Byte Sized Brainz

Behrenshausen, Bryan G. “Touching Is Good: An Eidetic Phenomenology of Interface, Interobjectivity, and Interaction in Nintendo’s ‘Animal Crossing: Wild World.’” The University of Maine, 2007. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/277.

This study discusses the experience of playing video games, specifically focusing on the embodied aspects of gameplay. It is founded upon the existential phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, which emphasizes the inseparable connection between the world and the body, to analyze how players engage with video games on a sensory and embodied level. This source is important because it departs from traditional approaches to video game studies, which often overlook the embodied experience of the player. By utilizing eidetic phenomenology to investigate the lived experience of video gaming, this study concludes that video gaming communicates essential aspects of real capacities and sensibilities. Focusing on the body and its interactions within the game environment, the analysis offers a fresh perspective that can significantly deepen our understanding of the phenomenon of video gaming. For our thesis, this resource provides us with a valuable methodological framework and theoretical foundation. It can guide us in examining how players’ identities, backgrounds, or experience shape their interactions with the virtual world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. 

Benti, Behailu Shiferaw, and Georg Stadtmann. “Animal Crossing: New Horizons Meets ‘Maslow’s Pyramid.’” Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies 3, no. 5 (2021): 1172–79. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.288.

The study discusses the success of the video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) since its 2020 release, attributing its popularity to its ability to satisfy both real-world and virtual needs of players. Drawing on Maslow’s needs-based theory of motivation, the study employs an interdisciplinary framework encompassing psychology and gaming to analyze ACNH’s role in fulfilling these needs. It finds that while deficiency-motivated needs are generally satisfied in both realms, growth-motivated needs are partially met in the virtual world. The study underscores the game’s significance in addressing both real-life and virtual needs, highlighting the interconnectedness between the two domains.

Boom, Krijn H.J., Csilla E. Ariese, Bram van den Hout, Angus A.A. Mol, and Aris Politopoulos. “Teaching through Play: Using Video Games as a Platform to Teach about the Past.” In Communicating the Past in the Digital Age, edited by Sebastian Hageneuer, 27–44. Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Methods in Teaching and Learning in Archaeology (12th-13th October 2018). Ubiquity Press, 2020. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv11cvx4t.8.

This book chapter titled “Teaching through Play: Using Video Games as a Platform to Teach about the Past” discusses how video games can be an effective and interactive method for teaching students history. Through four case studies, audiences were engaged in experiential learning through various video games, and the results show the practical applicability of video games in learning environments. For example, the study created a new version of Minecraft that was set during Roman times and as a result, students learned about Roman culture. Through their game experience, they were able to contextualize what kind of technology was available during that time, like knowing that Romans had heated baths but no railroads. The psychological and neurobiological mechanisms by which people learn and understand video game concepts and apply them to their own lives is valuable to our group’s project, as these mechanisms can be manipulated to provide the most effective learning experience for video game players. 

Crossing, K. (2020, November 29). The ultimate beginners guide – animal crossing new horizons tips & tricks. Kait’s Crossing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54yTIDJnN8Q

Coroller, S., and C. Flinois. “Video games as a tool for ecological learning: The case of Animal Crossing.” Ecosphere, vol. 14, no. 3, Mar. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4463  

The authors of this article conducted a survey examining whether players gain species identification skills from playing Animal Crossing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether video games could have educational potential. It asks players and non-players to rank their personal interest in nature and then to identify plant species from photos, demonstrating the game’s effectiveness in ecological learning and conservation biology. Multivariate analyses showed that video game players were better than non-players at identifying real-life species that were included in the video game, suggesting that the role of plants and animals in video games impacts gamers’ ability to identify the organisms in real life. The results from the study help expand our research questions by showing that video games can be used as a tool for learning, both expanding ecological knowledge and improving organism-identification skills. 

