Game Over!? But what is left over?
Exploratory study about perceived transfer
effects from virtual game worlds of
shooters, simulations, sport- and roleplaying games into everydaylife.
Benjamin Bigl, M.A.
G.O.R. 09, Vienna University
Outline
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Outline
Introduction and Scientific Interest
Theoretical Approaches: What are Transfer Effects?
Study Design
Preleminary Study: Postings in Online Forums
Online Survey
Results
Summary and Critical Outlook
2
Computer Games as Culture
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„Computer games are part of our
culture!“ (Olaf Zimmermann 2008)
interactive mass phenomenon
engine for developement
upcomming academic research
But: focus of public opinion on
violent games and presumed
negative effects after playing
Introduction and Scientific Interest
3
Scientific Interest
Are computer game players noticing anything after having played?
Can they bring it into a connection with a specific computer game?
Introduction and Scientific Interest
4
What are Transfer Effects?
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Phenomena of perception, experiences or memories of game
situations
associations
mental linkages
effects of transmission and transformation
The term "transfer effect" is appropriate for these phenomena. It can
be understood as a stimulus and context-related transfer of
elements into everyday life. It comes in the form of associations
which depend on an abstract reflection of a whole game or a game
situation.
Theoretical Approaches
5
Between Transfer and Transformation I
Media and communication science lack:
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unified theory for game analysis is
missing
Way out:
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theoretical approaches: Model of
Transfer (Prof. Jürgen Fritz, Cologne)
qualitative approaches should be
checked in a quantitative way
Theoretical Approaches
6
Between Transfer and Transformation II
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meanings of objects in relation to the assignment to different worlds
processes of transfer caused by fragile framing competence
reasons are intense game play and identification with game characters
Critical Review: categories of transfer are less selective
Transfer
Transfer
Game
Theoretical Approaches
Reality
7
Research Subject
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gamer = experts in their own
self perception of experienced users
survey about experiences after
playing
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Age Limit: player older than 11years
Minimum competences in reflection
about an abstract topic
Design of Study
8
Gamers and technology
Tns-Infratest (2006)
Study Mass Communication(2005)
Gamers
Non-Gamers
Germany in general
Mobile
95
85
-
Videorecorder
92
79
-
DVD-Player
85
54
66
Internet (analog or ISDN)
68
49
43
Satellite TV
60
44
-
Dolby-Surround Equipement
48
27
19
MP3 – Player
45
15
26
DVD – Rekorder
44
33
15
Internet (Broadband)
38
19
24
High Definition TV 16:9
21
11
-
Pay TV
20
15
-
Handheld/PDA
12
6
4
Design of Study
9
Design of Study
Interpretation and
summary of
findings
Main Study
Explorative
analysis of
postings in online
forums
Validation
Preliminary Study
Study Design
Quantitative
online survey in
selected online
forums and
communities
Further Research
Questions
10
Preliminary Study I
Preliminary Study: Analysis of Newsgroup-Postings
11
Preliminary Study II
Preliminary Study: Analysis of Newsgroup-Postings
12
Preliminary Study III
Preliminary Study: Analysis of Newsgroup-Postings
13
Results: Associative Transfer Effects
Transfer Modes
Transfer Modes
Associative
(Fritz)
(Preliminary Study)
Transfer Effects
Analytical Transfers
Instrumental-Action-Patterned
Functions
Action Patterns
Functional Transfers
Emotional
Emotions
Associative
Fantasy-Based
Mind-Based
Affectiv-cognitive
Transfers
Dreams
Moral-Based
No comparable transfers in the preliminary study
Time-Experiencing
Problem-Solving
No comparable transfers in the preliminary study
Preliminary Study: Analysis of Newsgroup-Postings
Cognitive-Level
Informational-Reality-Structured
Sense of Orientation
Attention
Knwoledge
Basic-Level
Functional-Level
Levels
14
Online Survey - Homepage
Online Survey
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Requests of Transfers
I‘ve already got some causes for thought or useful informations by playing a game. (Knowledge)
I've dreamed of games or i’ve widened the story of a game. (Dreams)
I‘ve empathized with characters of a game or i got into the mood of a game. (Emotions)
In my thoughts i have tried to act like in a game action. (Action Patterns)
After a game i noticed that I could analyze situations much better and quicker than before.
(Analysis Ability)
It surprised me that i wanted to use certain fucnctions of tools or features of a game in real life.
