Browsing by Author "Cmentowski, Sebastian"

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Born to Run, Programmed to Play: Mapping the Extended Reality Exergames Landscape
(Association for Computing Machinery, 2024-05-11) Karaosmanoglu, Sukran; Cmentowski, Sebastian; Nacke, Lennart E.; Steinicke, Frank
Many people struggle to exercise regularly, raising the risk of serious health-related issues. Extended reality (XR) exergames address these hurdles by combining physical exercises with enjoyable, immersive gameplay. While a growing body of research explores XR exergames, no previous review has structured this rapidly expanding research landscape. We conducted a scoping review of the current state of XR exergame research to (i) provide a structured overview, (ii) highlight trends, and (iii) uncover knowledge gaps. After identifying 1318 papers in human-computer interaction and medical databases, we ultimately included 186 papers in our analysis. We provide a quantitative and qualitative summary of XR exergame research, showing current trends and potential future considerations. Finally, we provide a taxonomy of XR exergames to help future design and methodological investigation and reporting.
Never Skip Leg Day Again: Training the Lower Body with Vertical Jumps in a Virtual Reality Exergame
(Association for Computing Machinery, 2023-04-23) Cmentowski, Sebastian; Karaosmanoglu, Sukran; Nacke, Lennart E.; Steinicke, Frank; Krüger, Jens
Virtual Reality (VR) exergames can increase engagement in and motivation for physical activities. Most VR exergames focus on the upper body because many VR setups only track the users’ heads and hands. To become a serious alternative to existing exercise programs, VR exergames must provide a balanced workout and train the lower limbs, too. To address this issue, we built a VR exergame focused on vertical jump training to explore full-body exercise applications. To create a safe and effective training, nine domain experts participated in our prototype design. Our mixed-methods study confirms that the jump-centered exercises provided a worthy challenge and positive player experience, indicating long-term retention. Based on our findings, we present five design implications to guide future work: avoid an unintended forward drift, consider technical constraints, address safety concerns in full-body VR exergames, incorporate rhythmic elements with fluent movement patterns, adapt difficulty to players’ fitness progression status.
Support Autonomy: Exploring Player Perspectives on AI-Supported Onboarding in Video Games
(Association for Computing Machinery, 2025-04-25) Choong, Lydia; Cmentowski, Sebastian; Kukshinov, Eugene; Tu, Joseph; Nacke, Lennart E.
Video game onboarding faces the challenge of teaching game mechanics in a fun and engaging way. Artificial intelligence (AI) solutions have become a quick fix to help users understand technology. However, little is known about how AI supports player onboarding in video games. To address this knowledge gap, this research explores player perspectives on AI-supported onboarding. We conducted a qualitative user study (n = 20) to investigate player expectations, attitudes, and concerns about AI-supported learning experiences. Players learn primarily through the lived experience of a game and value personalized guidance during onboarding. Participants emphasized the importance of maintaining control over how AI is used during onboarding and the freedom to choose their support level. Our results suggest that players want future AI-supported onboarding systems to prioritize their agency, encourage active learning, and maintain transparency throughout the learning process. We contribute to game design research by proposing balanced, player-centric AI-supported onboarding experiences in video games.