Accounting for Affective Responses in Video Games

Dave JonesOld Dominion University (Norfolk, VA)

University of Southern Indiana (Evansville, IN)

djone111@odu.edu

ACM SIGDOC 2009Indiana UniversityBloomington, IN

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Understanding user/usability problems for games as communication medium

When Jesper Juul met Torben Grodal

New model

Using games to understand more about communication design

The Appetizer…

A “critique of airport security practices” (Persuasive Games, 2006).

“See if you've got what it takes to keep airline travel safe...”

Hello, Mr. Juul (2005)…

Representational and/or semiotic modes.

Operational constraints that configure the interactive space and player abilities.

In other words, how important is a narrative?

…I’d like you to meet Mr. Grodal (2003; 2009)

Perception

Emot

ion

Cog

nitio

n

Motor Action

PECMA flow model

…I’d like you to meet Mr. Grodal (2003; 2009)

Perception

Emot

ion

Cog

nitio

n

Motor Action

PECMA flow model

I think you two have common interests…

A flexible model of the player’s experience synthesizing Juul’s and Grodal’s theories.

FRUSTRATION! (or, “Weaponizing a mouse”)

What do I need to click?

What can I let go?

How much “time” do I have?

How many mistakes have I made?

Do I have everything?

“You may proceed through.”

“What do you want to do?”

The rippling effect of competing resonances as communication is foreshortened.

To do list

Re-examine user “experience” underneath interaction

“Meaning” from/through interactive experiences

“Task” can be more than a process.