Interactive Digital Entertainment

From Information Systems at Pitt Business

IS Research and practitioners tend to focus on utilitarian information systems and general ignore hedonic systems. As computers have become more prevalent in society, the uses of computers have expanded into more non-utilitarian areas and uses (e.g., iPod, X-Box, virtual reality gaming, massive online gaming, etc.). This paper is a first attempt to categorize and define the various devices that are defined as entertaining and interactive. The taxonomy defines several areas and distinguishes between social computing devices and interactive entertainment devices.

[edit] Abstract

In this paper, we create a taxonomy of interactive digital entertainment (IDE), which can be used to guide future research in IDE and direct the design of interactive entertainment. We start by defining and explaining the differences between IDE and lifestyle computing. We then review the major taxonomies on gaming that can illuminate research and practice with IDE. Given this review, we propose an overarching taxonomy called the IDE Unification Framework. Based on this framework, we then propose promising areas for future research.