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Who Is Still Playing Pokémon Go? A Web-Based Survey

Who Is Still Playing Pokémon Go? A Web-Based Survey Background: Poor physical activity is one of the major health care problems in Western civilizations. Various digital gadgets aiming to increase physical activity, such as activity trackers or fitness apps, have been introduced over recent years. The newest products are serious games that incorporate real-life physical activity into their game concept. Recent studies have shown that such games increase the physical activity of their users over the short term. Objective: In this study, we investigated the motivational effects of the digital game “Pokémon Go” leading to continued use or abandonment of the game. The aim of the study was to determine aspects that motivate individuals to play augmented reality exergames and how this motivation can be used to strengthen the initial interest in physical activity. Methods: A total of 199 participants completed an open self-selected Web-based survey. On the basis of their self-indicated assignment to one of three predefined user groups (active, former, and nonuser of Pokémon Go), participants answered various questions regarding game experience, physical activity, motivation, and personality as measured by the Big Five Inventory. Results: In total, 81 active, 56 former, and 62 nonusers of Pokémon Go were recruited. When asked about the times they perform physical activity, active users stated that they were less physically active in general than former and nonusers. However, based on a subjective rating, active users were more motivated to be physically active due to playing Pokémon Go. Motivational aspects differed for active and former users, whereas fan status was the same within both groups. Active users are more motivated by features directly related to Pokémon, such as catching all possible Pokémon and reaching higher levels, whereas former users stress the importance of general game quality, such as better augmented reality and more challenges in the game. Personality did not affect whether a person started to play Pokémon Go nor their abandonment of the game. Conclusions: The results show various motivating elements that should be incorporated into augmented reality exergames based on the game Pokémon Go. We identified different user types for whom different features of the game contribute to maintained motivation or abandonment. Our results show aspects that augmented reality exergame designers should keep in mind to encourage individuals to start playing their game and facilitate long-term user engagement, resulting in a greater interest in physical activity. (JMIR Serious Games 2017;5(2):e7) doi: 10.2196/games.7197 KEYWORDS games; recreational; mobile apps; cell phones; Pokémon Go the World Health Organization constantly promote the value Introduction of physical activity, the trend is the opposite [1]. In Germany, physical activity is continually decreasing within the population. Daily physical activity is one of the leading strategies for This trend is present in all age groups. In 2016, more than half fighting global mortality [1]. Although organizations such as http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 1 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al of the entire German population performed an inadequate activity, such as Wii Fit or Kinect Sports [14]. Going beyond amount of physical activity per day [2]. As a result, health care objectively measured physical activity, it is, however, also costs rise, and the probability of secondary diseases such as relevant to consider the effects of playing Pokémon Go on high blood pressure rises, too. Thus, solutions for motivating further domains, such as social cognitive factors including the individuals to perform physical activity on a daily basis are users’ self-perception, behavioral intentions, and motivational more essential than ever. aspects. Social and game-related correlates such as attitudes toward gaming and habits have been shown to influence active Recent attempts to encourage individuals to perform physical gaming among adolescents [15]. One study reported benefits activity include activity trackers and fitness apps, which have and negative effects for children playing Pokémon Go [16]. turned mobile phones into a personal measuring instrument to Pokémon Go is a good research object due to its high number document daily physical activity [3]. By documenting and of users. Additionally, Pokémon Go includes several of the defining a certain daily goal in this manner, the user is popular gamification tactics as described by Cugelman [8]. The encouraged to reconsider his or her lifestyle and incorporate game offers a clear theme by integrating Pokémon into the real more physical activity into their everyday life [4,5]. Further, world. The story is also quite easy to tell, with the overall goal elements such as challenges, badges, or rank lists with family, being to collect all Pokémon and become the best Pokémon friends, or a community are used to motivate the users of an trainer [16]. Furthermore, the game offers clear goals (catch activity tracker to perform a healthy amount of daily physical ‘em all), challenges (hatch an egg), levels (experience levels), activity [6-8]. Recently, an additional trend occurred in and allocation points (Pokéstops and arenas), and it shows the augmented reality exergames, also referred to as urban progress of the user, provides feedback, and rewards experience exergames [9], which incorporate real-life physical activity into points. A badge is awarded each time an egg hatches, and the their game concept. Urban exergames are characterized by a game leaders are shown at the top of each arena they are actually set of criteria: the player is required to be physically active, the the best in. game is played in an urban environment, it runs on mobile phones, and makes use of the built-in mobile phone sensors [9]. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to investigate the Medical and public health communities have discussed the aspects of the motivation to start and continue playing an potential of these games with regard to their influence on higher augmented reality exergame like Pokémon Go in the general levels of sustainable physical activity to achieve health benefits population. [10]. In this study, we investigated the influence of personality and The most successful game in this category in 2016 was Pokémon various game functions on physical activity and motivation to Go. It is an augmented reality game for iOS and Android start playing Pokémon Go as well as on motivation to continue released in July 2016. The game is based on fictional creatures playing the game or quitting. We performed a Web-based survey called Pokémon (ref. to Pocket Monsters), which first came on questioning motivation to start, continue, and quit, as well as the scene in the 1990s and were merchandized in video games, personality based on the Big Five Inventory [17,18]. card games, movies, television series, comic books, toys, etc. In summary, our main research questions are The aim of Pokémon Go is to seek, hunt, and collect a variety of different Pokémon as in previous video games. However, How long do users play Pokémon Go? instead of launching just another video game, Niantic, the What are the aspects motivating people to start playing developer of Pokémon Go, combined the geocaching concept Pokémon Go? with augmented reality mechanics. This augmented reality What are the aspects motivating users to continue playing feature embeds two-dimensionally animated Pokémon in Pokémon Go? real-world images captured by the mobile phone camera. Users What are the aspects motivating users to quit playing have to explore their real-world neighborhood to search for and Pokémon Go? hunt Pokémon. The individual Pokédex of every user provides Are there any subjectively perceived effects of playing this an overview of which Pokémon have already been found and augmented reality exergame on physical activity? caught. The central element of the game is to catch and collect Which type of users engages with Pokémon Go? all the different Pokémon. Other features include training How can these effects be transferred to other augmented Pokémon and fighting against the Pokémon of other users in reality exergames? battle arenas. By performing various physical activities in Our study provides guidance on how to initially get individuals Pokémon Go, the users gain experience points that are required engaged in augmented reality exergames and how to facilitate to reach higher levels. long-term user engagement. The launch of Pokémon Go led to hype all over the world. Large numbers of users met on streets and in public places [11]. Methods Despite the relatively short time since its release, there is initial Design research on Pokémon Go. Current studies have mainly investigated the effect of Pokémon Go on physical activity An open, self-selected, Web-based survey was designed to [12,13]. Althoff et al showed that persons who are more investigate the aforementioned research questions. The survey interested in Pokémon Go, measured by search queries, are was designed in German and provided for German-speaking more active than those who are less interested [13]. Similar internet users. A Web-based survey was used as it is a suitable research also exists for other video games requiring physical http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 2 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al way to reach individuals with particular characteristics or Data Collection interests, that is, the group of potential game users, in a short Data were collected between October 26 and November 20, period of time without any limitations on physical space [19-21]. 