1. Effects of Character Voice-over on Players’ Engagement
in a Digital Role-Playing Game Environment
JaeHwan Byun Virtual Environment Laboratory
Southern Illinois University Carbondale

2. Really? Then, How? Background of the Study Intellectual Indignation
Digital games have a potential power to engage people (students)!
Intellectual
Indignation
Then, How?
Digital games are effective to engage learners!
Digital games = Engagement
Digital game as the effective method to engage learners.

3. Background of the Study
Gap in
literature
256 89 8
Ke, F. (2009).

4. Gaming Device (Computer)
Background of the Study
Gap in
literature
Gaming Device (Computer)
role-playing, narrative arcs, challenges, fantasy, interactive choices, characters in games, curiosity, clear goals, appropriate feedback, playfulness, implementing elements of mystery

5. Background of the Study
Gap in
literature
BGM

6. Purpose of the study
To determine whether or not the voice-over of Non-Playing Characters in digital games has any effect on players’ engagement

7. Research Question
What is the effect of non-player characters’ voice-over on player engagement during digital game play?

8. Randomized control-group posttest only design
Experimental Design
Randomized control-group posttest only design
Before treatment
Treatment
After treatment
VO group DS
Voice-over
GEQ
NVO Group
Non Voice-over
Independent Variable: NPCs’ voice-over
Dependent Variable: Participants’ level of engagement

9. Research Subjects Between 18 and 25 years old
Undergraduate students who spoke English as their first language
No prior gaming experience with “Neverwinter Nights 2”
No hearing and reading difficulties

10. Material (Research Game Mod)
Modified game from NWN 2 tutorial module
About 12 minutes long
Cinematic style conversation with NPCs

11. Material (Adjusting Voice-over)

12. Material (Research Game Mod)

13. Experimental Environment
Two technically identical laptops in a room
One for VO group, One for NVO group
Headphones VO
NVO

14. Instruments Demographic Questionnaire Game Engagement Questionnaire
To collect background information about the participants
Game Engagement Questionnaire
To measure participants’ engagement level
Modified from Brockmyer, Fox, Curtiss, McBroom, Burkhart & Pidruzny (2009)
Total 11 items

15. Data Colleting Process
VO Group
Play the research mod with voice-over
(average 10min)
Play an introductory mod as “tutorial” (average 10min)
Complete the consent form and demographic questionnaire
Randomly assigned
Complete GEQ OR
NVO Group
Play the research mod without voice-over
(average 10min)

16. Results 74 / 81 (Analyzed Data / Total Participants)
37 participants per each group
Analyzed by using PASW 18.0
Instrument Reliability: Cronbach α = .80 (with 10 items)
Independent Sample t-test

17. Results (Demographic Info.)
Age
(Mean)
Gender
Female
Male
Group VO 37
20.70 12 25
NVO
20.59 10 27
Total 74
20.65 22 52

18. Results (Descriptive Statistics)N
Mean SD
Group VO 37
37.84
5.58
NVO
34.76
5.25
Total 74
36.30
5.60

19. Results (Distribution of GEQ score)VO
NVO
Frequency
34.76
37.84
GEQ score
NVO VO

20. t-test for Equality of Means
Results (Hypothesis Testing)
t-test for Equality of Means t df
Sig.
Mean difference
Std. Error difference
2.45 72
.02
3.08
1.26
Null hypothesis was rejected at the alpha level of .05
Effect size, Cohen's (1998) d, was .58.

21. Results (Finding)
Players are significantly more engaged in a digital RPG environment when playing RPG with NPCs’ voice-over than when playing RPG without NPCs’ voice-over.

22. Conclusion (Discussion)
Aural components of digital games can be important factors affecting player engagement.
Audio stimuli should be included as a design factor engaging game players.

23. Conclusion (Implications)
For educational (and serious) game developers and game modders
For educational practitioners who are involved in educational multimedia development
Teachers (Trainers) who are selecting digital games for educational purpose

24. Conclusion (Recommendations)
Testing the validity of the GEQ for RPG
Replicating this study with different groups of participants
Improving the fidelity of the experimental conditions
Investigating the people who read dialog faster than they listen to voice-over

25. Q & A