Indigo Prophecy

Evaluating Interactive Entertainment Using Breakdown: Understanding Embodied Learning in Video Games

This study examines how players learn video games through embodied interaction, using the concept of "breakdown" as its central lens.

• Breakdowns in video game play occur when a player's everyday strategies fail, leading either to behavioral adaptation (breakdown in interaction) or loss of immersion (breakdown in illusion), and they can be identified through observable signs such as surprise, erratic movement, and frustration.
• Based on talk-aloud protocols and interviews with 13 Indiana University participants (eight male, five female) playing unfamiliar games like Myst, SSX 3, Sly 2, and Indigo Prophecy over roughly three-hour sessions, the authors identified a taxonomy of 17 breakdown patterns across four categories: perceiving the environment, developing strategy, taking action, and meaning making.
• Many breakdowns stem from unclear environmental cues, poorly delivered or sequenced instructions, mismatched control mappings, and disconnects between tutorials and core gameplay.