Abstract
Games have been used for utilitarian purposes since at least the
1960s, with gamification pursuing game-like experiences in areas
such as education, health, and sustainability. While these methods
generally attempt to improve life for players, a central and underexplored issue is the friction between a design that wants players
to attain a utilitarian outcome, such as learning, and players who
often strive for self-directed play. Based on data collected from user
testing of a digital serious game and following an inductive process,
we created a thematic framework that focuses on the frictions and
tensions that may arise between design and player. This framework
may be used to understand how players engage holistically with
serious games, but also to improve such games to maximize engagement with the content while acknowledging and allowing for
player agency and emergent behavior.
1960s, with gamification pursuing game-like experiences in areas
such as education, health, and sustainability. While these methods
generally attempt to improve life for players, a central and underexplored issue is the friction between a design that wants players
to attain a utilitarian outcome, such as learning, and players who
often strive for self-directed play. Based on data collected from user
testing of a digital serious game and following an inductive process,
we created a thematic framework that focuses on the frictions and
tensions that may arise between design and player. This framework
may be used to understand how players engage holistically with
serious games, but also to improve such games to maximize engagement with the content while acknowledging and allowing for
player agency and emergent behavior.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games |
| Editors | Kostas Karpouzis, Stefano Gualeni, Johanna Pirker, Allan Fowler |
| Publisher | ACM |
| Pages | 1-4 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-4503-9795-7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
| Publication type | A4 Article in conference proceedings |
| Event | International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games - Athens, Greece Duration: 5 Sept 2022 → 8 Sept 2022 Conference number: 17 |
Conference
| Conference | International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | FDG |
| Country/Territory | Greece |
| City | Athens |
| Period | 5/09/22 → 8/09/22 |
Publication forum classification
- Publication forum level 1
