Emotional gradients of characters in digital games and their impressions on users: The case of "THE IDOLM@STER SHINY COLORS"

Abstract In this paper, I have conducted an analysis that contributes to the design of digital game characters that have a more positive effect on the player. My focus in this paper is on the concept of ”emotional gradient,” which quantifies a character’s emotional transition in a game. From prior research, I hypothesize that there is an association between the emotional gradient and the character’s ”experience”. I tested this hypothesis using actual digital game characters that have been distributed. I calculated the emotional gradient of each character by text mining. At the same time, I measured the ”experience” of each character through a web survey of game players. I then examined the correlation between the value of the emotional gradient and ”experience”. The results showed a significant correlation between the emotional gradient of JOY and SADNESS and ”experience”. The results are useful for the design theory of digital game characters.