Mark Rice, Ranieri Yung Ing Koh, Jamie Ng, Investigating gesture-based avatar game representations in teenagers, younger and older adults, Entertainment Computing, Volume 12, January 2016, Pages 40-50, ISSN 1875-9521, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2015.10.004.
Abstract:
In game design, avatars are an important means of representing behavioural traits of the player.
Designers are often faced with decisions on how the avatar’s appearance may affect the game experience.
Despite this, relatively little is known about how age influences self-representation in gesture-based
avatars. In this paper, we present the findings of 54 mixed-age participants (i.e. teenagers, younger adults
and older adults), who were asked to compare the design of three different avatar-types (i.e. cartoon,
humanoid and silhouette). Comprising of a post-game questionnaire and individual semi-structured
interviews, participants were asked to rank avatar preferences, and were questioned on their perceptions
towards age representation. Our results show that there were significant group differences in the
identification and awareness of visual features in the avatars for those below the age of 30, compared
to those above 55 years old. This included variations in attention to detail and behavioural representation.
The paper concludes by reflecting on game design challenges for these target groups, and recommends
further avenues of pursuit.