory study

Armando Toda, Paula Palomino, Luiz Rodrigues, Wilk Oliveira, Lei Shi, Seiji Isotani, and Alexandra Cristea. 2020. Validating the effectiveness of data-driven gamification recommendations: An Exploratory study. In arXiv preprint arXiv:2008.05847. . doi:10.5753/cbie.sbie.2019.763
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Abstract

Gamification design has benefited from data-driven approaches to creating strategies based on students characteristics. However, these strategies need further validation to verify their effectiveness in e-learning environments. The exploratory study presented in this paper thus aims at verifying how data-driven gamified strategies are perceived by the students, ie, the users of e-learning environments. In this study, we conducted a survey presenting 25 predefined strategies, based on a previous study, to students and analysed each strategys perceived relevance, instanced in an e-learning environment. Our results show that students perceive Acknowledgement, Objective and Progression as important elements in a gamified e-learning environment. We also provide new insights about existing elements and design recommendations for domain specialists.
Article

What is it Like to Be a Game?-Object Oriented Inquiry for Games Research, Design and Evaluation

Katta Spiel and Lennart E. Nacke. 2020. What is it Like to Be a Game?-Object Oriented Inquiry for Games Research, Design and Evaluation. In Frontiers in Computer Science 2: 18. Frontier. doi:10.3389/fcomp.2020.00018
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Abstract

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers more and more challenge the notion of technologies as objects and humans as subjects. This conceptualization has led to various approaches inquiring into object perspectives within HCI. Even though the development and analysis of games and players is filled with notions of intersubjectivity, games research has yet to embrace an object oriented perspective. Through an analysis of existing methods, we show how Object-Oriented Inquiry offers a useful, playful, and speculative lens to pro-actively engage with and reflect on how we might know what it is like to be a game. We illustrate how to actively attend to a game's perspective as a valid position. This has the potential to not only sharpen our understanding of implicit affordances but, in turn, about our assumptions regarding play and games more generally. In a series of case studies, we apply several object-oriented methods across three methodological explorations on becoming, being, and acting as a game, and illustrate their usefulness for generating meaningful insights for game design and evaluation. Our work contributes to emerging object-oriented practices that acknowledge the agency of technologies within HCI at large and its games-oriented strand in particular.
Article

Which one is the best? A quasi-experimental study comparing frameworks for unplugged gamification

Wilk Oliveira, Armando Toda, Paula Palomino, Luiz Rodrigues, and Seiji Isotani. 2020. Which one is the best? A quasi-experimental study comparing frameworks for unplugged gamification. In RENOTE 18, 1. . doi:https://doi.org/10.22456/1679-1916.105971
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Abstract

Despite many studies proposing and evaluating frameworks to design
gamified environments in education, there is still difficulty in making end-users
(e.g., teachers, instructors, and designers) use these services and assess which
ones are most appropriate for their context. We tackled this challenge by comparing two frameworks to design a gamified non-virtual class, through a quasiexperimental study. Our main results indicate that one of the frameworks (Six
Steps to Gamification - 6D) proved to be more adaptable to the context and the
other (GAMIFY-SN) was more complete to associate the gamification elements
within the instructor’s final objectives in the gamified class. Thus, our results
promote a contribution to end-users through insights on which the most suitable
framework to use in each situation.
Proceedings

" It Started as a Joke" On the Design of Idle Game

Katta Spiel, Sultan Alharthi, Andrew Cen, Jessica Hammer, Lennart E. Nacke, Zachary O. Toups, and Tess Tanenbaum. 2019. " It Started as a Joke" On the Design of Idle Game. In Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play. 495-508. doi:10.1145/3311350.3347180
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Abstract

With idle games, active withdrawal from the game comprises an essential part of gameplay as players wait for the game state to change over time. This mode of interaction is paradigmatic for the change of roles technologies have in our lives. However, the design elements of idle games are less well understood, particularly from the perspectives of developers. We interviewed six designers of six different popular idle games and inquired into their individual approaches. Via thematic analysis, we refine and expand on existing definitions of idle games as a genre, shed light on ethically charged practices of care in their design, and identify shared core characteristics between the games and processes. We then generate intermediate-level knowledge on the design of idle games. Our work contributes designers' perspectives on idle games and their design to a growing body of literature on the genre.
Article

A Taxonomy of Game Elements for Gamification in Educational Contexts: Proposal and Evaluation

Armando Toda, Wilk Oliveira, Ana C. T. Klock, Paula Palomino, Marcelo Pimenta, Ig Bittencourt, Lei Shi, Isabela Gasparini, Seiji Isotani, and Alexandra Cristea. 2019. A Taxonomy of Game Elements for Gamification in Educational Contexts: Proposal and Evaluation. In 2019 IEEE 19th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT) 2161: 84-88. IEEE. doi:10.1109/ICALT.2019.00028
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Abstract

Gamification has been widely employed in the educational domain over the past eight years when the term became
a trend. However, the literature states that gamification still lacks
formal definitions to support the design of gamified strategies.
This paper aims to create a taxonomy for the game elements,
based on gamification experts’ opinions. After a brief review
from existing work, we extract first the game elements from the
current state of the art, and then evaluate them via a survey with
19 gamification and education experts. The resulting taxonomy
taxonomy included the description of 21 game elements and their
quantitative and qualitative evaluation by the experts. Overall,
the proposed taxonomy was in general well accepted by most of
the experts. They also suggested expanding it with the inclusion
of Narrative and Storytelling game elements. Thus, the main
contribution of this paper is proposing a new, confirmed taxonomy
to standardise the terminology used to define the game elements
as a mean to design and deploy gamification strategies in the
educational domain.
Proceedings

Audio Habits and Motivations in Video Game Players

Katja Rogers and Michael Weber. 2019. Audio Habits and Motivations in Video Game Players. In Proceedings of Audio Mostly (AM’19). ACM. doi:10.1145/3356590.3356599
DOIBibTeX

Abstract

Game music is increasingly being explored in terms of empirical effects on players, but we know very little about how players actually perceive and use background music in games, and why. We conducted a survey (N=737) to gain an understanding of players' in-the-wild audio habits and motivations, which can inform future research and industry practices regarding game audio design. The results indicate a wide variance in players' estimation of the importance of music in games. Further, we identify and provide evidence for the comparatively new multitasking phenomenon: a substantial number of players who do not listen to games' provided background music, often in favour of additional/parallel media usage. Based on these findings, we discuss implications for game audio design, ground existing common knowledge with empirical support, and delineate future research directions.
Article

Automatic game experience identification in educational games

Wilk Oliveira, Luiz Rodrigues, Armando Toda, Paula Palomino, and Seiji Isotani. 2019. Automatic game experience identification in educational games. In Brazilian Symposium on Computers in Education (Simpósio Brasileiro de Informática na Educação-SBIE) 30, 1: 952. . doi:10.5753/cbie.sbie.2019.952
DOIBibTeX

Abstract

One of the main challenges in the field of educational games is the automatic and implicit users' game experience identification. To face this challenge, we present an exploratory study by using a data-driven based approach for collecting and identifying this experience. We used two different data-mining techniques aiming to associate the user's data logs from an educational game with their game-like experience. Our main results indicate that it is possible to extract the automatic and implicit acquisition of the student's game experience in educational games and demonstrate how user's data logs drive their experiences. We also provided different associations between user data logs in educational games and the student's game experience.
Proceedings

Cross-Car, Multiplayer Games for Semi-Autonomous Driving

Matthew Lakier, Lennart E. Nacke, Takeo Igarashi, and Daniel Vogel. 2019. Cross-Car, Multiplayer Games for Semi-Autonomous Driving. In Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play. 467-480. doi:10.1145/3311350.3347166
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Abstract

We investigate and characterize a design space for in-car games based on a survey of previous work, and identify an opportunity for "cross-car" multiplayer games played among occupants in nearby cars. This is supported by innovations in automotive technology like autonomous driving, full-window heads-up displays, and ad hoc communication between vehicles. In a custom virtual reality driving simulator, we created three games to illustrate design dimensions: Killerball, a competitive free-for-all game; Billiards, a player versus player, massively multiplayer online game with player assists; and Decoration, an idle-style game with multiplayer resource management. A 12-participant evaluation with a semi-structured interview revealed a positive response to input controls and HUDs, and suggests game genres have a similar effect on time for an emergency driving takeover task. We used insights from our process and evaluation to formulate design considerations for future cross-car games.
Proceedings

Do Cognitive Styles Influence Collective Sensemaking in Distributed Multiplayer Games?

