Serious video games are widely applied in education, health, safety and training and, thus, help modern e-society in building efficiently knowledge, problem-solving and soft skills, creativity and conceptual thinking. However, though their proven social and cultural impact, applied games require relatively high production costs and offer lower perceived quality compared to the contemporary entertainment games. One promising solution of this problem is creation of adaptive applied video games, which identify implicitly specifics of each individual player (learner) during the game and use them to adjust dynamically some game tasks and features for fitting best that individual. Therefore, adaptive video games need solid modelling of player competences, emotions and styles, in order to achieve better player experiences and, hence, an enhanced overall playability. The invited talk discusses modern trends and challenges in recent development and application of adaptive video games. It goes through theoretical behavior player models describing dynamic processes of player behavior and emotions during playing the game, and organizational models of player describing properties, attributes and facets of player’s competences. There are discussed possible interconnections among them with time and model space constrains useful for affect-based game adaptation. The speech presents briefly the key ideas and results of the European project ADAPTIMES (ADAPTIve player-centric serious video gaMES), where measuring player’s performance and playing styles is combined with recognition of player’s emotional states and applied for adapting dynamically features of game mechanics, dynamics and aesthetics in order to improve player’s engagement, immersion, excitement, and challenge.

1. Adaptation in Applied Video Games:
from Player Modelling
to Dynamic Game Adjustment
and Enhanced Playability
Boyan Bontchev
Prof. at Dep. of Software Technologies,
Fac. of Mathematics and Informatics,
Sofia Univ., Bulgaria
Marie Curie Fellow at Brainstorm Multimedia, Spain

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3. Faculty of Mathematics and
Informatics
BSc, MSc, PhD programs in:
 Mathematics
 Applied Mathematics
 Mathematics and
Informatics
 Statistics
 Informatics
 Computer Science
 Software Engineering
 Information Systems
 AI
 …
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4.  Technology enhanced learning: models, adaptability, authoring/instructional/delivery
platforms and interoperability
 Content collaboration and access to cultural heritage - MECITV: Media Collaboration
for Interactive TV; semantic technologies for cultural heritage
 Software services and quality - software service design and discovery; cloud; methods
 Digital games:
 MMORPG (SHIVER project of MyAlert S.L., Spain, and Rila Solutions, Bulgaria);
 Creating virtual business models, tools and environments (FP6 PRIME: Providing
Real Integration in Multi-disciplinary Environments);
 Models of board games for education for ADOPTA: ADaptive technOlogy-enhanced
eduTainment platform for building edutainment
 H2020 RAGE (Realising an Applied Gaming Eco-system)
 ADAPTIMES (ADAPTIve player-centric serious video gaMES) - with Brainstorm
Multimedia, Spain
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6. Agenda
Introduction
Types of computer games
Features of computer games
Applied games
Player modelling
Dynamic game adjustment
Game adaptation for an enhanced playability
The ADAPTIMES project
(ADAPTIve player-centric serious video gaMES)
Challenges to adaptive applied games
Conclusions
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7. Introduction
 First Alfred Russel Wallace has explained in 19th century
how varieties and species are forced to adapt to changes
in their local environment (evolution through natural
selection).
 Principles of adaptivity and adaptability - not only for floral & animal
species but also to the human beings, social life, business, etc.
 Adaptive software platforms dedicated to domains such as real time
applications, parallel computations, technology enhanced learning
and many more.
 Adaptive computer games for education retain interest of players
(learners) by attracting their attention better than traditional
approaches, by tailoring the game to the player character.
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8. Digital video games today
An ubiquitous visual media
able to recreate both tangible & intangible artifacts
in a highly interactive and dynamic way
Provide a powerful and increasing appeal and
engagement for all user ages by possessing an integrated
form of fun and play
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The average
game player is 31
years old
Source: The
Entertainment
Software Assoc.,
2014
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9. Modern video games types 1/2
Competitive versus noncompetitive games
Interactive versus non-interactive games
Physical versus non-physical games
(Vosen, 2004)
Platforms – personal computers or tablets; game
consoles like Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Wii U, or Sony
PlayStation; mobile phones
Playing mode - multi- or single-player;
Milieu (social environment) - describes the visual type of
a video game - science fiction, fantasy, horror, etc…
(Apperley, 2006)
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10. Modern video games types 2/2
 Distribution – paid or free
 Openness – games with open code or not
 Mod’s – modified games with altered content
 Linear vs non-linear gameplay – while linear gameplay provides
fixed sequence of challenges, non-linear gameplay poses
challenges that can be completed in different sequences
 Progressive vs emergent gameplay – some games (like ‘The Sims’)
do not have story structure planned in advance and, thus, offer
emergent gameplay
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11. Entertainment video games11
(Entertainment Software Association, 2014)
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12. Applied (serious) video games
“have an explicit and carefully thought-out educational purpose
and are not intended to be played primarily for amusement “
(Abt, 1970)
“produced, marketed, or used for purposes other than pure
entertainment; these include, but are not limited to, educational
computer games, edutainment and advertainment” + “health
games and political games”
(Nielsen, Smith, Tosca, 2008)
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13. 12 structural game elements (Prensky, 2001)
1. form of fun - provides enjoyment and pleasure;
2. form of play - gives intense and passionate involvement;
3. rules – determine structure of the play;
4. goals - provides motivation;
5. interactivity – leads to learning by doing;
6. adaptivity - provides flow
7. outcomes and feedback – serve as a basis for learning
8. win states – provides ego gratification
9. conflicts, competition, challenges and opposition – give more adrenaline
10. problem solving - sparks player’s creativity
11. interaction - gives social groups
12. narrative (story) and its representation – both they serve as a source of
emotional experience before, during and after gameplay
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14. Player-centric adaptation
Player-centric adaptation in video games needs
to answer some important questions:
Who – player character structural and
behavioral changes => requires player
modelling
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15. Player modelling
Player modelling is crucial for realization of an effective
player-centric adaptation in both applied and
entertainment video games. It implies:
Observation of individual player’s behavior “from a
contextually omniscient view”
Construction and updates of a model of that player
based on observation, and
Intelligent game adaptation for tailoring the gameplay
to the individual player.
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Source: Magerko, B. Adaptation in Digital Games, COMPUTER, July 2008, pp.87-89.

