Despite advancements in game character AI aimed at enhancing player engagement, evidence suggests that perceiving an opponent as artificial can diminish the psychological experience. This paper presents a scoping review and meta-analysis of 20 studies focusing on player enjoyment against human versus computer opponents.
Firstly, a scoping review mapped the landscape of the included studies, detailing their designs, outcome measures, and research focuses. Secondly, a three-level meta-analysis synthesizing baseline comparisons from nine studies quantitatively assesses enjoyment differences. Results indicate a statistically significant medium-to-large pooled effect size, highlighting a psychological penalty in computer-opponent conditions. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the existing knowledge on this topic and underscores the necessity for further research to fully understand and resolve the penalty associated with computer opponents.
Blogger's Review: This study highlights the limitations of game AI in enhancing player experience, urging developers to consider the psychological impacts when designing AI opponents to improve overall game enjoyment.