2016. The questionnaire was programmed and made available on a website hosted using the Unipark software [24]. The survey On the basis of the research questions, the main purpose of the was introduced as a study examining the effects of modern survey was to collect data about three different user groups that digital games on health care systems (see Multimedia Appendix we would like to compare. The three predefined user groups 1). we wanted to identify and compare were individuals who actively play Pokémon Go, individuals who had played it, and All participants were informed about the duration of the survey, others who had never played Pokémon Go before. To identify data storage, and the leading investigator. Each participant these three groups, users were asked to state in an initial question decided to take part in this survey voluntarily by following the to which of these three groups they belong. On the basis of their designated link to the survey. No incentives were offered for answer, further thematic blocks were questioned, including participation. physical activity and motivational aspects. The survey was tested properly by 2 independent examiners To differentiate between active and former users of Pokémon with regard to wording and technical functionality. The survey Go, more detailed questions about the duration of use and level included 42 items for all 3 investigated user groups, distributed reached were asked. over 7 different pages. Participants were able to review their entries per page before moving on. Measuring Physical Activity On the basis of the idea of Godin and Shephard, physical activity Recruitment was examined subjectively in one question asking how many The survey was addressed to the general population with access times per week a person spends at least 30 min performing to the Internet in Germany. No exclusion criteria or screening physical activity that causes sweat [22]. Due to the idea that questionnaires were applied. individuals who do not regularly perform physical activity might We applied different channels of recruitment to reach a broad also respond to our survey, we also included the answers range of potential participants for this open survey. The “several times per month,” “once a month,” “rarely,” and sampling procedure was nonprobabilistic and respondents were “never” [23]. Active and former users also answered questions selected based on their voluntary willingness to participate [19]. on whether playing Pokémon Go affects their subjective interest The Web-based survey was promoted by a Facebook in physical activity and whether they think they perform more advertisement targeting persons aged between 14 and 99 years, physical activity as a result of playing Pokémon Go. who had indicated on Facebook that they were interested in Measuring Motivation physical activity and well-being, entertainment electronics, or Active and former users answered questions about motivational Pokémon Go. This method of recruitment was chosen because aspects. These referred to the initial motivation to start playing the probability that the participants are younger and familiar Pokémon Go, the motivation to continue playing, and to missing with social media is quite high. Furthermore, this open functions in the game. Former users were also asked for the Web-based survey is an observational study targeting reasons they stopped playing and about additional features they participants who play or have played Pokémon Go. Recruitment would like to see incorporated into the game. All of these via social media, therefore, seems to be a suitable approach questions included an open-ended text field. In this context, we [20]. also investigated possible motivating effects by peers and The advertisement itself used text similar to the text presented co-users and possible interdependencies of playing the game on the introduction page for the Web-based survey (see with the user’s personal network. Multimedia Appendix 1). In addition, the weblink to the Web-based survey was posted in one private Facebook group Measuring Personality (“RWTH Aachen University”) and on a Facebook fan page To determine which type of user engages with Pokémon Go, called “Pokémon Go Deutschland.” The former group is the Big Five Inventory was applied. The concept of the Big Five frequently used by students of RWTH Aachen University and Inventory is quite old but nevertheless it is a practical tool in consists of 17,221 members at the time of recruitment. The characterizing individuals. The Big Five dimensions of Facebook fan page “Pokémon Go Deutschland” was followed personality are calculated based on 10 questions rated on a by about Pokémon Go fans at the time of recruitment. In total, 5-point Likert scale (1=“not correct,” 5=“fully correct”) [17,18]. 12,516 individuals saw the link to our survey presented in their The Big Five dimensions are extraversion, agreeableness, newsfeed or group on Facebook. The weblink to the survey was conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. In this study, we also posted in the German Web community “Pokémon Go used the Big Five Inventory to investigate whether the five Forum,” which has 2456 members. Finally, the link to our open dimensions of personality can be used to differentiate types of Web-based survey was distributed in a mailing list for students Pokémon Go users as well as persons with no intention of at the University of Cologne, Germany. In all cases, the playing this game. If there are differences, game designers could recruitment was based on the same text as shown in Multimedia bear this in mind and cater their games to certain personalities. Appendix 1. http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 3 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al In total, n=345 unique individuals visited the website of our were conducted at a significance level of .05. To compare active Web-based survey. The identification of different individuals and former users, we also calculated t tests for independent was performed using the Unipark software based on Internet samples and chi-square statistics both at a significance level of Protocol (IP) address and cookie function. N=88 of these 345 .05. visitors never started the survey. N=58 discontinued completing Ethics Statement the survey. In total, 199 visitors finally participated in the survey The Ethics Committee at RWTH Aachen Faculty of Medicine and completed the whole questionnaire. Of those, 53 were authorized this study and its ethical and legal implications in recruited through Facebook, 62 via the Pokémon Go forum, its statement EK236/16 in mid-2016. and 12 via email. For 72 participants, the channel of recruitment was unknown. The participation rate was thus 74.4% and the Results completion rate 60.9%. The average duration of completing the survey was 10 min 52.96 s with a median of 9 min 2 s. Participants Statistical Analysis Depending on the answers to the first question in the survey, Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistics software, version participants were divided into three groups (Table 1): active SPSS 22 (IBM). Several one-way analyses of variance users of Pokémon Go (n=81), former users of Pokémon Go (ANOVA) and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) (n=56), and nonusers of Pokémon Go (n=62). Table 1. Participant demographics by user group. Demography Participants: Pokémon Go users Active Former Non (n=81) (n=56) (n=62) Age (in years) Minimum 19 15 15 Maximum 60 66 85 Mean (SD) 34.9 (9.8) 25.6 (8.4) 38.8 (19.6) Gender Male 54 34 32 Female 27 22 30 Education School pupil 0 3 3 Low level 4 0 0 Average level 16 1 6 High level 55 51 51 Other 6 1 2 Environment Urban area 59 47 52 Rural area 22 9 10 Household Partner 22 19 15 Family 39 15 24 Shared flat 8 14 4 Single 13 9 17 Duration of use (in months), 3.9 (0.8) 1.6 (1.3) Mean (SD) Level, 27.0 (3.9) 14.9 (7.1) Mean (SD) No data available for nonusers. http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 4 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al did not believe that Pokémon Go increased their interest in Physical Activity performing physical activity. A univariate analysis of variance Figure 1 shows the results for the question about self-rated revealed significant differences in interest between active and physical activity for all participants. A descriptive analysis former users (F = 33.818, P<.001). 1,135 reveals that former as well as nonusers of Pokémon Go tend to perform physical activity “several times a week,” whereas the Participants were also asked whether they had the impression group of active users is spread over the whole range of that they were performing more or less physical activity since performing physical activity “several times per week” to playing Pokémon Go. “never.” A univariate analysis of variance revealed significant The majority of active Pokémon Go users (47/81, 58%) stated differences in the physical activity behavior between the three that they performed more physical activity than before playing groups (F =14.359, P<.001). 2,196 this game. Answers among the former Pokémon Go users were Participants were asked about whether they believed Pokémon more divergent, as shown in Figure 3. A one-way analysis of Go increased their interest in performing physical activity. As variance with “user group” as the between-subject factor Figure 2 shows, active users had the impression that Pokémon revealed a significant difference between the two groups (F 1,135 Go increased their interest in physical activity. Former users = 48.833, P<.001). Figure 1. Self-evaluation on how often physical activity is performed. http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 5 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al Figure 2. Subjective impression of whether Pokémon Go influenced users’ interest in performing physical activity. http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 6 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al Figure 3. Subjective impression of whether more physical activity was performed than usual due to playing Pokémon Go. by the two groups (t = −0.53, P=.60). Table 2 provides an Motivation overview of the different aspects of motivation to start playing. The following section reports the findings related to motivational Both groups mentioned curiosity most frequently. Being a aspects. We focus especially on the motivation to start, continue POKÉMON fan, media reports, and reports from friends were playing, and quit the game. also important sources of motivation for both groups (see Table 2). The only significant difference between active and former Motivation to Start Playing the Game users of Pokémon Go occurred for the item “Being fascinated On average, active and former users reported two reasons to by the augmented reality function”; former users reported this start playing Pokémon Go (M 1.9 (SD 1.1), M 2.0 (SD active former reason more often than active users (χ = 5.8, P=.02). 