Academics, game makers team up in rare collaboration on mental health

LONDON — A study by Oxford University researchers on how playing video games affects mental health used data from video game makers, marking what the authors say is a rare collaboration between academics and the industry.

Lack of transparency from game makers has long been an issue for scientists hoping to better understand player behaviors.

The paper recently released by the Oxford Internet Institute comes as video game sales this year have boomed as more people are stuck at home because of the pandemic.

The findings are based on survey responses from people older than 18 who played two games, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

The study used data provided by the game makers, Electronic Arts and Nintendo of America, on how much time the respondents spent playing, unlike previous research that relied on imprecise estimates from the players.

Academics “need broader and deeper collaborations with industry to study how games impact a wider, and more diverse, sample of players over time,” said Andrew Przybylski, the institute’s director of research.

The researchers said they found the actual amount of time spent playing was a small but significant positive factor in people’s well-being.

The paper said the level of enjoyment that players get from a game could be a more important factor for their well-being than mere playing time.

Some 2,756 players of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and 518 players of Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville responded to a survey, out of 250,000 invitations.