Towards Understanding Waiting in Video Games

Abstract

Waiting is an everyday activity that is often present in video games. Waiting situations in games can happen during, for instance, loading screens, turn-based action in multiplayer games, and cut-scenes. Different waiting situations can cause both positive emotions, such as anticipation, and negative emotions, such as frustration. Thus, understanding how waiting relates to players’ emotions can be beneficial when designing player experiences. However, academic discussion on waiting in games is quite scattered, and there is no comprehensive overview available on the subject. In this work-in-progress paper, we contribute a literature review on the topic of waiting in video games. Based on the results, five categories of academic discussion are identified. These are (1) models of time in video games, (2) games with waiting as a core game mechanic, (3) mathematical analysis of game situations, (4) games as a research tool, and (5) other perspectives. We also identify many waiting situations that are not discussed in the existing literature; hence, we hope that our work stimulates and informs future work on this underexplored but important topic.