Social gaming: A systematic review

Digital games often constitute a shared activity where people can spend time together, communicate and socialize. Several commercial titles place social interaction at the center of their design. Prior works have investigated the social outcomes of gaming, and factors that impact the experience. Yet, we lack a comprehensive understanding of how social gaming has been approached and explored before. In this work, we present a systematic review covering 263 publications, gathered in February 2021, that study gaming experiences involving more than one person, with a focus on the social element that emerges among partakers (players and/or spectators). We contribute with a systematized understanding of (1) how the topic is being defined and approached, (2) what facets (mainly in terms of outcomes and determinants of the experience) are being acknowledged and (3) the methodologies leveraged to examine these. Our analysis, based on mixed deductive and inductive coding, reveals relevant gaps and tendencies, including (1) the emphasis in novel technologies and unconventional games, (2) the apparent negligence of player diversity, and (3) lower ecological validity associated with totally mediated evaluations and a lack of established constructs to assess social outcomes

Is ‘Second Life’ taking over ‘Real Life’? Sociability and social interaction within the ‘Second Life’ environment: An electronic ethnographic study

Is it too early to make deductions about the impacts of Second Life (SL) (a virtual online environment) in Real Life (RL)? Should there be any concern of SL taking over RL or maybe not? In order to address these questions this study aims to examine ‘sociability’ within the SL virtual environment in order to determine the circumstances and the length that social interaction is encouraged within this virtual world; where ‘sociability’ should lie within the SL; and how the virtual residents facilitate the social interaction. Virtual Ethnography was employed over a period of 1.5 years in order to investigate social interaction of SL users. The findings of the research indicate people’s opinion differs since some perceive SL as an instrument that promotes sociability and others as a deterrent to social life. ‘In SL I have made such great friends, fell in love but have also been very badly hurt […]. People you love suddenly disappear’ said one of the respondents. Meaning that perceptions and experiences within the SL environment might resemble that of R

Tribal metaphors in social game design: creating conflict and camaraderie through context

This paper briefly explores the emergence of tribal patterns in social play. The formation of community groups is not just a result of game design, but a fundamental part of the social nature of the species. Tribal effects, such as favouritism towards fellow group members, have been studied by social psychologists for decades (e.g. [22,15,7]). We highlight some specific existing mechanics that enable and encourage this kind of behaviour in social games, and identify the importance of social feedback in generating tribal feelings. An experiment is described, that explores the minimal conditions of tribal behaviour player groups in social games. Specifically, it identifies the importance of feedback on social context in supporting the emergence of in-group favouring tribal play

Player–video game interaction: A systematic review of current concepts

International audienceVideo game design requires a user-centered approach to ensure that the experience enjoyed by players is as good as possible. However, the nature of player-video game interactions has not as yet been clearly defined in the scientific literature. The purpose of the present study was to provide a systematic review of empirical evidences of the current concepts of player-video game interactions in entertainment situations. A total of 72 articles published in scientific journals that deal with human-computer interaction met the criteria for inclusion in the present review. Major findings of these articles were presented in a narrative synthesis. Results showed that player-video game interactions could be defined with multiple concepts that are closely linked and intertwined. These concepts concern player aspects of player-video game interactions, namely engagement and enjoyment, and video game aspects, namely information input/output techniques, game contents and multiplayer games. Global approaches, such as playability, also exist to qualify player-video game interactions. Limitations of these findings are discussed to help researchers to plan future advances of the field and provide supplementary effort to better know the role of less-studied aspects. Practical implications are also discussed to help game designers to optimize the design of player-video game interactions

Beyond cute: exploring user types and design opportunities of virtual reality pet games

Virtual pet games, such as handheld games like Tamagotchi or video games like Petz, provide players with artificial pet companions or entertaining pet-raising simulations. Prior research has found that virtual pets have the potential to promote learning, collaboration, and empathy among users. While virtual reality (VR) has become an increasingly popular game medium, litle is known about users' expectations regarding game avatars, gameplay, and environments for VR-enabled pet games. We surveyed 780 respondents in an online survey and interviewed 30 participants to understand users' motivation, preferences, and game behavior in pet games played on various medium, and their expectations for VR pet games. Based on our findings, we generated three user types that reflect users' preferences and gameplay styles in VR pet games. We use these types to highlight key design opportunities and recommendations for VR pet games