16. Behaviour models: flow
Flow is a process of optimal human experience
(based on: Csikszentmihalyi, M. Finding flow: The psychology of engagement with everyday life. New York: Basic Books, 1997)
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LowChallenge/ComplexityHigh
Individual
average
Anxiety Arousal Flow
Worry
Apathy Boredom Relaxation
Low Skills High
Control

17. The flow concept
 based on: Kiili, K. Evaluations of an experiential gaming model. Human Technology: An
Interdisciplinary Journal on Humans in ICT Environments, 2006, 2(2), pp.187-201.
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Flow
experience
• Concentration
• Loss of self-
consciousness
• Transformation
of time
• Autotelic
experience
(intrinsic
motivation)
Flow
consequences
• Increased
learning
• Positive
attitude
• Exploratory
behavior
• Perceived
behavioral
control
Flow antecedents
• Challenge–skill
balance
• Action–awareness
merging
• Goals of an activity
• Unambiguous
feedback
• Sense of control
Task
Artifact

18. Behavioural models: Motivations
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pleased
Valence
Arousal
PleasantUnpleasant
Activated
Deactivated
Approach
motivation
(reward)
glad
Avoidance
motivation
(punishment)
happy
alert
excited
astonished
aroused
alarmed
afraid
tense
annoyed
frustrated
miserable
depressed
sad
gloomy
bored
tired
contented
satisfied
serene
calm
relaxed
sleepy
The core emotional space with motivations to approach or avoid a stimulus
(based on Russell, J.A. A circumplex model of affect, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1980, Vol. 39, No. 6, pp.1161–1178)

19. Motivational intensity (Fairclough &
Gilleade, 2012)
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Effort
Demand
Boredom Engagement Zone Overload
Behavioral model of motivational intensity for game adaptation
(adapted from Fairclough, S., & Gilleade, K. Construction of the biocybernetic loop: a case study. Proc. of the 14th
ACM Int. Conf. on Multimodal interaction, ACM, 2012, October, pp. 571-578)

20. GameFlow model for assessing player
enjoyment (Sweetser and Wyeth, 2005)
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Element Criteria
Concentration A game should require concentration and the player should be
able to concentrate on it.
Challenge Games should be sufficiently challenging and match the player’s
skill level
Player skills Games must support player skill development and mastery.
Control Players should feel a sense of control over their actions in the
game.
Clear Goals Games should provide the player with clear goals at appropriate
times.
Feedback Players must receive appropriate feedback at appropriate times.
Immersion Players should experience deep but effortless involvement in the
game.
Social
Interaction
Games should support and create opportunities for social
interaction.