1.1)). There was no difference in the number of reasons given http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 7 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al Table 2. Motivation to start playing Pokémon Go (multiple answers allowed). Motivation to start playing Pokémon Go users Significance P value Active (n=81) Former (n=56) Mean of number of reasons (SD) 1.9 (1.1) 2.0 (1.1) t =−0.53 .60 Curiosity, n (%) 55 (68) 36 (64) .66 χ =0.2 Being a Pokémon fan, n (%) 32 (40) 21 (38) .81 χ =0.1 Media reports, n (%) 23 (28) 15 (27) .83 χ =0.0 Reports from friends, n (%) 22 (27) 22 (39) .13 χ =2.2 Everybody around me plays it, n (%) 11 (14) 5 (9) .41 χ =0.7 Being fascinated by the augmented reality function, n (%) 5 (6) 11 (20) .02 χ =5.8 a 2 3 (4) 0 (0) .15 Combining fun and physical activity , n (%) χ =2.1 a 2 2 (3) 0 (0) .24 Game for traveling , n (%) χ =1.4 a 2 1 (1) 2 (4) .36 Nostalgia , n (%) χ =0.8 Answers to open-ended questions; coded for analysis. questions, participants were able to indicate which other aspects Motivation to Continue Playing the Game of the game besides reaching the next level motivated them to Participants were asked whether reaching the next level continue playing. Table 3 reports the reasons given. Active users motivated them to continue playing (10-point scale: 1=did not were more motivated by the aim of completing the Pokédex motivate at all, 10 = highly motivated). The mean value for the (χ =26.9, P<.001) and reported more fun and curiosity while group of active users was 7.1 points (SD 2.1); the mean value playing (χ =4.6, P=.03). There was no significant difference for the group of former users was 5.4 points (SD 2.6). The two for any other reason given, but active users reported more groups differ significantly (t = 4.07, P<.001). In open-ended reasons on average (t =4.65, P<.001; see Table 3). http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 8 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al Table 3. Motivation to continue playing the game (multiple answers allowed). Motivation to continue playing Pokémon Go users Significance P value Active Former (n=56) (n=81) Mean of number of reasons (SD) 1.1 (0.8) 0.5 (0.7) t =4.65 <.001 a 2 33 (41) 1 (2) <.001 Completing the Pokédex , n (%) χ =26.9 a 2 12 (15) 3 (4) .03 Fun or curiosity or recreation , n (%) χ =4.6 a 2 9 (11) 4 (7) .44 Finding new or rare Pokémon , n (%) χ =0.6 a 2 8 (10) 10 (18) .17 Catching strong Pokémon or being the best , n (%) χ =1.9 a 2 5 (6) 3 (5) .84 Joint activities with family and friends , n (%) χ =0.0 a 2 5 (6) 2 (4) .50 Being active or outside , n (%) χ =0.5 a 2 4 (5) 0 (0) .09 Updates or new generations , n (%) χ =2.9 a 2 3 (4) 1 (2) .51 Higher levels , n (%) χ =0.4 a 2 2 (3) 1 (2) .79 Incubating eggs , n (%) χ =0.1 a 2 2 (3) 0 (0) .24 Fighting in arenas , n (%) χ =1.4 a 2 2 (3) 0 (0) .24 Nostalgia , n (%) χ =1.4 Answers to open-ended questions; coded for analysis. Beyond motivational aspects directly related to the game, we recommending the game to others on a scale from 1 to 10. also analyzed whether there is motivation due to social Active users would recommend the game more often than former interaction. On the basis of active and former users’ self-reports, users (M 7.43 (SD 2.2); M 4.21 (SD 2.3), t =8.39, active former 135 social contacts did not grow or decline through playing Pokémon P<.001). Go. In total, 90% (73/81) of active users and 95% (53/56) of To examine aspects that motivate users to continue playing as former users reported that their group of friends remained a whole, we also asked about missing functions in the game. constant. There was no difference between the two groups The missing functions differ for active and former users. For (χ =0.9, P=.34). We found significant differences between active users, a higher number of Pokéstops and more arenas are active and former users for the question about how often more important. Former users mention the possibility of Pokémon Go is a relevant topic in conversations in meetings exchanging Pokémon and better augmented-reality functions with friends and family. In all, 50% (28/56) of former users significantly more often than active users (see Table 4). For never talk about Pokémon Go, and a further 39% (22/56) seldom both groups, more Pokémon in the neighborhood and the talk about it; 11% (6/56) indicated that they talk about it often. possibility of exchanging Pokémon are further important features For the active users, 11% (9/81) never, 56% (45/81) seldom, that are currently missing in Pokémon Go. Only 4% (3/81) of 20% (16/81) often, 5% (4/81) almost always, and 9% (7/81) active and 4% (2/56) of former users said that there are no always talk about Pokémon Go when meeting friends (χ =29.6, missing functions. On average, 2.8 missing functions were mentioned in both groups (SD 1.6 and 1.5). P<.001). We also asked users to rate the probability of http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 9 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al Table 4. Missing functions in Pokémon Go (multiple answers allowed). Missing functions Pokémon Go users Significance P value Active (n=81) Former (n=56) Mean of number of functions (SD) 2.8 (1.6) 2.8 (1.5) t =0.084 .93 No missing functions, n (%) 3 (4) 2 (4) .97 χ =0.0 More Pokémon in my neighborhood, n (%) 47 (58) 35 (63) .60 χ =0.3 Exchanging Pokémon, n (%) 45 (56) 42 (75) .02 χ =5.4 Direct fights against others, n (%) 44 (54) 38 (68) .11 χ =2.5 More Pokéstops, n (%) 36 (44) 12 (21) .01 χ =7.7 More updates, n (%) 31 (38) 14 (25) .10 χ =2.6 More arenas, n (%) 21 (26) 6 (11) .03 χ =4.8 Better augmented reality, n (%) 2 (3) 8 (14) .01 χ =6.8 Table 5. Participants’ personality dimensions by user group. Big five dimensions Pokémon Go users Active Former Non Mean (SD) Mean (SD) Mean (SD) Extraversion (points) 3.2 ( 1.0) 3.5 (1.0) 3.4 (1.0) Agreeableness (points) 2.9 (0.8) 3.0 (0.7) 3.1 (0.8) Conscientiousness (points) 3.4 (0.8) 3.4 (1.0) 3.7 (1.0) Neuroticism (points) 2.8 (1.0) 3.0 (1.0) 2.7 (0.8) Openness (points) 3.5 (1.0) 3.5 (1.1) 3.5 (1.0) Former users were also asked for reasons that would make them A MANOVA was performed to investigate the effect of the start playing again. The most frequently reported reasons were between-subject factor “user group” on the different factors of an increase in the range of functions (12/56, 21%) and options the Big Five Inventory. Using Pillai’s trace, there was no for interaction with other users (18/56, 32%). Further answers significant effect of “user group” on the five factors of the Big related to technical features such as more stable servers and a Five Inventory (V=.059, F =1.165, P=0.31). Also, separate 10,386 lower battery consumption (7/56, 13%) and rendering the game univariate ANOVAs revealed no significant effects of the more interesting by incorporating new challenges and more between-subject factor “user group” for the separate factors of tactical game elements (6/56, 11%). the Big Five Inventory (.17< P<.99). Motivation to Quit Discussion Individuals who were categorized as former users of Pokémon Go were asked for their reasons for quitting the game. The most Principal Findings frequently reported reasons were boredom (32/56, 57%), being The potential of mobile phone apps to increase physical activity disappointed (13/56, 23%), difficulties in reaching higher levels and thereby contribute to better health is intensively being (16/56, 29%), and technical problems (10/56, 18%). Other points discussed these days [25]. Going beyond classical fitness apps of criticism were related to missing components in the game and wearable devices such as activity trackers, initial studies itself, such as too few Pokémon (10/56, 18%), Pokéstops (5/56, investigating the effects of augmented reality exergames such 9%), and arenas (3/56, 5%) or a lack of co-users (4/56, 7%). as Pokémon Go on physical activity are available [8,9]. The Some former users also said that their general interest in the focus of this study lies on the motivation for starting to play, game had waned (6/56, 11%) or that they did not have the time continuing to play, and quitting this game. to play (5/56, 9%). On average, 1.93 reasons were mentioned This study presents results of an open Web-based survey. The (SD 1.2). sample is divided into three groups (active (N=81), former Personality (N=56), and nonusers of Pokémon Go (N=62)). An investigation Mean values for the five personality dimensions within the of self-reported physical activity showed that the percentage of different user groups are shown in Table 5. persons who rarely or never perform physical activity with a http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 10 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al duration of at least 30 min while perspiring is higher in the function, could motivate thousands to start playing the game group of active users than in the group of former or nonusers. [16]. Other games in this context also need to find the right Examining motivation to start this game showed that curiosity triggers to create curiosity and get people to start playing. The and being a fan of Pokémon were the most frequently mentioned use of cartoon characters generally seems to be a promising aspects. It is interesting that the group of former users mentioned approach that has also been shown to affect children’s food interest in the augmented reality technology significantly more preferences when placed on food packaging [30]. The often as motivation to start playing Pokémon Go. augmented reality function was a motivating factor, especially for the former players. This leads to the conclusion that new Regarding the motivation to continue playing, this study functions or technologies could encourage the start of use, but revealed that the group of active users is motivated by aspects it takes more to facilitate long-term use. directly related to the aim of completing the Pokédex and reaching higher levels in the game. The group of former users Motivation to Continue Playing the Game was significantly less motivated to continue playing by aspects In previous studies, rewards, competitions, and fun elements such as reaching the next level. Their efforts were much more have been judged as important elements leading to enjoyable competitive. They were motivated by catching strong Pokémon experiences in game-playing [7,26]. App design and specific and becoming the best. Aspects