Sultan Alharthi, George E. Raptis, Christina Katsini, Igor Dolgov, Lennart E. Nacke, and Zachary O. Toups. 2019. Do Cognitive Styles Influence Collective Sensemaking in Distributed Multiplayer Games?. In Proceedings of the ACM Collective Intelligence Conference Series. ACM. Online: https://ci.acm.org/2019/assets/proceedings/CI_2019_paper_35.pdf
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Abstract

Effective teamwork is characterized by having a shared understanding of objectives and collaboration
skills [Salas et al. 1992]. In distributed multiplayer games, players need to constantly coordinate actions with each other and collectively make sense of the game objectives to succeed as a team [Alharthi
et al. 2018b]. This is achieved by players processing and exchanging information among team members through game interfaces [Wuertz et al. 2018; Toups et al. 2014]. To better support collaborating
in distributed multiplayer games, we need to understand the human factors that influence how teams
collect, process, and share game information [Alharthi et al. 2018a; Raptis et al. 2016].
Team cognition is one of the human factors that influences collaboration [Gutwin and Greenberg
2004]. Each team member, based on their unique cognitive characteristics, develops a specific approach
to process information and engage in both individual and collective sensemaking activities [Weick
1995]. Sensemaking is a process performed in order to understand a situation and make decisions [Weick 1995]. The need for sensemaking arises in shifting environments, when new challenges, opportunities, and tasks are emergent [Toups et al. 2016]. Information seeking is an essential part of the
process of collective sensemaking, in which information are collected, shared, filtered, processed, authenticated, and interpreted to extract what is needed to understand a situation and effectively work
together as a team [Weick 1995].
Individuals develop different approaches to collect and process information in complex environments. Such different approaches are known as cognitive styles [Kozhevnikov 2007]. A well-known
cognitive style is Field Dependence—Independence (FD-I), which identifies two extremes: field dependent (FD) – integrating information from surrounding context – and field independent (FI) – able to
separate visual information from surrounding context [Witkin et al. 1977]. Considering that people
with disparate cognitive styles process information differently, cognitive styles are expected to play an
important role in the success of teamwork and how teams engage in collective sensemaking activities
in distributed multiplayer games [Chujfi and Meinel 2015].
Based on our motivation and study of related work [Hong et al. 2012; Witkin and Goodenough 1976;
Nisiforou 2015; Raptis et al. 2016; 2018; Michailova and Sidorova 2011], we expect people characterized as FI to be beneficial to teams playing games that involve seeking, processing, and sharing information, as they tend to deconstruct complex scenes faster [Witkin and Goodenough 1976], perform
fewer but more accurate movements [Hong et al. 2012], adopt a more exploratory information seeking
strategy [Raptis et al. 2016], be more engaged in enriched visual contexts [Raptis et al. 2018], and are
less dependent on contextual cues and visualized guiding information [Michailova and Sidorova 2011].
Proceedings

Effects of Background Music on Risk-Taking and General Player Experience

Katja Rogers, Matthias Jörg, and Michael Weber. 2019. Effects of Background Music on Risk-Taking and General Player Experience. In Proceedings of the 2019 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY ’19). ACM. doi:doi.org/10.1145/3311350.3347158
DOIBibTeX

Abstract

Music affects our emotions and behaviour in real life, yet despite its prevalence in games, we have a limited understanding of its potential as a tool to explicitly influence player experience and behaviour in games. In this work, we investigate whether we can affect players' risk-taking behaviour through the presence and attributes of background music. We built a game that operationalizes risk behaviour by repeatedly giving players the choice between a safe but less rewarding course, and a risky but potentially more rewarding course. In a mixed-design user study (N=60), we explored the impact of music presence, tempo, and affective inflection on players' in-game risk behaviour and overall player experience. We found an effect of music presence on risk behaviour in the first playthrough, i.e., in the absence of other prior knowledge about the game. Further, music affect and tempo affected player immersion, as well as experienced mastery and challenge. Based on these findings, we discuss implications for game design and future research directions.
Proceedings

ExerCube vs. Personal Trainer: Evaluating a Holistic, Immersive, and Adaptive Fitness Game Setup.

Anna-Lisa Martin-Niedecken, Katja Rogers, Laia Turmo Vidal, Elisa D. Mekler, and Elena Márquez Segura. 2019. ExerCube vs. Personal Trainer: Evaluating a Holistic, Immersive, and Adaptive Fitness Game Setup.. In Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI’19). ACM. doi:10.1145/3290605.3300318
DOIBibTeX

Abstract

Today's spectrum of playful fitness solutions features systems that are clearly game-first or fitness-first in design; hardly any sufficiently incorporate both areas. Consequently, existing applications and evaluations often lack in focus on attractiveness and effectiveness, which should be addressed on the levels of body, controller, and game scenario following a holistic design approach. To contribute to this topic and as a proof-of-concept, we designed the ExerCube, an adaptive fitness game setup. We evaluated participants' multi-sensory and bodily experiences with a non-adaptive and an adaptive ExerCube version and compared them with personal training to reveal insights to inform the next iteration of the ExerCube. Regarding flow, enjoyment and motivation, the ExerCube is on par with personal training. Results further reveal differences in perception of exertion, types and quality of movement, social factors, feedback, and audio experiences. Finally, we derive considerations for future research and development directions in holistic fitness game setups.
Article

Exploring content game elements to support gamification design in educational systems: narrative and storytelling

Paula Palomino, Armando Toda, Wilk Oliveira, Luiz Rodrigues, Alexandra Cristea, and Seiji Isotani. 2019. Exploring content game elements to support gamification design in educational systems: narrative and storytelling. In Brazilian Symposium on Computers in Education (Simpósio Brasileiro de Informática na Educação-SBIE) 30, 1: 773. . doi:10.5753/cbie.sbie.2019.773
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Abstract

There are currently several studies on gamification applied to learning systems, aiming to encourage students to do certain tasks and improving their learning. According to several researches, most frameworks for gamification already developed are structural (eg scoring systems, ranking, etc.), with very few content-related frameworks. Importantly, to the best of our knowledge, there is no known narrative framework available. Therefore this paper analyses data obtained from a survey about the students' preferred game elements in an educational context, using Association Rule Mining and focusing on the rules found concerning Narrative and Storytelling elements. Our study showed that Narrative and Storytelling are tightly related. We thus provide insights of their use in groups of other game elements, enabling the creation of gamified instructional design strategies based on these aspects.
Proceedings

Exploring Interaction Fidelity in Virtual Reality: Object Manipulation and Whole-Body Movements

Katja Rogers, Jana Funke, Julian Frommel, Sven Stamm, and Michael Weber. 2019. Exploring Interaction Fidelity in Virtual Reality: Object Manipulation and Whole-Body Movements. In Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI’19). ACM. doi:10.1145/3290605.3300644
DOIBibTeX

Abstract

High degrees of interaction fidelity (IF) in virtual reality (VR) are said to improve user experience and immersion, but there is also evidence of low IF providing comparable experiences. VR games are now increasingly prevalent, yet we still do not fully understand the trade-off between realism and abstraction in this context. We conducted a lab study comparing high and low IF for object manipulation tasks in a VR game. In a second study, we investigated players' experiences of IF for whole-body movements in a VR game that allowed players to crawl underneath virtual boulders and "dangle'' along monkey bars. Our findings show that high IF is preferred for object manipulation, but for whole-body movements, moderate IF can suffice, as there is a trade-off with usability and social factors. We provide guidelines for the development of VR games based on our results.
Proceedings

Gamification journey: A Novel approach for classifying gamer types for gamified educational systems

Seiji Isotani, Luiz Rodrigues, Wilk Oliveira, Armando Toda, and Paula Palomino. 2019. Gamification journey: A Novel approach for classifying gamer types for gamified educational systems. SBGames. Online: https://www.sbgames.org/sbgames2019/files/papers/ArtesDesignFull/197988.pdf
BibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Gamification applied to education studies are
often related to the student’s motivation and performance in
specific tasks. However, what stimulates one student does not
always have the same result with another one. Thus, some
methods were developed to group and identify gamification
users preferences, called “gamer types”. By identifying the
“gamer type” of a user, it is possible to tailor a gamified
educational system (GES) to achieve better results. This approach, however, has some limitations, such as the fact that
these classifications are based on the behavioral profiles of
gamers and that, in order to identify the profile, the process is
relatively complex and time-consuming. This paper proposes a
new approach in the identification of student’ profiles for use
in a GES, using Jung’s 12 universal archetypes, concepts of the
Peirce’s Triadic Semiosis, and the Campbell’s Hero’s Journey.
We address these concepts and how it was related in the design
process of avatar creation interfaces for a GES focused on the
game elements of narrative and storytelling.
Misc

Human-Computer Interaction–INTERACT 2019: 17th IFIP TC 13 International Conference

Panayiotis Zaphiris, Marco Winckler, Helen Petrie, Lennart E. Nacke, Fernando Loizides, and David Lamas. 2019. Human-Computer Interaction–INTERACT 2019: 17th IFIP TC 13 International Conference. Springer Nature., 2-6. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-29390-1
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Article

Narrative for Gamification in Education: Why Should you Care?

