Cover not available
Article published In:
Interaction Studies
Vol. 23:1 (2022) ► pp.58–88

Differences in game playability between healthy players and problematic players

| University of Taipei

Games played on mobile phones or tablets have become a serious game platform. In the new International Classification of Diseases in 2019, the WHO now includes video game disorder as a mental disease, this highlights the seriousness of game addiction which has now become a global problem. Game design may be one of the factors that affect game addiction. Game playability can be used to evaluate the game design and to determine the features that can cause game addiction. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between playability and game addiction, and a comparison of the difference in playability among healthy players (N = 1286) and problematic players (N = 278) that allows game developers to design games in ways that may reduce addiction while maintaining or improving playability. In this study, 1564 valid questionnaires that collected data about the Game Playability Scale and the Game Addiction Scale showed that (1) The level of playability in the problematic players was significantly higher than in healthy players. (2) The degree of correlation between playability and game addiction in the problematic players was lower than in healthy players. (3) Some playability factors and addiction factors are negatively correlated.

Keywords: mobile game, playability, game addiction
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Related work
    • 2.1Why do people play mobile games?
    • 2.2Playability and game design
    • 2.3Game addiction
  • 3.Method
    • 3.1Measures
    • 3.2Questionnaire distribution
    • 3.3Analysis method
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Participants
    • 4.2Reliability of scales
    • 4.3Results of correlation analysis
    • 4.4Playability and game addiction factors between healthy and problematic players
    • 4.5Playability factors between healthy and problematic players in different games
  • 5.Discussion
    • 5.1A comparison of the playability and game addiction factors between healthy players and problematic players
    • 5.2Comparison of the time factors between healthy players and problematic players
    • 5.3Limitations
  • 6.Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 20 October 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/is.21014.li
References
Alha, K., Koskinena, E., Paavilainena, J., & Hamari, J.
(2019) Why do people play location-based augmented reality games: A study on Pokémon GO. Computers in Human Behavior, 93 1, 114–122. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
American Psychiatric Association. (APA)
(2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
André, F., Broman, N., Håkansson, A., & Claesdotter-Knutsson, E.
(2020) Gaming addiction, problematic gaming and engaged gaming – Prevalence and associated characteristics. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 12 1, 100324. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
App Store
(2021) Games – App Store Downloads on iTunes. Accessed on Aug. 29, 2021, Available: [URL]
Björk, S.
(2010) On Making Good Games – Using Player Virtue Ethics and Gameplay Design Patterns to Identify Generally Desirable Gameplay Features. Proceedings of the 2010 International DiGRA Nordic Conference: Experiencing Games: Games, Play, and Players. Stockholm, Sweden, Aug 16–17, 2010.
Blumberg, F. C., Altschuler, E. A., Almonte, D. E., & Mileaf, M. I.
(2013) The impact of recreational video game play on children’s and adolescents’ cognition. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 139 1, 41–50. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Brunborg, G. S., Hanss, D., Mentzoni, R. A., & Pallesen, S.
(2015) Core and peripheral criteria of video game addiction in the game addiction scale for adolescents. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 18 (5), 280–285. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Brunborg, G. S., Mentzoni, R. A., Melkevik, O. R., Torsheim, T., Samdal, O., Hetland, J., Andreassen, C. S., & Palleson, S.
(2013) Gaming addiction, gaming engagement, and psychological health complaints among Norwegian adolescents. Media Psychology, 16 (1), 115–128. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chang, C. C.
(2013) Examining users’ intention to continue using social network games: A flow experience perspective. Telematics and Informatics, 30 (4), 311–321. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chen, Y.
(2020) Video game addiction “increase 30% in 5 years!” You can’t live without the Internet. Why is the development of technology making the Internet difficult to stop? Business Next, Accessed on August. 29, 2021, Available: [URL]
Chiou, H.
(2006) Quantitative Research and Statistical Analysis in Social & Behavioral Sciences. Taipei, Taiwan: Wunan Publishing.Google Scholar
(2008) Quantitative Research Method II: Statistical Principles and Analytic Techniques. Taipei, Taiwan: Yeh Book Gallery.Google Scholar
Choi, D. & Kim, J.
(2004) Why people continue to play online games: In search of critical design factors to increase customer loyalty to online contents. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 7 (1), 11–24. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Choi, J. O.
