Quantified Play: How Game Statistics Affect the Player
Saarela, Aleksanteri (2021)
Saarela, Aleksanteri
2021
Tietojohtamisen DI-ohjelma - Master's Programme in Information and Knowledge Management
Tekniikan ja luonnontieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2021-05-11
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202104273747
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202104273747
Tiivistelmä
In competitive games there typically exists a “metagame” – an abstraction peripheral to the actual game. In most popular competitive games this metagame is manifested partially by player specific gameplay statistics. Quantified gameplay statistics play a crucial role in competitive videogames with players granting numerical authority to performance measures by interpreting, negotiating, and strategizing based on them. Despite providing decision making support regarding the role, character, or items players choose in-game, granting too great of a numerical authority can result in negative emotional states. Different motivations and needs for playing games have been studied in general and in a competitive context, but what motivates players to use and review gameplay statistics is not researched in depth. This study seeks to address the gameplay statistics related research gap by exploring the underlying motivational components affecting statistics review, the affective effects of statistics review, and the potential perceived gameplay enjoyment impact statistics review might have.
This study draws on self-efficacy and self-determination theories to understand how statistics review might have both positive and negative impact on the player on an emotional level, and how these feelings translate to gameplay enjoyment. This study was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the 237 responses gathered via online survey. The results contribute to the body of literature regarding competitive gaming by proving the needs for competition and mastering of mechanics as important motivational components of statistics review and providing evidence of statistics review having emotional impact on the player. Furthermore, while this study identifies the importance of motivational components in statistics review by proving two motivational factors significant and statistics review having emotional impact, future research is suggested to be conducted on developing improved motivational constructs and better understanding how statistics review is used in-game, and exactly what performance metrics are used.
This study draws on self-efficacy and self-determination theories to understand how statistics review might have both positive and negative impact on the player on an emotional level, and how these feelings translate to gameplay enjoyment. This study was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the 237 responses gathered via online survey. The results contribute to the body of literature regarding competitive gaming by proving the needs for competition and mastering of mechanics as important motivational components of statistics review and providing evidence of statistics review having emotional impact on the player. Furthermore, while this study identifies the importance of motivational components in statistics review by proving two motivational factors significant and statistics review having emotional impact, future research is suggested to be conducted on developing improved motivational constructs and better understanding how statistics review is used in-game, and exactly what performance metrics are used.