21. Adaptivity in serious games for
education and training
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(ENTRExprorer project, 2011)
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Concentration
Challenge
Player skills
Control
Clear Goals
Feedback
Immersion
Social
Interaction

22. Player competence model (Silva and Behar, 2015)
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Competences
Skills
Abilities
Know-
ledge
Attitudes
12 player competences:
 digital fluency
 autonomy
 organization
 planning
 time management
 communication
 reflection
 virtual presence
 self-evaluation
 self-motivation
 flexibility
 teamwork

23. Playing style models 1/2
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Bartle,
1996
Characteristics Keirsey,
1998
Killer Acting (on) Players = External
Change / Tactics
Artisan
Achiever Acting (on) World = External
Structure / Logistics
Guardian
Explorer Interacting (with) World =
Internal Structure / Strategy
Rational
Socializer Interacting (with) Players =
Internal Change / Diplomacy
Idealist
(Stewart, 2014) proposed a unified model of personality and
play styles, based on both Bartle styles & Keirsey temperaments

24. Playing style models 2/2
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Relationships between Honey and Mumford learning styles
and playing styles of ADOPTA (Bontchev, 2011) and Bartle
Honey and
Mumford
Learns by: ADOPTA Bartle
Activist hand–eye coordination, planning and
strategizing, problem-solving, teamwork
and the ability to think quickly
Competitor Killer
Theorist logically entering problems step-by-step,
with spatial awareness and verbal &
numeracy skills
Logician Achiever
Pragmatist planning, decision-making, testing
hypotheses, strategic thinking,
management skills
Strategist Explorer
Reflector Observing and watching reflectively Dreamer Socializer

25. Player-centric adaptation
Player-centric adaptation in video games needs
to answer some questions:
Who – player character structural and
behavioral changes => requires player
modelling
How – how adaptation will be realized =>
requires adaptation loop design
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26. Adaptation loop in applied games
The game adaptation control is supposed to be run time
and implicit for the player;
The adaptation control should make the video game
aligned to specific response patterns of individual players
and to bring positive effect on playability and learning
outcomes;
The adaptation process runs in the context of the game
and aligns adaptable game features to player-centric
metrics showing:
Player’s progress and performance
Player’s behavior and emotions
Any individual subjective input expressed by the player
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27. Affective feedback loop - “Relax-to-
Win” racing game (Bersak et al, 2001)
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2) the system replies
to the users by
appropriate affective
response
3) the users feel
greater involvement
and reinforced
emotions
1) users’ emotions
are expressed and
communicated to
the system

28. Measuring player’s affect
 Relax-to-Win (Bersak et al, 2001) used player's galvanic skin
response (GSR) for measuring current level of relaxation and,
next, controlled the speed of a dragon according to this
relaxation’s level
 Recognition of emotions by measurement of:
behavioral indicators - facial and voice expressions, gesture,
eye/head tracking, mouse pressure, ...
physiological signals of autonomic nervios system – GSR or
electro-dermal activity (EDA), heart rate variability (HRV),
electromyography (EMG), temperature, ...
physiological signals of central nervios system –
electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography
(MEG), functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI),
Positron Emission Tomography (PET), …
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29. Player-centric adaptation
Player-centric adaptation in video games needs to
answer some questions:
Who – player character structural and behavioral
changes => requires player modelling
How – how adaptation will be realized => requires
adaptive loop design
What – which game features can be adapted =>
requires adaptive gameplay design
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30. Adaptable game features 1/3
1. Adaptive automation of game tasks and feedback:
explicit tasks - such as objectives, goals and missions
posed to the player as part of the gameplay;
implicit tasks - not explicitly stated by the game
interface but expected to be fulfilled; such as “stay
alive”, “maximize your skills”, or “collect as many items
as possible”;
player-driven tasks - created by the player thanks to
his/her creativity within existing limitations of given
game mechanics and leading to so called emergent
gameplay, with no predefined narratives.
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Source: Murphy, C., Chertoff, D., Guerrero, M., Moffitt, K. Design Better Games: Flow, Motivation, and Fun. Design
and Development of Training Games: Practical Guidelines from a Multidisciplinary Perspective, 2014, p.1773.

