Avatar Designs are in the Eye of the Beholder: About Identifying Preferred Avatar Designs in Digital Learning - Research in Progress

Gamification focuses on using game-like elements in non- entertainment-based contexts. An example for a game element is an avatar. Although lots of research has focused on analyzing avatars in gamification, little is known about which kind of avatar design users prefer. Especially avatars in gamification that are used as tutors or mentors for learning purposes do not spark the interest of users. Thus, the goal of our paper is to analyze which avatar design users of digital learning environments such as learning management systems would prefer. For that purpose, we use a best-worst scaling approach to analyze if the familiarity and shape of avatars determine user preferences in gamification. Our research will contribute to research and practice as it delivers implications about how to design avatars in gamified learning systems. We will enrich theory by getting a better understanding about the general meaning of user-centered avatar designs in gamification

Which game narratives do adolescents of different gameplay and sociodemographic backgrounds prefer? a mixed-methods analysis

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate which narrative elements of digital game narratives are preferred by the general adolescent population, and to examine associations with gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and gameplay frequency. Further, the study aims to discuss how results can be translated to serious digital games. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adolescents were recruited through school to complete a survey on narrative preferences in digital games. The survey included questions on sociodemographic information, frequency of gameplay, and an open-ended question on what could be an appealing narrative for them. Data were analyzed in a mixed-methods approach, using thematic analysis and chi-square analyses to determine narrative preferences and the associations between game narrative elements and player characteristics (gender, SES, and frequency of gameplay). RESULTS: The sample consisted of 446 adolescents (12-15 years old) who described 30 narrative subthemes. Preferences included human characters as protagonists; nonhuman characters only as antagonists; realistic settings, such as public places or cities; and a strong conflict surrounding crime, catastrophe, or war. Girls more often than boys defined characters by their age, included avatars, located the narrative in private places, developed profession-related skills, and included a positive atmosphere. Adolescents of nonacademic education more often than adolescents of academic education defined characters by criminal actions. Infrequent players more often included human characters defined by their age than frequent players. After performing a Bonferroni correction, narrative preferences for several gender differences remained. CONCLUSION: Different narrative elements related to subgroups of adolescents by gender, SES, and frequency of gameplay. Customization of narratives in serious digital health games should be warranted for boys and girls; yet, further research is needed to specify how to address girls in particular

Player-character identification by personality matching, perceived personalization and positive/negative in-game experience

Player-character identification is that video-game players adopt the perspective of a game character during gameplay as a part of their own identity. Player-character identification can be established through several psychological mechanisms, including perspective taking, presence, idealization, and perceived similarities. Although game studies have examined many factors leading to player-character identification, most have focused on physical, behavioral, and social attributes. The role and impact of deeper level connections, such as perceived personality similarities, on player-character identification have not been fully explored. This study examines three factors that might trigger player-character identification:1) personality description, 2) perceived personalization, and 3) positive and negative in-game experiences. In Experiment 1, 91 students participated in a 2 (personality descriptions: matching/non-matching) × 2 (perceived personalization: personalized/non-personalized) factorial experiment. In Experiment 2, 136 students participated in a 2 (personality descriptions: matching/non-matching) × 3 (game experience: positive/negative/control) factorial experiment. Results indicated that personality description was effective on inducing player-character identification; however, explicitly informing players the character’s personality was generated based on their own, and exposing players to positive/negative game experiences were not effective

«Skål! Skål! Skål!»

In October 2022, Ubisoft’s official Twitter account for their highly popular digital game series Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft 2007–; hereafter AC) proclaimed triumphantly that «[o]ver 20 million Vikings have embarked on their epic journey to Valhalla. Standing strong by Eivor’s side. From Norway to England. To Mythical Realms of the Gods. Thank you for taking this journey with us. SKAL! #AssassinsCreed» (Twitter-konto @assassinscreed 2022a). At the time, the Viking-themed installation in the series, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (Ubisoft 2020; hereafter ACV), had been available for almost two years. Ubisoft’s pre-release marketing campaign had promised players «the ultimate Viking fantasy» (Phillips 2020), after assuring potential customers that the Vikings historically speaking were better than their reputation. The game trailer invited players to «think like a Viking», «live like a Viking», «fight like a Viking», and «conquer like a Viking» (IGN 2020). In the global games industry, AC is a highly popular brand and Ubisoft a central supplier. The reception of ACV, which has been overwhelmingly positive, has strengthened the company’s position in Viking-themed popular culture. With a reputation for offering “historical authenticity” by means of virtual reconstructions of specific cultures in specific historical eras, the AC series is an interesting object of study. This is all the more underscored by the fact that the series is partly marketed for use in education. At the same time, ACV is only one of a long and growing list of Viking-related cultural procuts. In this article, I ask what we can learn by studying ACV’s Viking image in a ludic perspective, and how that approach may contribute to our understanding of the contemporary popularity of Vikings. Employing the terms Viking power, Viking identity, and Viking spirituality, I hope to offer tools for understanding the complex field that is the use of Vikings and the Norse past today