DiFrancisco-Donoghue, J.; De las Heras, B.; Li, O.; Middleton, J.; Jung, M.-K. Gaming in Pandemic Times: An International Survey Assessing the Effects of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Young Video Gamers’ Health. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 6855. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20196855

This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on video gamers’ health-related outcomes. It found that gaming time increased significantly during the pandemic, especially during moderate and total lockdowns. Physical activity levels remained relatively stable, but sitting time increased, particularly among those who were physically active before the pandemic. Additionally, sleep duration increased for many gamers, especially during stricter lockdowns, but sleep satisfaction varied. Stress levels also fluctuated, with casual gamers experiencing more negative effects compared to competitive gamers. Overall, the study suggests that moderate video gaming could offer a safe and cost-effective strategy to promote socialization and mental health during pandemic-related lockdowns.

Fernández, F. (2023, November 20). All you need to know about animal crossing: New horizons. Ugami. https://ugami.com/ugami/all-you-need-to-know-about-animal-crossing-new-horizons/ 

Ho, MT., Nguyen, TH.T., Nguyen, MH. et al. Virtual tree, real impact: how simulated worlds associate with the perception of limited resources. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 9, 213 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01225-1

The article explores the potential of video games, particularly Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH), as a tool for environmental education and promoting pro-environmental behaviors. ACNH, a popular life simulation game, incorporates economic principles and resource management mechanics. The study analyzed survey responses from 640 ACNH players to investigate the correlation between perceptions of limited resources and in-game actions like planting and exploiting, across different ethnicities. The findings suggested positive correlations between perception and in-game actions among all ethnicities, highlighting the potential for video games to promote environmental awareness and behavior change. Additionally, the article discusses the theoretical foundation linking exposure to nature, environmental perception, and behavior, as well as the controversial link between players’ in-game behavior and their out-of-game perception. Overall, it emphasizes the importance of understanding the motivation underlying pro-environmental behaviors in game design to effectively promote environmental education and sustainability.

Lewis, Joanna E., Mia Trojovsky, and Molly M. Jameson. “New Social Horizons: Anxiety, Isolation, and Animal Crossing During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Frontiers in Virtual Reality 2 (March 30, 2021). https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2021.627350.

This article investigates the impact of playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) on feelings of loneliness and isolation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an online survey, participants were asked about their time spent playing, socialization, loneliness, and anxiety. It explores the option of video games as therapeutic outlets. They found that increased gaming predicted higher anxiety and partially predicted loneliness among ACNH players, but increased visits to other islands was associated with lower loneliness. This suggests that ACNH was used as a coping mechanism for anxiety during the pandemic. The article helps us answer our research questions by diving into the psychological effect of the gameplay, showing how immersive in-game environments can offer meaningful social interaction while enhancing environmental responsibility. 

Möring, Sebastian, and Birgit Schneider. “Climate–Game–Worlds: A Media-Aesthetic Look at the Depiction and Function of Climate in Computer Games.” In Ecogames, edited by Laura op de Beke, Joost Raessens, Stefan Werning, and Gerald Farca, 201–22. Playful Perspectives on the Climate Crisis. Amsterdam University Press, 2024. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.10819591.11.

This book chapter discusses the limitations of how the environment and climate are represented and portrayed in video games, admitting that only a select few video games accurately portray the climate crisis and choose to induce change through their game. This chapter highlights how even though some video games may spread awareness of the climate crisis, the vast majority of video games opt for the gaudy hero’s story over environmental accuracy, which does not induce any change in the players’ behaviors. These concepts are important to study when thinking about our dataset, as although some video games may increase environmental awareness, it is a whole other battle to actually induce change among the players.

Neys, Joyce, and Jeroen Jansz. “Engagement in Play, Engagement in Politics: Playing Political Video Games.” In The Playful Citizen, edited by René Glas, Sybille Lammes, Michiel de Lange, Joost Raessens, and Imar de Vries, 1:36–55. Civic Engagement in a Mediatized Culture. Amsterdam University Press, 2019. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvcmxpds.5.