relating to social interaction app features are also crucial for the users’ long-term engagement such as having fun, being outside, and spending time with family [31]. These factors have also been shown in the present study. and friends while playing the game also motivated them to With regard to the motivation to continue playing, we found continue. differences related to the classical concept of levels [32]. Active users were motivated by reaching the next level, whereas former Former users were asked about aspects that motivated them to users reported being more motivated by catching strong or rare quit the game. The most frequently mentioned aspects were Pokémon. Social interaction in real life regarding Pokémon Go, boredom and disappointment. Besides these aspects, missing such as spending time with family and friends, was also much social interaction was also mentioned again, such as, for more motivating for former users than for active ones. It is example, exchanging Pokémon or fighting directly against each therefore of great importance for user’s long-term engagement other. This was also highlighted by active users as a missing to consider individualized preferences. It furthermore seems function in the game. Finally, the augmented reality function important to integrate the game as far as possible into the users’ was criticized as being not realistic enough. However, if this real lives, especially if an augmented reality function is used. issue were resolved, former users would be willing to give the Motivation for continuing playing the game could thus be game a second chance. strengthened. Our investigation regarding differences in personality within Motivation to Quit the different groups studied revealed no results. The use of this game is independent of personality. We should not ignore the fact that fairly high numbers of users have quit playing the game after a short period of use. One of Gamification the reasons mentioned was boredom. Within our study, the The augmented reality exergame Pokémon Go employs a range duration of playing Pokémon Go is even shorter than the average of gamification elements. The effectiveness of gamification has time of use for activity trackers, as reported in Ledger and been discussed in different areas of application as well, for McCaffrey [28]. Our results show that a strong interest in the example, to support the self-management of chronic diseases theme of the game (in this case Pokémon Go) could prevent [26]. The crucial question in this context is whether gamification people from quitting it. In the event of such interest, reaching can contribute to long-term user engagement since only then is the next level was also experienced as motivating for users. it reasonable to assume positive effects on physical activity and Missing social interaction functions within the game was a health as described in other works [8,9]. In our survey, we found further reason for quitting the game. Social interaction and that by no means was everyone who started to use the game support were already important features demanded by users in motivated to continue playing in the long term. This earlier active games designed for the Nintendo Wii or Microsoft phenomenon has also been shown for other apps triggering Xbox Kinect [33]. Tateno et al stated that Pokémon Go could healthy behavior [27] and for the use of activity trackers [28]. be useful for increasing social contact outside the game itself However, using and quitting the use of mobile technologies and [34]. Our study indicates that no social interaction outside the wearables is a complex process and not only caused by mere game arises as a result of just playing the game. Therefore, it dissatisfaction [29]. In the following section, the gamification is essential to include social interaction within the gameplay elements are discussed in detail with regard to their contribution and the topic of the game. In the case of the investigated game, to motivation according to the three main topics: starting to Pokémon Go, desired social interactions embedded in the game play, continuing to play, and quitting playing. included direct fighting against each other without visiting an Motivation to Start Playing the Game arena and swapping Pokémon among each other. Both aspects Curiosity, being a Pokémon fan, and the augmented reality relate to highly realistic gameplay as Pokémon trainers could function were the most frequently mentioned reasons to start exchange Pokémon and fight against each other in the Pokémon playing Pokémon Go. Media and download reports also showed books. that telling the right story or theme in combination with a new technology, in this case the little-known augmented reality http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 11 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al or low physical activity, this is still a limitation [23]. Personality Furthermore, this study was conducted 14 weeks after the initial Analysis using the Big Five Inventory among users revealed start of Pokémon Go in Germany. Therefore, our study could no indication of significant differences among users playing only reveal initial motivational aspects for active and former Pokémon Go or quitting it once it was played. The comparison users due to the lack of a long-term perspective. Nevertheless, of the Big Five Inventory with participants indicating no interest we were able to show that users already existed who had quit in playing Pokémon Go showed no differences. playing the game after quite a short duration of use. To examine Transfer of Knowledge the motivational structures in more detail, longitudinal studies are needed to obtain a deeper insight into the mechanisms, as All in all, the design and the incorporated gamification functions conducted, for example, in the context of activity trackers [6,28]. of Pokémon Go are suitable for different types of users. A qualitative follow-up could also be useful to track motivation Although the initial motivation to start was the same for active over time. as well as former users, the motivation to continue playing was mainly linked to social interaction. Social interaction was the Due to the open Web-based recruitment, no inferences can be main function identified as missing in this game and, made about the usage rated and sociodemographical distribution furthermore, it was identified as the function motivating of the general user group of Pokémon Go, especially as this long-term use. If a user is not fully immersed in the theme, Web-based survey was conducted in German. Finally, it must social interaction and especially social rewards are the elements be noted that we are unable to answer the question about how motivating users less interested in the theme of the game to much time has passed since former users quit playing the game. continue playing. This is independent of a certain personality Although we know how long the average duration of use is, it or user type. Therefore, augmented reality exergames should might be interesting to determine whether a former user was an incorporate functions that support social interaction among users early adopter or late adopter of this game. as well as between users and their friends and family. Conclusions Limitations In an exploratory approach, we ascertained motivational This study has several limitations related to its methodological structures in the context of serious mobile games that can serve design as well as the reported results. The open Web-based as the basis for future work. To the best of our knowledge, this study was not representative due to regional recruiting via is the first study explicitly investigating the motivation of active Facebook. Although the users of Facebook are adequate in terms and former Pokémon Go users to use and stop using the game. of representative population characteristics, a bias is still We were able to determine aspects motivating users to start possible [21]. A bias in recruitment might lead to differences playing Pokémon Go as well as reasons to quit the game. Further for the groups in the Big Five Inventory as well as in age and insights into how to maintain long-term user engagement have education. We also included only self-reports and no objective been revealed and compared with recent studies in the field of measures for physical activity. In terms of distinguishing serious games and activity trackers. individuals with high physical activity from those with medium Acknowledgments This publication is part of the research project “TECH4AGE,” financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, under Grant No. 16SV7111) and promoted by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH. 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Topolovec-Vranic J, Natarajan K. The use of social media in recruitment for medical research studies: a scoping review. J Med Internet Res 2016 Nov 7;18(11):e286 [FREE Full text] [doi: 10.2196/jmir.5698] [Medline: 27821383] 21. Rife SC, Cate KL, Kosinski M, Stillwell D. Participant recruitment and data collection through Facebook: the role of personality factors. Int J Soc Res Methodol 2014 Sep 22;19(1):69-83. [doi: 10.1080/13645579.2014.957069] 22. Godin G, Shephard RJ. A simple method to assess exercise behavior in the community. Can J Appl Sport Sci 1985 Sep;10(3):141-146. [Medline: 4053261] 23. Shephard RJ, Vuillemin A. Limits to the measurement of habitual physical activity by questionnaires. Br J Sports Med 2003 Jun 01;37(3):197-206. [doi: 10.1136/bjsm.37.3.197] 24. Unipark. Unipark: Easily Create Online Surveys URL: http://www.unipark.com/ [accessed 2017-04-02] [WebCite Cache ID 6pPvyOgLI] 25. Higgins JP. Smartphone applications for patients' health and fitness. 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[doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.10.038] [Medline: 27817905] Abbreviations ANOVA: one-way analyses of variance MANOVA: multivariate analyses of variance Edited by G Eysenbach; submitted 25.12.16; peer-reviewed by T Baranowski, T Althoff; comments to author 29.01.17; revised version received 24.02.17; accepted 26.02.17; published 05.04.17 Please cite as: Rasche P, Schlomann A, Mertens A JMIR Serious Games 2017;5(2):e7 URL: http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ doi: 10.2196/games.7197 PMID: 28381393 ©Peter Rasche, Anna Schlomann, Alexander Mertens. Originally published in JMIR Serious Games (http://games.jmir.org), 05.04.2017. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR Serious Games, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on http://games.jmir.org, as well as this copyright and license information must be included. http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 14 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png JMIR Serious Games JMIR Publications