Service quality evaluations in massively multiplayer online role-playing games

This thesis at hand delves into the service quality of video games. Service quality is the foundation of service marketing and service design. Therefore, marketers have for the better part of half a century worked to advance theoretical understanding in the field. The work of numerous researchers has contributed to the current understanding of both service quality measurement and how consumers evaluate service quality. Nevertheless, technological advancements have made service quality management ever more difficult with services more prone to service gaps. This is particularly the case in complex service forms that take place through virtual media. Video games are a good example of this. Whereas not all video games can be categorized as a service, those that take place online through player interactions fulfil the four principle IHIP traits that define services: Intangibility, Heterogeneity, Inseparability, and Perishability. Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games (MMORPG) are a good example of this. MMORPGs are small virtual worlds – with populations, economies, even professions. Therefore, they in many ways simulate the very core constructs of reality. Nevertheless, despite the ever-increasing nature of complex services and growing size of the video game industry, current understanding of the makeup of such services is limited. Subsequently this thesis is of intrinsic value both theoretically and managerially. Based on this need the purpose of this thesis is to further understanding of how consumers evaluate their MMORPG service quality experience by answering three research questions: 1) How do MMORPGs differ from traditional offline and online service? 2) Do expectations play a role in MMORPG service quality evaluations? 3) What are the service quality dimensions that govern the perceived service quality of MMORPGs? This thesis uses a netnographic research method to explore and resolve these questions. The thesis brings forth several results of theoretical and managerial interest. Foremost, MMORPG service quality is predominantly evaluated based on expectations. Furthermore, those evaluations are governed by a total of 10 primary dimensions and 22 corresponding subdimensions. However, five of the primary dimensions are dominant: Game design, Game sociability, Tangibles, Reliability, and Trust. Nevertheless, it is identified that depending on service performance nearly every dimension can be a source of consumer satisfaction or dissatisfaction; the determining factor service innovation or underperformance. This thesis delves further into these findings, their nuances, and other important theoretical and managerial implications, some of which were unforeseen

What characteristics of the gamers' profile should be taken into account in player-centred game design?

In this paper, we introduce the theory of trait Emotional Intelligence ('trait EI') as a personality theory that could assist in exemplifying the gamers' profile and contribute to the design of player-center game experiences. Data from two studies (a game-specific and a game-general one) led to a number of player-centered playability principles that could inform the design of adaptable games and games targeting specific gaming audiences. The gamers' emotional characteristics were found to be of prominent importance to the design of good games

The Mutual Interaction of Online and Offline Identities in Massively Multiplayer Online Communities: A Study of EVE Online Players

This phenomenological study was conducted to examine the ways that individuals experience massively multiplayer online games, and the interaction between online and offline identities. Ten members of the EVE Online community were interviewed about their experiences of the boundaries and crossovers between offline self and online character. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for consistent themes. Themes drawn from the data fell into three over- arching categories: the Appeal of EVE, or the player motivations and qualities of the game environment that influence player investment; Self/Character Interaction, describing the ways in which online and offline identities interact; and Moral Dilemmas, in which players describe their thoughts and reactions to the moral ambiguity of EVE Online. Appeal of EVE contained the themes of Importance of Social Interaction, My Choices Matter, Algerism, and EVE Relationships are Meaningful. Self/Character Interaction contained the themes of My Character and I Are the Same, My Character and I Are Different, Parallels, Friction Between Selves, One Identity Learning From the Other, and Intersections. Moral Dilemmas contained the themes of My Prosocial Choices, Someone Else’s Antisocial Choices, and Morality is Ambiguous. A final theme, not associated with any of the three categories, but present throughout all of them, was Emotional Content. These results were compared and contrasted with existing literature, and conclusions were drawn about the parallel processes between online and offline selves