Video game as a research tool. Video games expert assessments

Ponomareva Ekaterina ORCID: 0000-0002-1899-9807 Postgraduate student, Department of Legal Psychology and Law, Faculty of Legal Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology & Education 127051, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Sretenka str., 29 esp_st@mail.ru

Acknowledgements: The author thanks A. S. Kazakov, Head of the Game Design department at the HSE School of Design, as well as students of the HSE School of Design and K. O. Grabovsky for their help in organizing expert evaluations of video games.

Introduction

The focus of this article is on the specifics of the design of research on the psychological aspect of interaction with video games. It is necessary to note the fact of the development of the video game industry, and its close connection with technological progress, which largely determines its economic importance ^[1]. Within the framework of philosophical consideration, technological progress is characterized by a constant acceleration, which is reflected in a gradual decrease in the time intervals between information revolutions — moments of qualitative restructuring of society. This point of view seems to be common despite the independence of the development of relevant concepts ^{[2; 3]}. For example, V. I. Arshinov identifies 6 information revolutions in the history of the development of society, due to changes in the quality of connections between the elements of the social system and their reorganization ^[2]. And A. I. Rakitov ^[3] emphasizes that information revolutions go parallel with technological ones, he points out the importance of the role of information in the direction of technology development and the role of the latter in the speed and quality of information circulation.

The latest information revolution is characterized by the advent of the Internet and the popularization of technical devices, which is illustrated by data from the analytical platform "DataReportal". So, as of January 2023, 5.16 billion people (64.4%) have access to the Internet, and this number is increasing every year. The widespread availability of mobile devices (5.44 billion unique users), according to experts of the platform, contributes to increasing the availability of digital technologies and reflects this process ^[4].

The dynamics of the prevalence of video games is illustrated by data from the FinancesOnline analytical platform. The number of video game users in the world is increasing every year. In 2023, according to forecasts, their number will amount to 3.07 billion ^[5]. It should be noted that technological progress is one of the fundamental characteristics that determine the use of video games and the possibilities of their development. This point is emphasized by game designer J. Shell. Among other things, he suggests that some modern video games characterize one of the initial stages of the realization of the possibility of modeling worlds as a means of predicting the development of society ^[6]. This allows us to point out not only the relevance of video game research, but also to take into account their possible rapid changes over time, as well as the features of interaction with them.

As an example, it is worth mentioning one of the rather urgent problems at the moment — the connection between video game addiction and aggression. It should be noted that earlier (in the period from 2011 to 2015) in the media space there was an exaggeration of the role of video games in the process of the emergence of aggressive trends. Within the framework of the relevant discussions, this made it possible to broadcast a significantly simplified (without sufficient grounds) point of view on the connection under consideration ^[7]. This position is also reflected in media publications ^{[8; 9]}. The analysis of scientific research reveals the continuing inconsistency of the conclusions obtained by various authors. At the same time, the problem of resolving this contradiction is becoming increasingly important. In particular, the focus is on theoretical and methodological issues and the problem of choosing the correct methods for collecting empirical data ^[10]. It seems that in this context, the following trends in the development of research design are significant:

· A video game session, considered as an integral variable and assuming the occurrence of certain effects ^[10]. Within this variable, there are significant factors that enhance aggressive tendencies ^{[11; 12]}.

· The fact of achieving the goal (one of the parameters of the video game, set by the mechanics — rules), as well as a possible characteristic of the video game derived from it — competitiveness ^[13].

Given these features of video game research, it is necessary to emphasize a number of points.

Firstly, considering a video game as a representative model of real space, and its extension to the real environment of observed phenomena (including user behavior) is not entirely correct. It is necessary to take into account the psychological characteristics of gaming activity. With regard to this point, it is advisable to mention such a feature of it, highlighted by G. G. Kravtsov and E. E. Kravtsova, as the presence of an imaginary situation in which game objects have a different subjective meaning compared to similar objects of real reality. This is most clearly seen in the games of preschoolers, in which imagination occupies a fundamental position. At the same time, it is emphasized that for games according to the rules, in which the mechanics are set, and game objects can have a visual embodiment, an imaginary situation is also relevant. It seems that video games also belong to the category of games according to the rules ^[14], which is reflected in the judgment of game designers about the endogenous value of game objects, the importance of which is high in the video game space, but absent in real space.