Who Is Still Playing Pokémon Go? A Web-Based Survey

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Abstract

Background: Poor physical activity is one of the major health care problems in Western civilizations. Various digital gadgets aiming to increase physical activity, such as activity trackers or fitness apps, have been introduced over recent years. The newest products are serious games that incorporate real-life physical activity into their game concept. Recent studies have shown that such games increase the physical activity of their users over the short term. Objective: In this study, we investigated the motivational effects of the digital game “Pokémon Go” leading to continued use or abandonment of the game. The aim of the study was to determine aspects that motivate individuals to play augmented reality exergames and how this motivation can be used to strengthen the initial interest in physical activity. Methods: A total of 199 participants completed an open self-selected Web-based survey. On the basis of their self-indicated assignment to one of three predefined user groups (active, former, and nonuser of Pokémon Go), participants answered various questions regarding game experience, physical activity, motivation, and personality as measured by the Big Five Inventory. Results: In total, 81 active, 56 former, and 62 nonusers of Pokémon Go were recruited. When asked about the times they perform physical activity, active users stated that they were less physically active in general than former and nonusers. However, based on a subjective rating, active users were more motivated to be physically active due to playing Pokémon Go. Motivational aspects differed for active and former users, whereas fan status was the same within both groups. Active users are more motivated by features directly related to Pokémon, such as catching all possible Pokémon and reaching higher levels, whereas former users stress the importance of general game quality, such as better augmented reality and more challenges in the game. Personality did not affect whether a person started to play Pokémon Go nor their abandonment of the game. Conclusions: The results show various motivating elements that should be incorporated into augmented reality exergames based on the game Pokémon Go. We identified different user types for whom different features of the game contribute to maintained motivation or abandonment. Our results show aspects that augmented reality exergame designers should keep in mind to encourage individuals to start playing their game and facilitate long-term user engagement, resulting in a greater interest in physical activity. (JMIR Serious Games 2017;5(2):e7) doi: 10.2196/games.7197 KEYWORDS games; recreational; mobile apps; cell phones; Pokémon Go the World Health Organization constantly promote the value Introduction of physical activity, the trend is the opposite [1]. In Germany, physical activity is continually decreasing within the population. Daily physical activity is one of the leading strategies for This trend is present in all age groups. In 2016, more than half fighting global mortality [1]. Although organizations such as http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 1 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al of the entire German population performed an inadequate activity, such as Wii Fit or Kinect Sports [14]. Going beyond amount of physical activity per day [2]. As a result, health care objectively measured physical activity, it is, however, also costs rise, and the probability of secondary diseases such as relevant to consider the effects of playing Pokémon Go on high blood pressure rises, too. Thus, solutions for motivating further domains, such as social cognitive factors including the individuals to perform physical activity on a daily basis are users’ self-perception, behavioral intentions, and motivational more essential than ever. aspects. Social and game-related correlates such as attitudes toward gaming and habits have been shown to influence active Recent attempts to encourage individuals to perform physical gaming among adolescents [15]. One study reported benefits activity include activity trackers and fitness apps, which have and negative effects for children playing Pokémon Go [16]. turned mobile phones into a personal measuring instrument to Pokémon Go is a good research object due to its high number document daily physical activity [3]. By documenting and of users. Additionally, Pokémon Go includes several of the defining a certain daily goal in this manner, the user is popular gamification tactics as described by Cugelman [8]. The encouraged to reconsider his or her lifestyle and incorporate game offers a clear theme by integrating Pokémon into the real more physical activity into their everyday life [4,5]. Further, world. The story is also quite easy to tell, with the overall goal elements such as challenges, badges, or rank lists with family, being to collect all Pokémon and become the best Pokémon friends, or a community are used to motivate the users of an trainer [16]. Furthermore, the game offers clear goals (catch activity tracker to perform a healthy amount of daily physical ‘em all), challenges (hatch an egg), levels (experience levels), activity [6-8]. Recently, an additional trend occurred in and allocation points (Pokéstops and arenas), and it shows the augmented reality exergames, also referred to as urban progress of the user, provides feedback, and rewards experience exergames [9], which incorporate real-life physical activity into points. A badge is awarded each time an egg hatches, and the their game concept. Urban exergames are characterized by a game leaders are shown at the top of each arena they are actually set of criteria: the player is required to be physically active, the the best in. game is played in an urban environment, it runs on mobile phones, and makes use of the built-in mobile phone sensors [9]. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to investigate the Medical and public health communities have discussed the aspects of the motivation to start and continue playing an potential of these games with regard to their influence on higher augmented reality exergame like Pokémon Go in the general levels of sustainable physical activity to achieve health benefits population. [10]. In this study, we investigated the influence of personality and The most successful game in this category in 2016 was Pokémon various game functions on physical activity and motivation to Go. It is an augmented reality game for iOS and Android start playing Pokémon Go as well as on motivation to continue released in July 2016. The game is based on fictional creatures playing the game or quitting. We performed a Web-based survey called Pokémon (ref. to Pocket Monsters), which first came on questioning motivation to start, continue, and quit, as well as the scene in the 1990s and were merchandized in video games, personality based on the Big Five Inventory [17,18]. card games, movies, television series, comic books, toys, etc. In summary, our main research questions are The aim of Pokémon Go is to seek, hunt, and collect a variety of different Pokémon as in previous video games. However, How long do users play Pokémon Go? instead of launching just another video game, Niantic, the What are the aspects motivating people to start playing developer of Pokémon Go, combined the geocaching concept Pokémon Go? with augmented reality mechanics. This augmented reality What are the aspects motivating users to continue playing feature embeds two-dimensionally animated Pokémon in Pokémon Go? real-world images captured by the mobile phone camera. Users What are the aspects motivating users to quit playing have to explore their real-world neighborhood to search for and Pokémon Go? hunt Pokémon. The individual Pokédex of every user provides Are there any subjectively perceived effects of playing this an overview of which Pokémon have already been found and augmented reality exergame on physical activity? caught. The central element of the game is to catch and collect Which type of users engages with Pokémon Go? all the different Pokémon. Other features include training How can these effects be transferred to other augmented Pokémon and fighting against the Pokémon of other users in reality exergames? battle arenas. By performing various physical activities in Our study provides guidance on how to initially get individuals Pokémon Go, the users gain experience points that are required engaged in augmented reality exergames and how to facilitate to reach higher levels. long-term user engagement. The launch of Pokémon Go led to hype all over the world. Large numbers of users met on streets and in public places [11]. Methods Despite the relatively short time since its release, there is initial Design research on Pokémon Go. Current studies have mainly investigated the effect of Pokémon Go on physical activity An open, self-selected, Web-based survey was designed to [12,13]. Althoff et al showed that persons who are more investigate the aforementioned research questions. The survey interested in Pokémon Go, measured by search queries, are was designed in German and provided for German-speaking more active than those who are less interested [13]. Similar internet users. A Web-based survey was used as it is a suitable research also exists for other video games requiring physical http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 2 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al way to reach individuals with particular characteristics or Data Collection interests, that is, the group of potential game users, in a short Data were collected between October 26 and November 20, period of time without any limitations on physical space [19-21]. 