Heavy Rain

Cultural Differences in Game Appreciation:A Study of Player Game ReviewsJose P. Zagal & Noriko Tomuro

DePaul UniversityChicago, USA Broader Research AgendaWhat can we learn from games by studying how people write about games?

How do game reviews shape our understanding of games?What do people from different cultures appreciate in videogames?What, if any, are the fundamental elements of games that affect their reception in different cultures?

Data CollectionReviews for games released in 2009

RequirementsReleased in both US and JapanNeeded professional review scoresNeeded user-submitted reviews

Data CollectionMetacriticInfluentialGamespot.comPopular /InfluentialMany user reviewsFamitsu.com ()Popular/InfluentialGameworld ()Most user reviews

Data CollectionGames with same title but different platforms counted separately(e.g. Tekken 6 for the PS3 and Xbox 360).

MethodsSimple statistical tools

Natural language processing techniques

Natural Language Processing (NLP)Automatically analyze human languagesUseful for analyzing and extracting information from a large amount of text

NLanalysisSo what is real NLP?

NLP is a formal study which attempts to analyze human languages automatically, in the right way using linguistics.

There have been many NLP techniques developed, and they are useful for analyzing and extracting information from a large amount of text.

10Findingsmostly a journey through different questions we asked.Review ScoresInter-culture correlations highestStill strong (positive) across cultures

Platform Bias?No evidence of platform biasE.g. Japanese users dont hate Xbox360 games

Yoge () or Foreign GamesOften used pejorativelyVery loose definition

Yoge or not?When was it released in Japan?Developed by a Japanese company?IP associated with Japanese popular culture?From a traditionally Japanese franchise?Yoge () or Foreign Games No significant differencesMore on this later!

Caveat:Classifying as yoge/not yoge is squishySuper Punchout!!! (Wii) -> Yoge?Just Dance (Wii) -> Yoge?

Cross TabulationNarrow our focus

Find oppositesExamine specific games

Hated in US but loved in Japan?Hated in Japan but loved in US?

Cross-Tabulation of Gamesby User Review Scores

Close ExaminationBroadly SpeakingPlayers in both groups praise/hate similar kinds of issues

Japanese players seem more sensitive to :technical issues (e.g. bugs, lag in online play)translation/localization (e.g. typos, low quality voice actors)

Are US players more accepting of technical issues?E.g. Glitching as a fun part of gamer cultureFrequent Words (and Affect)In positive reviews, what words are used more frequently?

In negative reviews, what words are used more frequently?

Gamespot ReviewsBased on review scoreE.g. Above 8 on Gamespot = Positive

Gameworld ReviewsBased on Good/Bad section of Review Frequent Words (and Affect)

Manual Inspection

Manual Inspection (Randomized)Gamespot - Referred to story in positive way(e.g. it draws you in with a fantastic story and a set of great characters.),

Game World - Referred to story in negative way(e.g. Story is rough, The game is too much story-based).

Japanese players value character and story in games quite highly [Ngai 05]

Bad narratives (including poor translations) have a high impact on the overall evaluation of a game (in Japan)Manual Inspection

Limitations and ConsiderationsMultiple approaches are necessary

Yoge games higher scores, butFor a yoge, faces of the characters are not scary or grotesque they are actually likable.

Emphasis only on common gamesSignificant cultural differences would be in games they dont share

Limitations and ConsiderationsWhy do amateur reviewers write?Establish identity / credibilityIs reviewing secondary?

Influence of web interface / structureGameworld has separate good/bad sections

Understanding Games?Different cultures can weigh things differently

For the same gamesWhat is valued is remarkably consistent

User reviews can be a rich source of insights on games and the understanding people make of them

Questions?Jose P. Zagal@JoseZagaljzagal@cdm.depaul.eduhttp://facsrv.cdm.depaul.edu/~jzagalImages used in this presentation are the property of their respective owners. Their use here qualifies as fair use under US copyright law for educational purposes and critical commentary.