And This One Was Just Right: In Search of Goldilocks in Player Experience
Abstract Announcement for International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations (IJGCMS) 7(1)
The contents of the latest issue of:
International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations (IJGCMS)
Volume 7, Issue 1, January – March 2015
Published: Quarterly in Print and Electronically
ISSN: 1942-3888; EISSN: 1942-3896;
Published by IGI Global Publishing, Hershey, USA
www.igi-global.com/ijgcms
Editor(s)-in-Chief: Brock Dubbels (McMaster University, Canada)
Note: There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts submitted to the International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations (IJGCMS). All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-blind peer review editorial process.
Brock R. Dubbels PhD., McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
To obtain a copy of the Editorial Preface, click on the link below.
www.igi-global.com/pdf.aspx?tid=125440&ptid=118613&ctid=15&t=And This One Was Just Right: In Search of Goldilocks in Player Experience
ARTICLE 1
Flow Genres: The Varieties of Video Game Experience
Ondrej Hrabec (Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic), Vladimír Chrz (Institute of Psychology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic)
The goal of this theoretical study is to conceptually revise the flow theory formulated originally by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Concept of flow is one of the most frequently used terms that describe an optimal experience while performing activity and this does not apply only for video game industry. In this article we discuss the varieties of flow experience with respect to video games. Further, the authors emphasize relativity of the original concept of flow, understood as a universal experience of independent nature in terms of activity or personality of the participant. Following detailed analysis of existing literature and our previous empirical study, they define the concept of flow as a genre triad that portrays experience of climax, ilinx, and ludic trance. A further revision and extension of the original concept of flow is deemed necessary in order to map the variety of user experiences while playing video games with sufficient precision.
To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
www.igi-global.com/article/flow-genres/125443
To read a PDF sample of this article, click on the link below.
www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=125443
ARTICLE 2
Investigating Real-time Predictors of Engagement: Implications for Adaptive Videogames and Online Training
David Sharek (North Carolina State Univeristy, Raleigh, NC, USA), Eric Wiebe (North Carolina State Univeristy, Raleigh, NC, USA)
Engagement is a worthwhile psychological construct to examine in the context of video games and online training. In this context, previous research suggests that the more engaged a person is, the more likely they are to experience overall positive affect while performing at a high level. This research builds on theories of engagement, Flow Theory, and Cognitive Load Theory, to operationalize engagement in terms of cognitive load, affect, and performance. An adaptive algorithm was then developed to test the proposed operationalization of engagement. Using a puzzle-based video game, player performance and engagement was compared across three conditions: adaptive gameplay, a traditional linear gameplay, and choice-based gameplay. Results show that those in the adaptive gameplay condition performed higher compared to those in the other two conditions without any degradation of overall affect or self-report of engagement.
To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
www.igi-global.com/article/investigating-real-time-predictors-of-engagement/125444
To read a PDF sample of this article, click on the link below.
www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=125444
ARTICLE 3
Design and Development of a Simulation for Testing the Effects of Instructional Gaming Characteristics on Learning of Basic Statistical Skills
Elena Novak (School of Teacher Education, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA), Tristan E. Johnson (Graduate School of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA)
Considerable resources have been invested in examining the game design principles that best foster learning. One way to understand what constitutes a well-designed instructional game is to examine the relationship between gaming characteristics and actual learning. This report discusses the lessons learned from the design and development process of instructional simulations that are enhanced by competition and storyline gaming characteristics and developed as instructional interventions for a study on the effects of gaming characteristics on learning effectiveness and engagement. The goal of the instructional simulations was to engage college students in learning the statistics concepts of standard deviation and the empirical rule. A pilot study followed by a small-scale experimental study were conducted to improve the value and effectiveness of these designed simulations. Based on these findings, specific practical implications are offered for designing actual learning environments that are enhanced by competition and storyline gaming elements.
To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
www.igi-global.com/article/design-and-development-of-a-simulation-for-testing-the-effects-of-instructional-gaming-characteristics-on-learning-of-basic-statistical-skills/125445
To read a PDF sample of this article, click on the link below.
www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=125445
ARTICLE 4
Personality Impressions of World of Warcraft Players Based on Their Avatars and Usernames: Consensus but No Accuracy
Gabriella M. Harari (The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA), Lindsay T. Graham (The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA), Samuel D. Gosling (The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA & School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia)
Every week an estimated 20 million people collectively spend hundreds of millions of hours playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Here the authors investigate whether avatars in one such game, the World of Warcraft (WoW), convey accurate information about their players’ personalities. They assessed consensus and accuracy of avatar-based impressions for 299 WoW players. The authors examined impressions based on avatars alone, and images of avatars presented along with usernames. The personality impressions yielded moderate consensus (avatar-only mean ICC = .32; avatar plus username mean ICC = .66), but no accuracy (avatar only mean r = .03; avatar plus username mean r = .01). A lens-model analysis suggests that observers made use of avatar features when forming impressions, but the features had little validity. Discussion focuses on what factors might explain the pattern of consensus but no accuracy, and on why the results might differ from those based on other virtual domains and virtual worlds.
To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
www.igi-global.com/article/personality-impressions-of-world-of-warcraft-players-based-on-their-avatars-and-usernames/125446
To read a PDF sample of this article, click on the link below.
www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=125446
BOOK REVIEW
Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
Anna Baralt (University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA), Albert D. Ritzhaupt (University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA)
To obtain a copy of the Book Review, click on the link below.
www.igi-global.com/pdf.aspx?tid=125447&ptid=118613&ctid=17&t=Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
For full copies of the above articles, check for this issue of the International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations (IJGCMS) in your institution’s library. This journal is also included in the IGI Global aggregated “InfoSci-Journals” database: www.igi-global.com/isj.
CALL FOR PAPERS
Mission of IJGCMS:
The International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations (IJGCMS) publishes research articles, theoretical critiques, and book reviews related to the development and evaluation of games and computer-mediated simulations. One main goal of this peer-reviewed, international journal is to promote a deep conceptual and empirical understanding of the roles of electronic games and computer-mediated simulations across multiple disciplines. A second goal is to help build a significant bridge between research and practice on electronic gaming and simulations, supporting the work of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.
Indices of IJGCMS:
- ACM Digital Library
- Bacon’s Media Directory
- Cabell’s Directories
- Compendex (Elsevier Engineering Index)
- DBLP
- GetCited
- Google Scholar
- INSPEC
- JournalTOCs
- MediaFinder
- PsycINFO®
- SCOPUS
- The Standard Periodical Directory
- Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory
Coverage of IJGCMS:
Recommended topics include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Cognitive, social, and emotional impact of games and simulations
- Critical reviews and meta-analyses of existing game and simulation literature
- Current and future trends, technologies, and strategies related to game, simulation development, and implementation
- Electronic games and simulations in government, business, and the workforce
- Electronic games and simulations in teaching and learning
- Frameworks to understand the societal and cultural impacts of games and simulations
- Impact of game and simulation development use on race and gender game and simulation design
- Innovative and current research methods and methodologies to study electronic games and simulations
- Psychological aspects of gaming
- Teaching of games and simulations at multiple age and grade levelsInterested authors should consult the journal’s manuscript submission guidelines www.igi-global.com/calls-for-papers/international-journal-gaming-computer-mediated/1125