The Privilege of Immersion

Passmore, Cale J.; Birk, Max V.; Mandryk, Regan L.

doi:10.1145/3173574.3173957

Cited by 56 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…People of all ages play games; however, preferences for various genres and platforms change with age [93]. A greater proportion of people of color in America play games, identify as gamers [94], own a gaming system, and form a faster-growing market than their white non-Hispanic counterparts [95]. In addition, almost half of all gamers self-identify as female; however, social gaming and mobile gaming are more important to female gamers than male gamers [96].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Potential of Game-Based Digital Biomarkers for Modeling Mental Health

Mandryk

Birk

2019

JMIR Ment Health

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Background Assessment for mental health is performed by experts using interview techniques, questionnaires, and test batteries and following standardized manuals; however, there would be myriad benefits if behavioral correlates could predict mental health and be used for population screening or prevalence estimations. A variety of digital sources of data (eg, online search data and social media posts) have been previously proposed as candidates for digital biomarkers in the context of mental health. Playing games on computers, gaming consoles, or mobile devices (ie, digital gaming) has become a leading leisure activity of choice and yields rich data from a variety of sources. Objective In this paper, we argue that game-based data from commercial off-the-shelf games have the potential to be used as a digital biomarker to assess and model mental health and health decline. Although there is great potential in games developed specifically for mental health assessment (eg, Sea Hero Quest), we focus on data gathered “in-the-wild” from playing commercial off-the-shelf games designed primarily for entertainment. Methods We argue that the activity traces left behind by natural interactions with digital games can be modeled using computational approaches for big data. To support our argument, we present an investigation of existing data sources, a categorization of observable traits from game data, and examples of potentially useful game-based digital biomarkers derived from activity traces. Results Our investigation reveals different types of data that are generated from play and the sources from which these data can be accessed. Based on these insights, we describe five categories of digital biomarkers that can be derived from game-based data, including behavior, cognitive performance, motor performance, social behavior, and affect. For each type of biomarker, we describe the data type, the game-based sources from which it can be derived, its importance for mental health modeling, and any existing statistical associations with mental health that have been demonstrated in prior work. We end with a discussion on the limitations and potential of data from commercial off-the-shelf games for use as a digital biomarker of mental health. Conclusions When people play commercial digital games, they produce significant volumes of high-resolution data that are not only related to play frequency, but also include performance data reflecting low-level cognitive and motor processing; text-based data that are indicative of the affective state; social data that reveal networks of relationships; content choice data that imply preferred genres; and contextual data that divulge where, when, and with whom the players are playing. These data provide a source for digital biomarkers that may indicate mental health. Produced by engaged human behavior, game data have the potential to be leveraged for population screening or prevalence estimations, leading to at-scale, nonintrusive assessment of mental health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Potential of Game-Based Digital Biomarkers for Modeling Mental Health

Mandryk

Birk

2019

JMIR Ment Health

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“…Existing literature has explored the intersections of player identity and racial and gendered representation in video games (e.g. Gray, 2014, 2020; Higgin, 2009; Jeroen and Martis, 2003; Kafai et al, 2010; Nakamura, 1995; Passmore et al, 2017, 2018; Shaw, 2014; Williams et al, 2009), as well as the connection between identity and purchasing practices (e.g. Gandy, 2001; Lamont and Molnar, 2001; Shankar et al, 2009; Nguyen et al 2020).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The sale of skins through microtransactions alters how players may customize their avatars, connect with the characters they may play and interact with others in virtual game spaces. Unfortunately – though the gaming industry’s customer base has diversified along axes of race, gender and socio-economic background (Duggan, 2015; Lehnert, 2015; Passmore et al, 2018) – the characters in video games still largely conform to outdated assumptions of audience demographics, usually White and male (Gardner and Tanenbaum 2018; Passmore et al, 2017; Williams et al, 2009). Diverse racial and gendered Characters or aesthetic performances are increasingly available but are still too often ‘second player’ choices (Chess, 2017), unlockable features or accessible only via microtransactions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Having skin in the game: How players purchase representation in games

