Engaging game characters are often key to a positive and emotionally rich player experience. However, current research treats character attachment in a rather generic manner with little regard for the differing emotional qualities that may characterize this attachment. To address this gap we conducted a qualitative online survey with 213 players about the game characters they are particularly fond of. We identify seven distinct forms of emotional attachment, ranging from feeling excited about the characters' gameplay competency, admiring them as role models, to deep concern for characters' well-being. Our findings highlight the emotional range that players experience towards game characters, as well as provide implications for the research and design of emotional character experience in games. CCS Concepts •Applied computing → Computer games; •Humancentered computing → Empirical studies in HCI;

In recent years, researchers aimed to understand different facets of positive experiences with technology. Positive psychology, and recently also HCI, makes use of a hedonia/ eudaimonia distinction. Hedonia is understood as providing enjoyable experiences, whereas eudaimonia is associated with meaningful experiences. However, it is not clear how eudaimonia manifests in the HCI context. The aim of this explorative study is to provide empirical evidence for eudaimonia in HCI and outline what characterizes hedonic and eudaimonic user experiences. Results indicate that hedonic and eudaimonic user experiences often seem to occur at the same time. Preliminary analysis of user narratives show rich data and experiences with a huge range of different devices are described. Based on these findings further implications and research possibilities are discussed.

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Know your users!" A short request but a challenging one. Studies have shown that the positioning of web objects according to the users' mental models can prevent errors and increase the efficiency of interaction. Therefore an important aspect of the design of websites is to take the expectations of the users into account. However the results of these studies are based on research with limited target groups and neglected to consider cultural aspects. To approach this issue the currently being conducted study aims primarily to (1) identify and visualize mental models for different websites types for different countries, (2) highlight differences and similarities in the mental models of the subjects based on their nationality and (3) show the influence of experience with international websites on the mental models of the user. The results gained will be helpful during the design and localization process for international target groups.

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