Biofeedback Sensors in Electronic Games: A Practical Evaluation

Abstract

In the electronic games industry, many ways of testing a new game are used in order to determine some aspects of the game, such as fun, replay value and immersion. One way to evaluate these characteristics is through the use of sensors, more specifically the ones that measure player's biophysiological variables, called biofeedback sensors. The purpose of this study is to perform a practical evaluation of the use of biofeedback sensors, when employed to know the behavior of the player in different genres of games. More precisely, an experiment with three biofeedback sensors (Electrocardiography, Electrodermal Activity Sensor, and Electromyography) was conducted to verify the suitability of these sensors in identifying the player's emotions according to the genre of the game. The results showed that intense emotions, like the ones felt in horror or action games, are more detectable in general, but they are more notable when using the Electrocardiography sensor.