Out of sight, out of mind: co-player effects on seniors' player experience

Abstract

Digital games are an excellent means to meet and socialize with others in leisure time. Online co-play could in particular be of great value for isolated and less mobile seniors. However, recent findings suggest that seniors have negative perceptions about mediated co-play over the Internet. Since no empirical results are available for senior gamers, we studied seniors' player experience in three play configurations with increasing levels of social presence: virtual, mediated, and co-located co-play. Results showed that -- in contrast to young adults -- the increase in a positive player experience as a result from the presence of social elements does not entirely hold for senior gamers. Online co-play is experienced as least enjoyable and seniors' sense of social presence is not affected when a computer controlled co-player is substituted by a distant human co-player.