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Title:
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THE MORE THE MERRIER? LEARNING IN SINGLE VS. MULTIPLAYER GAMES |
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Author(s):
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Casper Harteveld , Geertje Bekebrede |
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ISBN:
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978-972-8924-63-8 |
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Editors:
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Yingcai Xiao and Eleonore ten Thij |
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Year:
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2008 |
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Edition:
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Single |
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Keywords:
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Game design; learning; singleplayer; multiplayer; serious games. |
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Type:
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Full Paper |
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First Page:
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11 |
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Last Page:
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18 |
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Language:
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English |
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Cover:
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Full Contents:
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click to dowload 
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Paper Abstract:
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From observations of successful entertainment games it is hypothesized that implementing a singleplayer option may
require a different approach than a multiplayer option. It is further argued that if for creating a successful game the single
or multiplayer option needs to be aligned with a specific approach, this may have far fetching consequences for
educational games. These games have to be fun next to instructional and both criteria may be affected by the
implemented approach. To investigate whether this could be true and to understand what the specific approaches could
entail for educational games, single vs. multiplayer games are examined theoretically from a game and learning
perspective. Empirically, the theoretical concepts are illustrated with two case studies, one singleplayer and one
multiplayer game. The analyses show that a singleplayer approach is data-intensive, uses direct transfer and individual
learning, and solely has formal rules. On the other hand, a multiplayer approach is process-intensive, uses open-ended
and social learning, and has formal as well as social rules. Based on this, it is suggested that a singleplayer approach
would be a better fit if a game is used for transferring a specific or standard set of knowledge and skills, while a
multiplayer approach would be a better fit if broad and abstract insights need to be derived. |
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