Visual complexity, player experience, performance and physical exertion in motion-based games for older adults

Abstract

Motion-based video games can have a variety of benefits for the players and are increasingly applied in physical therapy, rehabilitation and prevention for older adults. However, little is known about how this audience experiences playing such games, how the player experience affects the way older adults interact with motion-based games, and how this can relate to therapy goals. In our work, we decompose the player experience of older adults engaging with motion-based games, focusing on the effects of manipulations of the game representation through the visual channel (visual complexity), since it is the primary interaction modality of most games and since vision impairments are common amongst older adults. We examine the effects of different levels of visual complexity on player experience, performance, and exertion in a study with fifteen participants. Our results show that visual complexity affects the way games are perceived in two ways: First, while older adults do have preferences in terms of visual complexity of video games, notable effects were only measurable following drastic variations. Second, perceived exertion shifts depending on the degree of visual complexity. These findings can help inform the design of motionbased games for therapy and rehabilitation for older adults.

Exploring User Experience and Technology Acceptance for a Fall Prevention System: Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial and a Living Lab

“…Apart from some technical issues critizised by most participants, visual aspects such as the exergame graphics seemed to be an important aspect to young older participants. [35] reported similar findings in their study, suggesting that graphical design should be considered as a relevant acceptance factor for older adults. Fun in exergames might be an important factor as well, as reported by the participants during the interviews.…”

A Scoping Review of Digital Gaming Research Involving Older Adults Aged 85 and Older

“…The majority of studies did not integrate the oldest old as a meaningful proportion of the sample, despite the increasing [10][11][12]14,17,[21][22][23][24][25][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]42,[44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54] To clarify sample proportions and enable our analysis, two authors contacted the respective authors seeking further clarification of the actual number of participants q85 years of age when necessary. Consistent with previous reviews, 2-5 this study highlights a substantial gap in the knowledge base and encourage further exploration into digital gaming use in those 85 years of age and greater.…”

“…The remaining 37 articles all reported high percentages of female participants, thus being the majority of the gender split. The study setting/context varied widely across the 46 articles and was composed of retirement/independent communities 11,12,14,21,24,26,29,32,39,40,42,44,47,48,53 (n = 15), communitydwelling 13,16,19,45,46,49 (n = 6), community center 20,31,38,51,52 (n = 5), hospital/assisted living/residential/nursing home/longterm care/institutionalized 10,[15][16][17][18]25,27,28,30,33,35,37,41,43,50,54 (n = 16), not specified 23 (n = 1), or other 34,36,55 (n = 3). The majority of the studies were primarily conducted across two different living environments (hospital/assisted living/residential/nursing home/long-term care/institutionalized) or reti...…”

A Systematic Review of Usability and Accessibility in Tele-Rehabilitation Systems

“…For future studies, the researchers propose to develop more training games to investigate the long-term effects of software use and assess its relevance in preserving cognitive capacity and individual autonomy in everyday activities. Smeddinck et al [77] point out that motion-based video games may have a variety of benefits for players and are increasingly applied in physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and prevention of older adults. The authors suggest that aspects of accessibility and immersion should be considered if the potential benefits of motion-based video games are to be harnessed for target groups with a broad spectrum of visual impairments.…”