How can we improve the quality of single-player video games? What if we increase the number of collectible items? What if we add more locations and areas for the player to explore? Although these are subjectively good ideas, how can we objectively analyze what determines a player’s interest in the focus of the video game? A game like the Telltale Series might focus more on plot, whereas a game like The Legend of Zelda would have more of on an explorative narrative.
The discussed study in the article analyzes a player’s actions and decisions in a single-player game utilizing eye-tracking software in order to determine what interfaces impact a player’s decision the most. The researchers correlated each of the player’s decisions as an edge between nodes of a graph. The graph was set up with each set of nodes grouped into categories like: Plot, Characters, Locations, Items, etc. (As seen below).
By correlating the edges of the graph to the player’s decisions, one can analyze the number of edges between the plot and the other categories in order to determine what advances a player’s desire to follow a plot. In the above case, it would seem as though it is the characters. If we consider categories to be network communities, we can analyze the weak ties that connect different networks in order to determine what aspects of the video game tie into the player’s decisions, and can be used as a tool for testing story lines and analyzing a player’s strategies. For example if we realized that components of an item encouraged players to explore new locations, we would see more edges between those item pieces and the locations the player explores in order to uncover them. This approach allows for an objective way to improve the quality of single-player video games. Game developers have more control over what actions the players will take in order for a more realistic and interactive progression of the game, all through an analysis of their in-game decisions.