31. Adaptable game features 2/3
2. Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA):
 DDA by means of automatic level generation - uses methods for
procedural content generation. Textual and multimedia game
content such as narrative, dialogues, quests, camera profiles,
levels, textures, etc. is created automatically.
 DDA by means of modification of artificial intelligence – dynamic
adaptation of difficulty of an intelligent agent by picking out AI
behaviour most relevant to current player’s abilities and emotions
– dynamic scripting generation; machine learning; adaptive agents.
 DDA by means of adjusting level content, i.e. game items for player
interactions – means dynamic adaptation of level of inventory
interacted by the player for specific game context, according to
player’s skill acquisition – e.g. game speed adjusted to player´s
boredom, frustration and enjoyment (Tijs et al, 2008).
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32. Adaptable game features 3/3
3. Adaptation of audio-visual effects:
 reflecting user’s emotional state has initially been exploited
within multimedia applications like affective music players,
recommendation systems and online chat applications
 Dekker and Champion (2007) first tried enhancing the
gameplay and display of a horror game mapping directly
physiological player’s responses to audiovisual game properties
 Grigore et al (2008) used stochastic algorithms for adapting
ambient light in rooms within a video game by using
psychophysiological features, namely player’s heart rate and
skin conductance
 Garner (2013) explored various psychophysiological
approaches and sound design practices for creating greater
emotional experiences in adaptive audio-centric gameplay,
with a special focus on correlations between fear and game
sound
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33. Player-centric adaptation
Player-centric adaptation in video games needs to
answer some questions:
Who – player character structural and behavioral
changes => requires player modelling
How – how adaptation will be realized => requires
adaptive loop design
What – which game features can be adapted =>
requires adaptive gameplay design
Why – advantages of game adaptation => requires
analysis of outcomes in playability and learning results
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34. Playability model for player experience in
applied games (Sánchez et al, 2009)
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Playability
attribute
Attribute’s properties
Satisfaction Fun, disappointment and attractiveness
Learnability Game knowledge, skill, difficulty, frustration, speed,
discovery
Effectiveness Completion, structuring
Immersion Conscious awareness, absorption, realism, dexterity, socio-
cultural proximity
Motivation Encouragement, curiosity, self-improvement, and diversity
Emotion Reaction, conduct, and sensory appeal
Socialization Social perception, group awareness, personal implication,
sharing, communication, and interaction (competitive,
collaborative or cooperative)

35. The ADAPTIMES FP7 project
 ADAPTIve player-centric serious video gaMES
 ADAPTIMES aims at investigating how
 cognitive abilities,
 psycho-emotional processes and
 playing style
 can be used as a basis for efficient and effective player-
centric adaptivity
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36. Conative
psychology
Adaptation in
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Game dynamics
Gameaesthetics
Player
Player style
metrics
Playing styles
Performance
and efficiency
(abilities, skills
and knowledge)
Emotions
(flow, immersion &
intrinsic
motivation)

37. Principal workflow of game
adaptation control
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Dynamic adaptation control
Player model
monitoring
Dynamic
game
adaptations
Player model
updates
Player
dynamics
(performance,
emotions,
style)
Player statics
(goals and
preferences)
Adaptive video game
Measurement of
adaptation
effect
Real time
player feedback
on adaptations

38. Player style measurement
Implicitly during play time of specific mini-game
Based on player’s metrics for specific game tasks:
Performance (result)
Efficiency (result/effort)
Task difficulty
Play time
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Rush For Gold, part 2 -
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=aJe61bUDE40

39. 39
Maze Editor
Transitions table
Property Editor
Titles …
Texts …
Graphics …
Python
Scripts
Brainstorm API
3D Maze Game
Engine
Brainstorm
Run Time
Environment
Mini-Games
GUI
Front-
End
Property
Metadata
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Software platform for
generation of maze games
Adaptation in Applied Video Games e-Society’2016

40. 40
Rush For Gold (playing style)
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Generated labyrinth
(maze game)
3D quiz game
(assessment)
3D puzzle
Adaptation in Applied Video Games e-Society’2016

41. Problems with applied games 1/2
Higher development cost
Lower attractiveness compared to entertainment
games
Transition between instructional design and actual
game design implementation - how Game Mechanics
impact and interact with the Learning Mechanics
Insufficient personalization and adaptation:
Emotional state
Physiological/neurophysiological signals
In-game performance & game progression metrics
D1.6 GALA Roadmap 2, Nov. 2011
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42. Problems with applied games 2/2
Harmonization of distributed SG Environments supporting
reusability, interoperability and standardization
Human-Computer-Interaction & neuroscience - non-
intrusive and natural interaction in SG by 2020
Assessment - effectively tracking and analysing of the right
parameters related to learners’ progress (knowledge gain,
reflection and application)
How psychological theories should be used in the design
of realistic and convincing NPCs?
How different pedagogical paradigms relate to SG and SG
mechanics - reference framework needed!
D1.6 GALA Roadmap 2, Nov. 2011
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43. Conclusions 1/2
The market space of both entertainment and applied
video games will continue to grow in next years,
together with that of gamification applications.
The same is valid for the impact of video games
thanks to their synergy of story, art and technological
achievements including affective and adaptive
gameplay.
Applied games with non-linear and interactive
storytelling will be used more and more for
immersive cultural presentation, teaching,
assessment and training.
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44. Conclusions 2/2
Both applied and commercial entertainment games will
include dynamic and implicit player-centric adaptation.
New player-centric adaptive methods, technologies,
frameworks and applications will be created and
applied in video games
More analysis of adaptation benefits is needed in
regard of playability and learning outcomes
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45. Thank you for your attention!
Discussion
More info at: http://adaptimes.eu/
 bbontchev@fmi.uni-sofia.bg
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