Paper presented on July 6, 2013 at the conference “Games, Cognition, and Emotion”, July 5-6, 2013 at the University of Hamburg

1. My Avatar and Me
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
Felix Schröter, University of Hamburg
felix.schroeter@uni-hamburg.de
Conference "Games, Cognition, and Emotion"
July 5-6, 2013, University of Hamburg

2. Introduction
http://www.feministfrequency.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tropes-vs-videogames.jpg

3. Introduction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUMOHSL53L8

4. Introduction
4

5. Introduction
How can we systematically analyze game characters?

6. Introduction
How can we systematically analyze game characters?
How do players perceive game characters?
How can these categories inform the development of a heuristic
model for game characters analysis?

7. Why Cognitive Film Studies?

8. Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.

9. Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.
• Many models of CFS can tackle the video game‘s interactivity.

10. Why Cognitive Film Studies?
10
Grodal 2009: 147

11. Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.
• Many models of CFS can tackle the video game‘s interactivity.
• CFS can help explain character engagement and emotions.

12. Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.
• Many models of CFS can tackle the video game‘s interactivity.
• CFS can help explain character engagement and emotions.
• CFS models simplify and categorize character perception.

13. Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.
• Many models of CFS can tackle the video game‘s interactivity.
• CFS can help explain character engagement and emotions.
• CFS models simplify and categorize character perception.
„That‘s just what I do!“
Game
Designer

14. Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Ecological models of CFS are universal.
• Many models of CFS can tackle the video game‘s interactivity.
• CFS can help explain character engagement and emotions.
• CFS models simplify and categorize character perception.

15. Why Cognitive Film Studies?
• Games & emotions: Frome 2006, Grodal 2003, Perron 2012
• Games & embodiment: Gregersen 2008, Gregersen/Grodal 2009
• Gameplay patterns: Lindley/Sennersten 2008, Betts 2011
• Game design: Lankoski 2010, Isbister 2006
Cognitive approaches to video games:

16. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters

17. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
basic
perception
• no object
recognition
• color, sound,
movement,
contrast
arousal,
affective
responses
cf. Grodal 1997; Persson 2003; Eder 2008

18. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
object recognition,
memory matching
basic
perception
• no object
recognition
• color, sound,
movement,
contrast
,person‘
emotional
associations
arousal,
affective
responses
• object recognition
• association,
activation of
long-term memory
cf. Grodal 1997; Persson 2003; Eder 2008

19. 17
Dead Island (Techland/Deep Silver 2010)

20. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
object recognition,
memory matching
basic
perception
mental character
models
• no object
recognition
• color, sound,
movement,
contrast
,character‘,person‘
emotional
associations
arousal,
affective
responses
fiction emotions
• object recognition
• association,
activation of
long-term memory
• situation and
character models
• temporal and
causal relations
cf. Grodal 1997; Persson 2003; Eder 2008

21. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
object recognition,
memory matching
more complex
representations
basic
perception
mental character
models
• no object
recognition
• color, sound,
movement,
contrast
,character‘,person‘
emotional
associations
artifact emotions,
,meta emotions‘, ...
arousal,
affective
responses
fiction emotions
• object recognition
• association,
activation of
long-term memory
• situation and
character models
• temporal and
causal relations
• symbolic interpretation
• reflection on
production and
reception contexts
cf. Grodal 1997; Persson 2003; Eder 2008

22. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
object recognition,
memory matching
basic
perception
mental character
models
• no object
recognition
• color, sound,
movement,
contrast
,character‘,person‘
emotional
associations
artifact emotions,
,meta emotions‘, ...
arousal,
affective
responses
fiction emotions
• object recognition
• association,
activation of
long-term memory
• situation and
character models
• temporal and
causal relations
more complex
representations
• symbolic interpretation
• reflection on
production and
reception contexts

23. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
© 2008 sean dreilinger, www.flickr.com

24. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
• Gary Alan Fine (1983): Shared
Fantasy. Role-Playing Games
as Social Worlds

25. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
• Gary Alan Fine (1983): Shared
Fantasy. Role-Playing Games
as Social Worlds
primary frame (reality)
social context

26. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
• Gary Alan Fine (1983): Shared
Fantasy. Role-Playing Games
as Social Worlds
primary frame (reality)
social context
game frame
(game context)
rules, goals

27. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
• Gary Alan Fine (1983): Shared
Fantasy. Role-Playing Games
as Social Worlds
primary frame (reality)
social context
fictional frame
(socio-dramatic frame)
rules of the fictional
world, make-believekeying
game frame
(game context)
rules, goals

28. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
Salen/Zimmerman 2004
Ermi/Mäyrä 2005
Linderoth 2005
Lindley/Sennersten 2008
Thon 2008
Ekman/Lankoski 2009
Calleja 2011
Perron 2012
character player person
imaginative immersion
challenge-based
immersion
---
fictive character equipment presentation of self
story schemas gameplay schemas ---
narrative Immersion ludic immersion social immersion
narrative comprehension goal-driven evaluation ---
narrative involvement ludic involvement shared involvement
fiction emotions gameplay emotions ---
„Three-fold framing of player consciousness“ (Salen/Zimmerman 2004):

29. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
Three modes of experiencing game characters:
Characters as...
mental models
consist of...
prevalent cognitive
processes
prevalent emotions
fictional beings
body, mind, sociality
of a fictional character
narrative comprehension
fiction emotions
narrative mode

30. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
Three modes of experiencing game characters:
Characters as...
mental models
consist of...
prevalent cognitive
processes
prevalent emotions
fictional beings game pieces
body, mind, sociality
of a fictional character
game mechanics,
‘ludic‘ properties,
character-related goals
narrative comprehension
goal-driven evaluation,
problem-solving,
strategic planning
fiction emotions gameplay emotions
narrative mode ludic mode

31. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
Three modes of experiencing game characters:
Characters as...
mental models
consist of...
prevalent cognitive
processes
prevalent emotions
fictional beings game pieces avatars
body, mind, sociality
of a fictional character
game mechanics,
‘ludic‘ properties,
character-related goals
‘social‘ attributes of avatar/
player, real-life interactions
narrative comprehension
goal-driven evaluation,
problem-solving,
strategic planning
mentalizing,
social attribution
fiction emotions gameplay emotions ‘social‘ emotions
narrative mode ludic mode communicative mode

32. Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
object recognition,
memory matching
basic
perception
mental character
models
• no object
recognition
• color, sound,
movement,
contrast
,character‘,person‘
emotional
associations
artifact emotions,
,meta emotions‘, ...
arousal,
affective
responses
fiction emotions
• object recognition
• association,
activation of
long-term memory
• situation and
character models
• temporal and
causal relations
more complex
representations
• symbolic interpretation
• reflection on
production and
reception contexts

33. gameplay
emotions
Toward a Cognitive Theory of Game Characters
objectrecognition,
memorymatching
basic
perception
mental character models
,character‘
,person‘
emotional
associations
artifact
emotions,
,meta
emotions‘,
...
arousal,affective
responses
fiction
emotions
morecomplex
representations
fictional being
game piece
avatar
‘social‘
emotions

34. A Heuristic Model for Game Character Analysis
aesthetics of the game/
character: music, sound,
colors, shapes, contrast,
movement, controller
feedback, ...
body, mind, sociality
rules,
character-related goals,
interaction structures
'social' properties of player/
avatar, patterns of
communication/interaction
motifs,
metaphors,
themes,
pragmatic
contexts...
connected to
each character
aspect?
object recognition,
memory matching
basic
perception
mental character models
more complex
representations
fictional being
game piece
avatar

