Comic-making to Study Game-making: Using Comics in Qualitative Longitudinal Research on Game Development

Title of the Paper

Comic-making to Study Game-making: Using Comics in Qualitative Longitudinal Research on Game Development

Paper Information

• Subject Area: Integration of qualitative longitudinal research and artistic methods in game development
• Keywords: Comics, longitudinal research, arts-based research, qualitative research, ethnography, game development, game expatriates

Research Background and Issues

• Issues and Challenges:
  • Game development is a complex and culturally driven process, and studying developers' work experiences over the long term presents numerous difficulties.
  • High attrition rates among participants in longitudinal studies within the game industry are primarily due to the instability and rapid changes characteristic of the field.
• Significance:
  • The game industry is a global, high-risk sector, and studying the work and lives of expatriate developers can enhance understanding of industry diversity and cultural dynamics.
• Research Motivation and Related Work:
  • Current discussions on recruitment and retention in long-term studies of the game industry are limited.
  • Research on game developers often focuses on surface-level cultural and regional analyses, lacking in-depth exploration of their dynamic professional lives.

Solution

• Methods and Solutions:
  • The authors propose combining qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) with arts-based research (ABR), using comics as tools for communication and analysis.
  • By integrating longitudinal interviews with comic creation, the study explores cultural evolution in employee migration and long-term work practices.
• Innovations:
  • Comics are used as a creative tool and as a memory aid in long-term research, marking a first in game development studies.
  • The design of comics aims to visualize data, provide participants with a sense of reward, and enhance their engagement in the research process.
• Implementation Steps and Key Techniques:
  • Phase 1:
    • Conduct thematic analysis to code interview data.
    • Create comic scripts and storyboards based on the coding results, emphasizing visual and artistic expression of themes.
  • Phase 2:
    • Introduce comics in follow-up interviews to strengthen participants' recall and help researchers track changes identified in longitudinal data.
    • Use the "Game Expats Story" comic to illustrate the dynamic lives of expatriate developers.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Findings:
  • The study provides profound insights into the cultural adaptation challenges faced by expatriate game developers in their work and personal lives.
  • Topics explored include the normalization of remote work, challenges of transitional cultures, and the pressures of integrating into new game development cultures.
  • Comics were used as tools to document and help analyze data patterns in detail.
• Comparison with Existing Solutions:
  • Compared to traditional qualitative research methods, the use of comics significantly enhances the depth of analysis through data visualization and dynamic expression.
  • Improved participants' recall quality and increased the frequency of interactions with researchers.
  • Achieved a participant retention rate of 89%, effectively addressing the attrition issues common in traditional longitudinal studies.
• Experimental or Evaluation Results:
  • Comics not only improved participant loyalty to the study but also attracted audience attention, aiding in the recruitment of additional participants.
  • Using artistic forms as a form of feedback increased participants' enthusiasm for the research, with some audience members even providing feedback or suggesting topic extensions.
• Limitations and Future Directions:
  • Limitations:
    • Over-dramatization in comics may lead some participants to feel the depiction does not align with reality.
    • Reliance on social media platforms limits the stability of dissemination and the universality of the audience.
    • Not all researchers possess artistic skills, which may affect the method's accessibility.
  • Future Directions:
    • Explore the application of other artistic forms (e.g., photography, storybooks) in research.
    • Further develop and promote AI-assisted drawing tools to lower the barrier to entry for researchers.
    • Expand discussions to include cross-cultural integration and diversity policy improvements in the game industry.

Conclusion

This study innovatively combines qualitative longitudinal methods with artistic creation, offering a novel research approach to understanding the cultural practices and professional dynamics of game developers in a globalized industry. It demonstrates the potential and impact of comics in academic research and public dissemination.