Measuring Video Game Engagement Through Gameplay Reviews

Aim. In this article, we develop a method, that we call the gameplay review method, for measuring players’ engagement with digital games through players’ interactions with video recordings of their own gameplay. Method. The gameplay review method arose from a microsociological study of the gameplay of eight young adults who each played approximately 20 hours of WORLD OF WARCRAFT over a 3-month period in 2012. Using data from in-depth interviews and audiovisual recordings of one of the eight participants, this article focuses on how the method leveraged participants’ knowledge of their experiences and ties that knowledge to measures of engagement. We outline the method’s four-step process (producing Level I data, analyzing Level I data, producing Level II data, analyzing Level II data) to guide the generation and analysis of rich video data. The method involves focused discussions on selected recorded segments of participants’ gameplay and is a means of connecting game design with both empirical and interpretive data. Results. We show how, as participants progress, they learn about game design features and deepen their understanding of games. We found that participants’ developing perceptions of, and relationships to, design features affect their engagement with digital games. Conclusion. The gameplay review method is significant in its ability to measure engagement by dealing explicitly with empirical and interpretive data.