Lennart Nacke is a gameplay experience researcher and currently finishing his Ph.D. on the topic od psychophysiological game analysis. He uses novel interaction technology like Eye Tracking, EEG, EMG, EDA/GSR, HRV, or any kind of sensory equipment to develop new methods for analysis and design of gameplay. Conferences where he has spoken on game design, game interaction and biometric player measurement include Quo Vadis in Germany, Future Play in Canada, Fun and Games in the Netherlands, and GDC Canada.
A research study found that a logic problem-solving game is associated with positive feelings for the elderly but with negative feelings for the young. For all generations, brain-training was more exciting with video games than with pen-and-paper.
Moving around in a first-person shooter just by looking at your monitor is an exciting experience. Game researchers have tested gamers at Dreamhack and found players to be highly immersed in the game world when using gaze interaction.
Despite many rumors, the game industry is doing well and sales are continually increasing in the last decade. Have a look at the chart in this post showing annual revenues of the game industry in the US.
Sorry for the late reply, Scott. I think what you mention is quite interesting and would warrant more studies on what exactly is the motivator for playing brain-training games for young and old people. Fear of losing your mental edge certainly sounds reasonable for the elderly, but what about the ...
