Game analytics for game user research, part 1: a workshop review and case study.

Area of Science:

• Game User Research (GUR)
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Psychology
• Interaction Design
• Media Studies
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Game user research (GUR) is an emerging field examining player-game interactions within the context of play.
• GUR draws upon diverse methodologies from fields like HCI, psychology, and social sciences.
• Existing methods are adapted for various digital game genres, including social, casual, and serious games.

Purpose of the Study:

• To focus on the application of quantitative analytics of in-game behavioral user data within GUR.
• To identify and outline open challenges and future research directions in GUR through workshop insights.
• To demonstrate the practical utility and advantages of game analytics via a collaborative case study.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative analysis of in-game behavioral user data.
• Review of methodologies adapted from human-computer interaction, psychology, and social sciences.
• Case study of a research-industry collaboration in game analytics.

Main Results:

• Emergent use of quantitative game analytics by the GUR community is highlighted.
• Open problems and research gaps in GUR are identified from workshop discussions.
• The case study illustrates the tangible benefits and applications of game analytics.

Conclusions:

• Quantitative game analytics is a valuable and growing toolset for game user research.
• Collaboration between academia and industry is crucial for advancing GUR practices.
• Further research is needed to address identified open problems in game analytics for GUR.