How feedback from an emotional game agent affects the player's perceived competence, autonomy, and intrinsic motivation

Emotional game agents (EGA) present a way to provide real-time verbal feedback to the player in an interesting and engaging way. Recent studies have looked at how various types of feedback and game design elements impact player motivation because of its useful application in serious, educational, and commercial games, but none have examined feedback delivered by EGAs. In this project, we look at self-determination theory, a theory of human motivation, and how it has been used in previous game studies. We then present a game review of existing EGAs, classifying the emotions they embody and the ways they are used. The emotions of happiness (joy) and anger were found to capture the affective expressions that are most commonly expressed through existing EGAs. Then a prototype was created, based around the concept of spatial reasoning, in order to provide information about the effect different EGAs have on player motivation, and which players tend to prefer. Our results conclude that happy EGAs have a largely positive impact on variables dealing with intrinsic motivation versus angry EGAs. However, some players find happy EGAs to be boring and angry EGAs to be interesting and engaging. When dealing with EGAs, it became clear that players want to know the driving force behind the emotions agents are expressing.M.S., Digital Media -- Drexel University, 201