Secondly, the role of the frustration factor of the need to feel competent, motivating the achievement of a game goal, in the emergence of aggressive tendencies in the real environment actualizes the question of the possibility of characterizing a specific activity as a game. The authors (A. A. Maksimov, A. N. Leontiev, S. L. Rubinstein), describing the specifics of gaming activity, especially highlight its motivational component. This is a focus on the process, not on the final result and its significance for practice ^{[14; 15]}. It is permissible to explain that the actions that make up practical activity may not have independent significance for a person (their commission is dictated by necessity), while the subjective importance of game actions is of a direct nature ^[16]. Note that in games by the rules and video games, the game goal is meant as an element of mechanics (rules), but it does not exist as a necessary result to achieve, but as a factor guiding the person playing. In particular, this is emphasized by J. Shell, noting that an unclear goal, being a poor guideline, contributes to a decrease in interest in the game.

Thus, the issue of in-depth consideration of the specifics of activities in video games seems relevant. It comes to the fore when solving problems related to the analysis of individual psychological characteristics, including deviant behavior. In particular, it can be noted the study of the characteristics of video game addiction as a risk factor or a source of development, which is important in the development of comprehensive preventive and rehabilitation programs, as well as for the disclosure of the psychodiagnostic potential of video games.

The second set of tasks concerns the development of methods for the correct psychological examination of video games and assigning them an age rating. In turn, this requires not only evaluating perceived game objects and events, but also taking into account the specifics of user interaction with video game content, as well as rethinking it within the framework of gaming activities.

Accordingly, if the gameplay is chosen as a variable during the development of the research design, then the need for its sufficiently complete meaningful characteristics as an external aspect of the course of gaming activity comes to the fore. Therefore, choosing the most appropriate platform (a specific video game) to solve this problem is presented as a problem requiring the application of special knowledge in the field of game design. Taking into account that any video game is a separate system that differs from reality, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of its structure and the interaction of its elements. Without the participation of specialists, it is difficult to build a study and correctly correlate game actions with their psychological side. Additionally, in order to solve this problem, the presence of gaming experience is welcome, as well as wide awareness in the field of video games.

The purpose of the article is to describe a possible algorithm for developing video game search criteria that allows effective monitoring of the gameplay, and the subsequent selection of a platform that meets these criteria.

Gaming activities in video games

Following N. Esposito, the video game in this article is defined as "a game which we play thanks to an audiovisual apparatus and which can be based on a story" ("a game in which gaming activity is mediated by audiovisual equipment, and which can be based on history" [Cit. according to: 10]). We emphasize that the game denotes a structural component or mechanics (rules), while the game activity (play) is considered as movement within the structure, that is, the behavior of the player in accordance with the rules.

It seems appropriate to note the key points that game designers highlight in the context of video game development.

The first one is the structure of a video game. The authors give different versions of their vision of the structure. For example, J. Shell offers a four—component model (technology — mechanics and history — aesthetics) ^[6], and R. Hunicke offers a three-component model (mechanics — dynamics — aesthetics) ^[17]. The common point is that both models assume a difference in the points of view of game designers and users on the video game. For a game designer, mechanics becomes the main component, as he designs the rules and architecture of a video game. For the user, the most obvious component becomes the most obvious — aesthetics. Mechanics from this position manifests itself indirectly: through narrative, interface elements (including physical ones), changes in the video game space and interaction with it ^{[6; 17]}.

The second key point is the experience of the player, since the purpose of creating a video game is to try to provide an experience. It is important to note that the experience of different people who perceive media products with a linear presentation of information (for example, books or films) is not the same due to the individual characteristics of its mental processing ^{[6; 16]}. This aspect is superimposed on the non-linear nature of the narrative in video games, since the user has the opportunity to influence the game space, thereby changing the information received more strongly or changing the semantic accents originally set by the developers. Thus, the unpredictability and increased individualization of the gaming experience are especially emphasized ^[6].

Therefore, it seems advisable to pay attention to the features of gaming activity when developing the design of the study. Summing up the above, it should be noted that it is mediated by game rules and, accordingly, dependent on game mechanics, on the one hand. This characterizes its externally observable aspect — behavior. On the other hand, it should be emphasized that the concept of "gaming activity" has a pronounced psychological component. Therefore, within the framework of the article it is necessary to disclose this aspect, as well as to trace the connection of gaming activity with gaming experience.

Based on the point of view of G. G. Kravtsov and E. E. Kravtsova, we note that the defining characteristic of gaming activity is two-positionality, or two-subjectivity. This is the ability of a person to hold 2 positions simultaneously: inside a game situation (as an element of the game space that obeys the rules) and outside a game situation (as a playing person who is in real space — a position external to the game and himself in it). In turn, this implies significantly higher possibilities of its control and reflection. The ambiguity makes it possible to distinguish the game as a separate controlled system against the background of a real situation, to separate the real and game situations, and also to emphasize the subordinate nature of the game, dependent on the subject ^[18].