2016. The questionnaire was programmed and made available on a website hosted using the Unipark software [24]. The survey On the basis of the research questions, the main purpose of the was introduced as a study examining the effects of modern survey was to collect data about three different user groups that digital games on health care systems (see Multimedia Appendix we would like to compare. The three predefined user groups 1). we wanted to identify and compare were individuals who actively play Pokémon Go, individuals who had played it, and All participants were informed about the duration of the survey, others who had never played Pokémon Go before. To identify data storage, and the leading investigator. Each participant these three groups, users were asked to state in an initial question decided to take part in this survey voluntarily by following the to which of these three groups they belong. On the basis of their designated link to the survey. No incentives were offered for answer, further thematic blocks were questioned, including participation. physical activity and motivational aspects. The survey was tested properly by 2 independent examiners To differentiate between active and former users of Pokémon with regard to wording and technical functionality. The survey Go, more detailed questions about the duration of use and level included 42 items for all 3 investigated user groups, distributed reached were asked. over 7 different pages. Participants were able to review their entries per page before moving on. Measuring Physical Activity On the basis of the idea of Godin and Shephard, physical activity Recruitment was examined subjectively in one question asking how many The survey was addressed to the general population with access times per week a person spends at least 30 min performing to the Internet in Germany. No exclusion criteria or screening physical activity that causes sweat [22]. Due to the idea that questionnaires were applied. individuals who do not regularly perform physical activity might We applied different channels of recruitment to reach a broad also respond to our survey, we also included the answers range of potential participants for this open survey. The “several times per month,” “once a month,” “rarely,” and sampling procedure was nonprobabilistic and respondents were “never” [23]. Active and former users also answered questions selected based on their voluntary willingness to participate [19]. on whether playing Pokémon Go affects their subjective interest The Web-based survey was promoted by a Facebook in physical activity and whether they think they perform more advertisement targeting persons aged between 14 and 99 years, physical activity as a result of playing Pokémon Go. who had indicated on Facebook that they were interested in Measuring Motivation physical activity and well-being, entertainment electronics, or Active and former users answered questions about motivational Pokémon Go. This method of recruitment was chosen because aspects. These referred to the initial motivation to start playing the probability that the participants are younger and familiar Pokémon Go, the motivation to continue playing, and to missing with social media is quite high. Furthermore, this open functions in the game. Former users were also asked for the Web-based survey is an observational study targeting reasons they stopped playing and about additional features they participants who play or have played Pokémon Go. Recruitment would like to see incorporated into the game. All of these via social media, therefore, seems to be a suitable approach questions included an open-ended text field. In this context, we [20]. also investigated possible motivating effects by peers and The advertisement itself used text similar to the text presented co-users and possible interdependencies of playing the game on the introduction page for the Web-based survey (see with the user’s personal network. Multimedia Appendix 1). In addition, the weblink to the Web-based survey was posted in one private Facebook group Measuring Personality (“RWTH Aachen University”) and on a Facebook fan page To determine which type of user engages with Pokémon Go, called “Pokémon Go Deutschland.” The former group is the Big Five Inventory was applied. The concept of the Big Five frequently used by students of RWTH Aachen University and Inventory is quite old but nevertheless it is a practical tool in consists of 17,221 members at the time of recruitment. The characterizing individuals. The Big Five dimensions of Facebook fan page “Pokémon Go Deutschland” was followed personality are calculated based on 10 questions rated on a by about Pokémon Go fans at the time of recruitment. In total, 5-point Likert scale (1=“not correct,” 5=“fully correct”) [17,18]. 12,516 individuals saw the link to our survey presented in their The Big Five dimensions are extraversion, agreeableness, newsfeed or group on Facebook. The weblink to the survey was conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. In this study, we also posted in the German Web community “Pokémon Go used the Big Five Inventory to investigate whether the five Forum,” which has 2456 members. Finally, the link to our open dimensions of personality can be used to differentiate types of Web-based survey was distributed in a mailing list for students Pokémon Go users as well as persons with no intention of at the University of Cologne, Germany. In all cases, the playing this game. If there are differences, game designers could recruitment was based on the same text as shown in Multimedia bear this in mind and cater their games to certain personalities. Appendix 1. http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 3 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al In total, n=345 unique individuals visited the website of our were conducted at a significance level of .05. To compare active Web-based survey. The identification of different individuals and former users, we also calculated t tests for independent was performed using the Unipark software based on Internet samples and chi-square statistics both at a significance level of Protocol (IP) address and cookie function. N=88 of these 345 .05. visitors never started the survey. N=58 discontinued completing Ethics Statement the survey. In total, 199 visitors finally participated in the survey The Ethics Committee at RWTH Aachen Faculty of Medicine and completed the whole questionnaire. Of those, 53 were authorized this study and its ethical and legal implications in recruited through Facebook, 62 via the Pokémon Go forum, its statement EK236/16 in mid-2016. and 12 via email. For 72 participants, the channel of recruitment was unknown. The participation rate was thus 74.4% and the Results completion rate 60.9%. The average duration of completing the survey was 10 min 52.96 s with a median of 9 min 2 s. Participants Statistical Analysis Depending on the answers to the first question in the survey, Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistics software, version participants were divided into three groups (Table 1): active SPSS 22 (IBM). Several one-way analyses of variance users of Pokémon Go (n=81), former users of Pokémon Go (ANOVA) and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) (n=56), and nonusers of Pokémon Go (n=62). Table 1. Participant demographics by user group. Demography Participants: Pokémon Go users Active Former Non (n=81) (n=56) (n=62) Age (in years) Minimum 19 15 15 Maximum 60 66 85 Mean (SD) 34.9 (9.8) 25.6 (8.4) 38.8 (19.6) Gender Male 54 34 32 Female 27 22 30 Education School pupil 0 3 3 Low level 4 0 0 Average level 16 1 6 High level 55 51 51 Other 6 1 2 Environment Urban area 59 47 52 Rural area 22 9 10 Household Partner 22 19 15 Family 39 15 24 Shared flat 8 14 4 Single 13 9 17 Duration of use (in months), 3.9 (0.8) 1.6 (1.3) Mean (SD) Level, 27.0 (3.9) 14.9 (7.1) Mean (SD) No data available for nonusers. http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 4 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al did not believe that Pokémon Go increased their interest in Physical Activity performing physical activity. A univariate analysis of variance Figure 1 shows the results for the question about self-rated revealed significant differences in interest between active and physical activity for all participants. A descriptive analysis former users (F = 33.818, P<.001). 1,135 reveals that former as well as nonusers of Pokémon Go tend to perform physical activity “several times a week,” whereas the Participants were also asked whether they had the impression group of active users is spread over the whole range of that they were performing more or less physical activity since performing physical activity “several times per week” to playing Pokémon Go. “never.” A univariate analysis of variance revealed significant The majority of active Pokémon Go users (47/81, 58%) stated differences in the physical activity behavior between the three that they performed more physical activity than before playing groups (F =14.359, P<.001). 2,196 this game. Answers among the former Pokémon Go users were Participants were asked about whether they believed Pokémon more divergent, as shown in Figure 3. A one-way analysis of Go increased their interest in performing physical activity. As variance with “user group” as the between-subject factor Figure 2 shows, active users had the impression that Pokémon revealed a significant difference between the two groups (F 1,135 Go increased their interest in physical activity. Former users = 48.833, P<.001). Figure 1. Self-evaluation on how often physical activity is performed. http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 5 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al Figure 2. Subjective impression of whether Pokémon Go influenced users’ interest in performing physical activity. http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 6 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al Figure 3. Subjective impression of whether more physical activity was performed than usual due to playing Pokémon Go. by the two groups (t = −0.53, P=.60). Table 2 provides an Motivation overview of the different aspects of motivation to start playing. The following section reports the findings related to motivational Both groups mentioned curiosity most frequently. Being a aspects. We focus especially on the motivation to start, continue POKÉMON fan, media reports, and reports from friends were playing, and quit the game. also important sources of motivation for both groups (see Table 2). The only significant difference between active and former Motivation to Start Playing the Game users of Pokémon Go occurred for the item “Being fascinated On average, active and former users reported two reasons to by the augmented reality function”; former users reported this start playing Pokémon Go (M 1.9 (SD 1.1), M 2.0 (SD active former reason more often than active users (χ = 5.8, P=.02). 