The interplay between digital game co-play and parent-child relationship

Abstract

The relationship between digital game co-play and the parent-child relationship has gained increasing attention in HCI research. Although plenty of work has focused on the one-way impact of co-play on the parent-child relationship, there is still room for research on the interrelationship between them. In this thesis, by interviewing 13 parents who regularly play digital games with their children, we investigated how digital game co-play influences the parent-child relationship, and how the parent-child relationship influences the co-play experience. The result suggests a clear mutual impact. On one hand, digital games promote communication and interaction between parents and children, helping them empathize with and learn about each other more deeply, creating an equal atmosphere for the family; on the other hand, the parent-child relationship affects the PX (player experience) of parents and children, making them pay more attention on each other than on the game. Based on these findings, we suggest some implications for parent-child games, which help them to increase their player experiences and enhance family relationships simultaneously.