Abstract
In a reality-enhanced game player’s real-world activities, such as household energy saving activities, are integrated in the gameplay of a digital serious game. Players are then immersed in real-life situations that are generated by user interaction with the game, which stimulates the transfer of information between the game world and
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the real-world. This thesis presents empirical tests of principles that enhance the instructional design of reality-enhanced games to influence household energy conservation. For this research Powersaver Game is designed. We followed a user-centered game design methodology including two design-phases. In design-phase-1, principles are formulated to design a game prototype, and in design-phase-2 potential users evaluate this prototype. We conducted two studies. In a pretest-posttest design, both studies tested whether change in involved engagement, knowledge, attitude and behavior with respect to energy conservation in the household was different for participants playing Powersaver Game compared to a control condition (energy conservation dashboard or a basic version of the game). Families played Powersaver Game for more than three weeks (long-term duration) in their own household. Every day energy saving missions were provided by the game. The main goal was to reduce energy consumption. A real-time connection between the household energy meter and game server was accomplished. In the first study, effects were examined with respect to energy conservation in the household of the energy conservation game compared to an energy conservation dashboard. The form, timing and content of the information that the control condition receives from the energy conservation dashboard are as similar as possible as in the game condition, but excluded game elements. Our energy conservation game is effective in learning people to save energy in the household and to actually do that for the long term, while the energy dashboard does not change that behavior at all. In the second study, effects were examined of the game including the feature competition compared to a basic version of the game. We conclude that competition contributes to more change in energy saving behavior in the long term, and that higher awareness (more accessible knowledge) for a longer period leads to attitude change, which in turn results in behavior change in the long term; particularly the macro-attitude plays here a significant role. In general, we conclude that a digital energy conservation game with real energy conservation activities by monitoring real-life household energy consumption, which is developed in a thoughtful, iterative user-centered design process, significantly reduces energy consumption in the long term (in the weeks immediately following the intervention). In addition, the game feature competition contributes to even more change in energy conservation. Knowledge about saving energy at home increased, and engagement remained high during the whole intervention. In contrast, attitude change did not take place because it was already high from the beginning. Gamification by applying reality-enhanced games is still an emerging principle in research. It has a great potential for behavior change and attitude change in novel and engaging ways, and our results can be used in the development of effective games.
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