The effect of previous gaming experience on game play performance

In this thesis, I looked at how the skills/knowledge gained from playing games from different genres can influence players’ gameplay performance when playing a new game; this is critical as different genres provide players with different abilities. Although understanding players’ gameplay behaviours and performance abilities is one of the growing areas of research, none of the previous research within this area has deeply investigated players’ behaviours and its relation to knowledge/skills gained by playing specific genres. Knowing the details of the skills gained and their influence on performance of target audience’s playing habits plays an important role in making informed decisions about game design. Since many game genres exist, to narrow it down I explored the influence of prior gaming experience, specifically with Role Playing and First Person Shooter games on players’ ability to navigate and solve spatial puzzles in 3D games.