Empirical evaluation of metadata for video games and interactive media

Abstract

Despite increasing interest in and acknowledgment of the significance of video games, current descriptive practices are not sufficiently robust to support searching, browsing, and other access behaviors from diverse user groups. To address this issue, the Game Metadata Research Group at the University of Washington Information School, in collaboration with the Seattle Interactive Media Museum, worked to create a standardized metadata schema. This metadata schema was empirically evaluated using multiple approaches-collaborative review, schema testing, semistructured user interview, and a large-scale survey. Reviewing and testing the schema revealed issues and challenges in sourcing the metadata for particular elements, determining the level of granularity for data description, and describing digitally distributed games. The findings from user studies suggest that users value various subject and visual metadata, information about how games are related to each other, and data regarding game expansions/alterations such as additional content and networked features. The metadata schema was extensively revised based on the evaluation results, and we present the new element definitions from the revised schema in this article. This work will serve as a platform and catalyst for advances in the design and use of video game metadata.

VIZMO Game Browser

“…In a series of user studies conducted as part of this research effort, both mood and visual style have been identified as potentially useful elements for accessing games. In an online survey involving 1,257 participants, 66.7% responded that mood/affect information would be useful for the games they are currently playing or for seeking new games to play, and 53.4% for visual style [7]. Of the 237 respondents who reported having game-related professions, 70.9% and 55.3% responded positively for mood/affect and visual style, respectively.…”

“…Of the 237 respondents who reported having game-related professions, 70.9% and 55.3% responded positively for mood/affect and visual style, respectively. Interview data from 56 game users [7] also supports the importance of such metadata: Based on the user data, we decided to include visual style and mood in our video game metadata schema. In order to consistently describe these attributes, it is necessary to establish a controlled vocabulary for each element.…”

“…This work is part of a larger research project by the Game Metadata Research (GAMER) Group at University of Washington Information School and Seattle Interactive Media Museum, aiming to create a standardized metadata schema and a set of controlled vocabularies (i.e., standard lists of terms with definitions and specification of related terms for describing particular metadata elements) for describing video games [7]. In a series of user studies conducted as part of this research effort, both mood and visual style have been identified as potentially useful elements for accessing games.…”

“…It is important to provide a useful way to search and browse video games for a growing user base. However, previous research shows that despite increasing interest in and significance of video games, current descriptive practices and access methods are not sufficiently robust [2,7]. Most of the currently available game-related websites only provide platform and genre as main access points other than basic descriptive information of video games such as game title, publisher, and developer.…”

“What Am I Fighting For?”: Creating a Controlled Vocabulary for Video Game Plot Metadata

“…20 21 The motivation for the project was to provide a framework for standardized description and organization of video games and interactive media. This is necessary because other existing schemas and standards such as Dublin Core (DC), FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records), Resource Description and Access (RDA), Cataloging Cultural Objects (CCO), CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CIDOC CRM) are often too broad and/or not as relevant for describing specific information objects such as video games.…”