Tag: Vol.2 No.1 (2019)

ABSTRACT: The presented paper offers a short general introduction to frustration followed by a discourse on frustration as an integral part of gaming experience with the core distinction between positive in-game frustration and negative at-game frustration. The potential of frustration to increase motivation to play, emotional engagement and immersion is outlined. The paper includes comprehensive research using the means of a questionnaire (n=159) and content analysis (n=327) identifying types of frustrating situations in games, perceived sources of frustration, the behavioural impact of frustration and the relationship between locus of control and ascribed source of frustration. Results showed toxic behaviour as a leading cause of frustration. The most common declared behavioural output of frustration caused by the toxic behaviour of other players was quitting a game for a certain amount of time. Frustration showed the most motivational potential within the category of frustrating situations related to gamers e.g. being stuck in a part of the game, losing, not succeeding, etc. At-game frustration concerns mainly the category called the “game itself”. Most often the game was blamed for insuffi ciencies in game mechanics or game design, malfunctioning and technical issues within the game. The presented research did not show a statistically signifi cant association between the source of frustration and a participant’s locus of control. The paper has potential in terms of game design and research of emotion, motivation or immersion.

KEY WORDS: behaviour, digital games, frustration, locus of control, motivation.

ABSTRACT: The presented study dwells on the issue of game theory by Roger Caillois to be applied to the contemporary dimension of digital games. The actual attempt is to fi nd out the extent to which the game principle categories apply to media products, i.e. digital games. The paradigms by authors engaged in cultural anthropology, philosophy, psychology, and sociology, besides others, served as key theoretical groundwork for the present paper. Nevertheless, the theories concluded within media study addressing the game and game principles in contemporary society have not been excluded either. In essence, the theoretical refl ection introduces the basic terminology axis creating an apt platform for the game variants in use, to perform within the forms of new reality, i. e. virtual reality. The primary aim is to defi ne elementary concepts like “game”, “game principles”, “media or virtual space”, “digital game”, and “game genres”. Secondary is then to explicate certain game principles designated by Roger Caillois present in the particular game. Material to be applied for this study ranks among the genre of action games. “Action game” particularly is a digital genre that belongs to frequent genre types as well as RPG games, strategy and others. Drawing from this fact, one of the actual digital games called Mafia III was chosen for empirical study. The main purpose of the paper is through logical analysis to illustrate the issue of games, and subsequently point out the cases of their occurrence in the media space. Theoretical postulates by Roger Caillois are by author assumed to be potentially applicable to the current media reality of digital games that come under action genres.

KEY WORDS: action game, adrenaline, agon, alea, competition, digital game, fortune, game, game genres, game principles, ilinx, Mafia III, media reality, mimicry, physical and mental identity, risk, vertigo, virtual reality.

ABSTRACT: Digital games can address social problems, such as the integration of marginalized persons into the community at large. For example, six children in a thousand live with an ambulatory disability. Communities must learn to accept children in wheelchairs. This social rehabilitation is problematic. It requires that hostile social environments, particularly the classroom, become more supportive. Issue awareness among classmates without disabilities can be improved by education-based interventions but such interventions rarely change behaviour. Interactive personal contact between able children and disabled role models has been shown to be eff ective but it cannot be readily scaled. Digital games off er an appealing intervention vector, easily scalable and highly interactive. This pilot study investigates game design that may promote social esteem.

KEY WORDS: ATPD, game-based learning, linguistic bias, physical disabilities, serious game, social rehabilitation.

ABSTRACT: The aim of the research is to investigate the correlation between age and playing styles in an authorial role-playing game. In the designed research the authors have assumed the playing styles defi ned by Richard Bartle, that is: the socializer, the killer, the achiever, the explorer. The research subjects came from three age groups: university students (18-25), corporate workers (35-50) and seniors (65+). The research was conducted with the use of the quantitative method on the basis of the playing styles observation sheet developed in accordance with the operationalization of Bartle’s taxonomy. Throughout the conducted observations one could observe clear behaviours, adequate with the operationalized taxonomy of Bartle. The dominant type in every age group was the socialiser, on the other hand only a few behaviours were associated with the killer type. In every age category there was a specifi c pattern of the observed behaviours, which are possible to explain by comparison to the everyday activities of the investigated age groups. Knowledge about the correlation between age and playing style could be useful for game creators and educators, who want to use the game as an educational method.

KEY WORDS: Bartle’s taxonomy, early adulthood, LARP, late adulthood, middle adulthood, RPG.