Reza

Chu²,

Nedd

et al. 2022

Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Med

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Microtransactions are a relatively new feature of video game software involving the purchase of in-game items, often using real money. Players may use these transactions to purchase in-game advantages, or cosmetic features such as ‘skins’, which change the way a player’s avatar looks without influencing gameplay mechanics. Skins may be an opportunity for developers to offer – and players to purchase – alternative demographic appearances. In this article we examine some of the potential costs associated with skins beyond their price tag, especially those felt by players of color, given a normative – free – white default. While previous research has looked at player identity, representation in gaming media and players’ purchasing practices individually, few scholars have looked at the intersection between all three. We analyze this intersection within the practices of selling and purchasing skins in games. We distributed a survey through social media and to gaming communities online and analyzed 158 responses. We identify quantitative differences in responses of participants of color and White participants, such as participants of color spending more on average than white participants on skins in the games they play. We discuss qualitative themes we describe as quasi-acceptance and privileged allyship, that build on previous literature about how players of color interact with – and may feel resigned about – representation in games.

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“…In the context of our work, we focus primarily on the visual attributes of characters. Providing a deeper understanding of how people interpret game characters is relevant important because identifying with a representation increases the amount of time a game is played (Passmore et al, 2018), how deeply players comprehend information (Kao and Harrell, 2015), and overall engagement (Reinecke, 2009). Previous work has established that we interpret characters values using a number of visual attributes, for example, character shape (Veronica, 2015), age (Schwind and Henze, 2018), gender (Schwind and Henze, 2018), and fashion (Klastrup and Tosca, 2009).…”

Section: Studies Visual Attributes Of Characters In Video Gamesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scarification-the deliberate act of scaring someone for aesthetical purposes-has roots in traditions of African tribes and has found its way into body modification culture. Directions that games could use, for example, to provide new character options increasing diversity through customizability (Dickerman et al, 2008;Birk et al, 2016;Passmore et al, 2018), by allowing characters to be created that defy negative stereotype associated with dermatological issues, or to create a visual language around the beauty of scars.…”

Section: The Constructions Of Villainous Stereotypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

How the Visual Design of Video Game Antagonists Affects Perception of Morality

Pradantyo

Birk

Bateman

2021

Front. Comput. Sci.

Self Cite

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The visual design of antagonists—typically thought of as “bad guys”—is crucial for game design. Antagonists are key to providing the backdrop to a game's setting and motivating a player's actions. The visual representation of antagonists is important because it affects player expectations about the character's personality and potential actions. Particularly important is how players perceive an antagonist's morality. For example, an antagonist appearing disloyal might foreshadow betrayal; a character who looks cruel suggests that tough fights are ahead; or, a player might be surprised when a friendly looking character attacks them. Today, the art of designing character morality is informed by archetypal elements, existing characters, and the artist's own background. However, little work has provided insight into how an antagonist's appearance can lead players to make moral judgments. Using Mechanical Turk, we collected participant ratings on a stimulus image set of 105 antagonists from popular video games. The results of our work provide insights into how the visual attributes of antagonists can influence judgments of character morality. Our findings provide a valuable new lens for understanding and deepening an important aspect of game design. Our results can be used to help ensure that a particular character design has the best chance to be universally seen as “evil,” or to help create more complex and conflicted emotional experiences through carefully designed characters that do not appear to be bad. Our research extends current research practices that seek to build an understanding of game design and provides exciting new directions for exploring how design and aesthetic practices can be better studied and supported.

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The Privilege of Immersion

Cited by 56 publications

References 84 publications

The Potential of Game-Based Digital Biomarkers for Modeling Mental Health

The Potential of Game-Based Digital Biomarkers for Modeling Mental Health

Having skin in the game: How players purchase representation in games

How the Visual Design of Video Game Antagonists Affects Perception of Morality

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