PX-MBT: A framework for model-based player experience testingShow others and affiliations
2024 (English)In: Science of Computer Programming, ISSN 0167-6423, E-ISSN 1872-7964, Vol. 236, article id 103108Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
As video games become more complex and widespread, player experience (PX) testing becomes crucial in the game industry. Attracting and retaining players are key elements to guarantee the success of a game in the highly competitive market. Although a number of techniques have been introduced to measure the emotional aspect of the experience, automated testing of player experience still needs to be explored. This paper presents PX-MBT, a framework for automated player experience testing with emotion pattern verification. PX-MBT (1) utilizes a model-based testing approach for test suite generation, (2) employs a computational model of emotions developed based on a psychological theory of emotions to model players' emotions during game-plays with an intelligent agent, and (3) verifies emotion patterns given by game designers on executed test suites to identify PX-issues. We explain PX-MBT architecture and provide an example along with its result in emotion pattern verification, which asserts the evolution of emotions over time, and heat-maps to showcase the spatial distribution of emotions on the game map.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2024. Vol. 236, article id 103108
Keywords [en]
Agent-based testing, Emotion modeling, Model-based testing, PX testing
National Category
Computer Systems Computer Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-223837DOI: 10.1016/j.scico.2024.103108ISI: 001226903800002Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85189754785OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-223837DiVA, id: diva2:1855236
Funder
EU, Horizon 2020, 8567162024-04-302024-04-302025-04-24Bibliographically approved