Paula Palomino, Armando Toda, Wilk Oliveira, Alexandra Cristea, and Seiji Isotani. 2019. Narrative for Gamification in Education: Why Should you Care?. In 2019 IEEE 19th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT): 97-99. IEEE. doi:10.1109/ICALT.2019.0003
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Abstract

Gamification applied to education studies are focusing to encourage students to perform specific tasks, however many of these studies are still inconclusive about how much gamification can influence engagement. Also, the frameworks used to apply gamification in those systems are mainly structural (e.g. scoring and ranking systems) rather than content frameworks (where the game elements are applied to the content). Therefore, this paper aims at creating a narrative definition exclusively for gamification purposes. First, we developed an empirical research starting with a literature review of the narrative concept in other medias, such as games. Then, we mapped these definitions into features and crossed the similarities and differences across them, to find a common ground that could be applied in gamification contexts. Our results show that the narrative element definition to use in gamification contexts best drifts from the games ones, however its definition is unique to the point it could be isolated and used in future frameworks. We also found that the characteristics of this concept resembles some of User Experience.
Proceedings

Take Back Control: Effects of Player Influence on Procedural Level Generation.

Julian Frommel, Dietmar Puschmann, Katja Rogers, and Michael Weber. 2019. Take Back Control: Effects of Player Influence on Procedural Level Generation.. In Extended Abstracts Publication of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY ’19 Extended Abstracts). ACM. doi:doi.org/10.1145/3341215.3356288
DOIBibTeX

Abstract

Many games use procedural content generation (PCG) to create varied game experiences without having to create all content manually. They allow varying degrees of player influence on generation, from retaining all control to giving full control to players over a number of parameters. Despite the prevalence of PCG in commercial games, little research has examined how player influence on PCG parameters affects their experience. We present a preliminary study examining the effect of three degrees of player influence on PCG parameters of game levels, by means of a dungeon crawler game featuring 22 parameters for level design. Participants played the game with varying degrees of control (none, limited, high) over those parameters and reported subjective player experience measures. The results show that degree of influence affects player experience; high control elicits significantly higher autonomy than the other conditions. While future research disentangling agency and challenge is necessary, our preliminary findings suggest that player control over PCG features potentially improves experience by eliciting increased autonomy.
Extended Abstract

The Development of" Orbit" The Collaborative BCI Game for Children with AD (H) D

Karina Arrambide, Elizaveta Freiman Cormier, Rina R. Wehbe, Lennart E. Nacke, Mareike Gabele, Sebastian Wagner, and Christian Hansen. 2019. The Development of" Orbit" The Collaborative BCI Game for Children with AD (H) D. 341-348. doi:10.1145/3341215.3356301
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Abstract

Children with Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder or AD(H)D can require treatment for which they need to experience long-lasting neurofeedback sessions. Children might not adhere to at-home treatment activities because of the nature of these sessions; thus, not getting the benefits of the program. To increase adherence and effectiveness of the treatment itself, we propose neurofeedback gaming and social encouragement. Our hypothesis is that by playing a collaborative neurofeedback game, children will be more adherent to their treatment and therefore derive a stronger benefit. For this purpose we designed the game "Orbit", a first multiplayer prototype that was evaluated in a pilot study with five neuropsychologists. It was found that collaborative multiplayer games are suitable from a therapeutic standpoint and long-term use because of its higher social motivation and collaboration between children with AD(H)D; albeit there are some drawbacks including unreliability of electroencephalography (EEG) input and the risk for the collaborative environment to be distracting for the player.
Article

Thinking Inside the Box: How to Tailor Gamified Educational Systems Based on Learning Activities Types

Luiz Rodrigues, Wilk Oliveira, Armando Toda, Paula Palomino, and Seiji Isotani. 2019. Thinking Inside the Box: How to Tailor Gamified Educational Systems Based on Learning Activities Types. In Brazilian Symposium on Computers in Education (Simpósio Brasileiro de Informática na Educação-SBIE) 30, 1: 823. . doi:10.5753/cbie.sbie.2019.823
DOIBibTeX

Abstract

Selecting gamification elements suitable for specific players (personalization) has been sought to improve the impacts of Gamified Educational Systems (GES). However, the lack of context might be a factor on the inconsistent results of those approaches. To address this lack, we introduce a method for personalizing GES based on learning activities types. The assumption is that selecting gamification elements for specific types of learning activities has the potential to improve GES impact on users by considering the context of each activity and, thus, contributing to their learning process. We describe how to apply our approach, how it differs from user-based methods, as well as discuss three cases of application and challenges yet to be tackled.
Extended Abstract

Towards Automatic Flow Experience Identification in Educational Systems: A Theory-driven Approach

Wilk Oliveira, Armando Toda, Paula Palomino, Luiz Rodrigues, Seiji Isotani, and Lei Shi. 2019. Towards Automatic Flow Experience Identification in Educational Systems: A Theory-driven Approach. 581-588. doi:10.1145/3341215.3356311
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Abstract

Flow is a state of deep engagement that is highly related to the learning experiences. One of the biggest challenges in this field is to provide automatic and implicit students' flow experience identification in educational systems, contributing to the educational systems design and evaluation improvement. In this paper, we propose a theory-driven based conceptual model, associating student's interaction data logs with each of the flow experience dimensions, towards the automatic flow identification. The main result indicates that eight different kinds of data logs can be associated with the nine original flow experience dimensions and provide the automatic students' flow experience identification. As a future study, we aim to design an educational system capable of obtaining student's data logs conducting a data-driven based study to validate our theoretical study.
Proceedings

Towards Socially Immersive Fitness Games: An Exploratory Evaluation Through Embodied Sketching

Anna-Lisa Martin-Niedecken, Elena Márquez Segura, Katja Rogers, Stephan Niedecken, and Laia Turmo Vidal. 2019. Towards Socially Immersive Fitness Games: An Exploratory Evaluation Through Embodied Sketching. In Extended Abstracts Publication of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY ’19 Extended Abstracts). ACM. doi:10.1145/3341215.3356293
DOIBibTeX

Abstract

Despite many benefits of playing and exercising together in terms of motivation, engagement, and social relationships, many exergames are designed to be single player, while others implement only a facade of social play (e.g., leaderboards). The challenge remains: how can exergames be designed to balance fun, exertion, and social connection? In this work, we ran an embodied sketching activity with multiplayer variations of the Sphery Racer mixed-reality fitness game, allowing us to test physical and social game mechanics. We discuss here: i) preliminary results on how these variations support a rich training and social experience; and ii) the potential of our method to surface interesting design directions. These contributions can inspire others designing in this domain, and support the development of a rich design space for co-located exergames.
Article

Emotion-based Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Using Parametrized Difficulty and Self-Reports of Emotion

Julian Frommel, Fabian Fischbach, Katja Rogers, and Michael Weber. 2018. Emotion-based Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Using Parametrized Difficulty and Self-Reports of Emotion. In Proceedings of the 2018 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play. ACM. doi:10.1145/3242671.3242682
DOIBibTeX

Abstract

Research has shown that dynamic difficulty adjustment (DDA) can benefit player experience in digital games. However, in some cases it can be difficult to assess when adjustments are necessary. In this paper, we propose an approach of emotion-based DDA that uses self-reported emotions to inform when an adaptation is necessary. In comparison to earlier DDA techniques based on affect, we use parameterized difficulty to define difficulty levels and select the suitable level based on players' frustration and boredom. We conducted a user study with 66 participants investigating performance and effects on player experience and perceived competence of this approach. The study further explored how self-reports of emotional state can be integrated in dialogs with non-player characters to provide less interruption. The results show that our emotion-based DDA approach works as intended and yields better player experience than constant or increasing difficulty approaches. While the dialog-based self-reports did not positively affect player experience, they yielded high accuracy. Together, these findings indicate our emotion-based approach works as intended and provides good player experience, thus representing a useful tool for game developers to easily implement reliable DDA.
Article

