Mobile exergaming in adolescents’ everyday life—contextual design of where, when, with whom, and how: the SmartLife case

Exergames, more specifically console-based exergames, are generally enjoyed by adolescents and known to increase physical activity. Nevertheless, they have a reduced usage over time and demonstrate little effectiveness over the long term. In order to increase playing time, mobile exergames may increase potential playing time, but need to be engaging and integrated in everyday life. The goal of the present study was to examine the context of gameplay for mobile exergaming in adolescents’ everyday life to inform game design and the integration of gameplay into everyday life. Eight focus groups were conducted with 49 Flemish adolescents (11 to 17 years of age). The focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed by means of thematic analysis via Nvivo 11 software (QSR International Pty Ltd., Victoria, Australia). The adolescents indicated leisure time and travel time to and from school as suitable timeframes for playing a mobile exergame. Outdoor gameplay should be restricted to the personal living environment of adolescents. Besides outdoor locations, the game should also be adaptable to at-home activities. Activities could vary from running outside to fitness exercises inside. Furthermore, the social context of the game was important, e.g., playing in teams or meeting at (virtual) meeting points. Physical activity tracking via smart clothing was identified as a motivator for gameplay. By means of this study, game developers may be better equipped to develop mobile exergames that embed gameplay in adolescents’ everyday life

Gamification’s impact on the intrinsic motivation for physical activity

Abstract. In the modern days physical activity among the children and adolescents have generally decreased and, in turn, increased the prevalence of obesity and different health issues caused by obesity. There have been several attempts to motivate the young to start exercising and having a healthier lifestyle by making it more engaging and fun. One of the methods of inspiring the young people to get moving stems from video games. Gamification has been trendy in the last century and it is still talked about. The primary objective of the gamification is to decrease the threshold of doing something and repeating it by implementing different gamifying elements like point scoring. There have been many different attempts to implement gamifying elements into various activities. But in some cases the motivation to exercise wanes once the user’s interest towards the game itself decreases. In this paper I explore the cases of using gamification to improve peoples’ physical activity and promote better health. The objective of this paper is to use a systematic literature review to find out and map the amount of research that has been done about gamification and its impact on the intrinsic motivation for physical activity

Multi-user virtual environments for physical education and sport training

For effective learning and training, virtual environments may provide lifelike opportunities, and researchers are actively investigating their potential for educational purposes. Minimal research attention has been paid to the integration of multi-user virtual environments (MUVE) technology for teaching and practicing real sports. In this chapter, the authors reviewed the justifications, possibilities, challenges, and future directions of using MUVE systems. The authors addressed issues such as informal learning, design, engagement, collaboration, learning style, learning evaluation, motivation, and gender, followed by the identification of required elements for successful implementations. In the second part, the authors talked about exergames, the necessity of evaluation, and examples on exploring the behavior of players during playing. Finally, insights on the application of sports exergames in teaching, practicing, and encouraging real sports were discussed

Massively Multiplayer Online Game in-game persuasive features and influence

Abstract. This bachelor’s thesis investigates the in-game persuasive mechanisms and their effects in Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games. The gaming industry has grown to massive proportions in recent years and the MMO game genre along with it. The topic is very relevant with persuasive and coercive game mechanics being ever more prevalent nowadays, especially related to monetization. This thesis attempts to answer how MMO games persuade the player and what effects the persuasion has on the player. In other words, which kind of persuasive methods are utilized by the game environment to affect the player and what potential consequences this might have on the person playing. The background section discusses the Persuasive Systems Design (PSD) model, as well as the thin line between persuasion and coercion. The definition of an MMO game and some of its history is also examined. The research was conducted in the form of a literature review and material from 2003 to 2020 was used. The main material was obtained from scientific online journals and books. This thesis investigates the game mechanics by attempting to categorize them into the PSD model principles which are primary task support, dialogue support, credibility support and social support, while separately including the ones that did not fit into this model. The most prevalent category found was social support. Games are never neutral as they always affect the user somehow. This intended or unintended influence can be investigated through the game environment. It can be highly positive, but deceptive or coercive game mechanics are nowadays commonly used and contribute to problematic usage. The topic of this research contains a lot of ethical questions, and it is important to pay attention to how games implement and use their methods of influence. Western laws are still behind regarding this issue, and games avoid legality issues related to, for example, in-game virtual gambling. The discussion is conducted by looking at the potential effects of gaming from the perspective of issues, ethics and solutions. This research can be used as a general overview of the topic and while not contributing new information to the field, it can work as a basis for future work. A look at potential future avenues is provided

Wearable Computing for Health and Fitness: Exploring the Relationship between Data and Human Behaviour

Health and fitness wearable technology has recently advanced, making it easier for an individual to monitor their behaviours. Previously self generated data interacts with the user to motivate positive behaviour change, but issues arise when relating this to long term mention of wearable devices. Previous studies within this area are discussed. We also consider a new approach where data is used to support instead of motivate, through monitoring and logging to encourage reflection. Based on issues highlighted, we then make recommendations on the direction in which future work could be most beneficial

Motivational strategies and approaches for single and multi-player exergames: A social perspective

Background: Exergames have attracted the interest of academics, practitioners, and designers, in domains as diverse as health, human-computer interaction, psychology, and information technology. This is primarily because exergames can make the exercise experience more enjoyable and entertaining, and in turn, can increase exercise levels. Despite the many benefits of exergames, they suffer from retention problems. Thus, the objective of this article was to review theories and game elements that have been empirically examined or employed in an attempt to make exergames more motivating so people engage in sustained physical activity (duration of physical activity) in a repeating pattern over time (frequency of physical activity). Methodology: A literature search and narrative review were conducted. Results: Five major theories and elements were prevalent in the exergaming literature: (1) self-determination theory, (2) gamification, (3) competition and cooperation, (4) situational interest, and (5) social interaction. These theories and elements are important for encouraging long-term play and show promise for designing exergames to promote sustained engagement and motivate physical activity. We discuss their strengths and weaknesses throughout the paper. Conclusions: The long-term effectiveness of exergame interventions is unclear mainly because of the limited amount of long-term studies. Better metrics are also needed to evaluate this effectiveness. We also identified particular attention to social factors and group dynamics, such as multi-player exergames and more effective player matchmaking strategies for increasing social connectedness, as a key area of future research