Translation and Validation of The Video Game Demand Scale to Spanish

Research Background and Issues

• Identified Problems or Challenges: With the growth of video game user experience research, scholars have proposed that game interactions may trigger cognitive, emotional, physical, and social needs. However, previous validation efforts have focused on English, German, Mandarin, Turkish, and Korean, neglecting the Spanish-speaking community in studies of global player experiences. Specifically, Spanish-speaking players in Mexico have long been overlooked, and this research gap limits the understanding of this significant demographic group.
• Significance: Spanish is the fourth most spoken language in the world, with over 559 million speakers, and Mexico has the largest Spanish-speaking population globally. Additionally, Mexico is the most profitable Spanish-speaking gaming market, making the study of Spanish-speaking players' needs highly significant for global game design and human-computer interaction theory.
• Research Motivation: This study aims to translate and validate the existing Video Game Demand Scale (VGDS) into Spanish, addressing the gap in VGDS data for Latin American players. It also seeks to explore how Mexican players' cognitive, emotional, physical, and social gaming needs align with or differ from global demand structures.

Proposed Solution

• Proposed Approach: The authors employed the translation-back translation method to adapt the VGDS into Spanish (VGDS-S) to ensure conceptual accuracy. This study also integrated quantitative methods (structural equation modeling) and open-ended survey responses to explore and validate the applicability of the demand dimensions within the Spanish-speaking community while collecting Mexican players' subjective perceptions of these dimensions to supplement quantitative analysis.
• Innovative Aspects of the Solution:
  • For the first time in VGDS research, qualitative data analysis was incorporated.
  • Enhanced understanding of the cultural and belief systems of Spanish-speaking players, revealing potential complexities in demand (e.g., creative thinking in cognitive needs, nostalgia in emotional needs).
  • Expanded academic coverage of underrepresented groups, such as Mexican players.
• Implementation Steps:
  • Develop the Spanish VGDS-S through the translation-back translation method and validate its semantic and conceptual accuracy.
  • Recruit 195 Mexican players to collect their gaming experiences, complete the VGDS-S questionnaire, and provide open-ended comments.
  • Use structural equation modeling to validate the five-factor structure of VGDS-S.
  • Conduct thematic qualitative analysis to explore players' perceptions of demands and uncover culturally specific perspectives.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Findings:
  • VGDS-S successfully replicated the established five-factor structure: cognitive, emotional, physical (controller and physical ability), and social needs.
  • Qualitative analysis revealed that players' perceptions of needs were highly consistent with the questionnaire dimensions, while also uncovering additional demand themes, such as nostalgia and nuanced definitions of precise physical control.
  • VGDS-S demonstrated good measurement validity and cross-cultural applicability among Spanish-speaking players in Mexico.
• Advantages Compared to Existing Solutions:
  • VGDS-S successfully introduced a tool tailored for the Spanish-speaking community, addressing a significant gap in global language validation.
  • Qualitative data provided additional depth to demand measurement, improving the understanding of specific group experiences.
  • Offers guidance for future game development to better accommodate cultural specificity and user expectations.
• Experimental or Evaluation Results:
  • Structural equation modeling analysis indicated good data fit for VGDS-S (RMSEA < 0.08, CFI > 0.90, SRMR < 0.08), with the five-factor structure remaining intact and stable.
  • Measurement validity analysis showed that cognitive needs were closely related to task load, emotional needs were significantly associated with appreciation and overall game evaluation, and social needs highlighted players' connections with others.
  • Thematic qualitative analysis revealed unique cultural perceptions of gaming needs among Mexican players, including emotional connections with game characters and approaches to online social challenges.
• Limitations and Future Directions:
  • Survey data was skewed toward younger players, with an average age of 22, failing to fully represent all age groups of Mexican gamers. Future studies should expand the age range of respondents.
  • The survey relied on players' recollections of recent gaming experiences, which may introduce memory bias. Future research should employ real-time measurement tools.
  • The current sample was primarily focused on Mexico; future studies could extend to other Spanish-speaking populations to validate the findings' generalizability and compare regional differences.

Through this study, VGDS-S has become a more universal and culturally sensitive measurement tool, providing an important reference for in-depth research on Spanish-speaking players' needs and global game design.