Exploring intended and unintended uses of (e)books as design inspiration for ambient displays in the home

Manfred Tscheligi, Petra Sundström, Iva Randelshofer, Katja Neureiter, Ilhan Aslan, and Christiane Moser. 2018. Exploring intended and unintended uses of (e)books as design inspiration for ambient displays in the home. Fakultät für Angewandte Informatik. Online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330157442_Exploring_intended_and_unintended_uses_of_eBooks_as_design_inspiration_for_Ambient_Displays_in_the_home
BibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Books at home are used for more than reading, such as collecting them, using them as decoration, or expressing personality. In order to get a better understanding of intended and unintended uses of printed books, we conducted seven book tours in different homes followed by semi-structured interviews. This data was complemented with a large-scale online survey with 300 respondents. We describe our findings focusing on storage, sorting, decoration, and self-expression and how they inspired us to develop a digital bookshelf (ambient display) as a technology probe to explore decoration with eBooks in the home. We argue for a transition from decoration with printed books to eBooks as design inspiration that does not simply replicate a bookshelf as ambient display, but makes eBooks tangible by combining users' habits with qualities of digital material.
Misc

How to publish research results for academic and non-academic audiences

Gustavo F. Tondello. 2018. How to publish research results for academic and non-academic audiences. ACM, 16-17. doi:10.1145/3265921
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Abstract

The XRDS blog highlights a range of topics from conference coverage, to security and privacy, to CS theory. Selected blog posts, edited for print, are featured in every issue. Please visit xrds.acm.org/blog to read each post in its entirety. If you are interested in joining as a student blogger, please contact us.
Proceedings

Textile Manager: Design and Development of a Persuasive Game about Sustainable Textile Production

Katja Rogers, Michael Olah, and Michael Weber. 2018. Textile Manager: Design and Development of a Persuasive Game about Sustainable Textile Production. In CHI EA '18: Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. ACM. doi:10.1145/3170427.3188623
DOIBibTeX

Abstract

Textile production is a large and profitable industry that still struggles with issues relating to environmental impact and societal concerns like labour rights. Incorporating sustainable practices to reduce these issues will be highly beneficial for future generations. Potential measures exist on both an industry and company level, as well as in the purchase behaviour of individual consumers. We present Textile Manager, a persuasive game designed to encourage players to consider their own textile-related behaviour. Based on expert interviews, we discerned goals for a persuasive game to create awareness about issues in traditional textile production. Textile Manager presents a proof-of-concept prototype that was evaluated with a pre-post exposure study. We report findings regarding persuasive effect, voluntary information quests, and visualization of consequences for player decisions to contribute towards the persuasive technology research community.
Article

A comparison of system-controlled and user-controlled personalization approaches

Rita Orji, Kiemute Oyibo, and Gustavo F. Tondello. 2017. A comparison of system-controlled and user-controlled personalization approaches. In Adjunct publication of the 25th conference on user modeling, adaptation and personalization: 413-418. New York, NY, USA. ACM. doi:10.1145/3099023.3099116
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Abstract

Personalizing interactive systems including games increases their effectiveness. This paper explores and compares two main approaches to personalization: system-controlled and user-controlled adaptation. The results of large-scale exploratory studies of 1768 users show that both techniques to personalizing systems share seven common strengths of increasing users' perception of a system's relevance, usefulness, interactivity, ease of use, credibility and trust, and also increases users' self-efficacy. The results also reveal some unique strengths and weaknesses peculiar to each of the approaches that designers should take into consideration when deciding on a suitable adaptation technique to use in personalizing their systems. Users prefer system-over user-controlled adaptation.
Proceedings

Defining Gamification Video

Melissa Stocco, Marim Ganaba, Gustavo F. Tondello, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2017. Defining Gamification Video. In Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems. ACM, 472. doi:10.1145/3027063.3049793
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Gamification is an emerging field that has developed and become popularized in recent years. Since the field of gamification is relatively new, there has been debate and confusion over the definition of the term and its use. This showcase seeks to inform researchers, designers, as well as the public about gamification, its application, and its relevance to current landscape of technology and innovation. Gamification is primarily used to improve users' motivations and engagement with non-game tasks.
Proceedings

Evaluating VR Driving Simulation from a Player Experience Perspective

Marcel Walch, Julian Frommel, Katja Rogers, Felix Schüssel, Phillip Hock, David Dobbelstein, and Michael Weber. 2017. Evaluating VR Driving Simulation from a Player Experience Perspective. In Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '17). New York, NY, USA. ACM, 2982–2989. doi:10.1145/3027063.3053202
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

The majority of HCI research in the field of automotive interfaces and driver-vehicle interaction is conducted utilizing driving simulators. High-fidelity simulators are expensive; in consequence, many researchers use consumer gaming hardware and flat screens as an alternative. In recent years VR devices have become affordable and are applied already in some driving studies. It has not been shown whether driving simulations can use VR to increase immersion in low-cost setups. We conducted a pilot study with 20 participants using a racing game as simulation software. The results of this pilot study indicate that using a VR headset can potentially dissociate participants to a higher degree from the real world compared to the use of flat screens. However, participants felt a higher discomfort using the VR HMD. Despite expectations, today's VR technology does not appear to be a generally better choice than flat screens for driving simulator studies.
Extended Abstract

Exploring the Role of Audio in Games

Katja Rogers. 2017. Exploring the Role of Audio in Games. New York, NY, USA. ACM, 727–731. doi:10.1145/3130859.3133227
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Audio occurs in games in many forms and has the potential to significantly influence the player experience. My research explores immersive effects of audio design on components of the player experience. In particular, I analyze how the presence of different types of audio influences players' immersion, engagement and affective state. I plan to further explore this by comparing variations of specific audio types such as narrative and background music, for example versions with different affective associations. Further, I examine the role of audio within increasingly immersive virtual reality (VR) gaming technology. Through mixed-methods studies, I empirically explore how audio design influences the player experience in traditional and VR games. This dissertation research will contribute to understanding the role of audio within player-game interaction, by exploring the immersive effect of specific audio types and their variations. This will allow myself and the games research community to formulate recommendations for game designers and developers, and inform new research questions.
Foreword

Foreword: 1st Workshop on Gamification and Games for Learning

Joan Arnedo-Moreno, González González , Carina Soledad, Alberto Mora, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2017. Foreword: 1st Workshop on Gamification and Games for Learning. . Online: https://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/4766
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Extended Abstract

How Multidisciplinary is Gamification Research? Results from a Scoping Review

Nicholas O'Donnel, Dennis L. Kappen, Zachary Fitz-Walter, Sebastian Deterding, Lennart E. Nacke, and Daniel Johnson. 2017. How Multidisciplinary is Gamification Research? Results from a Scoping Review. ACM, 445–452. doi:10.1145/3130859.3131412
DOIBibTeX

Abstract

Gamification has been repeatedly framed as an emerging multidisciplinary research field. However, it is unclear how multidisciplinary the field actually is. To answer this question, this paper presents initial results of a broader scoping review of gamification research published between 2010 and 2016. Close to 2,000 peer-reviewed English-language journal and conference papers were identified across 11 databases and categorized by discipline. Results indicate an explosive growth of literature peaking in 2015. Early on, Information and Computing Science dominated the field, to be overtaken by the sum of other disciplines in 2013, education, economics and tourism in specific. This indicates that gamification was initially a field within computer science and HCI and has only recently become truly multi-disciplinary.
Article

LiverDefense: how to employ a tower defense game as a customisable research tool

Julia Brich, Katja Rogers, Julian Frommel, Martin Weidhaas, Adrian Brückner, Sarah Mirabile, Tamara Dorn, Valentin Riemer, Claudia Schrader, and Michael Weber. 2017. LiverDefense: how to employ a tower defense game as a customisable research tool. In Vis. Comput. 33, 4: 429–442. . doi:10.1007/s00371-016-1314-0
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Abstract

In game-related research, it is often necessary to create different versions of a game prototype and gather information about players. To make this possible even for non-programmers, we present LiverDefense, an educational Tower Defense game about the basic functions of the human liver, which can be used as a customisable research tool. LiverDefense can be customised via human-readable XML files both in its degree of difficulty and the content of Likert scale questionnaires to be presented to the player. As a proof of concept, LiverDefense has been successfully employed in a psychological study focused on exploring the effect of perceived control over gameplay on players' emotions. We report on the analysis of this study with regard to enjoyment and frustration and the resulting insights on using LiverDefense as a customisable research tool.
Misc