35. A Heuristic Model for Game Character Analysis
Aesthetics of the game/
character: music, sound,
colors, shapes, contrast,
movement, controller
feedback, ...
body, mind, sociality
rules,
character-related goals,
interaction structures
'social' properties of player/
avatar, patterns of
communication/interaction
object recognition,
memory matching
basic
perception
mental character models
more complex
representations
game piece
avatar
Limbo (Playdead/Microsoft 2010)

36. A Heuristic Model for Game Character Analysis
aesthetics of the game/
character: music, sound,
colors, shapes, contrast,
movement, controller
feedback, ...
body, mind, sociality
rules,
character-related goals,
interaction structures
'social' properties of player/
avatar, patterns of
communication/interaction
object recognition,
memory matching
basic
perception
mental character models
more complex
representations
fictional being
game piece
avatar
motifs,
metaphors,
themes,
pragmatic
contexts...
connected to
each character
aspect?

37. A Heuristic Model for Game Character Analysis
Aesthetics of the game/
character: music, sound,
colors, shapes, contrast,
movement, controller
feedback, ...
body, mind, sociality
rules,
character-related goals,
interaction structures
object recognition,
memory matching
basic
perception
more complex
representations
September 12th (newsgaming.com 2003)
motifs,
metaphors,
themes,
pragmatic
contexts...
connected to
each character
aspect?

38. Putting the Model to Use
game analysis
media effects
research
game design

39. Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human
nature') in video games?

40. Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human
nature') in video games?
Deus Ex: Human
Revolution (2011)

41. Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human
nature') in video games?
Deus Ex: Human
Revolution (2011)
The Last of Us
(2013)

42. Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human
nature') in video games?
Deus Ex: Human
Revolution (2011)
The Last of Us
(2013)
Bioshock (2007)

43. Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human
nature') in video games?
Deus Ex: Human
Revolution (2011)

44. Putting the Model to Use: Game Analysis
• Example: How to analyze Menschenbilder ('images of human
nature') in video games?
Deus Ex: Human
Revolution (2011)

45. Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis

46. Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis
Jansz/Martis 2003

47. Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis
Grimes 2003
Jansz/Martis 2003

48. Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis
Grimes 2003
Jansz/Martis 2003
Lachlan et al. 2005

49. Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis
Grimes 2003
Jansz/Martis 2003
Lachlan et al. 2005
Thompson/
Haninger 2001

50. Putting the Model to Use: Media Effects
• Example: cultivation effects and content analysis
Grimes 2003
Jansz/Martis 2003
Lachlan et al. 2005
Malliet 2007
Thompson/
Haninger 2001

51. Putting the Model to Use: Game Design
• Example: eliciting emotions in game design

52. gameplay
emotions
emotional
associations
artifact emotions,
,meta emotions‘, ...
arousal,
affective
responses
fiction
emotions
‘social‘
emotions
Putting the Model to Use: Game Design
• Example: eliciting emotions in game design

53. gameplay
emotions
emotional
associations
arousal,
affective
responses
fiction
emotions
‘social‘
emotions
Putting the Model to Use: Game Design
Solarski
2012

54. gameplay
emotions
emotional
associations
arousal,
affective
responses
fiction
emotions
Putting the Model to Use: Game Design
Moore
2011
Team Fortress 2 (2007)

55. gameplay
emotions
emotional
associations
arousal,
affective
responses
fiction
emotions
Putting the Model to Use: Game Design
artifact emotions,
,meta emotions‘, ...
The Last of Us (2013)

56. Summary
• CFS can by adapted for a cognitive theory of game characters.
• Such a theory can inform the categories of game character analysis.
• The „three-fold framing of player consciousness“ is a useful heuristic
concept.

57. References
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• Calleja, Gordon (2011): In-Game. From Immersion
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• Eder, Jens (2008): Die Figur im Spiel. Marburg:
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• Ekman, Ingmer / Lankoski, Petri (2009): "Hair-
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58. Thank you!
Felix Schröter
felix.schroter@uni-hamburg.de
@felixjs
www.felixschroeter.de
www.cognitivegamestudies.com
www.facebook.com/cognitivegamestudies