A Lexical Approach to Study Computer Games and Game Play Experience via Online Reviews

This article proposes a revised lexical approach to understand characteristics of computer games and user experience in game play by analyzing online game reviews. The lexical approach was originally used by psychologists to study personality traits. It was based on a lexical hypothesis stating that personality traits are reflected in the adjectives people have been using to describe personality over a long time. A factor analysis was then conducted to identify the patterns of personality related adjectives (i.e., personality traits). The argument here is that game players have used natural languages to describe computer games and their experiences over time and that the most important characteristics of computer games and game play experience would be reflected in player language. Therefore, the traits of computer games and user experience during game play can be studied by examining the adjectives used by players in online reviews. Based on 696,801 reviews downloaded from three major game websites, the lexical approach was adapted to analyze textual content pertaining to computer games. In two consecutive studies, the most important factors concerning traits of computer games and game play experience were discovered and analyzed. The implications of the revised lexical approach and findings from this project were discussed.