Positive Computing: A novel research field to promote human well-being

Gustavo F. Tondello. 2017. Positive Computing: A novel research field to promote human well-being. ACM, 20. doi:10.1145/3100262
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

After decades of remarkable leaps and bounds, is technology really helping to increase society's well-being?
Proceedings

Proceedings of the positive gaming: Workshop on gamification and games for wellbeing–Preface

Gustavo F. Tondello, Daniel Johnson, Rita Orji, Marierose M. M. van Dooren, and Kellie Vella. 2017. Proceedings of the positive gaming: Workshop on gamification and games for wellbeing–Preface. In CEUR Workshop Proceedings. CEUR-WS. Online: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/200638/
BibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Gamification[5]and games have been used and studied in a variety of applications related to health and wellbeing [6,7,13]. Nevertheless, their application in the domains of wellbeing and flourishing[8,14](the pursuit of a happy and meaningful life rather than the simple in existence of illness) remain considerably less studied than other more common application areas, such as physical health or fitness. Therefore, this Workshop[15] aimed to provoke research and discussion by bringing together a community of interested researchers to discuss theoretical and practical considerations and promote the development of research projects focused on “Positive Gaming”as a technique for realizing the Positive Computing[2] objective of using technology to foster flourishing. A total of eight papers were accepted and presented at the Workshop. They addressed a rich variety of topics covering various areas of positive gaming including methods to understand users and design gameful applications for wellbeing. Examples application areas include motivating engagement in wellness activities, kindness interventions, nutritional interventions, and emotion regulation training; considerations for using technology to boost employee wellbeing; and opportunities for exploring game audio as a facilitator of wellbeing.
Proceedings

Rising to the Challenge: An Emotion-Driven Approach Toward Adaptive Serious Games

Katja Rogers, Valentin Riemer, Julian Frommel, Julia Brich, and Claudia Schrader. 2017. Rising to the Challenge: An Emotion-Driven Approach Toward Adaptive Serious Games. In Serious Games and Edutainment Applications. Springer International Publishing, 3-28. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-51645-5_1
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Serious games are steadily becoming a powerful tool for educational purposes as their challenging characteristics are suggested to make them particularly appealing to learn with. This challenging nature, however, comes at a price, namely, the need to maintain the optimal balance according to players’ emotional experiences. By focusing on players’ emotions as main player characteristic considered to be important for learning processes and performance, this chapter surveys empirical research and current game development that contributes to an emotion-adaptive framework for games. The goal of this chapter is to clarify the importance of continuously adjusting game characteristics to players’ emotional states. As the interaction between game characteristics and players’ emotions highlights the need for continuously assessing at what point gameplay becomes more or less positively or negatively affected, methods for emotion recognition are presented. A summary of adaptable game design elements as well as implementation methods for adaptivity are provided.
Misc

UMAP 2017 Fifty Shades of Personalization-Workshop on Personalization in Serious and Persuasive Games and Gameful Interactions: Organizers' Welcome & Organization

Elke Mattheiss, Marc Busch, Rita Orji, Gustavo F. Tondello, Andrzej Marczewski, Wolfgang Hochleitner, Michael Lankes, and Manfred Tscheligi. 2017. UMAP 2017 Fifty Shades of Personalization-Workshop on Personalization in Serious and Persuasive Games and Gameful Interactions: Organizers' Welcome & Organization. ACM, 395-397. doi:10.1145/3099023.3099109
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the UMAP 2017 Fifty Shades of Personalization-Workshop on Personalization in Serious and Persuasive Games and Gameful Interactions. Serious games (games for purposes other than entertainment) as well as persuasive games (games for promoting desirable behavior without coercion) are increasingly adopted by scholars and have also found their way into industry. Elements of games are also increasingly used to design gameful interactions (this is also referred to as gamification). Serious and persuasive approaches focus on imparting knowledge and raising awareness about topics or issues, and also fostering attitude or behavior change in a desirable direction, for example towards a healthier lifestyle.
Misc

An introduction to gamification in human-computer interaction

Gustavo F. Tondello. 2016. An introduction to gamification in human-computer interaction. ACM, 15-17. doi:10.1145/2983457
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Improving user experience through game play.
Book Chapter

Biometrics in a Data Driven World: Trends, Technologies, and Challenges.

Lennart E. Nacke and Regan L. Mandryk. 2016. Biometrics in a Data Driven World: Trends, Technologies, and Challenges.. CRC Press, 197-229.
BibTeX
Proceedings

Bool the Miner: Relying on Ghost Companions to Solve Boolean Equations

Maria Aufheimer, Johannes Bonenberger, David Klein, Imin Kurashvili, and Katja Rogers. 2016. Bool the Miner: Relying on Ghost Companions to Solve Boolean Equations. In Proceedings of the 2016 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play Companion Extended Abstracts (CHI PLAY Companion '16). New York, NY, USA. ACm, 25-31. doi:10.1145/2968120.2968122
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

The game Bool the Miner is the result of a student project developed over two terms in a course on the design of serious games at Ulm University. Players direct the titular character Bool towards escaping from a mine. Each level represents a Boolean equation; the missing operations need to be inserted in switches to unlock the gate to the next level. Bool can record movement patterns for his helpful ghost companions, in order to operate multiple switches at the same time, while he completes an obstacle course towards the exit gate. As such, the game is a combination of the puzzle and jump'n'run genres. A pilot study investigated the validity of the game's approach towards practising knowledge of Boolean algebra, conducted alongside a psychological study on the effects of affective feedback as part of a multidisciplinary research project.
Proceedings

Design and preliminary validation of the player experience inventory

Vero Vanden Abeele, Lennart E. Nacke, Elisa D. Mekler, and Daniel Johnson. 2016. Design and preliminary validation of the player experience inventory. In Proceedings of the 2016 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play Companion Extended Ab.. ACM, 335–341. doi:10.1145/2968120.2987744
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

We present the design and preliminary results of the validation of the Player Experience Inventory (PXI). Based on the input of 64 experts in the field of player-computer interaction, we designed and refined this new scale. Our scale is based on the MDA framework (and on Means-End theory, underlying MDA). The PXI incorporates two subscales, one with dimensions at the functional level (i.e., dynamics) and one at the psycho-social level (i.e., aesthetics). The initial results, via principal factor analysis, suggest the scale can be used accurately to evaluate player experience. This work is our first step towards presenting a new, validated survey instrument for player experience evaluation.
Book Chapter

Games of the Heart and Mind: Affective Ludology and the Development of Emotionally Aware Player Experiences.

Pedro Nogueira, Samantha N. Stahlke, Rina R. Wehbe, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2016. Games of the Heart and Mind: Affective Ludology and the Development of Emotionally Aware Player Experiences.. McFarland & Company, Inc., 105-125.
BibTeX
Article

Playtesting for indie studios

Pejman Mirza-Babaei, Naeem Moosajee, and Brandon Drenikow. 2016. Playtesting for indie studios. In Proceedings of the 20th International Academic Mindtrek Conference (AcademicMindtrek '16): 366-374. New York, NY, USA. ACM. doi:10.1145/2994310.2994364
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Creating video games is a lengthy and demanding process. Financial success for games studios often depends on making games that deliver a fun and engaging experience for a diverse audience of players. Therefore, understanding how players interact and behave during gameplay is of vital importance. Playtesting aims to assist developers to achieve their design intent and help to identify and resolve potential problem areas during development. However, playtests are not always feasible or affordable for smaller, independent game developers (indie studios) because they require specialized equipment and expertise. In addition to this, there is a lack of research on the value of playtesting for indie studios, which means most indie developers are not convinced of the value of user research and playtesting. This paper reports on our collaboration with six commercial indie developers conducting eleven rounds of playtesting session. Through these collaborations, our paper contributes to this growing domain by highlighting the value of playtesting for indie developers and discussing the user research process and approaches based on indie developers' needs and budget.

