1 Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
2 Research Foundation Flanders, Brussels, Belgium.
Games Health J. 2019 Jun;8(3):195-204. doi: 10.1089/g4h.2017.0178. Epub 2018 Nov 9.
The aim of this study was to investigate which narrative elements of digital game narratives are preferred by the general adolescent population, and to examine associations with gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and gameplay frequency. Further, the study aims to discuss how results can be translated to serious digital games. Adolescents were recruited through school to complete a survey on narrative preferences in digital games. The survey included questions on sociodemographic information, frequency of gameplay, and an open-ended question on what could be an appealing narrative for them. Data were analyzed in a mixed-methods approach, using thematic analysis and chi-square analyses to determine narrative preferences and the associations between game narrative elements and player characteristics (gender, SES, and frequency of gameplay). The sample consisted of 446 adolescents (12-15 years old) who described 30 narrative subthemes. Preferences included human characters as protagonists; nonhuman characters only as antagonists; realistic settings, such as public places or cities; and a strong conflict surrounding crime, catastrophe, or war. Girls more often than boys defined characters by their age, included avatars, located the narrative in private places, developed profession-related skills, and included a positive atmosphere. Adolescents of nonacademic education more often than adolescents of academic education defined characters by criminal actions. Infrequent players more often included human characters defined by their age than frequent players. After performing a Bonferroni correction, narrative preferences for several gender differences remained. Different narrative elements related to subgroups of adolescents by gender, SES, and frequency of gameplay. Customization of narratives in serious digital health games should be warranted for boys and girls; yet, further research is needed to specify how to address girls in particular.
本研究旨在调查数字游戏叙事中的哪些叙述元素受到青少年群体的喜爱，并探讨性别、社会经济地位（SES）和游戏频率与这些元素的关联。此外，本研究还旨在讨论如何将研究结果应用于严肃类数字游戏。研究通过学校招募青少年完成一份关于数字游戏叙事偏好的调查问卷。该问卷包含了一些关于社会人口统计学信息、游戏频率的问题，以及一个开放式问题，询问他们认为什么样的叙事可能具有吸引力。研究采用混合方法进行数据分析，使用主题分析和卡方分析来确定叙事偏好以及游戏叙事元素与玩家特征（性别、SES 和游戏频率）之间的关联。样本由 446 名青少年（12-15 岁）组成，他们描述了 30 个叙事子主题。偏好包括以人类角色为主角；非人类角色仅作为反派；以现实场景，如公共场所或城市为背景；以及围绕犯罪、灾难或战争的强烈冲突。女孩比男孩更经常通过年龄来定义角色，包括头像，将叙事设定在私人场所，发展与职业相关的技能，并营造积极的氛围。非学术教育背景的青少年比学术教育背景的青少年更经常通过犯罪行为来定义角色。不频繁玩游戏的青少年比频繁玩游戏的青少年更经常包括通过年龄来定义的人类角色。在进行了 Bonferroni 校正后，仍然存在一些与性别差异相关的叙事偏好。不同的叙事元素与性别、SES 和游戏频率的青少年亚组相关。严肃类数字健康游戏的叙事应该针对男孩和女孩进行定制；然而，需要进一步的研究来具体说明如何特别针对女孩。
