Creating Deeper Engagement in Serious Video Games
Session Number
S03
Advisor(s)
Patrick Jagoda, University of Chicago Ashlyn Sparrow, University of Chicago
Location
A-119
Start Date
28-4-2016 12:45 PM
End Date
28-4-2016 1:10 PM
Abstract
So-called “serious” video games, focused on political, social, or cultural topics, have the ability to change a player's attitude towards a subject and even contribute to social change. Game developers have created serious games, such as Depression Quest, Third World Farmer, and The Migrant Trail that seek to accomplish these tasks. However, these games struggle to balance learning objectives, attitudinal and behavioral change, and player engagement. Examining survey data of player experiences with entertainment- oriented games reveals certain features key in engaging a player. Drawing on work by Patrice Bouvier, Elise Laboue, and Karim Sehaba from the University of Lyon, I am defining engagement as: immersion, involvement, presence, and flow, along with four types of engaged behaviors: environmental, social, self-directed, and action-directed. By understanding and implementing these features into design, it may be more possible for developers to not only create more engaging entertainment games, but also more engaging serious games that have the ability to more effectively impact attitudes and behaviors of players. Completion of examination revealed specific features of video games
Creating Deeper Engagement in Serious Video Games
A-119
So-called “serious” video games, focused on political, social, or cultural topics, have the ability to change a player's attitude towards a subject and even contribute to social change. Game developers have created serious games, such as Depression Quest, Third World Farmer, and The Migrant Trail that seek to accomplish these tasks. However, these games struggle to balance learning objectives, attitudinal and behavioral change, and player engagement. Examining survey data of player experiences with entertainment- oriented games reveals certain features key in engaging a player. Drawing on work by Patrice Bouvier, Elise Laboue, and Karim Sehaba from the University of Lyon, I am defining engagement as: immersion, involvement, presence, and flow, along with four types of engaged behaviors: environmental, social, self-directed, and action-directed. By understanding and implementing these features into design, it may be more possible for developers to not only create more engaging entertainment games, but also more engaging serious games that have the ability to more effectively impact attitudes and behaviors of players. Completion of examination revealed specific features of video games