(2014) Influence of youth internet game addiction on ADHD and academic achievement – focusing on elementary school students in Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi region. Korea Institute of Youth Facility & Environment, 12 (2), 19–28.Google Scholar
Chuang, H. M.
(2016) Why are video games always addictive? Those designs make people find motivation. The Storm Media, Accessed on May 27, 2021, Available: [URL]
Clanton, C.
(1998) An interpreted demonstration of computer game design. Presented at the CHI 98 Conference Summary on Human Factors in Computing Systems , Los Angeles, CA, USA, April, 1998. Available: DOI logo
Cole, H. & Griffiths, M. D.
(2007) Social interactions in massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 10 (4), 575–583. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Demetrovics, Z. & Király, O.
(2016) Commentary on Baggio et al. (2016): Internet/gaming addiction is more than heavy use over time. Addiction, 111 (3), 523–524. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Desurvire, H., Caplan, M., & Toth, J. A.
(2004) Using heuristics to evaluate the playability of games. Proceedings of CHI ‘04 extended abstract on human factors in computing systems, CHI ’04. ACM, New York, pp1509–1512. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Federoff, M. A.
(2002) Heuristics and usability guidelines for the creation and evaluation of fun in video games. Master dissertation, Department of Telecommunications, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
Ferguson, C. J., Coulson, M., & Barnett, J.
(2011) A meta-analysis of pathological gaming prevalence and comorbidity with mental health, academic and social problems. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 45 (12), 1573–1578. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Festl, R., Scharkow, M., & Quandt, T.
(2013) Problematic computer game use among adolescents, younger and older adults. Addiction, 108 (3), 592–599. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Gentile, D.
(2009) Pathological video-game use among youth ages 8 to 18: A national study. Psychological Science, 20 (5), 594–602. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Google Play
(2021) Application: Games. Accessed on August 29, 2021, Available: [URL]
Griffiths, M. D.
(2010) The role of context in online gaming excess and addiction: some case study evidence. International Journal of Mental Health Addiction, 8 (1), 119–125. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2014) Gaming addiction in adolescence revisited. Education and Health, 32 (4), 125–129.Google Scholar
Griffiths, M., van Rooij, A. J., Kardefelt-Winther, D., Starcevic, V., Kiraly, O., Pallesen, S., Muller, K., … Demetrovics, Z.
(2016) Working towards an international consensus on criteria for assessing internet gaming disorder: A critical commentary on Petry et al. (2014). Addiction, 111 (1), 167–175. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hsieh, M. -J.
(2015) The Study of Motivation Factors and Playability Satisfaction for the Impact on Game Addiction – A Case Study of Social Web Game on Facebook (Un published master dissertation). National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Yunlin, Taiwan.
Hsu, S. H., Wen, M. -H., & Wu, M. -C.
(2009) Exploring user experiences as predictors of MMORPG addiction. Computers & Education, 53 (3), 990–999. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hussain, Z., Williams, G. A., & Griffiths, M. D.
(2015) An exploratory study of the association between online gaming addiction and enjoyment motivations for playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Computers in Human Behavior, 50 1, 221–230. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hyun, G. J., Han, D. H., Lee, Y. S., Kang, K. D., Yoo, S. K., Chung, U.-S., & Renshaw, P. F.
(2015) Risk factors associated with online game addiction: A hierarchical model. Computers in Human Behavior, 48 1, 706–713. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Järvinen, A., Heliö, S., & Mäyrä, F.
(2002) Communication and community in digital entertainment services. Prestudy Research Report, Accessed on May 10, 2021, Available: [URL]
KANTAR
(2019) Men’s and women’s preferences are quite different! How does the Taiwanese mobile game market continue to grow? Brian News, Accessed on May 10, 2021, Available: [URL]
Kardefelt-Winther, D.
(2015) A critical account of DSM-5 criteria for internet gaming disorder. Addiction Research & Theory, 23 (2), 93–98. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Khazaal, Y., Chatton, A., Rothen, S., Achab, S., Thorens, G., Zullino, D., & Gmel, G.
(2016) Psychometric properties of the 7-item game addiction scale among French and German speaking adults. BMC Psychiatry, 16 1, 132. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kim, H. W. & Baik, J. S.
(2011) A study on school life adjustment according to the level of internet game addiction among middle school students. Korea Institute of Youth Facility & Environment, 9 (1), 27–35.Google Scholar
Kim, N. R., Hwang, S. -H., Choi, J. -S., Kim, D. -J., Demetrovics, Z., Király, O., Nagygyörgy, K., Griffiths, M. D., Hyun, S. Y., Youn, H. C., & Choi, S. -W.