G. G. Kravtsov and E. E. Kravtsova analyze other features of the game (toy, imaginary situation, playing role), which are also highlighted in various works as fundamental criteria. The critical point is that these features are not sufficient to characterize gaming activity, and need an appropriate context ^[18]. J. Shell, considering the game from the technical side, gives a similar point of view, noting among the key features of the game its endogenous value (the importance of the components of the game only in its context) ^[6]. Thus, summarizing the authors' points of view, we emphasize that toys are determined by the mechanics of the game as a means, an imaginary situation as a game space, and a role as involvement in the gameplay as an element of the system (note that this quality is broader than the role, considered, as a rule, in the context of a story-role-playing game). In particular, it is necessary to note the differences in the meanings of the same objects in relation to gaming and real situations (this is most clearly seen in the process of rethinking objects at the early stages of the development of gaming activity, when the game, as a system, is as flexible as possible, and the game rules are implicit).

Methods

The observation of any activity involves the creation of categorical grids for sorting and subsequent generalization of observed facts ^[19]. In this regard, the gameplay is convenient for analysis, since the video game, being a system in which the user is embedded as one of the elements, imposes certain restrictions on it, narrowing and organizing the list of available actions. This makes it possible to simplify their classification and minimize the number of available errors in its process. On the other hand, a video game should allow you to implement different tactics to achieve the goal set in it, so that it is possible to differentiate game styles.

In order to choose a computer game in which it would be possible to observe as effectively as possible, it is necessary to understand the features of its architecture and the changes in the relationships between its elements in the dynamics of the gameplay. For this purpose, the method of expert assessments was applied. Within the framework of the implementation of this method, respondents should be people who are sufficiently informed in order to provide an adequate assessment of the issue under consideration. This is achieved by attracting competent people with special knowledge and a broad outlook in the field to which the subject of expert assessments belongs ^{[20; 21; 22]}. It was decided to involve people professionally involved in the development of video games — game designers, as this group of specialists develops a system of game rules and has sufficient experience in the following aspects related to the creation of video games ^{[6; 23]}:

1. the ability to navigate the specifics of the game mechanics (rules) and their interaction; correlation of game mechanics with the narrative and aesthetic component of a video game ^[6].

2. awareness of the widest possible number of video games belonging to different genres ^[23]; the ability to analyze them, considering them as systems functioning in accordance with the inherent mechanics ^{[6; 23]}.

The search for experts was carried out on the basis of the Higher School of Economics among students in the specialties 54.03.01 and 54.04.01 "Design" ^{[24; 25]}, in the profiles "Game Design" and "System game Design". These areas implement generalized professional functions that allow you to define criteria for selecting a video game for use as a research tool, such as:

1. Designing complex user interfaces ^[24].

2. Analysis of software products for compliance with user tasks ^[24].

3. Identification of possible options for interface solutions, in the best way ^[24].

The considered professional functions correspond to the above-mentioned aspects of the game designer's activity and suggest the expediency of involving the group of respondents in question as experts.

The total number of experts studying at the Higher School of Economics was 14 people (12 receive a specialty on 03/04/2011 (bachelor's degree) ^[24] and 2 receive a specialty on 04/04/2011 (master's degree) ^[25]).

Additional significant characteristics of the sample of experts are the presence of work experience in 35.7% of respondents from six months to 3 years, as well as the proximity of experts in age to the age group that is supposed to be studied in the future (the selected video game will be used to capture the features of the gameplay implemented by respondents, correlate them with the specifics of the implementation of gaming activities and individually-psychological characteristics of the respondents).

In addition, an expert consultant who does not belong to the specified organization, but has more than 12 years of experience in the field of video game development, took part.

Further, Table 1 shows the stages of expert assessments, as well as the main parameters under which it was implemented.

Table 1

The stages of developing criteria and selecting a video game based on them by the method of expert assessments

Let's look at the presented stages in more detail.

The preparatory stage of the expert assessments was aimed at developing criteria for the selection and evaluation of video games, optimizing the procedure for collecting data characterizing the opinion of experts.