El juego como estrategia de intervención educativa ante los trastornos depresivos en la infancia: diseño, desarrollo y ejecución de un videojuego en realidad virtual

Esta tesis diseña y desarrolla un videojuego en realidad virtual para concienciar sobre la depresión a niñas y niños de entre 8 y 12 años. Se realiza una revisión bibliográfica de videojuegos de aplicación psicológica y de teorías de diseño para guiar este trabajo. Este análisis identifica los pilares, que son la narrativa, la jugabilidad y el aprendizaje, así como las necesidades de sus elementos para crear una experiencia divertida y educativa. El videojuego 3DC se produce desarrollando los modelos 3D y animaciones en Blender para después implementarlos y programar sus interacciones en Unreal. Por último, se realiza una validación del diseño y desarrollo con 21 participantes de 7 a 12 años, con los que se detecta un cambio en la percepción a partir de los 11 años. Los resultados obtenidos son positivos y permiten proponer mejoras para su futura implementación y validación del aprendizaje en un colegio.This thesis designs and develops a virtual reality serious game to raise awareness about depression among children between 8 and 12 years old. A bibliographic review of serious games with psychological applications and design theories is carried out to guide this work. This analysis identifies the pillars, which are narrative, playability and learning, as well as the needs of its elements to create a fun and educational experience. The 3DC video game is produced by developing the 3D models and animations in Blender and then implementing them and programming their interactions in Unreal. Finally, a validation of the design and development is performed with 21 participants from 7 to 12 years old, with whom a change in perception is detected from the age of 11. The results obtained are positive and allow to propose improvements for its future implementation and validation of learning in a school

The merchants of meta: A research agenda to understand the future of retailing in the metaverse

Due to rapid technological developments, the metaverse is quickly garnering attention from all areas of retailing. With a projected market of $800 billion by 2024, the metaverse is expected to radically reshape retailing in the digital world. However, very little is known about the metaverse from a customer, retailer, or brand perspective. This article summarizes how the metaverse has been conceptualized thus far in the literature and the popular press. The authors offer a new conceptualization of the metaverse that contains four distinct dimensions: online collaboration, high consumer immersion, unique digital assets, and digital personas. Considering that the technologies currently used to provide high consumer immersion (e.g., augmented reality, virtual reality) and unique digital assets (e.g., blockchain technology) are not fully developed or commercialized, the authors also propose the concept of a transitory metaverse to understand the current stage of metaverse development better. The authors conclude by providing 27 directions for future research based on a full factorial of how the metaverse dimensions amplify three customer touchpoints in the digital experience (digital economic exchange, complex social relationships, direct environment interaction) for the three main stakeholders of any retailing exchange (consumers, retailers, brands) along the entire customer journey (pre-purchase, purchase, post-purchase)

El Rol de la voz narrativa y la similitud con el protagonista en narraciones diseñadas para reducir el prejuicio hacia inmigrantes estigmatizados

[ES] Este trabajo se asienta en la investigación sobre los procesos de persuasión narrativa, en cuyo contexto se ha constatado que los mensajes narrativos constituyen una estrategia eficaz para provocar cambios en actitudes, creencias, intención de conducta y comportamientos. En particular, se enmarca en un área de conocimiento que ha generado escasa investigación por el momento: el estudio de aquellos elementos narrativos que pueden aumentar la identificación con los personajes y el transporte narrativo, ya que, tal como se ha constatado en la investigación previa, la identificación y el transporte narrativo propician el impacto actitudinal. De esta forma, se profundiza en el estudio de la similitud y la voz narrativa para aumentar la identificación con los personajes y el transporte narrativo, e indirectamente (a través de la desactivación de procesos cognitivos como la contra-argumentación y la reactancia) potenciar el impacto persuasivo de mensajes narrativos diseñados para reducir el prejuicio y estimular la conducta prosocial hacia inmigrantes estigmatizados. Esta investigación demuestra que la similitud en términos de identidad social entre el personaje y la audiencia del mensaje, y la voz narrativa utilizada para relatar la historia pueden incrementar la eficacia de mensajes narrativos diseñados para la prevención del racismo y la xenofobia