This book chapter discusses how playing political video games may have indirect effects on the players civic engagement and participation in real life. Over time, the players of a political video game saw how events from the video game transferred to real life contexts. Social facilitation played a big role in this, as the players reflected on how the political topics related to them personally and discussed with their friends. This same concept could be applied to the variables studied in our main dataset, like environmental concern or COVID-19 concern.  Similar to the players of political video games, the players of video games based on environmental problems or COVID-19 concerns could further internalize and reflect on the concepts showcased in the video game and apply them to their own lives. 

Ngai, Anita Ching Yi. “Cultural Influences On Video Games: Players’ Preferences in Narrative and Game-Play.” Master Thesis, University of Waterloo, 2005. https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/handle/10012/770.

This study/survey employs comparative video game data from Japan and the United States to investigate the difference in narrative and game-play elements, exploring whether it may help understand different players a bit better by focusing on immersion and emotional experiences. Despite not finding any major differences across cultures, higher character attachment was found in Japanese players, while American respondents disliked character narrative elements that took time away from playing time. This source is important because it sheds light on how cultural differences may influence preferences and experiences in game-play, which can inform game developers and researchers about designing games for diverse audiences. By suggesting that cultural background and preferences may impact the way that players engage with narrative elements in games, this study would aid us in understanding how the various backgrounds of the players from our multinational dataset will impact their in-game behavior in ACNH. 

Nichols, H. (2023, February 9). How video games affect the brain. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318345#Video-games-and-brain-changes

Nookipedia. “Animal Crossing (Series),” March 18, 2024. https://nookipedia.com/wiki/Animal_Crossing_(series).

Nookipedia is an online platform providing comprehensive information and community resources for the Animal Crossing video game series. It offers detailed guides, character profiles, item catalogs, and discussion forums for players of all levels. Established by fans, Nookipedia is a trusted source known for its accuracy and inclusive community.

Pearce, Katy E., et al. “Families Playing Animal Crossing together: Coping With Video Games During the COVID-19 pandemic.” Games and Culture, vol. 17, no. 5, 5 Dec. 2021, pp. 773–794, https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120211056125. 

The authors of this article considered how families coped with pandemic-related stress using the video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons by conducting an interview study. The results of the study found that parents and children individually coped with this stress with media, specifically video games. Families engaged in communal coping, where media helped a family cope collectively as a whole, suggesting that families used ACNH as an escape into a novel virtual environment. This could help answer our research question because we can see how extreme isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic led families to simulate new lives through ACNH. 

Rubin, Mikael, Michael Telch, and Justin Dainer-Best. “In Game as in Life? Linking Decision-Making to Real-World Behavior.” Collabra: Psychology 7, no. 1 (September 28, 2021): 28115. https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.28115.

This study explores the intricate relationship between decision-making processes in video game environments and real-world behaviors, particularly focusing on symptoms of depression. The study introduces a novel text-based simulation to assess decision-making, expanding beyond traditional self-report or experimental paradigms. By utilizing a simulated decision-making paradigm, the authors investigate the correlation between in-game actions and real-life behaviors, as well as their association with symptoms of depression. Their post-hoc assessments found strong associations between in-game technology use and real world technology use, specifically real-world video game and computer use. This link between in-game behavior and real-world behavior can be used to supplement our research between in-game environmental behavior and real-world environmental perceptions among ACNH players. 

Tong, Xin, Diane Gromala, Carman Neustaedter, F. David Fracchia, Yisen Dai, and Zhicong Lu. “Players’ Stories and Secrets in Animal Crossing: New Horizons-Exploring Design Factors for Positive Emotions and Social Interactions in a Multiplayer Online Game.” Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 5, no. CHI PLAY (October 6, 2021): 284:1-284:23. https://doi.org/10.1145/3474711.

This scholarly study examines the social dynamics and positive interactions within Animal Crossing: New Horizons, focusing particularly on its role during the COVID-19 pandemic. This source is significant because it goes into the cultural phenomenon of gaming during the pandemic, highlighting how virtual platforms like Animal Crossing offer avenues for socialization and connection when physical interactions are limited. It highlights the potential of games to serve as meaningful social spaces during times of crisis, as players that interacted with their friends or family over ACNH strengthened these relationships. This source serves as a crucial foundation for understanding how identities and experiences intersect with virtual gameplay experiences, providing empirical evidence as well as offering insights into the actual mechanisms through which the game fosters positive social interactions, which can be contextualized within the broader framework of our research. 

