CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON VIDEO GAMES

CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON VIDEO GAMES: PLAYERS' PREFERENCES IN NARRATIVE AND GAME-PLAY

by Anita Ching Yi Ngai

A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo

in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of

Master of Applied Science in

Management Sciences

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2005 ? Anita Ngai 2005

I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. Anita Ching Yi Ngai

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ABSTRACT

As an entertainment media, video games provide pleasure and enjoyment through interactions with various game elements. Some games are more successful in one part of the world than others, which sales data have clearly shown over the years. Games designed in various parts of the world often have distinct differences, as developers implicitly or subconsciously convey their values and culture in their creations. Thus, in examining "what is fun," one must move beyond technical aspects of game design and look into immersion and emotional experiences.

In this paper, sales data for 2004 were first examined, followed by a case study to investigate any differences between Japan and the US, where major game console manufacturers and game developers reside. Although they indicated differences in popularity of genres and design approaches, results from the survey were not able to verify conclusively major statistical difference between the two groups of respondents.

The survey was constructed with a focus on narrative and game-play elements, in hopes to get a better understanding of players' preferences through the concept of immersion, which were anticipated to be influenced by cultural differences. Although no major differences were found, given the small sample population, it could be seen that there was a greater sense of character attachment from Japanese respondents, while American respondents did not like to be forced away from their actions by "long" narrative elements.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Olga Vechtomva, for her assistance and guidance throughout this project. Also, I would like to express my appreciation to Professors R. Duimering and R. Sundarraj for being my readers and their valuable comments. A special thanks goes out to all my friends for always lending me a hand when I needed it and the memories we created together. I wish you all the best for your future endeavours. Lastly, my sincere gratitude goes to my family for their support and understanding throughout the years.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Introduction.........................................................................................................1 1.1 Evolution of Console Video Games .............................................................................2 1.1.1 Technological Growth...........................................................................................2 1.1.2 Content Growth ....................................................................................................4 1.2 The Gaming Industry Today ........................................................................................5 1.2.1 Console Makers ....................................................................................................6 1.2.2 Game Publishers...................................................................................................7 1.2.3 Demographics.......................................................................................................8

Chapter 2: Globalization & Culture ....................................................................................10 2.1 Japanese Culture........................................................................................................12 2.2 American Culture ......................................................................................................13 2.3 Japan vs. US ..............................................................................................................14

Chapter 3: Game Characteristics.........................................................................................17 3.1 Game Elements..........................................................................................................17 3.1.1 User Interface .....................................................................................................17 3.1.2 Game Mechanics.................................................................................................18 3.1.3 Game-Play..........................................................................................................18 3.1.4 Narrative ............................................................................................................19 3.2 Genre.........................................................................................................................21

Chapter 4: Emotioneering...................................................................................................23 4.1 Immersion and Emotional Experience........................................................................24 4.2 Immersion and Optical Perspectives ..........................................................................25 4.3 Immersion and Interactivity .......................................................................................28 4.4 Narrative vs. Game-Play............................................................................................29

Chapter 5: Observations ? Markets & Designs....................................................................32 5.1 Hardware and Software Sales ....................................................................................32 5.1.1 Console Makers ? Regional Sales .......................................................................33 5.1.2 Game Publishers and Developers........................................................................34 5.1.3 Discussions .........................................................................................................36 5.2 Case Study.................................................................................................................38 5.2.1 Overview.............................................................................................................40 5.2.2 Narrative ............................................................................................................42 5.2.3 Game-play ..........................................................................................................43 5.2.4 Discussions .........................................................................................................45

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