research-article

Representation and Frequency of Player Choice in Player-Oriented Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Systems

Authors:

Alex MitchellAuthors Info & Claims

CHI PLAY '19: Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play

Pages 589 - 600

https://doi.org/10.1145/3311350.3347165

Published: 17 October 2019 Publication History

Abstract

Dynamic difficulty adjustment (DDA) systems can improve the player experience (PX). Allowing the player to make difficulty adjustment decisions can lead to an improved sense of control. However, we hypothesize that shifting the responsibility for making difficulty adjustment decisions from the computational system to the player may be detrimental to the overall PX. We conducted a controlled experiment, analyzing data from 84 participants, to investigate how (1) the way difficulty choices are presented (integrated into game mechanics or direct control) and (2) the frequency of presenting these choices to the player (once, periodically, or constantly) affects the PX. Our findings show that integrated choices lead to an improved PX along some PX dimensions. Presenting choices once or constantly yields poorer PX compared to presenting choices periodically. The results also demonstrate interaction effects between the two experiment factors, suggesting the need for more deliberate design decisions when designing for difficulty adjustment.

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Cited By

Mortazavi FMoradi HVahabie A(2024)Dynamic difficulty adjustment approaches in video games: a systematic literature reviewMultimedia Tools and Applications10.1007/s11042-024-18768-x83:35(83227-83274)Online publication date: 12-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-024-18768-x
Kruse LKaraosmanoglu SRings SSteinicke F(2022)Evaluating Difficulty Adjustments in a VR Exergame for Younger and Older Adults: Transferabilities and DifferencesProceedings of the 2022 ACM Symposium on Spatial User Interaction10.1145/3565970.3567684(1-11)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3565970.3567684
Zhu ZMitchell AZhang R(2022)Developing Intentional Relationships with Technologies: An Exploratory Study of Players’ Experiences with Built-in Interventions in GamesProceedings of the 2022 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference10.1145/3532106.3533460(745-758)Online publication date: 13-Jun-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3532106.3533460
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Representation and Frequency of Player Choice in Player-Oriented Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Systems
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Human computer interaction (HCI)
    1. Empirical studies in HCI
    2. HCI design and evaluation methods
      1. Laboratory experiments

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cover image ACM Conferences

CHI PLAY '19: Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play

October 2019

680 pages

ISBN:9781450366885

DOI:10.1145/3311350

General Chairs:
Joan Arnedo
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
,
Lennart E. Nacke
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
,
Program Chairs:
Vero Vanden Abeele
KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
,
Phoebe O. Toups Dugas
New Mexico State University, New Mexico, USA

Copyright � 2019 ACM.

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Published: 17 October 2019

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CHI PLAY '19

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CHI PLAY '19: The Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play

October 22 - 25, 2019

Barcelona, Spain

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CHI PLAY '19 Paper Acceptance Rate 51 of 181 submissions, 28%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 421 of 1,386 submissions, 30%

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Cited By

Mortazavi FMoradi HVahabie A(2024)Dynamic difficulty adjustment approaches in video games: a systematic literature reviewMultimedia Tools and Applications10.1007/s11042-024-18768-x83:35(83227-83274)Online publication date: 12-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-024-18768-x
Kruse LKaraosmanoglu SRings SSteinicke F(2022)Evaluating Difficulty Adjustments in a VR Exergame for Younger and Older Adults: Transferabilities and DifferencesProceedings of the 2022 ACM Symposium on Spatial User Interaction10.1145/3565970.3567684(1-11)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3565970.3567684
Zhu ZMitchell AZhang R(2022)Developing Intentional Relationships with Technologies: An Exploratory Study of Players’ Experiences with Built-in Interventions in GamesProceedings of the 2022 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference10.1145/3532106.3533460(745-758)Online publication date: 13-Jun-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3532106.3533460
Moon JChoi YPark TChoi JHong JKim K(2022)Diversifying dynamic difficulty adjustment agent by integrating player state models into Monte-Carlo tree searchExpert Systems with Applications: An International Journal10.1016/j.eswa.2022.117677205:COnline publication date: 1-Nov-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.eswa.2022.117677
Miller JCooper S(2021)Case Studies in Game-Based Complex LearningMultimodal Technologies and Interaction10.3390/mti51200725:12(72)Online publication date: 23-Nov-2021
https://doi.org/10.3390/mti5120072
David Bowman NKeene JNajera CKitamura YQuigley AIsbister KIgarashi TBjørn PDrucker S(2021)Flow Encourages Task Focus, but Frustration Drives Task SwitchingProceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3411764.3445678(1-8)Online publication date: 6-May-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3411764.3445678
Hou XNguyen HRichey JHarpstead EHammer JMcLaren B(2021)Assessing the Effects of Open Models of Learning and Enjoyment in a Digital Learning GameInternational Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education10.1007/s40593-021-00250-632:1(120-150)Online publication date: 13-Apr-2021
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-021-00250-6
Vornhagen JTyack AMekler EMirza-Babaei PMcArthur VVanden Abeele VBirk M(2020)Statistical Significance Testing at CHI PLAY: Challenges and Opportunities for More TransparencyProceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play10.1145/3410404.3414229(4-18)Online publication date: 2-Nov-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3410404.3414229
Camingue JMelcer ECarstensdottir E(2020)A (Visual) Novel Route to Learning: A Taxonomy of Teaching Strategies in Visual NovelsProceedings of the 15th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games10.1145/3402942.3403004(1-13)Online publication date: 15-Sep-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3402942.3403004
Pfau JSmeddinck JMalaka RBernhaupt RMueller FVerweij DAndres JMcGrenere JCockburn AAvellino IGoguey ABj�rn PZhao SSamson BKocielnik R(2020)Enemy Within: Long-term Motivation Effects of Deep Player Behavior Models for Dynamic Difficulty AdjustmentProceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3313831.3376423(1-10)Online publication date: 21-Apr-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3313831.3376423

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