The Effect of Character Design on Character Identification for Mobile Games

Abstract

Mobile games with role-playing features are currently one of the most popular types of mobile games on the market. From the viewpoint of game development, it is crucial to encourage players to continue playing these games. The relationship of a player with his/her game character/avatar is an important factor for game design. However, few studies have explored the effects of game character design on character/avatar identification in mobile games. The results of these studies can be used to evaluate the aforementioned effects and can be used as references for game design development. The present study aimed to explore the character design factors that can affect character identification through interface experiments. The study results were as following: Various character design factors affected the players’ character identification types, especially the sense of embodied presence and wishful identification. Game developers can use these results as references for studying gaming psychology and for designing and developing mobile games.