Engaging Gameplay in Theory and Practice: A Study of Engaging Gameplay and Practical Application through Iterative User Centered Design

Asp, Stefan Erik ; Møller, Michael Labovic ; Nilsson, Niels Christian ; Skaarup, David

4. term

Medialogy, Master

2010

2010-05-28

297 pages

The work documented throughout this thesis was motivated by the aspiration of inciting otherwise unmotivated individuals, in need of ankle rehabilitation, to perform the necessary proprioceptive exercises by leveraging games’ potential as a source of intrinsic motivation. The first part of the thesis presents a discussion of the concepts gameplay, immersion, flow and engagement leading to the conclusion that the experience of engagement is symptomatic to good gameplay. That is, the player experiences a will and continued commitment to the act of playing. The second part details a comprehensive discussion of the concept engaging gameplay, which led to the creation of a gameplay model describing the features inherent to both player and game that may make or break the experiences of engagement. Moreover, this part introduces user centred design as suitable approach when aspiring to create a game that facilitates engaging gameplay. The following part describes the design and implementation of the prototype, which was informed by the gameplay model and performed in accordance with the principles of user centred design. The subsequent part describes the two performed tests, that is, an evaluation by an expert on ankle rehabilitation and a quantitative test performed on 40 individuals by means of a self-reported measure of engagement. Finally, the results and the process as a whole are discussed with the conclusion that the prototype did ensure correct proprioceptive ankle training and facilitated the experience of engagement on behalf of the majority of the test participants.

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