1.1)). There was no difference in the number of reasons given http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 7 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al Table 2. Motivation to start playing Pokémon Go (multiple answers allowed). Motivation to start playing Pokémon Go users Significance P value Active (n=81) Former (n=56) Mean of number of reasons (SD) 1.9 (1.1) 2.0 (1.1) t =−0.53 .60 Curiosity, n (%) 55 (68) 36 (64) .66 χ =0.2 Being a Pokémon fan, n (%) 32 (40) 21 (38) .81 χ =0.1 Media reports, n (%) 23 (28) 15 (27) .83 χ =0.0 Reports from friends, n (%) 22 (27) 22 (39) .13 χ =2.2 Everybody around me plays it, n (%) 11 (14) 5 (9) .41 χ =0.7 Being fascinated by the augmented reality function, n (%) 5 (6) 11 (20) .02 χ =5.8 a 2 3 (4) 0 (0) .15 Combining fun and physical activity , n (%) χ =2.1 a 2 2 (3) 0 (0) .24 Game for traveling , n (%) χ =1.4 a 2 1 (1) 2 (4) .36 Nostalgia , n (%) χ =0.8 Answers to open-ended questions; coded for analysis. questions, participants were able to indicate which other aspects Motivation to Continue Playing the Game of the game besides reaching the next level motivated them to Participants were asked whether reaching the next level continue playing. Table 3 reports the reasons given. Active users motivated them to continue playing (10-point scale: 1=did not were more motivated by the aim of completing the Pokédex motivate at all, 10 = highly motivated). The mean value for the (χ =26.9, P<.001) and reported more fun and curiosity while group of active users was 7.1 points (SD 2.1); the mean value playing (χ =4.6, P=.03). There was no significant difference for the group of former users was 5.4 points (SD 2.6). The two for any other reason given, but active users reported more groups differ significantly (t = 4.07, P<.001). In open-ended reasons on average (t =4.65, P<.001; see Table 3). http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 8 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al Table 3. Motivation to continue playing the game (multiple answers allowed). Motivation to continue playing Pokémon Go users Significance P value Active Former (n=56) (n=81) Mean of number of reasons (SD) 1.1 (0.8) 0.5 (0.7) t =4.65 <.001 a 2 33 (41) 1 (2) <.001 Completing the Pokédex , n (%) χ =26.9 a 2 12 (15) 3 (4) .03 Fun or curiosity or recreation , n (%) χ =4.6 a 2 9 (11) 4 (7) .44 Finding new or rare Pokémon , n (%) χ =0.6 a 2 8 (10) 10 (18) .17 Catching strong Pokémon or being the best , n (%) χ =1.9 a 2 5 (6) 3 (5) .84 Joint activities with family and friends , n (%) χ =0.0 a 2 5 (6) 2 (4) .50 Being active or outside , n (%) χ =0.5 a 2 4 (5) 0 (0) .09 Updates or new generations , n (%) χ =2.9 a 2 3 (4) 1 (2) .51 Higher levels , n (%) χ =0.4 a 2 2 (3) 1 (2) .79 Incubating eggs , n (%) χ =0.1 a 2 2 (3) 0 (0) .24 Fighting in arenas , n (%) χ =1.4 a 2 2 (3) 0 (0) .24 Nostalgia , n (%) χ =1.4 Answers to open-ended questions; coded for analysis. Beyond motivational aspects directly related to the game, we recommending the game to others on a scale from 1 to 10. also analyzed whether there is motivation due to social Active users would recommend the game more often than former interaction. On the basis of active and former users’ self-reports, users (M 7.43 (SD 2.2); M 4.21 (SD 2.3), t =8.39, active former 135 social contacts did not grow or decline through playing Pokémon P<.001). Go. In total, 90% (73/81) of active users and 95% (53/56) of To examine aspects that motivate users to continue playing as former users reported that their group of friends remained a whole, we also asked about missing functions in the game. constant. There was no difference between the two groups The missing functions differ for active and former users. For (χ =0.9, P=.34). We found significant differences between active users, a higher number of Pokéstops and more arenas are active and former users for the question about how often more important. Former users mention the possibility of Pokémon Go is a relevant topic in conversations in meetings exchanging Pokémon and better augmented-reality functions with friends and family. In all, 50% (28/56) of former users significantly more often than active users (see Table 4). For never talk about Pokémon Go, and a further 39% (22/56) seldom both groups, more Pokémon in the neighborhood and the talk about it; 11% (6/56) indicated that they talk about it often. possibility of exchanging Pokémon are further important features For the active users, 11% (9/81) never, 56% (45/81) seldom, that are currently missing in Pokémon Go. Only 4% (3/81) of 20% (16/81) often, 5% (4/81) almost always, and 9% (7/81) active and 4% (2/56) of former users said that there are no always talk about Pokémon Go when meeting friends (χ =29.6, missing functions. On average, 2.8 missing functions were mentioned in both groups (SD 1.6 and 1.5). P<.001). We also asked users to rate the probability of http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 9 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al Table 4. Missing functions in Pokémon Go (multiple answers allowed). Missing functions Pokémon Go users Significance P value Active (n=81) Former (n=56) Mean of number of functions (SD) 2.8 (1.6) 2.8 (1.5) t =0.084 .93 No missing functions, n (%) 3 (4) 2 (4) .97 χ =0.0 More Pokémon in my neighborhood, n (%) 47 (58) 35 (63) .60 χ =0.3 Exchanging Pokémon, n (%) 45 (56) 42 (75) .02 χ =5.4 Direct fights against others, n (%) 44 (54) 38 (68) .11 χ =2.5 More Pokéstops, n (%) 36 (44) 12 (21) .01 χ =7.7 More updates, n (%) 31 (38) 14 (25) .10 χ =2.6 More arenas, n (%) 21 (26) 6 (11) .03 χ =4.8 Better augmented reality, n (%) 2 (3) 8 (14) .01 χ =6.8 Table 5. Participants’ personality dimensions by user group. Big five dimensions Pokémon Go users Active Former Non Mean (SD) Mean (SD) Mean (SD) Extraversion (points) 3.2 ( 1.0) 3.5 (1.0) 3.4 (1.0) Agreeableness (points) 2.9 (0.8) 3.0 (0.7) 3.1 (0.8) Conscientiousness (points) 3.4 (0.8) 3.4 (1.0) 3.7 (1.0) Neuroticism (points) 2.8 (1.0) 3.0 (1.0) 2.7 (0.8) Openness (points) 3.5 (1.0) 3.5 (1.1) 3.5 (1.0) Former users were also asked for reasons that would make them A MANOVA was performed to investigate the effect of the start playing again. The most frequently reported reasons were between-subject factor “user group” on the different factors of an increase in the range of functions (12/56, 21%) and options the Big Five Inventory. Using Pillai’s trace, there was no for interaction with other users (18/56, 32%). Further answers significant effect of “user group” on the five factors of the Big related to technical features such as more stable servers and a Five Inventory (V=.059, F =1.165, P=0.31). Also, separate 10,386 lower battery consumption (7/56, 13%) and rendering the game univariate ANOVAs revealed no significant effects of the more interesting by incorporating new challenges and more between-subject factor “user group” for the separate factors of tactical game elements (6/56, 11%). the Big Five Inventory (.17< P<.99). Motivation to Quit Discussion Individuals who were categorized as former users of Pokémon Go were asked for their reasons for quitting the game. The most Principal Findings frequently reported reasons were boredom (32/56, 57%), being The potential of mobile phone apps to increase physical activity disappointed (13/56, 23%), difficulties in reaching higher levels and thereby contribute to better health is intensively being (16/56, 29%), and technical problems (10/56, 18%). Other points discussed these days [25]. Going beyond classical fitness apps of criticism were related to missing components in the game and wearable devices such as activity trackers, initial studies itself, such as too few Pokémon (10/56, 18%), Pokéstops (5/56, investigating the effects of augmented reality exergames such 9%), and arenas (3/56, 5%) or a lack of co-users (4/56, 7%). as Pokémon Go on physical activity are available [8,9]. The Some former users also said that their general interest in the focus of this study lies on the motivation for starting to play, game had waned (6/56, 11%) or that they did not have the time continuing to play, and quitting this game. to play (5/56, 9%). On average, 1.93 reasons were mentioned This study presents results of an open Web-based survey. The (SD 1.2). sample is divided into three groups (active (N=81), former Personality (N=56), and nonusers of Pokémon Go (N=62)). An investigation Mean values for the five personality dimensions within the of self-reported physical activity showed that the percentage of different user groups are shown in Table 5. persons who rarely or never perform physical activity with a http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 10 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al duration of at least 30 min while perspiring is higher in the function, could motivate thousands to start playing the game group of active users than in the group of former or nonusers. [16]. Other games in this context also need to find the right Examining motivation to start this game showed that curiosity triggers to create curiosity and get people to start playing. The and being a fan of Pokémon were the most frequently mentioned use of cartoon characters generally seems to be a promising aspects. It is interesting that the group of former users mentioned approach that has also been shown to affect children’s food interest in the augmented reality technology significantly more preferences when placed on food packaging [30]. The often as motivation to start playing Pokémon Go. augmented reality function was a motivating factor, especially for the former players. This leads to the conclusion that new Regarding the motivation to continue playing, this study functions or technologies could encourage the start of use, but revealed that the group of active users is motivated by aspects it takes more to facilitate long-term use. directly related to the aim of completing the Pokédex and reaching higher levels in the game. The group of former users Motivation to Continue Playing the Game was significantly less