Validating Game Design with Game Analytics in a Location-based Game
Henriksson, Johannes (2018-12-20)
Validating Game Design with Game Analytics in a Location-based Game
(20.12.2018)
Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.
avoin
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on:
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2018122151600
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2018122151600
Tiivistelmä
Game analytics has grown from a trend to a norm in almost all types of games, and with the availability of tools and information, leveraging benefits has never been easier. Additionally, mobile location-based games are a great platform for applying game analytics due to location information being bound to almost every facet of such games, thus enabling developers to understand where and how their games are played.
This thesis is based on a research project at the University of Turku, of which a part was to create a pirate-themed location-based mobile game. The game was then studied in terms of how it was played with the help of telemetry data from the game. In this thesis, the player data is used to find out how the game's design can be validated in terms of healthiness and whether a game's design can have a positive influence on a player's health.
The player data was plotted as routes for each individual player, and then inspected for different kinds of behaviour. Players were found out to play in different kinds of areas, and play during or after riding a vehicle, and play the game on the same routes repeatedly. Physical activity of players can be increased by making walking between locations a requirement, but the game mechanics have to be interesting enough, as the novelty of walking in itself is not sufficient. Ultimately, players were shown to increase their physical activity by playing the game, which meant travelling between objectives.
This thesis is based on a research project at the University of Turku, of which a part was to create a pirate-themed location-based mobile game. The game was then studied in terms of how it was played with the help of telemetry data from the game. In this thesis, the player data is used to find out how the game's design can be validated in terms of healthiness and whether a game's design can have a positive influence on a player's health.
The player data was plotted as routes for each individual player, and then inspected for different kinds of behaviour. Players were found out to play in different kinds of areas, and play during or after riding a vehicle, and play the game on the same routes repeatedly. Physical activity of players can be increased by making walking between locations a requirement, but the game mechanics have to be interesting enough, as the novelty of walking in itself is not sufficient. Ultimately, players were shown to increase their physical activity by playing the game, which meant travelling between objectives.