(2016) Characteristics and psychiatric symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder among adults using self-reported DSM-5 criteria. Psychiatry Investigation, 13 (1), 58–66. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
King, D. L. & Delfabbro, P. H.
(2016) The cognitive psychopathology of Internet gaming disorder in adolescence. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 44 (8), 1635–1645. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
King, D. L., Delfabbro, P. H., & Griffiths, M. D.
(2011) The role of structural characteristics in problematic video game play: An empirical study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 9 (3), 320–333. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Király, O., Griffiths, M. D., King, D. L., Lee, H. -K., Lee, S. -U., Bányai, F., Zsila, A., Takacs, Z. K., & Demetrovics, Z.
(2018) Policy responses to problematic video game use: A systematic review of current measures and future possibilities. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7 (3), 503–517. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Király, O., Nagygyörgy, K., Griffiths, M. D., & Demetrovics, Z.
(2014) Problematic online gaming. In K. Rosenberg & L. Feder (Eds.), Behavioral addictions: Criteria, evidence and treatment (pp. 61–95). New York, NY: Elsevier. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Király, O., T´oth, D., Urbán, R., Demetrovics, Z., & Maraz, A.
(2017) Intense video gaming is not essentially problematic. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 31 (7), 807–817. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ko, C.-H., Yen, J.-Y., Chen, C.-C., Chen, S.-H., & Yen, C.-F.
(2005) Gender differences and related factors affecting online gaming addiction among Taiwanese adolescents. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 193 (4), 273–277. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Korhonen, H. & Koivisto, E. M. I.
(2006) Playability heuristics for mobile games. Proceedings of the 8th Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services, Mobile HCI 2006, Helsinki, Finland, September 12–15, 2006 DOI logo
Krossbakken, E., Pallesen, S., Mentzoni, R. A., King, D. L., Molde, H., Finserås, T. R., & Torsheim, T.
(2018) A cross-lagged study of developmental trajectories of video game engagement, addiction, and mental health. Frontiers in Psychology. 9 1, 2239. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kuss, D. J. & Griffiths, M. D.
(2012) Internet gaming addiction: A systematic review of empirical research. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 10 (2), 278–296. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lemmens, J. S., Valkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J.
(2009) Development and validation of a game addiction scale for adolescents. Media Psychology, 12 (1), 77–95. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Li, E. C. & Luh, D.-B.
(2017) Effect of game motivation on flow experience and companionship: The online pet games as the example. Interaction Studies, 18 (1), 95–115. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Li, E. C., Liang, Y.-W., Lu, H.-N., & Chen, J.-Y.
(2017) Game Role Identification and Game Playability for Mobile Game Players. Ministry of Science and Technology research project, Taipei, Taiwan, MOST 105-2410-H-155-058, Available: [URL]
Lopez-Fernandez, O., Honrubia-Serrano, M. L., Baguley, T., & Griffiths, M. D.
(2014) Pathological video game playing in Spanish and British adolescents: Towards the exploration of Internet Gaming Disorder symptomatology. Computers in Human Behavior, 41 1, 304–312. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Loton, D. J.
(2014) Video Game Addiction and Engagement in Adult Gamers: Differentiation Based on Relationships with Health and Functioning. Doctoral dissertation. Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. DOI logo
Loton, D., Borkoles, E., Lubman, D., & Polman, R.
(2016) Video game addiction, engagement and symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety: the mediating role of coping. International Journal of Mental Health Addiction, 14 (4), 565–578. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Luna-Perejon, F., Malwade, S., Styliadis, C., Civit, J., Cascado-Caballero, D., Konstantinidis, E., Abdul, S. S., Bamidis, P. D., Civit, A., & Li, Y.-C.
(2019) Evaluation of user satisfaction and usability of a mobile app for smoking cessation. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, 182 1, 105042. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Madigan, J.
(2012) Seven Psychological Sins of SimCity Social. Accessed on May 27, 2021, Available: [URL]
Market Intelligence and Consulting Institute
(2017) [APP user survey] The rise of games, online shopping, and transportation applications. Accessed on May 27, 2021, Available: [URL]
(2018) [Game Player survey series 1] 75% of players are crazy mobile games, the students are most keen. Accessed on May 27, 2021, Available: [URL]
Mathews, C. L., Morrell, H. E., & Molle, J. E.
