August 06, 2019

Stefan Brückner

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As with other media, the way players experience, interpret and evaluate digital games is inextricably linked to their cultural backgrounds. However, the “current research gap in comparative game studies” (Elmezeny and Wimmer 2018, 81) severely limits out ability to make assertions on the exact nature of these differences across cultures. This dissertation project aims to contribute towards closing this research gap, by realizing an empirically grounded comparative research design, focused on a computer assisted mixed-method analysis of German and Japanese online user reviews and an analysis of player data, gathered through the use of think-aloud-protocol (TAP) in supervised play sessions of 6 German and Japanese players.

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2019 International Conference of the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA'19), Doctoral Consortium, Kyoto Japan, August 6-10, 2019, http://www.digra2019.org

August 05, 2019

Stefan Brückner, Shuichi Kurabayashi, Yukiko Sato and Ikumi Waragai

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So called “loot boxes” continue to be a highly controversial topic among the gaming press, player communities and in wider public discourses. The growing debate about loot boxes has also contributed towards a rise in academic interest. However, to facilitate a fruitful debate on this contentious topic, a clear definition of what we talk about, when we talk about loot boxes becomes necessary. Whether they are implemented as a means of monetization or not, the aim of this project is to establish an empirically grounded taxonomy of monetized random reward mechanisms, by comparing how they are implemented in different games on different platforms.

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2019 International Conference of the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA'19), 4 pages, Kyoto Japan, August 6-10, 2019, http://www.digra2019.org

July 24, 2018

Stefan Brückner, Yukiko Sato, Shuichi Kurabayashi, and Ikumi Waragai

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In this paper we present the first results of an ongoing research project, focused on examining the European reception of Japanese video games, and comparing it with the reception in Japan. We hope to contribute towards a better understanding of how players’ perception and evaluation of a game are influenced by their cultural background. Applying a grounded theory approach, we conducted a qualitative content analysis of articles from German video game websites, user comments, written in response to these articles, as well as Japanese and German user reviews from the respective Amazon online stores and Steam. Focusing on the reception of three Japanese RPGs, our findings show that considerable differences exist in how various elements of the games are perceived. We also briefly discuss certain lexical differences in the way players write about games, indicating fundamental differences in how Japanese and German players talk (and think) about games.

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2018 International Conference of the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA'18), Turin, Italy, 25-28 July, 2018, http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/exploring-cultural-differences-in-game-reception-jrpgs-in-germany-and-japan/.

December 19, 2017

Stefan Brückner, Yukiko Sato, Shuichi Kurabayashi, and Ikumi Waragai

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The management of personal consumer information by corporate entities is a politically and socially sensitive subject. This paper examines how personal information is handled by mobile game developers and displayed inside mobile games. 38 mobile games from 29 developers were examined, chosen based on their popularity as expressed by the rankings in the Google Play store. An investigation was made into the type of information that is required during the registration process, what information is optional, and what information is finally displayed in the game and to whom. In a second step, the privacy policies of the 29 mobile game developers were compared, examining them for differences in content. Lastly, the reaction of game developers to written requests for information disclosure and deletion was investigated. Results suggest that how personal information is displayed in-game is largely dependent on the game genre. Privacy policies, while following the same template, differ in how detailed they are held. Lastly, replies to inquiries about information and requests for deletion varied greatly and sometimes were at odds with a company’s privacy policy. This investigation indicates the necessity of accumulating and sharing know-how and best practices for the design of privacy policies and the proper handling of personal information.

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Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology (ACE 2017), pages 415-429, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 10714. Springer, Cham, 2017, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76270-8_29.