Proceedings

The QoS-MO Ontology for Semantic QoS Modeling

Gustavo F. Tondello and Frank Siqueira. 2016. The QoS-MO Ontology for Semantic QoS Modeling. In Proceedings of the 2008 ACM Symposium on Applied Computing. New York, NY, USA. ACm, 2336–2340. doi:10.1145/1363686.1364239
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

This paper presents the QoS-MO ontology. This ontology enables the specification of QoS requirements for Semantic Web Services and can easily be combined with OWL-S in order to fully describe Web Services. The QoS specifications created using the QoS-MO ontology may be employed on the design and development of Web Services and on the publication and discovery of Web Services on the Semantic Web.
Proceedings

Towards Player-Centric Adaptivity: Interactions of Gameplay Behaviour and Player Traits in a Survival Game

Katja Rogers, Clemens Kamm, and Michael Weber. 2016. Towards Player-Centric Adaptivity: Interactions of Gameplay Behaviour and Player Traits in a Survival Game. In Proceedings of the 2016 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play Companion Extended Abstracts (CHI PLAY Companion '16). New York, NY, USA. ACM, 269–276. doi:10.1145/2968120.2987725
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Feature-based player-centric game adaptivity offers many advantages in terms of optimising the player experience for wide appeal and replayability. Player typologies offer potential to steer adaptivity, as predicted by gameplay behaviour. However their applicability to the design of gameplay adaptation is yet to be fully explored. In this work, we investigate whether a trait-based typology correlates with player behaviour in a prototype survival game. We conducted an explorative study using BrainHex which showed no clear indication for the validity of this approach, raising questions for future research on player behaviour in games.
Misc

2015 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play

Lennart E. Nacke, Regina Bernhaupt, Paul Cairns, and Anna L Cox. 2015. 2015 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play. SIGCHI. doi:10.1145/2793107
DOIExternal URL

Abstract

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the second ACM SIGCHI Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play -- CHI PLAY'15. CHI PLAY is a new international and interdisciplinary conference series for researchers and professionals across all areas of play, games and human-computer interaction (HCI), we call it: "player-computer interaction." We see CHI PLAY as a great opportunity to highlight and foster discussion of current high quality research in games and HCI as foundations for the future of digital play. This year is the second year of this conference which is already proving to be a premier forum for presentation of research results and experience reports on leading edge issues of novel game interaction, player experience evaluations, neurogaming, gamification, exertion games, games user research, player psychology, social game systems, serious games, game developer applications, interaction design and theory. The mission of the conference is to share insights into game interaction design and analysis that fulfill the needs of developers, researchers and designers and identify new directions for future research and development in HCI and games. CHI PLAY gives researchers and practitioners a unique opportunity to share their perspectives with others interested in the various aspects of HCI in games. The conference provides a meeting place of practitioners and academics for presenting and discussing peer-reviewed academic papers and the latest breaking results and approaches from industry.

The call for papers attracted submissions from Asia, Canada, Australia, Europe, and the United States. We selected a program committee of experts in human-computer interaction and game research to lead the scientific review process. All full papers were blind reviewed by peer reviewers as well as a committee member. Accepted papers are published in the ACM Digital Library.
Proceedings

Actionable Inexpensive Games User Research.

Lennart E. Nacke, Steve Engels, and Pejman Mirza-Babaei. 2015. Actionable Inexpensive Games User Research.. In Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems. ACM, 2461–2462. doi:10.1145/2702613.2706681
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

This course will allow people to understand the intricacies of rapid games user research methods. For this we will weave together playtesting exercises and help participants turn player feedback into actionable design recommendations. The course is designed from a user experience (UX) perspective and should allow for people unfamiliar with rapid iteration and user testing to playtesting and basic user research skills.

Article

Collaborative Multi-Touch Clinical Handover System for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Rishikesan Kamaleswaran, Rina R. Wehbe, Edward Pugh, Lennart E. Nacke, Carolyn McGregor, and Andrew James. 2015. Collaborative Multi-Touch Clinical Handover System for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. In Electronic Journal of Health Informatics 9, 1: 5. eJHI.
BibTeX

Abstract

A critically ill infant admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit requires complex, critical,
and coordinated care performed by multidisciplinary healthcare teams. Since the infant’s care is
not provided by a single, individual physician during the infant’s hospital stay, clinical handover
is essential to enable the transfer of health information between physicians involved in the infant’s
care. O
Masters Thesis

EEG Emotion Recognition in Videogane Play

Jose Rodriguez. 2015. EEG Emotion Recognition in Videogane Play. . Online: https://projekter.aau.dk/projekter/files/224322664/Masters_Thesis_Jose_Rodriguez.pdf
BibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

This study explores emotion recognition in videogames using electroencephalographic (EEG) data. Presently, emotion recognition using pattern recognition techniques has not yet been investigated in videogame play. This research is motivated by the possibility of retrieving insights into player experience from EEG signal during
gameplay, which aims to contribute to Games User Research as an emerging discipline in the study of videogame design and their interaction with the players. In order to investigate emotion recognition several approaches for feature vector creation and classification algorithms were employed in order to assess which combination offered higher accuracy in classification. A maximum of 33.48% of classification accuracy was achieved by the Nearest Mean Classifier in the classification of four different emotions. Such low results suggests the collection and pre-processing of data from a dynamic activity, such as videogame play demands novel approaches for filtering the EEG, rejecting of artifacts and selection of the emotional model into which map the EEG brainwave oscillations.
Proceedings

Gamifying Research: Strategies, Opportunities, Challenges, Ethics

Sebastian Deterding, Alessandro Canossa, Casper Harteveld, Seth Cooper, Lennart E. Nacke, and Jennifer Whitson. 2015. Gamifying Research: Strategies, Opportunities, Challenges, Ethics. In Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems. ACM, 2421–2424. doi:10.1145/2702613.2702646
DOIBibTeXExternal URL
Proceedings

Integrated Questionnaires: Maintaining Presence in Game Environments for Self-Reported Data Acquisition

Julian Frommel, Katja Rogers, Julia Brich, Daniel Besserer, Leonard Bradatsch, Isabel Ortinau, Ramona Schabenberger, Valentin Riemer, Claudia Schrader, and Michael Weber. 2015. Integrated Questionnaires: Maintaining Presence in Game Environments for Self-Reported Data Acquisition. In Proceedings of the 2015 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY '15). New York, NY, USA. ACM, 359-368. doi:10.1145/2793107.2793130
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Research in human-computer interaction often requires the acquisition of self-reported data. Particularly concerning serious games, the interaction between the game and the user still holds many unknown aspects, partly due to the user's double role as player and learner. An easy way of collecting data consists of questionnaires, mostly employed in pen-and-paper or electronic form. In order to gather data points during game play, the player is interrupted, potentially causing unintentional side effects. We suggest an integration of questionnaires into games as game elements, in order to mitigate the effects of interruption. A serious game prototype with an integrated survey was implemented, and evaluated regarding its effects on the players' experience of presence.
Article

Mobile Augmented Reality as an Orientation Aid: A Scavenger Hunt Prototype

Katja Rogers, Julian Frommel, Larissa Breier, Sinan Celik, Harry Kramer, Stefan Kreidel, Julia Brich, Valentin Riemer, and Claudia Schrader. 2015. Mobile Augmented Reality as an Orientation Aid: A Scavenger Hunt Prototype. In IEEE Computer Society: 172-175. New York, NY, USA. ACM. doi:10.1109/IE.2015.37
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Orientation in public environments is a critical skill for new arrivals, yet also one that is usually only learned gradually through trial and error. This paper suggests the use of pervasive augmented reality (AR) for the design of a serious game that teaches navigational skills in a public environment. Many AR scavenger hunt games confront players with new environments by default, however they rarely focus explicitly on teaching navigational skills. We propose a concept that utilises augmented reality techniques for increased immersion and motivation, while upholding the real-world sense of presence for an easy transfer of orientation skills to everyday life. For this purpose, we implemented a first prototypical serious game in the form of an AR scavenger hunt. A preliminary evaluation regarding its usability produced promising results. As such, the prototype constitutes a first proof of concept. In future iterations, it will be further developed as an adaptive AR serious game, and evaluated in respect to its efficacy in teaching orientation and navigation skills.
Article

Modelling human emotion in interactive environments: Physiological ensemble and grounded approaches for synthetic agents

Pedro Nogueira, Rui Rodrigues, Eugénio Oliveira, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2015. Modelling human emotion in interactive environments: Physiological ensemble and grounded approaches for synthetic agents. In Web intelligence 13, 3: 195-214. IOS Press. doi:10.3233/WEB-150321
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

