Effects of Image-Based Rendering and Reconstruction on Game Developers Efficiency, Game Performance, and Gaming Experience

The accurate prediction of player performance in tactical games is crucial for game designers and developers to improve matchmaking, game balancing, and player engagement. This study presents an approach to predict player performance in Tactical Troops: Anthracite Shift game using the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) algorithm, a scalable and efficient gradient boosting framework. Following data preprocessing, we trained and optimized the LightGBM model using appropriate objective functions and hyperparameter tuning. The proposed approach demonstrated good results in predicting player performance. Our findings highlight the potential of using the LightGBM algorithm in predicting player performance in tactical games, providing valuable insights for game developers to enhance matchmaking, skill assessment, and overall gaming experiences.

Article impact statement: Online games can improve the collection of data on human decision-making in situations relevant to conservation and stakeholder trade-offs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Digital game experience is not a one-dimensional concept. Great variety exists in game genres and players, and game experiences will differ accordingly. To date, game experience is studied in a differentiated way, meaning that most studies focus on one specifi c game experience dimension. The objective of our study was twofold. First, we wanted to obtain a comprehensive picture of fi rst-hand experiences of playing digital games. We conducted six focus group interviews including different types of gamers with the aim of eliciting a wide array of lay-conceptualizations of game experience. Second, we aimed to develop a categorization of game experience dimensions. This was established by discussing and integrating theoretical and empirical fi ndings. Our categorization revealed nine dimensions: enjoyment, fl ow, imaginative immersion, sensory immersion, suspense, competence, tension, control and social presence. This categorization has relevance for both game scholars and game developers wanting to get to the heart of digital game experience.

BackgroundDigital game‐based learning is gaining increased attention from both researchers and educators for improving mathematics instruction. However, the evidence for game‐based learning is mixed and research with rigorous research design and analyses are limited.ObjectiveHere, in a pre‐registered randomized controlled study, we investigated whether a fraction game designed collaboratively by educational experts and professional game developers may serve as a useful tool to enhance students' fraction knowledge.MethodsWe assigned French fifth graders to either an experimental group who used the game (n = 110) or a control group (n = 78) who received traditional instruction on fractions. Fraction knowledge was assessed pre‐ and post‐intervention.ResultsResults show that students in the active control group had superior overall fraction performance than students in the experimental group at the end of intervention. However, the game had a positive effect on decimal learning. We also found a positive relation between game performance and overall fraction knowledge scores at post‐test.ContributionThe study highlights the importance of game metrics as indicators of personalized assessment tools. Given the increased usage of games in learning mathematics and the equivocal results on the effectiveness of these games, our study also highlights the importance of pre‐registration and randomized controlled studies.

Game development has evolved to a point of being a method where it is being used to improve the day-to-day lifestyle of the person playing the game (henceforth referred to as a ‘player’). With these advancements, this paper represents the Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Game Development. AI has already been introduced in Game Development, ranging from Computer Generated Non-Player Characters (NPC), randomly generated maps or level, or even the difficulty of the level. In Gaming, AI is based on responsive and adaptive video game experiences. Using NPC to power interactive experience to simulate a human Game-player. One of the new Frontier of development and the method games are played, AI uses the behaviour of the player to control the game experience. Games refer to data that is made systematic using algorithms and helps to develop games with human interaction. As a developer, the experience needs to be delivered and AI makes the process easier. AI needs to store information to be able to reference which can respond to various stimuli. The mass of information required is the reason why AI has not been adapted into the Industry. Using Voice Intelligence is changing the inputs of games, and assist to increase intelligence genre games. Creating frameworks using design acknowledgment and reinforcement realizing is an important part of the future of Game development. By making the AI intelligent makes the games more real. Since Players pay attention to details, developers can use AI to help develop the game. In this paper, we will be focusing on the ways to identify the behaviour of the player and then using the information to develop the game further. By creating a profile, we can arrange and suit various reinforcements. Using the 16 personality tests, we can identify and rate the player based on the factor of their Mind, Energy, Nature, Tactics, and Identity.

Level design is often characterised as "where the rubber hits the road" in game development. It is a core area of games design, alongside design of game rules and narrative. However, there is a lack of literature dedicated to documenting teaching games design, let alone the more specialised topic of level design. Furthermore, there is a lack of formal frameworks for best practice in level design, as professional game developers often rely on intuition and previous experience. As a result, there is little for games design teachers to draw on when presented with the opportunity to teach a level design unit. In this paper, we discuss the design and implementation of a games level design unit in which students use the StarCraft II Galaxy Editor, reflect upon our experiences with respect to student feedback and peer reviews, and outline our plans for improving the unit in years to come.

