Video game values: Human–computer interaction and games

TLDR

Current HCI research on video games focuses on interface design but neglects the fact that games create their own activities rather than supporting external tasks. The authors argue that video game values shape player experience, and studying these values provides a holistic view of games as software, media, and games, advancing genuine video game HCI.

Abstract

Current human–computer interaction (HCI) research into video games rarely considers how they are different from other forms of software. This leads to research that, while useful concerning standard issues of interface design, does not address the nature of video games as games specifically. Unlike most software, video games are not made to support external, user-defined tasks, but instead define their own activities for players to engage in. We argue that video games contain systems of values which players perceive and adopt, and which shape the play of the game. A focus on video game values promotes a holistic view of video games as software, media, and as games specifically, which leads to a genuine video game HCI.