With the rising research in emotionally believable agents, several advances in agent technology have been made, ranging from interactive virtual agents to emotional mechanism simulations and emotional agent architectures. However, creating an emotionally believable agent capable of emotional thought is still largely out of reach. It has been proposed that being able to accurately model human emotion would allow agents to mimic human behaviour while these models are studied to create more accurate theoretical models. In light of these challenges, we present a general method for human emotional state modelling in interactive environments. The proposed method employs a three-layered classification process to model the arousal and valence (i.e., hedonic) emotional components, based on four selected psychophysiological metrics. Additionally, we also developed a simplified version of our system for use in real-time systems and low-fidelity applications. The modelled emotional states by both approaches compared favourably with a manual approach following the current best practices reported in the literature while also improving on its predictive ability. The obtained results indicate we are able to accurately predict human emotional states, both in offline and online scenarios with varying levels of granularity; thus, providing a transversal method for modelling and reproducing human emotional profiles.
Article

Vanishing scares: biofeedback modulation of affective player experiences in a procedural horror game

Pedro Nogueira, Vasco Torres, Rui Rodrigues, Eugénio Oliveira, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2015. Vanishing scares: biofeedback modulation of affective player experiences in a procedural horror game. In Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces 10, 1: 31-62. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces.
BibTeX

Abstract

To understand the impact of emotionally driven
games on player experience, we developed a procedural horror game (Vanish) capable of run-time level, asset, and event
generation. Vanish was augmented to interpret players’ physiological data as a simplified emotional state, mapping it to
a set of adaptation rules that modify the player experience.
To explore the effects of adaptation mechanisms on player
experience, we conducted a mixed-methods study on three
different versions of the game, two of which integrated varying biofeedback mechanisms. Players’ affective experiences
were objectively measured by analysing physiological data.
Additionally, subjective experience was recorded through
the use of the Game Experience Questionnaire. Our study
confirmed that biofeedback functionality had a statistically
significant effect on the ratings of player experience dimensions: immersion, tension, positive affect, and negative affect.
Furthermore, participants reported noticeable differences in
player experience, favouring the added depth present in the
biofeedback-enabled iterations of the game. In the future,
these conclusions will help to develop more immersive and
engaging player experiences.
Article

Design guidelines for Gamifying reading applications

Rina R. Wehbe, James Robb, Jessica Clarke, João Costa, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2014. Design guidelines for Gamifying reading applications. In 2014 IEEE Games Media Entertainment: 1-4. Toronto, ON, Canada. IEEE. doi:10.1109/GEM.2014.7405433
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Reading competes with an increasing number of leisure activities like video games. Consequently, written language skills are receding. Thus, motivating people to read is a problem that seems well-suited to gamification (i.e., the use of game design to motivate people to read). To investigate ways in which to gamify reading, we conducted a survey pilot study about how adding game mechanics to reading would encourage people to read more. We investigated the social nature of people talking about reading and the process of recommending books. We interviewed a gender-balanced group of participants to obtain more information about their reading habits for leisure, work, or academia. Our results indicate that people are reading for self-improvement purposes and not primarily for social reasons.
PhD Thesis

Evaluating social and cognitive effects of video games using electroencephalography

Rina R. Wehbe. 2014. Evaluating social and cognitive effects of video games using electroencephalography. UOIT. Online: https://ir.library.dc-uoit.ca/handle/10155/460
BibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Games User Research (GUR) is an area of evaluative player research and human-computer interaction (HCI) that aims to improve games, focused on a player’s understanding and on their experience when playing games. In this field, techniques are available to measure and understand user experience. These techniques each have their own strengths and weaknesses. To improve and extend GUR methodology, this thesis explores ways that electroencephalography (EEG) can be used as an evaluative measure as part of a mixed methodology. The thesis aims to improve the accuracy and richness of GUR results obtained using EEG. Hemispheric Frontal Alpha Asymmetry (HFAA) is reviewed in depth as a useful EEG technique to measure arousal in real time. HFAA, the EEG methodology proposed in this thesis is used in several experimental studies reported here to show new insights into the social and cognitive factors of gaming. The research presented in this thesis shows that player experience related to the social environment of a game does not necessarily arise from gameplay, but instead relies more on the expectations of a player than the current literature suggests. Additionally, the thesis introduces a new way to investigate player understanding and learning in games, using real-time data about the player’s brain state. This is particularly useful for game designers creating introductory tutorial mechanisms for their games. The result of this research is useful for both researchers investigating the human brain immersed in the virtual world of a video game and game designers wanting to use real-time user feedback to build their games.
Misc

First ACM SIGCHI Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play.

T. C. Nicholas Graham, Lennart E. Nacke, Regan L. Mandryk, and Florian ‘Floyd’ Mueller. 2014. First ACM SIGCHI Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play.. SIGCHI. doi:proceedings/10.1145/2658537
DOIExternal URL

Abstract

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the first ACM SIGCHI Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play -- CHI PLAY'14. CHI PLAY is a new international and interdisciplinary conference series for researchers and professionals across all areas of play, games and humancomputer interaction (HCI), we call it: "player-computer interaction." This conference is the first of its kind and we see CHI PLAY as a great opportunity to highlight and foster discussion of current high quality research in games and HCI as foundations for the future of digital play. This year is the inaugural year of this symposium and is bound to set future traditions of being the premier forum for presentation of research results and experience reports on leading edge issues of novel game interaction, player experience evaluations, neurogaming, gamification, exertion games, games user research, player psychology, social game systems, serious games, game developer applications, interaction design and theory. The mission of the symposium is to share insights into game interaction design and analysis that fulfill the needs of developers, researchers and designers and identify new directions for future research and development in HCI and games. CHI PLAY gives researchers and practitioners a unique opportunity to share their perspectives with others interested in the various aspects of HCI in games. The conference provides a meeting place of practitioners and academics for presenting and discussing peer-reviewed academic papers and the latest breaking results and approaches from industry.

The call for papers attracted submissions from Asia, Canada, Australia, Europe, and the United States. We selected a program committee of experts in human-computer interaction and game research to lead the scientific review process. All full papers were blind reviewed by peer reviewers as well as a committee member. Accepted papers are published in the ACM Digital Library.
Article

P.I.A.N.O.: Faster Piano Learning with Interactive Projection

Katja Rogers, Amrei Röhlig, Mathias Weing, Jan Gugenheimer, Bastian Könings, Melina Klepsch, Florian Schaub, Enrico Rukzio, TIna Seufert, and Michael Weber. 2014. P.I.A.N.O.: Faster Piano Learning with Interactive Projection. In Proceedings of the Ninth ACM International Conference on Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces (ITS '14). New York, NY, USA. ACM. doi:10.1145/2669485.2669514
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

Learning to play the piano is a prolonged challenge for novices. It requires them to learn sheet music notation and its mapping to respective piano keys, together with articulation details. Smooth playing further requires correct finger postures. The result is a slow learning progress, often causing frustration and strain. To overcome these issues, we propose P.I.A.N.O., a piano learning system with interactive projection that facilitates a fast learning process. Note information in form of an enhanced piano roll notation is directly projected onto the instrument and allows mapping of notes to piano keys without prior sight-reading skills. Three learning modes support the natural learning process with live feedback and performance evaluation. We report the results of two user studies, which show that P.I.A.N.O. supports faster learning, requires significantly less cognitive load, provides better user experience, and increases perceived musical quality compared to sheet music notation and non-projected piano roll notation.
Misc

Synchronous Visualization of Video and Psychophysiological User Data

João Costa and Lennart E. Nacke. 2014. Synchronous Visualization of Video and Psychophysiological User Data. . Online: https://joaopccosta.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/chigur2014_submission_17.pdf
External URL

Abstract

Evaluating video game players in games user research
uses both quantitative and qualitative methods. When a
Games User Researcher employs video recordings and
psychophysiological measures to collect player data
during a game, they need to correlate events from both
sources of data (physiological and video data). The
correlation of psychophysiological events with videos is
regularly done manually, which consumes time. We
propose a prototype for an application that combines
such data sources of player sessions, allowing a
researcher to visualize regions of interest of the video
in relation to the specified psychophysiological activity
parameters set.
Proceedings

Understanding difficulty, your brain and challenge

Rina R. Wehbe. 2014. Understanding difficulty, your brain and challenge. In Proceedings of the first ACM SIGCHI annual symposium on Computer-human interaction in play (CHI PLAY '14). New York, NY, USA. ACM, 303-306. doi:10.1145/2658537.2659014
DOIBibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

My thesis proposes to use physiological measures with a focus on electroencephalography (EEG) to examine user-centered difficulty in games and user interfaces. The thesis specifically looks at both intended sources of difficulty and unintended sources of difficulty.
Misc

User Research for 3D Display Settings with EEG Frontal Alpha Asymmetry

Rina R. Wehbe, Andrew Hogue, Christopher Zerebecki, Saad Khattak, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2014. User Research for 3D Display Settings with EEG Frontal Alpha Asymmetry. . Online: https://rinawehbe.ca/wp-content/uploads/GUR-Workshop-Rina-Submission-FINAL-LEN.pdf
External URL

Abstract

The effectiveness of stereoscopic 3D displays in games
is currently debated for creating immersive player
experiences. In this project, we investigate how
stereoscopic 3D can work in games that make use of
depth information in 2D overlays and how this affects
physiological brain responses (EEG) indicating player
arousal. We conducted a pilot study to determine
whether stereoscopic 3D is more arousing than other
depth techniques such as shadow cues and heads-up
displays (HUD). Participants played a game with
multiple game maps in different display conditions:
stereoscopic 3D (S3D), heads-up display (HUD),
shadow (S), or none (N). The physiological results
showed no hemispheric activity difference by condition.
Misc

Cycloshoot: Exergaming, Heart Rate, and User Experience.

