2018
Vahlo, Jukka; Smed, Jouni; Koponen, Aki
Validating gameplay activity inventory (GAIN) for modeling player profiles
In: User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction, vol. 28, no. 4–5, pp. 425–453, 2018, ISSN: 15731391.
Journal article Open access
Abstract | Links | Tags: Confirmatory factor analysis, Digital games, Media choice, Player profiles, Scale development, Scale validation
@article{Vahlo2018a,
title = {Validating gameplay activity inventory (GAIN) for modeling player profiles},
author = {Jukka Vahlo and Jouni Smed and Aki Koponen},
doi = {10.1007/s11257-018-9212-y},
issn = {15731391},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-11-13},
urldate = {2018-11-13},
journal = {User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction},
volume = {28},
number = {4–5},
pages = {425–453},
publisher = {Springer Netherlands},
address = {Dordrecht},
abstract = {In the present study, we validated Gameplay Activity Inventory (GAIN), a short and psychometrically sound instrument for measuring players' gameplay preferences and modeling player profiles. In Study 1, participants in Finland (N= 879) responded to a 52-item version of GAIN. An exploratory factor analysis was used to identify five latent factors of gameplay activity appreciation: Aggression, Management, Exploration, Coordination, and Caretaking. In Study 2, respondents in Canada (N= 1322) and Japan (N= 1178) responded to GAIN, and the factor structure of a 15-item version was examined using a Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The results showed that the short version of GAIN has good construct validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity in Japan and in Canada. We demonstrated the usefulness of GAIN by conducting a cluster analysis to identify player types that differ in both demographics and game choice. GAIN can be used in research as a tool for investigating player profiles. Game companies, publishers and analysts can utilize GAIN in player-centric game development and targeted marketing and in generating personalized game recommendations.},
keywords = {Confirmatory factor analysis, Digital games, Media choice, Player profiles, Scale development, Scale validation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In the present study, we validated Gameplay Activity Inventory (GAIN), a short and psychometrically sound instrument for measuring players' gameplay preferences and modeling player profiles. In Study 1, participants in Finland (N= 879) responded to a 52-item version of GAIN. An exploratory factor analysis was used to identify five latent factors of gameplay activity appreciation: Aggression, Management, Exploration, Coordination, and Caretaking. In Study 2, respondents in Canada (N= 1322) and Japan (N= 1178) responded to GAIN, and the factor structure of a 15-item version was examined using a Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The results showed that the short version of GAIN has good construct validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity in Japan and in Canada. We demonstrated the usefulness of GAIN by conducting a cluster analysis to identify player types that differ in both demographics and game choice. GAIN can be used in research as a tool for investigating player profiles. Game companies, publishers and analysts can utilize GAIN in player-centric game development and targeted marketing and in generating personalized game recommendations.