With the emerging demand for video games as entertainment, it is important to examine human behavior when designing and developing games. Past research has shown support that gender stereotypes imposed on female gamers are prevalent within this space. Another study showed that when female players perceive being in an all male performative environment, they are prone to stereotype threat which hinders their own performance. To continue the efforts of exploring the detrimental effects of this problem, a pilot study was devised using a 2x2 factorial within subject design with team compositions (male vs female) and atmosphere (negative vs positive interactions) as the independent variables. Ten female participants played a first-person-shooter game called Valorant by Riot Games across two consecutive days where they would play in both team compositions for gender. At the end of each game, participants took a questionnaire to self-rate their game experience, anxiety levels and desirability to communicate during gameplay. Additionally, researchers observed game performance, frequency of in-game communication and confederate engagement. Researchers hypothesized that participants who played in the all high ranking male team with negative interactions would communicate less frequently and have lower desirability to communicate, have worse game performance, less engagement with the confederates, higher levels of anxiety and overall worse game experience than other conditions. Statistical analyses revealed the atmosphere factor (positive vs negative) significantly influenced performance outcomes (e.g., kills and ranking) and subjective experiences (e.g., game experience, team interactions, feelings of respect, safety, disrespected, discouraged, and supported). However, there was no significant main effect for team composition and no significant interaction effect between team composition and atmosphere. Continued research of this problem space is crucial to ensure video games are inclusive and enjoyable for all.

This study aims to explore the participation preferences of players in Play-to-Earn (PTE) games, a topic of growing relevance as PTE games gain increasing attention. These games offer players the unique opportunity to earn real-world rewards through virtual gameplay activities. By examining the factors that drive players’ decision-making in PTE games, we deepen our understanding of the intersection between virtual economies and real-world financial needs. The insights from this study can provide game developers and policymakers with valuable information to design and implement effective strategies that support individuals seeking alternative income sources and new economic models in the face of unprecedented challenges. To determine the prioritization of motivating factors among PTE game players, we utilized the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis as part of a three-stage process: a literature review (Stage 1), expert evaluation (Stage 2), and AHP analysis (Stage 3). The study derived 12 critical factors in PTE gameplay from literature review, divided into three primary elements, each with four sub-factors. These primary factors include Gaming Experience (comprising Fun factor, Game Quality, Game Genre, and Challenge), Financial Outcomes (consisting of Tokenomics, ROI, Game Company Reliability, and Coin Price), and PTE Game Awareness (including Management, Game Entry Timing, Game Platform, and Community). This study uncovers the three primary factors that encourage participation in PTE games, with Gaming Experience emerging as the most critical, followed by Financial Outcomes and PTE Game Awareness. This finding underlines the need for game developers to prioritize the gaming experience to ensure the development and sustainability of PTE games.

In order to design new methodologies for evaluating the user experience of video games, it is imperative to initially understand two core issues. Firstly, how are video games developed at present, including components such as processes, timescales and staff roles, and secondly, how do studios design and evaluate the user experience. This chapter will discuss the video game development process and the practices that studios currently use to achieve the best possible user experience. It will present four case studies from game developers Disney Interactive (Black Rock Studio), Relentless, Zoe Mode, and HandCircus, each detailing their game development process and also how this integrates with the user experience evaluation. The case studies focus on different game genres, platforms, and target user groups, ensuring that this chapter represents a balanced view of current practices in evaluating user experience during the game development process.

The purpose of this study was to investigate flow experience and situational interest in a math learning game that included adaptive scaffolding. Fifty-two Finnish 5th graders played the game about fractions at home during COVID-19 enforced distance learning. The results showed that flow experience correlated positively with situational interest. Importantly, a deeper analysis of the Flow Short Scale (FSS) subscales revealed that only absorption by activity but not fluency of performance explained variance in situational interest. That is, at least in game-based adaptive learning, situational interest is mostly related to immersive aspects of flow. Results also revealed that students with better in-game performance had higher flow experiences, but their levels of prior knowledge were not related to flow levels. In contrast, students with lower prior fraction number knowledge showed higher situational interest, which might be partly attributed to the additional game elements provided to struggling students in the form of adaptive scaffolds. Moreover, the study demonstrated that the developed adaptive scaffolding approach and in-game self-reporting measures worked well. Finally, the implications of these findings for flow experience and situational interest research in game-based learning context are discussed.