(2018) Video game addiction, ADHD symptomatology, and video game reinforcement. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 45 (1), 67–76. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Merikivi, J., Tuunainen, V., & Nguyen, D.
(2017) What makes continued mobile gaming enjoyable? Computers in Human Behavior, 68 1, 411–421. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Nelson, R.
(2019) Global App revenue reached $39 billion in the first half of 2019, Up 15% Year-Over-Year. Sensor Tower. Accessed on May 27, 2021, Available: [URL]
Petry, N. M. & O’Brien, C. P.
(2013) Internet gaming disorder and the DSM-5. Addiction, 108 (7), 1186–1187. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Petry, N. M., Rehbein, F., Gentile, D. A., Lemmens, J. S., Rumpf, H. J., Mößle, T., Bischof, G., Tao, R., Fung, D. S. S., Borges, G., Auriacombe, M., Ibáñez, A. G., Tam, P., & O’Brien, C. P.
(2014) An international consensus for assessing internet gaming. disorder using the new DSM-5 approach. Addiction, 109 (9), 1399–1406. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pontes, H. M. & Griffiths, M. D.
(2015) Measuring DSM-5 Internet gaming disorder: development and validation of a short psychometric scale. Computers in Human Behavior, 45 1, 137–143. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pontes, H. M., Macur, M., & Griffiths, M. D.
(2016) Internet gaming disorder among Slovenian primary schoolchildren: Findings from a nationally representative sample of adolescents. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 5 (2), 304–310. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Rehbein, F., Kleimann, M., & Mößle, T.
(2010) Prevalence and risk factors of video game dependency in adolescence: Results of a German nationwide survey. Cyberpsyhology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13 (3), 269–277. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Rehbein, F., Kliem, S., Baier, D., Mossle, T., & Petry, N. M.
(2015) Prevalence of Internet gaming disorder in German adolescents: Diagnostic contribution of the nine DSM-5 criteria in a statewide representative sample. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 110 (5), 842–851. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Reynolds, E.
(2018) ‘It consumed my life’: inside a gaming addiction treatment centre. Guardian, Accessed on August 15, 2021, Available: [URL]
Shi, Q., Xu, X., Liu, N., Li, J., Sun, X., & Zhang, K.
(2007) Why some People are Addicted to Computer Games: An Analysis of Psychological Aspects of Game Players And Games. Proceedings of the 12th Human Computer Interaction International Conference, with 8 Further Associated Conferences, Beijing, China, July 22–27, 2007. (pp. 1279–1283). Lecture Notes in Computer Science.
Tao, R., Huang, X., Wang, J., Zhang, H., Zhang, Y., & Li, M.
(2010) Proposed diagnostic criteria for internet addiction. Addiction, 105 (3), 556–564. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Thomas, N. J.
(2010) Video-arcade game, computer game and Internet activities of Australian students: Participation habits and prevalence of addiction. Australian Journal of Psychology, 62 (2), 59–66. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Video Game Addiction
(2020) What Makes a Video Game Addictive? Video Game Addiction, Accessed on May 10, 2021, Available: [URL]
Wan, C. -S. & Chiou, W. -B.
(2006) Why are adolescents addicted to online gaming? An interview study in Taiwan. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 9 (6), 762–766. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Wang, C. -W., Chan, C. L. W., Mak, K. -K., Ho, S. -Y., Wong, P. W. C., & Ho, R. T. H.
(2014) Prevalence and Correlates of Video and Internet Gaming Addiction among Hong Kong Adolescents: A Pilot Study. The Scientific World Journal 2014, Article ID 874648. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Wijman, T.
(2019) Mobile Revenues Account for More Than 50% of the Global Games Market as It Reaches $137.9 Billion in 2018. News Zoo. Accessed on May 10, 2021, Available: [URL]
Yousafzai, S., Hussain, Z., & Griffiths, M.
(2014) Social responsibility in online videogaming: What should the videogame industry do? Addiction Research & Theory, 22 (3), 181–185. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Zagal, J. P., Debus, M. S., & Cardona-Rivera, R. E.
(2019) On the ultimate goals of games: Winning, finishing, and prolonging. Proceedings of the 13th International Philosophy of Computer Games Conference. October 21–24, 2019. St Petersburg, Russia. Available: [URL]