FIFA 18 players – how do they feel and what do they see? – Blog Laboratorium Badań Medioznawczych UW

Description

The study was conducted on a group of around 60 non-professional players - men in three age groups: teenagers (14-15 y.o.), young adults (21-22 y.o.) and adults (34-35 y.o.). While respondents were playing FIFA 18 gameplay, their reactions were simultaneously measured by eyetracking, GSR, ECG and facetracking devices (all measures integrated within the iMotions’ environment). The games were held in the tournament formula which was supposed to intensify respondents’ engagement. In the study, we analyzed eye movements of the respondents, their facial expressions indicating the potentially experienced emotions, their heart rate, and galvanic skin response - all the metrics and data were gathered in the same software environment (iMotions) on the same timeline. In the course of the data analysis, special events of the match (e.g. scoring a goal, losing a goal, penalty kick, one-to-one situation with a goalkeeper, scoring in the final minutes of the game, etc.) were determined and marked on the recordings. Furthermore, the AOIs as the particularly important parts of the frames were drawn. The players presented a similar level of skills - they were non-professional players (the research team's intentional choice is to compare – in next step – these results with professional players’ measurements).

In the course of the biometric research project, which is still ongoing, researchers will seek answers to the following questions: can we determine the model reactions of non-professional players to specific situations happening during the game? Do certain elements of the game arouse greater engagement of players than other events? Is it possible to create players’ profiles by the way they look on the screen or engage in the specific moments of the game? Finally - what kind of biometric differences can we distinct comparing professional and non-professional FIFA players (which is probably the most interesting for the e-sport business)? In the conference presentation, we will discuss first part of the results of this complex research project.

Researchers involved

Tomasz Gackowski

Prof.

Professor Tomasz Gackowski is an established media & communication scholar, historian, and economist, specializing in social communication and media studies. He holds the position of professor at the University of Warsaw, specifically in the Department of Social Communication and Public Relations at the Faculty of Journalism, Information, and Book Studies. He also heads the Laboratory of Media Studies at the university. Additionally, he was the Deputy Director for Research and International Cooperation at the Institute of Journalism at Warsaw University (2012-2016) and served as vice-chair of the Mediatization section of ECREA (2022-2024). Furthermore, Professor Gackowski leads the initiative II.3.4 "Gamification of Worlds in Service of a Modern 21st-Century Society" as part of the Excellence Initiative – Research University program (2020-2026).

Marcin Łączyński

PhD student at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences at the University of Warsaw. A graduate of the Institute of Journalism of the University of Warsaw, specializing in Media Marketing and PR and the Faculty of Economics of the University of Warsaw (Statistical methods in business). Author of the blogs gry-szkoleniowe.blogspot.com, przedwyruszeniem.blogspot.com and the book published in 2013 and awarded by PTTB "Gry Szkoleniowe. Practical Guide ". His research interests include the study of games (digital and analog), gamers and their communities, the use of narrative in games, and gamification.

Adam Balcerzak

MSc

Researcher and academic lecturer, member of the Laboratory of Media Studies at the University of Warsaw (LBM UW), specializing in artificial intelligence, biometrics, and human-technology interactions. PhD candidate at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences, University of Warsaw, in the field of social communication and media studies. He holds a Master of Science in Engineering in Computer Science. His research interests include the triangulation of declarative and biometric methods, the application of biometrics in the humanities, the analysis of user responses to AI-generated content, and virtual reality. He collaborates with national and international institutions, including the Saint-Cyr Military Academy in France, where he conducts research on the biometric analysis of FPV drone operators' reactions in a VR environment. Author and co-author of scientific publications and reports, as well as a participant in international conferences, including ICA HTT, MIDI, and the National Methodological Conference of Media Researchers. As an IT practitioner, he specializes in virtualization, hosting, CMS systems, and digital accessibility. He is an organizer and co-organizer of scientific events, including the WMEMC 2025 conference and the ICA Human Tech Transition regional conference. He has teaching experience in new media, mobile technologies, and information systems.

Used sensors/methods

Eye-tracking

ECG

Affectiva facetracking

GSR