Player behavioural modelling has grown from a means to improve the playing strength of computer programs that play classic games (e.g., chess), to a means for impacting the player experience and satisfaction in video games, as well as in cross-domain applications such as interactive storytelling. In this context, player behavioural modelling is concerned with two goals, namely (1) providing an interesting or effective game AI on the basis of player models and (2) creating a basis for game developers to personalise gameplay as a whole, and creating new user-driven game mechanics. In this article, we provide an overview of player behavioural modelling for video games by detailing four distinct approaches, namely (1) modelling player actions, (2) modelling player tactics, (3) modelling player strategies, and (4) player profiling. We conclude the article with an analysis on the applicability of the approaches for the domain of video games.
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When we make games, we have many implicit understandings of what constitutes an interaction from a player and what constitutes their goal for playing; however, in trying to build a method of understanding a simple interaction (such as finding a key to open a gate) numerous limitations of our understanding were revealed. This talk presents Prof. Mata Haggis-Burridge’s and Thomas Buijtenweg’s development of a new model for understanding video games and interactive media: the Journey to Content. The approach looks at core structural elements of digital games and breaks them down into constituents that help us to understand the player, content, gates, and keys. This model presents an unusual and revealing insight into both the structure of existing games and the assumptions that are usually sublimated by creators. Unlike high-level analysis models, such as the MDA Framework and Bartle’s Taxonomy of Players, the Journey to Content model examines the moment-to-moment interactions of players within both the system of the game and their wider societal context. Early application of the concepts from the model have shown that it has practical use for designers, and that it has potential for stimulating new game concepts. The model also has implications for metrics analysis and study/development of interactive systems beyond games. The talk also contains information about four types of ‘immersion’ in video games: systems immersion, spatial immersion, social/empathic immersion, and narrative immersion. It is discussed how these four types can be impacted in a variety of positive and negative ways by an individual change to a game. These four types of immersion are then compared and combined with the Journey To Content model to reveal new research questions.
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This paper explores how the concept of life has been used in video games through time. Life is an essential element in different types of action games and several nuances have been used to provide various types of emotions and effects during gameplay. However, the details and patterns have not been extendedly analyzed. Primarily, we survey works regarding the description and formalization of game analysis with emphasis on works in which the concepts have impact in the arguably accepted notion of life. Multiple examples are provided to show different approaches to the concept of life and the impact of such approaches in overall gameplay, namely in the game difficulty and emotions. The examples are then generalized, resulting in a proposal of framework to describe life representation in games. The proposed framework was evaluated in a user study, having participants with gaming culture (professionals, academics, and students of game development courses). Each participant was assigned with the task of fitting a preselected set of games within the framework. The results indicate good coverage of the main concepts with satisfactory consistency.
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