The use of avatars as learning agents is becoming increasingly popular in the sports,
education and military domains due to the rapid advancement in distributive technologies …

As principal links between players and many gameworlds, avatars are of central importance
in understanding human behavior and communication in play. In particular, the connection …

This article proposes a validated 15-item scale that merges theoretically divergent
perspectives on player–avatar relations in extant literature (parasociality as psychological …

This volume puts forth an original theoretical framework, the ludonarrative model, for
studying video games which foregrounds the empirical study of the player experience. The …

Background There has been rapid increase in time spent using Internet as a platform for
entertainment, socialising and information sourcing. This study aimed to evaluate the …

Interaction with non-player characters (NPCs) that simulates one-sided social interaction is a
common feature of many role-playing video games (RPGs). This kind of interaction may be …

While player characters (PCs) are the key element in engaging players in narrative games,
the experience and relationship of the player with the PC have received scarce attention …

Phonemes play a central role in traditional theories as units of speech perception and
access codes to lexical representations. Phonemes have two essential properties: they are …

The impact of video games on society has been debated for decades. In this chapter, we
examine the potential impact of video games, both violent and nonviolent, on players' …

The Walking Dead video game offers a compelling site in which to explore whether, how,
and through what processes players form associations with the game's playable character …