(Functions)
I believe that I now have better spatial imagination abilities than others. Unconsciously, I scan
the surrounding area for prominent objects. (Attention)
Online Survey
16
Online Survey – Statistical Key Figures
23 Online Forums of Shooter, Simulation, Sport, Roleplay/Adventure and Casual Games
14 Online Forums of popular gaming magazines
Sample(brutto max.):
Sample related failures:
Sample (netto max):
Survey finalized:
1884
149
1735
1226
Cleared Dataset:
1146
Processing time (arithmetic mean):
Processing time (median):
0h 9m 34s
0h 8m 12s
Online Survey
(100%)
(7,91%)
(92,09%)
(65,07%)
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Online Survey – Socio-Demographic Characteristics
Variable „Gender“ (male/female):
1029 (89,8 %) / 117 (10,2 %)
Variable „Age“:
• Arithmetic mean/Median.
• Std. Deviation
• Range
• Age Groupe 15-19 / 20-24:
22,06 / 19,00
8,23
11 (min) – 65 (max)
44,24 % / 19,72%
Variable „Highest Level of Eduacation“:
• Still pupil
• Secondary Modern School
• High School
• Other qualification/no qualification
36,4 %
23,3%
37,1 %
2,9 % / 0,3 %
Variable „Experiences in Gaming“:
• Mark 1 or 2 („verry well“/“well“)
82 %
Online Survey
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Boxplot of Variable „Time of Playing“
Time of Playing (Mean): 2,38 h/d
Results
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Perceived Transfers (in %)
Genre
50,0%
Shooter
Simulation
Sportspiel
40,0%
Prozent
Adventure/Rollenspiel
30,0%
20,0%
10,0%
0,0%
Wissen
Träume
Emotionen
Handlung
Analyse
Funktionen Orientier…
Knowledge Dreams Emotions Transfereffekte
Action Patterns Analysis Functions Orientation
Results
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Perceived Transfers - Examples
I dreamed of game like I was there for real. After I woke up, I was thinking how it could go on.
(Dreams)
Copied and took over shooting techniques and free kick types from football. (Knowledge)
Happiness, desire for more, emotional fluctuations, sympathy for characters. (Emotions)
I realised that my reflexes got better. Furthermore, I stay more calm in hectic situations and
have the ball at my feet quicker. (Analysis)
To hide, stay unnoticed as possible, to sneak. (Orientation)
Quicksave and Quickload as well as the phrase: „You must assemble your group first before
you can leave this area“ that I heard in my mind. (Functions)
I saw a movie on TV and for a second I asked myself why the lead actor didn‘t smash the big
wooden box in the background, because the golden cap must be in there. (Action Patterns)
Results
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Revision of the Transfer Modes I
Transfer
Variance (%)
Variance (%, cummulative)
Analytical
19,314
19,314
Funcional
16,951
36,264
Affektive-Cognitive
15,043
51,308
Analytical
20,031
20,031
Functional
16,922
36,953
Information Mediated
14,354
51,308
Information Processed
13,362
64,670
Action Pattern
12,910
77,579
* Factoranalyses; Main Components; Varimax-Rotation and Kaiser-Normalization
Results
22
Revision of the Transfer Modes II
Factoranalyses 1*
1
2
Factoranalyses 2*
3
Knowledge
,664
Dreams
,664
Emotions
-,525
Action Patterns
Analysis
2
5
-731
,997
,730
,725
,544
4
,991
-,539
,754
3
,951
,524
Functions
Orientation
1
,736
,731
* Factoranalyses; Main Components; Varimax-Rotation and Kaiser-Normalization
Results
23
Transfer Effects (recoded)
Genre
50,0%
Shooter
Simulation
40,0%
Sportspiel
Prozent
Adventure/Rollenspiel
30,0%
20,0%
10,0%
0,0%
Analytisch
Analytical
Results
Funktional
Wissen
Kognition
Emotional
Functional
Information
Mediated
Emotional
(negative direction)
Cognitive Involved
Transfereffekte (umkodiert)
24
Summary and Critical Outlook
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Online Surveys are the high road for special audiences (e.g. Gamer)
Good Tools for (Qualitative) Newsgroup-Analysis are missing
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Transfer Effects are rather normal than beeing an extraordinary phenomenon
Transfer Effects are perceived as a positive A-Ha experience
Gamer can reflect upon them
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Categories of Associative Transfer Effects are now high selective
New categories are open designed
Model is open for further questions
» Emotions while playing?
» Occurence of this Effects?
Summary and Critical Outlook
25
Outlook: Distance of Transfers after Play (sorted by Means)
Emotional
Summary and Critical Outlook
Cognition
Functional Analysis Information Mediated
26
Thank you for your attention!
Universität Leipzig
Institut für Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft
Benjamin Bigl, M.A.
Burgstraße 21
04109 Leipzig
0341- 97 35 740
[email protected]
kmw.uni-leipzig.de
www.computerspielforschung.de