The following conditions have been identified to ensure the ability to correctly organize the observation of the gameplay of different users and identify its features:

· the presence of a single-player mode in the video game;

· the ability to run a video game on a personal computer;

· the ability to achieve the goal of the game in various ways and using a variety of tactics;

· The ability to identify informative categories within the video game to classify user actions.

These conditions are important from the point of view of designing a study regarding the organization of empirical data collection, but they do not sufficiently take into account the systemic nature of the video game. Accordingly, a list of criteria for the selection and evaluation of a video game was also developed (Table. 2) with the involvement of an expert consultant, implying consideration of the structural and dynamic features of video games.

The first stage of the expert assessments was aimed at prioritizing each of the criteria relative to the others in the selection and evaluation of video games.

As part of the current stage, experts had to evaluate each criterion formulated at the preparatory stage on a seven-point scale in terms of how important it is for selecting the optimal platform that allows the most qualitative monitoring of the external side of gaming activities.

In order to obtain consistent information from experts, their interaction was organized using the Delphi method, which allows respondents to remain anonymous and take into account opinions that differ from the majority ^{[21; 22]}.

The conclusion about the level of consistency of expert assessments was made based on the calculation of the concordance coefficient (W) ^{[20; 26; 27; 28]}:

,

where

,

but

.

Accordingly, m is the number of experts; n is the number of ranks; xij is the rank assigned by a particular expert to a certain criterion; tj is the number of duplicate ranks in the list of ratings of a particular expert.

Before calculating the concordance coefficient, the criteria were ranked based on expert assessments. The statistical significance of the obtained coefficient value was evaluated according to the criterion ? 2 ^{[27; 28]}:

.

Therefore,

.

According to the results of the 1st stage, the priority of each criterion relative to the others was revealed. This is reflected in Table 2.

Table 2

Ranking of criteria and calculation of their specific weights

The concordance coefficient (W) was 0.74. Its significance level is p<0.01 (? 2=57.86).

The second stage was aimed at identifying video games that meet the formulated criteria.

Thus, each expert needs to provide a list of video games that most accurately meet the criteria, or partially meet them, taking into account the priority of each criterion.

According to the results of the stage, a general list of 48 computer games was obtained. Some of them have been noted several times by various experts. They are presented below:

1. Baldur's Gate 3 (was mentioned 3 times).

2. Disco Elysium (was mentioned 2 times).

3. Minecraft (was mentioned 3 times).

4. Fallout 2 (was mentioned 2 times).

These computer games were offered to be evaluated by experts at the final stage.

The third stage. The purpose of the current stage is to identify among the selected computer games that most accurately meets the formulated criteria, taking into account the specific weight of each of them.

The task of the experts was to individually assess the degree of compliance of video games with each of the criteria. Further, by summing up the scores of each criterion, generalized scores of each video game were identified for them, adjusted for the specific weights of the criteria. After that, integral video game scores were derived by summing the generalized scores for each criterion.

According to the results of the 3rd stage, computer games received the following ratings:

1. Baldur's Gate 3 (16,323).

2. Disco Elysium (18,043).

3. Minecraft (20,143).

4. Fallout 2 (17,557).

Thus, the most complete criteria for choosing a video game for conducting research, taking into account their priority, corresponds to "Minecraft". Additionally, experts noted that it is possible to create custom modifications for this computer game, or use existing ones. From the point of view of the study, this will allow for a more fine-tuning of the conditions for collecting empirical data on the specifics of the implementation of the gameplay by respondents.

The results of expert assessments and their discussion

First of all, it is necessary to give a description of the video game "Minecraft":

· Interaction with the video game space takes place through an avatar controlled by the user.

· The game space is three—dimensional, represented by cubic blocks that can be destroyed or installed in certain places. Video game mechanics also make it possible to obtain in-game resources in this way, which are later used to create artificial objects, some of which can be placed in the game space, including the possibility of their practical application. The other part of the created objects is used as tools.

· There are mobile objects (non-player characters) in the game space that you can interact with: fight hostile characters, trade with neutral ones, tame neutral animal characters, etc.

· There are 2 main modes in the video game: survival (the need to monitor the parameters of the avatar; partial limited resources; the requirement to use guns in certain cases) and creative (the ability to move freely along all axes of three-dimensional space; unlimited resources).

· It is possible to play online, with other users, or in an individual format.

· User-created modifications are available for the video game, making changes to the mechanics.

Starting from the definition of N. Esposito's video game, we will highlight 2 important components: "game" (the game as a system — its mechanics) and "play" (the degree of freedom realized by the user within the framework of mechanics) ^[29].

