Research & Archive
A curated collection of technical reports and experimental studies investigating the intersections of game systems, user psychology, and interactive design.
When the Tool Becomes the Question: GSND Student Attitudes Toward AI in Game Design Education
A program-wide Qualtrics survey of 27 graduate students in Northeastern's Game Science & Design program, instrumented to measure attitudes toward AI in coursework, capstones, and the game industry. The full report is rendered question-by-question with frequency tables and percentages, and surfaces the non-parametric tests faculty requested — Mann-Whitney U for cohort comparisons and Wilcoxon signed-rank for the within-subject ideal-vs-realistic gap. Includes a verbatim appendix of the open-ended responses.
“Why Did You Do That”: Player Approaches in Puzzle Game in Relation to Player Taxonomy
This study investigates how players, categorized by Bartle Taxonomy, approach and engage in the critically acclaimed puzzle game The Witness. Using think-aloud protocols and post-gameplay interviews, we analyze cognitive processes, emotional responses, and strategies to identify the unique motivators for different player types in puzzle-solving environments.
Hands Full: A Usability Study of Natural Locomotion in Fast-Paced VR Combat Games
Exploring the efficacy of natural locomotion (NL) techniques in virtual reality environments during high-intensity combat. This study evaluates physical movement as a primary navigation method in "Blade and Sorcery," measuring cognitive load, usability heuristics, and simulator sickness symptoms through SSQ metrics.
One with the Beat: Does Audio-Visual Desynchronization Affect Player Performance in Rhythm Games?
An investigation into the impact of audio-visual latency on player performance in mobile rhythm games. Using Cytus II as a testbed, this study employs a between-subjects design to measure how specific desynchronization intervals affect timing accuracy (Technical Points) across different player proficiency levels.
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