Analysis of the impact of various gamification factors on the level of player satisfaction

Gamification has become a very popular term for a wide range of opportunities to increase customer interest and satisfaction. This has many uses, including science, commerce and everyday life. Despite the widespread use of gamification mechanisms, the scale of possible benefits is still unknown. The following work examines the influence of various gamification factors on a player's playing time and satisfaction in order to find the factor that brings the greatest benefit. The research was carried out using a game specially created for this purpose and on the basis of the results of the survey presented to the players. The results show that the five selected gamification factors are the challenges and the badges awarded for them have the greatest impact on both examined metrics

Online games from the perspective of senior people: Proposal of a technology acceptance model

O fenómeno do aumento da população sénior, associado ao desenvolvimento das tecnologias da informação e comunicação (TIC), tem inspirado vários trabalhos de investigação. Grande parte dos estudos que relacionam pessoas seniores e as TIC, centram a atenção em variáveis como a cognição, a situação física, a inclusão digital, a socialização e raramente se utilizam de um modelo de aceitação das tecnologias. Neste contexto, o presente estudo, fruto de tese doutoral em curso, visa o desenvolvimento de um modelo de uso e aceitação de tecnologias, aplicado a jogos online, considerando o utilizador sénior. Como conclusão, sugere-se a aplicação do modelo proposto com a intenção de refiná-lo ou de consolidá-lo como válido.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Online games from the perspective of senior people: Proposal of a technology acceptance model

The phenomenon of the increase of the senior population, associated to the development of information and communication technologies (ICT), has inspired several research works. Most of the studies that relate seniors and ICTs focus attention on variables such as cognition, physical situation, digital inclusion, socialization and rarely use a technology acceptance model. In this context, this study, the result of an ongoing doctoral thesis, aims to develop a model of use and acceptance of technologies, applied to online games, considering the senior user. As a conclusion, it is suggested to apply the proposed model with the intention of refining it or consolidating it as valid

Player decentralisation: a world that doesn't revolve around you

This research focuses on the concept of decentralisation within contemporary single-player video games, which is identified as the effect of the game world appearing independent of the player character, or having its own agency separate from the player. The questions that the thesis seeks to answer are: What decentralisation techniques are found in contemporary single-player video games, and what do these techniques achieve? The paper begins by defining both centralisation and decentralisation as terms within interactive media, before exploring various definitions of immersion and its related terms. A set of criteria is built from different prominent definitions of immersion that, when met, will increase a video game’s immersive qualities. This criteria will be important when examining the effects that decentralising techniques have when used. It is important to note that this paper does not equate immersion with quality, and is not stating that if a game is more immersive it is automatically better. Next, the paper explores four different methods of decentralisation: genre mechanic subversion, social realism, knowledge of unwitnessed events, and world persistence. These techniques are defined and explored through case studies that employ them. The effects of these decentralisation methods are then compared with the various criteria for immersion in order to understand how their implementation affects the games that employ them. This research serves as an introduction to the concept of decentralisation within single-player video games, and it finds that the concept deserves more academic attention. Through comparing the conditions for immersion with what the decentralising techniques achieve, the paper concludes that decentralisation can be used to increase a game’s immersive qualities, creating the impression that the game world is not reliant on the player character’s presence to exist