Virtual environments are synthetic 3D worlds typically viewed from a first-person point of view with many potential applications within areas such as visualisation, entertainment and training simulators. To effectively develop and utilise virtual environments, user-centric evaluations are commonly performed. Anecdotal evidence suggests that factors such as prior experience with computer games may affect the results of such evaluations. This paper examines the effects of previous computer gaming experience, user perceived gaming ability and actual gaming performance on navigation tasks in a virtual environment. Two computer games and a virtual environment were developed to elicit performance metrics for use within a user study. Results indicated that perceived gaming skill and progress in a First-Person-Shooter (FPS) game were the most consistent metrics showing significant correlations with performance in time-based navigation tasks. There was also strong evidence that these relations were significantly intensified by the inclusion of participants who play FPS games. In addition, it was found that increased gaming experience decreased spatial perception performance. © 2009 IEEE.

Can video game players embody the game world without embodying a concrete, bodily-shaped avatar? By exploring the players’ embodied experiences in real-time strategy games where no concrete avatar is present, we argue that the answer is yes. Specifically, we argue that the players can embody a game world consisting of various controlled game items by incorporating game mechanics with their bodily actions. Such an embodiment enables skilled players to develop a nuanced perception of possible actions within the game and to react more effectively than novices in a given situation. Focusing on Age of Empires 2, we analyze three key skills —micro-management, quick-walling, and map reading— that differentiate experts’ game performance from novices’, showing that the difference in their performance rests on the difference in their embodiment of the game rather than the difference in their reflective knowledge. Ultimately, the findings suggest that players’ capacity to perceive and execute actions is fundamentally shaped by their embodied experiences within the game’s context.

BackgroundSurgical residents underutilize opportunities for traditional laparoscopic simulation training. Serious gaming may increase residents’ motivation to practice laparoscopic skills. However, little is known about the effectiveness of serious gaming for laparoscopic skills training.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to establish construct validity for the laparoscopic serious game Underground.MethodsAll study participants completed 2 levels of Underground. Performance for 2 novel variables (time and error) was compared between novices (n=65, prior experience <10 laparoscopic procedures), intermediates (n=26, prior experience 10-100 laparoscopic procedures), and experts (n=20, prior experience >100 laparoscopic procedures) using analysis of covariance. We corrected for gender and video game experience.ResultsControlling for gender and video game experience, the effects of prior laparoscopic experience on the time variable differed significantly (F2,106=4.77, P=.01). Both experts and intermediates outperformed novices in terms of task completion speed; experts did not outperform intermediates. A similar trend was seen for the rate of gameplay errors. Both gender (F1,106=14.42, P<.001 in favor of men) and prior video game experience (F1,106=5.20, P=.03 in favor of experienced gamers) modulated the time variable.ConclusionsWe established construct validity for the laparoscopic serious game Underground. Serious gaming may aid laparoscopic skills development. Previous gaming experience and gender also influenced Underground performance. The in-game performance metrics were not suitable for statistical evaluation. To unlock the full potential of serious gaming for training, a more formal approach to performance metric development is needed.

Physical and/or cognitive warm-up effects on first-person shooter video-games performances

Game peripherals refer to the input-output devices assisting players to interact with video games. An interesting phenomenon related to game peripherals is bringing your own peripherals (BYOP) which means video game players, especially the advanced players, usually tend to use their own devices to play video games. An important reason for the popularity of BYOP is the players’ belief that the best tools to play the game are their own devices, in terms of game experience and performance. Thus, the game peripherals used in the BYOP situation imply the excellent quality. However, the limited research on the game peripherals leads to the lacking understanding of what determines the good game peripherals and how the good game peripherals influence players’ positive gaming experience and their performance. In order to call for more attention to the research on game peripherals and players’ cognition, this paper focuses on two important dimensions of game peripherals (i.e., controller fit and vividness of interfaces) and their influences on players’ positive in-game experience (i.e., sense of control, immersion and enjoyment). Furthermore, this research also discusses the relationship between positive gaming experience and in-game performance. A relational framework including seven propositions is proposed to guide and suggest future research on the game peripherals’ influences and the positive gaming experience in the field of player-video game interaction.