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LifeSync-Games: Toward a Video Game Paradigm for Promoting Responsible Gaming and Human Development

R. González-Ibáñez, J. Macías-Cáceres, M. Villalta-Paucar

TL;DR

LifeSync-Games tackles the gap between real-world actions and video gameplay by introducing a digital-twin–driven framework that maps real-life activities to in-game attributes to promote self-regulation and holistic development. It combines theoretical foundations in video games, responsible design, human development, digital twins, sensors, and motivation with a modular technology stack (cloud module, APIs, connectors, sensors, catalogs, and a showcase platform) to enable cross-game integration and open-source exploration. The paper details an expansive catalog of games and mods, outlines evaluation approaches (prototyping, trusted-user testing, and technical validation), and presents exploratory applications demonstrating versatility across genres and engines. Overall, LifeSync-Games presents a promising paradigm for responsible gaming and human development, contingent on addressing adoption, privacy, latency, and sustainability challenges while expanding sensor data sources and longitudinal impact studies.

Abstract

Technological advancements have made video games a central part of the digital lives of nearly 3 billion people worldwide. Although games can address various social, physical, and psychological needs, their potential to support human development and well-being remains underutilized. Research highlights both negative effects, such as addiction and isolation, and positive outcomes like cognitive improvements and problem-solving skills. However, public discourse and regulation often focus more on risks than benefits. To address this imbalance, we present LifeSync-Games, a framework leveraging simplified digital twins to connect virtual gameplay with real-life activities. This reciprocal relationship aims to enhance the developmental value of gaming by promoting self-regulation and fostering growth across physical, mental, and social domains. We present the framework's theoretical foundations, technological components, design guidelines, and evaluation approaches. Additionally, we present early applications in both new and bestselling games to demonstrate its versatility and practical relevance.

LifeSync-Games: Toward a Video Game Paradigm for Promoting Responsible Gaming and Human Development

TL;DR

LifeSync-Games tackles the gap between real-world actions and video gameplay by introducing a digital-twin–driven framework that maps real-life activities to in-game attributes to promote self-regulation and holistic development. It combines theoretical foundations in video games, responsible design, human development, digital twins, sensors, and motivation with a modular technology stack (cloud module, APIs, connectors, sensors, catalogs, and a showcase platform) to enable cross-game integration and open-source exploration. The paper details an expansive catalog of games and mods, outlines evaluation approaches (prototyping, trusted-user testing, and technical validation), and presents exploratory applications demonstrating versatility across genres and engines. Overall, LifeSync-Games presents a promising paradigm for responsible gaming and human development, contingent on addressing adoption, privacy, latency, and sustainability challenges while expanding sensor data sources and longitudinal impact studies.

Abstract

Technological advancements have made video games a central part of the digital lives of nearly 3 billion people worldwide. Although games can address various social, physical, and psychological needs, their potential to support human development and well-being remains underutilized. Research highlights both negative effects, such as addiction and isolation, and positive outcomes like cognitive improvements and problem-solving skills. However, public discourse and regulation often focus more on risks than benefits. To address this imbalance, we present LifeSync-Games, a framework leveraging simplified digital twins to connect virtual gameplay with real-life activities. This reciprocal relationship aims to enhance the developmental value of gaming by promoting self-regulation and fostering growth across physical, mental, and social domains. We present the framework's theoretical foundations, technological components, design guidelines, and evaluation approaches. Additionally, we present early applications in both new and bestselling games to demonstrate its versatility and practical relevance.
Paper Structure (27 sections, 4 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 27 sections, 4 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Problem statement and justification
  3. Related Work
  4. The LifeSync-Games Framework
  5. Conceptual and Theoretical Foundations
  6. Video games
  7. Responsible video game design and use
  8. Human development
  9. Digital twin
  10. Sensors
  11. Emotion and Motivation in Video Games
  12. Regulation
  13. Technology
  14. Cloud module
  15. Application Programming Intefaces (APIs)
  16. ...and 12 more sections

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: Model of separate worlds with motivations that encourage the use of video games.
  • Figure 2: Conceptual model of LifeSync-Games with a simplified digital twin, linking the real and virtual worlds.
  • Figure 3: Conceptual model of the LifeSync-Games data flow, from the real world to virtual worlds.
  • Figure 4: Components diagram of LifeSync-Games Mahu2020-ModuloCloud.