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A Taxonomy Approach to Studying How Gamers Review Games

Author

Listed:
  • Matthew J. Koehler
  • Brian Arnold
  • Spencer P. Greenhalgh
  • Liz Owens Boltz

Abstract

Background . Player-generated reviews of video games represent a large, rich, and under-explored source of data for exploring what makes for an effective game. Aim . We explore whether existing theory, in the form of a comprehensive gaming taxonomy , suitably captures the issues that players raise when they review games. Method . User-submitted game reviews were coded along the dimensions of the comprehensive gaming taxonomy to test the frequency of usage of each dimension. Results . We found some support for the use of the taxonomy , as four of nine taxonomy features were frequently present in game reviews . We also found support for other features of reviews not encapsulated by the Bedwell et al. (2012) taxonomy . Specifically, we found that players often reviewed video games : a) holistically; b) by comparing them to other games, game franchises, and other reviews; and c) by judging the value of games in terms of time, money, and effort. These results have implications for using game reviews for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew J. Koehler & Brian Arnold & Spencer P. Greenhalgh & Liz Owens Boltz, 2017. "A Taxonomy Approach to Studying How Gamers Review Games," Simulation & Gaming, , vol. 48(3), pages 363-380, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:simgam:v:48:y:2017:i:3:p:363-380
    DOI: 10.1177/1046878117703680
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. José P. Zagal & Noriko Tomuro & Andriy Shepitsen, 2012. "Natural Language Processing in Game Studies Research," Simulation & Gaming, , vol. 43(3), pages 356-373, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. J. Tuomas Harviainen, 2017. "Editorial: Expanding the Borders of Simulation/Gaming," Simulation & Gaming, , vol. 48(3), pages 295-298, June.

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