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- Volume 11, Issue 2, 2019
Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds - Volume 11, Issue 2, 2019
Volume 11, Issue 2, 2019
- Articles
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It’s my choice: The effects of moral decision-making on narrative game engagement
Authors: Arienne Ferchaud and Mary Beth OliverIn video games, complicated stories which can branch in multiple ways are possible, giving the player a great sense of control over the story. This study’s purpose was to determine how choice and morality interact to affect narrative engagement. For this, a 2 (choice vs. no choice) × 2 (moral vs. immoral) experiment was conducted utilizing a modified version of a Fallout: New Vegas to examine the role of moral choice. Results indicated that very few individuals preferred the bad option when given a choice, with most participants choosing good actions. Thus, the bad by choice condition was dropped, resulting in three conditions: good by choice, good by force and bad by force. Although there were no significant differences found between conditions on transportation or parasocial interaction, the study revealed significant differences for identification such that those who committed more moral actions identified less with the main character. Additionally, those who chose good actions felt more moral than those who were forced to commit good actions. Implications of these findings are discussed.
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Threat simulation in virtual limbo: An evolutionary approach to horror video games
Authors: Jens Kjeldgaard-Christiansen and Mathias ClasenWhy would anyone want to play a game designed to scare them? We argue that an alliance between evolutionary theory and game studies can shed light on the forms and psychological functions of horror video games. Horror games invite players to simulate prototypical fear scenarios of uncertainty and danger. These scenarios challenge players to adaptively assess and negotiate their dangers. While horror games thereby instil negative emotion, they also entice players with stimulating challenges of fearful coping. Players who brave these challenges expand their emotional and behavioural repertoire and experience a sense of mastery, explaining the genre’s paradoxical appeal. We end by illustrating our evolutionary approach through an in-depth analysis of Playdead’s puzzle-horror game Limbo.
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From gamer personality, via motivation, to game choice: Typifying gamers and games based on survey data
Authors: Castulus Kolo and Niklas LüstToday’s economic success of video games is paralleled by a debate on presumed correlations of certain game play with problematic motivations and personalities, respectively. To shed light on a potential relation between personality, motivations and game choice we conducted an online survey (n = 1612). It confirms the applicability of the five-factor OCEAN model of personality in a German-speaking gaming context. Here, Yee’s gamer motivation model as a longer-term psychological concept, contrasting rather short-term motives and incentives, is replicated. Motivations are derived from a principal component analysis of over 40 items and found to form clusters that correlate with specific personalities. Additionally, with ‘motivational footprints’ and related ‘gamer personalities’ certain games are favoured. The results suggest that games should be seen as identity management tools rather than means to assume alternative personas. Knowing the particularly enticing combinations of motivations met, may guide the development of future games for selected personalities.
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Gamers at work: Predicting workplace-relevant behaviours across domains
Authors: Elizabeth Short and Nathan WeidnerActive gamers are increasingly making up a larger portion of the modern workforce. In response to this, organizations have sought to gamify various workplace practices. This has even begun to include the use of assessment games for employee recruitment and selection. One important limitation of using games for assessment purposes may be the cross-domain generalizability of behaviours between game and workplace contexts. World of Warcraft players (N = 355) responded to an online survey to examine the cross-domain generalizability of important workplace constructs including prosocial organizational citizenship behaviours, aggressive counterproductive workplace behaviours and domain-specific goal orientations. Results indicate that there are moderate correlations between self-reported in-game behaviours and self-reported work behaviours. Furthermore, in-game constructs typically showed similar relationships with in-game performance as the workplace constructs do with job performance.
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- Interviews
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Talking game design and the importance of building community with Siralim developer Zack Bertok
More LessZack Bertok is the lead designer and programmer of the Siralim game franchise and founder of Thylacine Studios. This interview explores a range of topics and issues relating to game development, design and content.
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Talking Fate, Torchlight and Rebel Galaxy with video game designer and developer Travis Baldree
More LessTravis Baldree is a video game designer and developer (Fate, Torchlight, Rebel Galaxy), co-founder of Runic Games (2008) and co-founder and CEO of Double Damage Games (2014). This interview covers his career to date and includes discussion of the Fate series; Mythos; Diablo; Runic Games; Torchlight; Hob; Double Damage Games; Rebel Galaxy; game design; video game journalism; the gaming industry in relation to gender, race and ethnicity; accessibility; randomization, aesthetics, atmosphere and humour in games; in-game art and voice work; and the appeal of sandbox games.
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- Book Reviews
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