Quwaider, Muhannad, Abdullah Alabed, and Rehab Duwairi. “The Impact of Video Games on the Players Behaviors: A Survey.” Procedia Computer Science, The 10th International Conference on Ambient Systems, Networks and Technologies (ANT 2019) / The 2nd International Conference on Emerging Data and Industry 4.0 (EDI40 2019) / Affiliated Workshops, 151 (January 1, 2019): 575–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2019.04.077.

In their survey-based study, the authors investigate the relationship between video game engagement and player behavior. They delve into contrasting findings from existing research, examining the effects of video games on players’ skills, reactions, and behaviors. The study scrutinizes both positive and negative outcomes, ranging from skill development and improved social relationships to potential issues such as violence, aggression, anxiety, or stress. Ultimately, this study argues that there are direct links between video games and player behavior and emotion, like through improving their reflexes, motivation, and problem solving skills. For our project, we could utilize this source to shed light on the multifaceted impact of video games on players’ behavior, offering insights into the educational potential and broader implications of gaming in various aspects of life. 

Vuong, Quan-Hoang, Manh-Toan Ho, Minh-Hoang Nguyen, Thanh-Hang Pham, Thu-Trang Vuong, Quy Khuc, Hoang-Anh Ho, and Viet-Phuong La. “On the Environment-Destructive Probabilistic Trends: A Perceptual and Behavioral Study on Video Game Players.” Technology in Society 65 (May 1, 2021): 101530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101530.

The study examines how video games, specifically Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH), can influence players’ environmental perceptions and behaviors. Using a dataset of 584 survey responses from ACNH players, the study investigates the relationship between in-game behaviors and perceptions. The questionnaire explores socio-demographic factors, game-playing experience, in-game behaviors, and environmental perceptions. Bayesian analysis and multilevel modeling are employed to analyze the data. Their results suggest it is highly probable that many video games exploit the in-game environment despite players’ perceptions, indicating that commercial game design may overlook opportunities for pro-environmental engagement and education. Furthermore, results show variations in players’ environmental perceptions based on gender, educational level, and geographical location. The immersive nature of ACNH teaches players about nature but lacks consequences for exploiting the environment, similar to real-world constraints on pro-environmental behaviors. Knowing this information, we can use it as a call-to-action in our project, encouraging video game designers to design consequences for player actions that harm the virtual environment. This source is incredibly useful, as it draws connections between the ACNH environment and the real-world environmental concern, which is precisely what we are studying from our dataset as well. 

Westera, W. (2019). Why and How Serious Games can Become Far More Effective: Accommodating Productive Learning Experiences, Learner Motivation and the Monitoring of Learning Gains. Journal of Educationa

Zhu, Lin. “The Psychology behind Video Games during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.” Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies 3, no. 1 (2021): 157–59. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.221.

In her article, Lin Zhu explores the psychological ramifications of the surge in popularity of “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She examines how the game serves as both an escape from reality and a platform for social interaction, addressing the psychological well-being of players amidst social isolation and anxiety. Zhu highlights the game’s timely release coinciding with the pandemic, providing individuals with a virtual refuge to temporarily evade real-world stressors. However, she also acknowledges the potential negative consequences of excessive escapism, emphasizing the importance of balancing virtual experiences with real-life challenges. Furthermore, Zhu underscores the significant role of social connections forged within the game, mitigating feelings of loneliness exacerbated by the pandemic. Through her insightful analysis, she invites further exploration into the evolving relationship between video games, psychological well-being, and social interaction in times of crisis. We can utilize this source to maintain a balanced perspective on ACNH as a social platform, noting the escapism it provided during the pandemic while also acknowledging the negative effects it may have on players when used too often.