Connected Play in Virtual Worlds: Communication and Control Mechanisms in Virtual Worlds for Children and Adolescents
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. A Developmental Lens to Understand Online Virtual Worlds
1.2. Multimodal Communication and Control Features
2. Methods
2.1. Develop Platform Search Procedure and Inclusion Criteria
- An active web platform where players can play and communicate with others.
- Public records of at least one million registered users by November 2019 as the lowest threshold to indicate the popularity and broad adoption of the platforms.
- Pre-existing online reviews and ratings for the appropriate age of players.
- Recommended player age(s) that include youth and/or adolescents on platform self-disclosure, Common Sense, and/or ESRB.
2.2. Coding, Evaluation, and Representation of Platforms
2.3. An Analysis of 10 Representative VW Platforms
- A diverse range of game genres as described by Heintz & Law [65]: action, adventure, simulation, building, puzzle-strategy, role play, open world, etc.
- A diverse range of player profiles described by da Costa et al. [66]: explorer, builder, socializer, nurturer, fighter, etc.
- A mixture of developer backgrounds: parents and fans (e.g., Autcraft server of Minecraft), educational technology companies (e.g., National Geographic Society), and entertainment companies (e.g., Epic Games)
- A mixture of platforms that have been previously investigated by researchers, such as industry reports and research articles.
3. Results
3.1. Design Features for Communication and Controls
3.2. Communication and Control Features in WhyVille, Autcraft, and Roblox
3.2.1. Whyville
3.2.2. Autcraft
3.2.3. Roblox
4. Discussion
4.1. A Developmental Lens for Examining VWs
4.2. Multimodal Communication and Scaffolded Controls
4.3. Inclusive and Safe Play for Typically Developing and Neurodiverse Youth
5. Limitations
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Thematic Categories | Subcategories |
---|---|
Player Information | Product listing of user age, reviewer site recommended user age, age range, platform user size |
Developer Information | Developer name, type, product launch date, compatible platform, business model |
Gameplay Information | Game environment, game genre, player type, gameplay mechanics and modes |
Communication and Moderation | Modes of communication, types of moderation, content to be filtered/moderated, degree of freedom for communication |
Social Interaction | Structures for team formation, event organization, friendship building, reputation building, and community participation |
Parental Controls | Safety and privacy controls, community rules, and compliance to policies (e.g., COPPA 1) |
Entertainment Companies | Ed-Tech Companies | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Platform & Year | Recommended Age | Developer | Platform & Year | Recommended Age | Developer |
Fortnite (2017) | 13+ | Epic Games | Animal Jam (2010) | 7–12 | WildWorks |
Minecraft (2009) 1 | 7+ | Mojang | Secret Builders (2007) | 6–14 | Rocket Paper Scissors LLC |
Roblox (2005) | 10+ | Roblox Corporation | Poptropica (2007) | 6–15 | Pearson Education/Sandbox and Co |
Habbo Hotel (2000) | 13+ | Sulake Corporation | Whyville (1999) | 8–15 | Numedeon, Inc |
NeoPets (1999) | 13+ | Jumpstart Games 2 | JumpStart 3D (1994) | 5–12 | Jumpstart Games |
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Du, Y.; Grace, T.D.; Jagannath, K.; Salen-Tekinbas, K. Connected Play in Virtual Worlds: Communication and Control Mechanisms in Virtual Worlds for Children and Adolescents. Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2021, 5, 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti5050027
Du Y, Grace TD, Jagannath K, Salen-Tekinbas K. Connected Play in Virtual Worlds: Communication and Control Mechanisms in Virtual Worlds for Children and Adolescents. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction. 2021; 5(5):27. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti5050027
Chicago/Turabian StyleDu, Yao, Thomas D. Grace, Krithika Jagannath, and Katie Salen-Tekinbas. 2021. "Connected Play in Virtual Worlds: Communication and Control Mechanisms in Virtual Worlds for Children and Adolescents" Multimodal Technologies and Interaction 5, no. 5: 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti5050027
APA StyleDu, Y., Grace, T. D., Jagannath, K., & Salen-Tekinbas, K. (2021). Connected Play in Virtual Worlds: Communication and Control Mechanisms in Virtual Worlds for Children and Adolescents. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 5(5), 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti5050027