Dennis L. Kappen and Lennart E. Nacke. 2013. Cycloshoot: Exergaming, Heart Rate, and User Experience.. . Online: https://www.academia.edu/4780311/CYCLOSHOOT_Exergaming_Heart_Rate_and_User_Experience
External URL
Misc

Games User Research using EEG Techniques.

Rina R. Wehbe and Lennart E. Nacke. 2013. Games User Research using EEG Techniques.. .
Misc

Gamification 2013: Gameful Design, Research, and Applications.

Neil Randall, Kevin Harrigan, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2013. Gamification 2013: Gameful Design, Research, and Applications.. ACM. doi:10.1145/2583008
DOIExternal URL

Abstract

Gamification 2013 is a three-day, dual-track conference with the most comprehensive program of gameful thinking, research, analysis, and best practices ever assembled in Canada. This conference brings professionals from the gamification industry together with game design researchers interested in human motivation and the power of gameful design and digital games.

This conference is the first of its kind and we will use this opportunity to unite the burgeoning area of gamification. Our program is a blend of academic research and experimental applications with industry and non-profit examples, procedures, best practices, goals and results. It gives an idea of what all is now possible in the field of gamification. Our topics range from using citizen science games for motivation to best practices of exergames and classroom gamification. Not to forget the necessary discussion of the overlap between serious games and gamification.
Misc

Introducing a Biometric Storyboards Tool for Games User Research.

Pejman Mirza-Babaei, Lennart E. Nacke, and John Gregory. 2013. Introducing a Biometric Storyboards Tool for Games User Research.. Toronto, ON, Canada. IEEE. doi:10.1109/GEM.2014.7048098
DOI

Abstract

Evaluating and communicating affective user experience in games is an important component of the growing field of games user research (GUR). An important goal for the game industry and researchers alike is the successful unification of physiological measurements and player experience reports to generate meaningful insights, which is challenging due to the varying natures of the data. In this paper, we present a tool that facilitates GUR with a method called Biometric Storyboards (BioSt). The tool allows GUR professionals to visualize relationships between changes in a player's physiological state, a player's self-reported experience, and in-game events. This paper focuses on the BioSt development stages and the final BioSt tool that we present to facilitate the creation implementation of BioSt and its analysis procedure.
Article

Social Player Analytics in a Facebook Health Game

Lennart E. Nacke, Matthias Klauser, and Paul Prescod. 2013. Social Player Analytics in a Facebook Health Game. In 한국 HCI 학회 학술대회 (2014): 180-187. . Online: http://hcigames.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Social-Player-Analytics-in-a-Facebook-Health-Game.pdf
BibTeXExternal URL
Misc

Storyboarding for Games User Research

Pejman Mirza-Babaei and Lennart E. Nacke. 2013. Storyboarding for Games User Research. . Online: https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/186514/storyboarding_for_games_user_.php
External URL
Misc

Biometric Storyboards: An Industry-Friendly Method for Evaluating Affect and User Experience in Games

Pejman Mirza-Babaei and Lennart E. Nacke. 2012. Biometric Storyboards: An Industry-Friendly Method for Evaluating Affect and User Experience in Games. . Online: http://acagamic.com/wp-publications/mirzabiometric/
BibTeXExternal URL
Misc

CycloShoot: A first-person shooter fitness game on a bicycle

Matthias Klauser, Daniel Stepchenko , Pejman Mirza-Babaei, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2012. CycloShoot: A first-person shooter fitness game on a bicycle. . Online: https://www.academia.edu/6177666/CycloShoot_A_first_person_shooter_fitness_game_on_a_bicycle
External URL
Misc

Lennart Nacke on Marketing through Gamification & Reciprocity

Lennart E. Nacke. 2012. Lennart Nacke on Marketing through Gamification & Reciprocity. 422-423.
Misc

Designing Affective Games Using Psychophysiological Input.

Lennart E. Nacke and Regan L. Mandryk. 2011. Designing Affective Games Using Psychophysiological Input.. . Online: http://www.acagamic.com/uploads/2007/09/GRAND-Poster.pdf
External URL
Article

Evaluating Player Experience in Games

Anders Drachen, Calvin Lough, and Lennart E. Nacke. 2011. Evaluating Player Experience in Games. In 6th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games Workshop, 2011. ACM.
Proceedings

Bringing Game Design and Affective Evaluation to User Research and User Experience

Lennart E. Nacke, Joerg Niesenhaus, Stephan Engl, Alessandro Canossa, Kai Kuikkaniemi, and Thomas Immich. 2010. Bringing Game Design and Affective Evaluation to User Research and User Experience. In Entertainment Interfaces Workshop. Duisburg, Germany. . Online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287316967_Bringing_digital_games_to_user_research_and_user_experience
BibTeXExternal URL
Article

How Mobile is Mobile Gaming? Contextual Influences on Mobile Player Experience–A Model Proposition

Stephan Engl and Lennart E. Nacke. 2010. How Mobile is Mobile Gaming? Contextual Influences on Mobile Player Experience–A Model Proposition. In Mensch & Computer 2010 Entertainment Interfaces Track: 9-18. . Online: https://dl.gi.de/handle/20.500.12116/7374
BibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

In this paper we are discussing a new model of mobile gameplay experience with a special focus on contextual influences of play in ubiquitous environments. The model was developed based on prior general gameplay models which were extended and refined based on the results and personal experiences taken from several evaluative user field studies with mobile games. The experimental results point to two different playing contexts: home and mobile, which were evaluated with a gameplay experience questionnaire (GEQ). The GEQ showed significant difference in negative affect and immersion between mobile and home setting, which are moderated by several influencing contextual factors. This leads us to propose a contextual gameplay experience model that accounts for spatial, temporal, social, cultural, and psychological influences in an external context. The implications of the contextual gameplay model are discussed in light of future research.
Article

Psychocological Correlations with Gameplay Experience Dimensions

Anders Drachen, Lennart E. Nacke, Georgies Yannakakis, and Anja L. Pedersen. 2010. Psychocological Correlations with Gameplay Experience Dimensions. ACM. Online: https://andersdrachen.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/psychophysiological-correlations-with-gameplay-experience-dimensions.pdf
BibTeXExternal URL

Abstract

In this paper, we report a case study using two easy-todeploy psychophysiological measures – electrodermal
activity (EDA) and heart rate (HR) – and correlating
them with a gameplay experience questionnaire (GEQ) in
an attempt to establish this mixed-methods approach for
rapid application in a commercial game development
context. Results indicate that there is a statistically significant correlation (p < 0.01) between measures of psychophysiological arousal (HR, EDA) and self-reported UX
in games (GEQ), with some variation between the EDA
and HR measures. Results are consistent across three
major commercial First-Person Shooter (FPS) games.
Proceedings

Configuration management of embedded operating systems using application-oriented system design

Gustavo F. Tondello and Antonio Frohlich. 2004. Configuration management of embedded operating systems using application-oriented system design. In Proceedings of the 5th Argentine Symposium on Computing Technology (part of the 33rd Argentine Conference on Computer Science and Operational Research). . Online: https://www.lisha.ufsc.br/pub/Tondello_AST_2004.pdf
External URL

Abstract

This paper presents an alternative to achieve automatic run-time system generation based on the Application Oriented Systems Design method. Our approach relies on a static configuration mechanism that allows the generation of optimized versions of the operating system for each of the applications that are going to use it. This strategy is of great value in the domain of high performance computing since it results in performance gains and resource usage optimization.