Let's pay attention to the fact that in a psychological sense, the "rules" of the game are a broader concept than "mechanics". They come to the fore in games according to the rules ^[18] (for example, in board games), directly dictating the specifics of the interaction of the players in the system. In this case, the rules characterize the mechanics of the game. The rules of figurative, plot-role-playing, director's games are mediated by the plot, and accordingly, in addition to mechanics, they implicitly characterize the narrative and contextual components, which can be quite easily reinterpreted and changed by the players.

We emphasize that the above types of games, together with the peculiarities of the implementation of the rules in them, are embodied in a developed director's game, characterizing the completion of the formation of gaming activity ^[18]. It, as well as games by the rules, include video games. It is important to make an adjustment to the fact that in video games the ratio of explicit and implicit rules changes in favor of the latter, since all the mechanics are implemented automatically, and players do not need to track them. As a result, some of the rules (mechanics) may not be realized.

Thus, gaming activity is presumably realized in Minecraft, on the one hand, through the perception of the context (plot) and attitude towards it. The specifics of the implementation of the rules depend on the possible plot that the user develops, and on the specifics of the imaginary situation as a whole (meaning a conditional plan, according to which the player can imagine the occurrence of certain events that are not reflected in the observed gameplay or space. Note that this may be applicable to games based on rules with restrictions).

On the other hand, the implementation of gaming activities is possible through the perception of game rules and attitude towards them. For example, a player can perform actions of an emphatically instrumental nature, giving them a specific meaning that does not correspond to the same in real reality. At the same time, the rules can be more flexible if the user has a certain degree of freedom (the ability to switch between modes; search, create and install modifications; enter their own rules that are not provided for by mechanics).

Presumably, this should manifest itself in the differences between the tactics chosen by users. Compared to other evaluated video games, Minecraft did not receive high scores in terms of a large variability of tactics. But higher values characterizing the ability to organize a short game session and fine-tune the start parameters are likely to allow these differences to manifest themselves quickly enough in conditions as identical as possible for each subject, and this is important for optimal alignment of the empirical data collection process.

Additionally, it is necessary to comment on the presence of an avatar in a computer game, since it implies taking on a game role. It seems that this will simplify the differentiation of positions inside and outside the game, both within the framework of the organization of the study and from the point of view of the subjects.

Limitations of the study

The limitation of the expert assessments carried out was the small sample of specialists who took part in the 2nd and 3rd stages, as well as the small experience of most experts in the field of game design. These factors could have distorted the results. In addition, the small sample size limits the possibility of using statistical data processing methods, and, accordingly, their sufficiently in-depth analysis.

Additionally, it should be noted that it is difficult to find experts in the field of game design to participate in psychological research. The possible solutions to this problem are the involvement of foreign specialists, or the inclusion of additional motivators in the list of conditions for participation (monetary remuneration; provision of keys to activate video games; development of useful recommendations, from the point of view of game designers, to improve the quality of video games created).

Conclusions

Thus, we summarize the following results of the expert assessments described in this article:

1. A list of criteria has been developed that allows you to select and evaluate the game as a psychodiagnostic tool from the technical side.

2. As part of the expert assessments, the respondents identified the computer game "Minecraft", as well as "Disco Elysium", "Fallout 2" and "Baldur's Gate 3".

Such components of a video game (and, in particular, the computer game "Minecraft") as mechanics, aesthetics and narrative enable the user to rethink their gaming activities through:

· bringing the rules to the fore and focusing on them more;

· an existing or independently set plot context.

The computer game "Minecraft" obtained as a result of expert assessments is planned to be used as part of further research as a tool for collecting empirical data on the gameplay. The basic functions implemented in the video game, as well as the possibility of its modification, will allow you to flexibly customize the game space and make the process of observing the subjects as effective as possible. It seems advisable to consider the features of gaming activity, in particular, these forms, as an intermediary parameter for analyzing the implementation of the gameplay in connection with individual psychological characteristics. In particular, it is important to consider practical issues involving the possibility of using video games as a resource for compiling psychodiagnostic, psychocorrective and developmental programs, as well as developing methods for conducting psychological examinations of video games aimed at obtaining a reasonable and comprehensive assessment.

In conclusion, we emphasize that the use of self-reporting and observation methods as independent ones does not seem to be informative enough. They must be considered as complementary due to the fact that, on the one hand, it allows you to position the user as a subject of the gameplay and explore the gameplay being built as an interaction with the game space. On the other hand, this approach implies taking into account the peculiarities of the user's perception of the game situation and himself in it.