motivated to continue playing by aspects In previous studies, rewards, competitions, and fun elements such as reaching the next level. Their efforts were much more have been judged as important elements leading to enjoyable competitive. They were motivated by catching strong Pokémon experiences in game-playing [7,26]. App design and specific and becoming the best. Aspects relating to social interaction app features are also crucial for the users’ long-term engagement such as having fun, being outside, and spending time with family [31]. These factors have also been shown in the present study. and friends while playing the game also motivated them to With regard to the motivation to continue playing, we found continue. differences related to the classical concept of levels [32]. Active users were motivated by reaching the next level, whereas former Former users were asked about aspects that motivated them to users reported being more motivated by catching strong or rare quit the game. The most frequently mentioned aspects were Pokémon. Social interaction in real life regarding Pokémon Go, boredom and disappointment. Besides these aspects, missing such as spending time with family and friends, was also much social interaction was also mentioned again, such as, for more motivating for former users than for active ones. It is example, exchanging Pokémon or fighting directly against each therefore of great importance for user’s long-term engagement other. This was also highlighted by active users as a missing to consider individualized preferences. It furthermore seems function in the game. Finally, the augmented reality function important to integrate the game as far as possible into the users’ was criticized as being not realistic enough. However, if this real lives, especially if an augmented reality function is used. issue were resolved, former users would be willing to give the Motivation for continuing playing the game could thus be game a second chance. strengthened. Our investigation regarding differences in personality within Motivation to Quit the different groups studied revealed no results. The use of this game is independent of personality. We should not ignore the fact that fairly high numbers of users have quit playing the game after a short period of use. One of Gamification the reasons mentioned was boredom. Within our study, the The augmented reality exergame Pokémon Go employs a range duration of playing Pokémon Go is even shorter than the average of gamification elements. The effectiveness of gamification has time of use for activity trackers, as reported in Ledger and been discussed in different areas of application as well, for McCaffrey [28]. Our results show that a strong interest in the example, to support the self-management of chronic diseases theme of the game (in this case Pokémon Go) could prevent [26]. The crucial question in this context is whether gamification people from quitting it. In the event of such interest, reaching can contribute to long-term user engagement since only then is the next level was also experienced as motivating for users. it reasonable to assume positive effects on physical activity and Missing social interaction functions within the game was a health as described in other works [8,9]. In our survey, we found further reason for quitting the game. Social interaction and that by no means was everyone who started to use the game support were already important features demanded by users in motivated to continue playing in the long term. This earlier active games designed for the Nintendo Wii or Microsoft phenomenon has also been shown for other apps triggering Xbox Kinect [33]. Tateno et al stated that Pokémon Go could healthy behavior [27] and for the use of activity trackers [28]. be useful for increasing social contact outside the game itself However, using and quitting the use of mobile technologies and [34]. Our study indicates that no social interaction outside the wearables is a complex process and not only caused by mere game arises as a result of just playing the game. Therefore, it dissatisfaction [29]. In the following section, the gamification is essential to include social interaction within the gameplay elements are discussed in detail with regard to their contribution and the topic of the game. In the case of the investigated game, to motivation according to the three main topics: starting to Pokémon Go, desired social interactions embedded in the game play, continuing to play, and quitting playing. included direct fighting against each other without visiting an Motivation to Start Playing the Game arena and swapping Pokémon among each other. Both aspects Curiosity, being a Pokémon fan, and the augmented reality relate to highly realistic gameplay as Pokémon trainers could function were the most frequently mentioned reasons to start exchange Pokémon and fight against each other in the Pokémon playing Pokémon Go. Media and download reports also showed books. that telling the right story or theme in combination with a new technology, in this case the little-known augmented reality http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 11 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX JMIR SERIOUS GAMES Rasche et al or low physical activity, this is still a limitation [23]. Personality Furthermore, this study was conducted 14 weeks after the initial Analysis using the Big Five Inventory among users revealed start of Pokémon Go in Germany. Therefore, our study could no indication of significant differences among users playing only reveal initial motivational aspects for active and former Pokémon Go or quitting it once it was played. The comparison users due to the lack of a long-term perspective. Nevertheless, of the Big Five Inventory with participants indicating no interest we were able to show that users already existed who had quit in playing Pokémon Go showed no differences. playing the game after quite a short duration of use. To examine Transfer of Knowledge the motivational structures in more detail, longitudinal studies are needed to obtain a deeper insight into the mechanisms, as All in all, the design and the incorporated gamification functions conducted, for example, in the context of activity trackers [6,28]. of Pokémon Go are suitable for different types of users. A qualitative follow-up could also be useful to track motivation Although the initial motivation to start was the same for active over time. as well as former users, the motivation to continue playing was mainly linked to social interaction. Social interaction was the Due to the open Web-based recruitment, no inferences can be main function identified as missing in this game and, made about the usage rated and sociodemographical distribution furthermore, it was identified as the function motivating of the general user group of Pokémon Go, especially as this long-term use. If a user is not fully immersed in the theme, Web-based survey was conducted in German. Finally, it must social interaction and especially social rewards are the elements be noted that we are unable to answer the question about how motivating users less interested in the theme of the game to much time has passed since former users quit playing the game. continue playing. This is independent of a certain personality Although we know how long the average duration of use is, it or user type. Therefore, augmented reality exergames should might be interesting to determine whether a former user was an incorporate functions that support social interaction among users early adopter or late adopter of this game. as well as between users and their friends and family. Conclusions Limitations In an exploratory approach, we ascertained motivational This study has several limitations related to its methodological structures in the context of serious mobile games that can serve design as well as the reported results. The open Web-based as the basis for future work. To the best of our knowledge, this study was not representative due to regional recruiting via is the first study explicitly investigating the motivation of active Facebook. Although the users of Facebook are adequate in terms and former Pokémon Go users to use and stop using the game. of representative population characteristics, a bias is still We were able to determine aspects motivating users to start possible [21]. A bias in recruitment might lead to differences playing Pokémon Go as well as reasons to quit the game. Further for the groups in the Big Five Inventory as well as in age and insights into how to maintain long-term user engagement have education. We also included only self-reports and no objective been revealed and compared with recent studies in the field of measures for physical activity. In terms of distinguishing serious games and activity trackers. individuals with high physical activity from those with medium Acknowledgments This publication is part of the research project “TECH4AGE,” financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, under Grant No. 16SV7111) and promoted by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH. 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[doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.10.038] [Medline: 27817905] Abbreviations ANOVA: one-way analyses of variance MANOVA: multivariate analyses of variance Edited by G Eysenbach; submitted 25.12.16; peer-reviewed by T Baranowski, T Althoff; comments to author 29.01.17; revised version received 24.02.17; accepted 26.02.17; published 05.04.17 Please cite as: Rasche P, Schlomann A, Mertens A JMIR Serious Games 2017;5(2):e7 URL: http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ doi: 10.2196/games.7197 PMID: 28381393 ©Peter Rasche, Anna Schlomann, Alexander Mertens. Originally published in JMIR Serious Games (http://games.jmir.org), 05.04.2017. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR Serious Games, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on http://games.jmir.org, as well as this copyright and license information must be included. http://games.jmir.org/2017/2/e7/ JMIR Serious Games 2017 | vol. 5 | iss. 2 | e7 | p. 14 (page number not for citation purposes) XSL FO RenderX

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JMIR Serious Games – JMIR Publications

Published: Apr 5, 2017

Keywords: games; recreational; mobile apps; cell phones

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