A game-theoretic analysis of traditional song selection rules in rhythm game tournaments

IF 2.4 3区计算机科学 Q2 COMPUTER SCIENCE, CYBERNETICS

Entertainment Computing Pub Date : 2025-07-14 DOI:10.1016/j.entcom.2025.100988

Hikaru Ikuta , Yudai Tsujino , Ryosuke Yamanishi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

In competitive rhythm gaming, the selection of songs (or “charts”) to be played is a crucial factor that can significantly influence the outcome of the match. Building on this importance, rhythm game tournaments often incorporate strategic elements into the song selection process. Instead of predefined selections, match songs are determined through player interactions in a mini-game, enhancing the tournament’s entertainment value. This selection process must balance various factors, including fairness and entertainment value, making its rule design essential for improving the overall tournament experience. Reflecting these diverse requirements, a variety of selection methods are actively used in both fan-driven and official tournaments. In this paper, we mathematically analyze the fairness of these selection processes using game theory, for the purpose of providing insights into the design of rhythm game tournament rules. Focusing on three song selection methods confirmed to be used in real tournaments, we conduct a comparative analysis with an emphasis on fairness and entertainment value.

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节奏游戏比赛中传统歌曲选择规则的博弈论分析

在竞争性节奏游戏中，选择播放的歌曲（或“图表”）是能够显著影响比赛结果的关键因素。基于这一重要性，节奏游戏比赛通常会将策略元素融入歌曲选择过程中。比赛歌曲不是预先选定的，而是通过玩家在迷你游戏中的互动来决定，从而提高了比赛的娱乐价值。这个选择过程必须平衡各种因素，包括公平性和娱乐价值，使其规则设计对改善整体比赛体验至关重要。为了反映这些不同的要求，在球迷驱动和官方比赛中都积极使用各种各样的选择方法。在本文中，我们使用博弈论从数学上分析了这些选择过程的公平性，目的是为节奏游戏锦标赛规则的设计提供见解。针对三种已被确认在实际比赛中使用的选歌方法，我们进行了比较分析，重点是公平性和娱乐价值。

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来源期刊

Entertainment Computing Computer Science-Human-Computer Interaction

CiteScore

5.90

自引率

7.10%

发文量

期刊介绍： Entertainment Computing publishes original, peer-reviewed research articles and serves as a forum for stimulating and disseminating innovative research ideas, emerging technologies, empirical investigations, state-of-the-art methods and tools in all aspects of digital entertainment, new media, entertainment computing, gaming, robotics, toys and applications among researchers, engineers, social scientists, artists and practitioners. Theoretical, technical, empirical, survey articles and case studies are all appropriate to the journal.