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Papers by Janne Paavilainen

Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2017

ion level in other literature. Outside these psychographic types, previous literature has also su... more ion level in other literature. Outside these psychographic types, previous literature has also suggested using gaming intensity and in-game demographic factors such as class and progression as one basis for typifying players through behavioral measurement. Some works do provide a sub-dimension to the higher abstraction level player motivation and mentalities; however, on this abstraction level the studies do not add additional dimensions of player types. We were surprised, for instance, that within this stream of literature there were no mentions of motivation to play like sensory enjoyment, aesthetic enjoyment, playfulness or utilitarian gaming motivations such that professional eSports player might have, for example. The results of this paper could help game companies better understand their clientele, and the results could be used as a starting point for a more thorough and “exact” segmentation. In addition, in relation to game design, designers now have in their knowledge the co...

Critical acclaim is considered to be one of the main predictors of profitability of game products... more Critical acclaim is considered to be one of the main predictors of profitability of game products. Major game publishers face tremendous hurdles in order to fare well in different forums that review and rate their products. However, little evidence exists on the relationship between ratings and profitability beyond anecdotal assumptions. In this study we investigate the relationship between critical acclaim and commercial success in mobile free-to-play games via a mixed-method study. First we look at the correlation of reviews and profitability, and then present an exploratory qualitative inquiry, analyzing games with high Metascores and games with high grossing. The results reveal that the relationship between review ratings and profitability is even more problematic in mobile free-to-play games than in many other game categories. Games with high Metascores differ substantially from the top-grossing games, being closer to traditional single-player games than typical free-to-play ga...

Proceedings of the 20th International Academic Mindtrek Conference

Proceedings of the 19th International Academic Mindtrek Conference, 2015

Online gambling is often regarded as asocial activity. Previously players could not interact with... more Online gambling is often regarded as asocial activity. Previously players could not interact with each other in online environments. The situation has changed as internet, in general, has evolved towards a more social environment. First Finnish online gambling games, eBingo and online poker, which enabled in-game social interaction were opened in the year 2010. This article reports findings from the study which focused on the social interaction connected with these games. Based on the questionnaire data of 409 players 16 players were selected for the thematic interviews. The analysis of the interviews indicates that even if social interaction is not necessary in order to play, it is meaningful in players’ experience of the game. The different levels of sociality before, during and/or after the game have an influence on the construction of gaming experiences and connect gambling as meaningful part of players’ social networks.

Proceedings of the 20th International Academic Mindtrek Conference

Proceedings of the 22nd International Academic Mindtrek Conference

Proceedings of the 20th International Academic Mindtrek Conference

Hybrid board games combine non-digital and digital elements to introduce a new kind of game exper... more Hybrid board games combine non-digital and digital elements to introduce a new kind of game experiences. In this study, we present 17 design guidelines for hybrid board games. These guidelines are the result of an iterative process of workshopping with industry experts and academic researchers, supported by developer interviews and player survey. They are presented as starting points for hybrid board game design and aim to help the designers to avoid common pitfalls and evaluate different trade-offs.

Extended Abstracts Publication of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play, 2017

Playability is a vague and ambiguous term that is often used but seldom defined. Used by games re... more Playability is a vague and ambiguous term that is often used but seldom defined. Used by games researchers, industry practitioners, journalists, and players alike, the term has remained unclear due to different interpretations and definitions. We propose a game-centric definition of playability that is based on a game's functionality, usability, and gameplay. We argue that playability should not cover aspects such as controllers, social contexts, or player experiences, as these are external factors in the form of hardware, situation, and players. Our game-centric definition is based on components which are designed into the game. This approach is simple yet elegant, practical in its nature, and applicable to all kinds of games -- physical or digital. Good playability does not necessarily result in good player experience, while games with poor playability can be fun in the right circumstances.

Proceedings of the 22nd International Academic Mindtrek Conference, 2018

Proceedings of the 21st International Academic Mindtrek Conference, 2017

As the first location-based augmented reality game to gain mainstream popularity, Pokémon GO also... more As the first location-based augmented reality game to gain mainstream popularity, Pokémon GO also reached an older demographic of players that have traditionally played less and whose play experiences are under-researched. In this article, we present the findings of a qualitative survey study (n=349) focusing on the middleaged (40–65-year-old) Pokémon GO players’ memorable experiences from the time when the game’s popularity was at its peak and its player base likely most diverse. We analyzed the open-ended survey responses with thematic analysis, resulting in 7 categories and 88 thematic codes. The categories constructed were Game Play & Game Content, People & Sociability, Location, Circumstances & Context, Negative Events, Feelings and Other Codes. Through our analysis and findings, we provide insights to understand the play experiences of middle-aged players through Pokémon GO. These findings also capture the memorable moments of a massive, unique social phenomenon at its peak fr...

This paper introduces a case study from the GameSpace project workshop where seven participants w... more This paper introduces a case study from the GameSpace project workshop where seven participants were part of a Wizard of Oz experiment to design a compelling casual mobile multiplayer quiz game through iterative prototyping. The goal of the experiment was to implement authentic mobile use context into iterative prototyping process in a cost-effective and flexible manner through the use of Wizard of Oz method. The experiment was considered a success and the method proved to be useful in iterative prototyping process. This paper expands the literature considering iterative prototyping, mobile game design and the Wizard of Oz method.