Navigating Toxicity: Exploring In-Game Support Tools for Player Mood Repair in Negative Gaming Experiences

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of a personalized support system within a First-Person Shooter (FPS) game, designed to mitigate negative affect induced by intentionally frustrating gameplay. The game is developed using the Unity engine and incorporates a flying robot, a character companion, that provides emotional support. Two versions of the companion were implemented: one non-personalized with predefined events, and the other personalized based on the Big Five personality traits. An online mixed method AB test experiment was conducted to evaluate and compare these versions, with 15 participants providing data on demographics, personality traits, and affective state pre- and post-gameplay. Results indicate that the personalized companion effectively stabilized players’ moods, while the non personalized version was associated with higher negative affect. Notably, a correlation was found between FPS proficiency and negative affect in the non-personalized group. The study also explored personality traits’ susceptibility to emotional support strategies, finding correlations for Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability but not for Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Openness. These findings highlight the potential of personalized emotional support to enhance player mood, suggesting avenues for further research involving other personality models and game genres.