TY  - JOUR
A1  - Possler, Daniel
A1  - Bowman, Nicholas David
A1  - Daneels, Rowan
T1  - Explaining the formation of eudaimonic gaming experiences: a theoretical overview and systemization based on interactivity and game elements
T2  - Frontiers in Communication
N2  - Over the past years, scholars have explored eudaimonic video game experiences—profound entertainment responses that include meaningfulness, reflection, and others. In a comparatively short time, a plethora of explanations for the formation of such eudaimonic gaming experiences has been developed across multiple disciplines, making it difficult to keep track of the state of theory development. Hence, we present a theoretical overview of these explanations. We first provide a working definition of eudaimonic gaming experiences (i.e., experiences that reflect human virtues and encourage players to develop their potential as human beings fully) and outline four layers of video games—agency, narrative, sociality, and aesthetics—that form the basis for theorizing. Subsequently, we provide an overview of the theoretical approaches, categorizing them based on which of the four game layers their explanation mainly rests upon. Finally, we suggest the contingency of the different theoretical approaches for explaining eudaimonic experiences by describing how their usefulness varies as a function of interactivity. As different types of games offer players various levels of interactivity, our overview suggests which theories and which game layers should be considered when examining eudaimonic experiences for specific game types.
KW  - video games
KW  - interactivity
KW  - eudaimonia
KW  - theory
KW  - game layers
Y1  - 2023
UR  - https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/32813
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-328136
SN  - 2297-900X
VL  - 8
ER  -