Affective computer gaming: Empirical studies

Current findings suggest that human-computer interaction following the basics of human-human interaction, in which emotions play a critical role. We performed two experiments in a laboratory environment to verify the following hypotheses: (1) Users are interacting more aroused and more pleased with games than with non-games and (2) main features of computer games - feedback and control - are key dialogue principles for affective interaction. While test participants were computer playing we used rating-scales and physiological measurements and analyzed more than 90 test hours. Main findings are: (1) playing a computer game causes that users feel emotional and physical stimulated, but do not imply a high physical arousal; (2) different basic emotions could be induced by varying system feedback; (3) recognition rates of emotions based on physiological data are up to 70 percent.