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Not All Games Play the Same: Specifying How Components of Video Games May be Associated With Creativity.

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Title: Not All Games Play the Same: Specifying How Components of Video Games May be Associated With Creativity.
Authors: Stapleton, Darian1 (AUTHOR) dstaple@gmu.edu, Goldstein, Thalia R.1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Creative Behavior. Sep2025, Vol. 59 Issue 3, p1-22. 22p.
Subject Terms: *Video games, *Creative ability, *Digital media, Taxonomy, Originality, Multiplayer games
Abstract: Understanding the impacts of digital media such as video games is critical for scholarship during the digital transformation. While the literature on the effects of video games continues to grow, there is little work on positive effects, including creativity, either as an outcome from or process within games. Video games are a media type that often requires creative problem‐solving and multiple idea generation. Importantly, adequately theorizing, measuring, and assessing creativity as both an action within video games and a possible outcome of engaging with video games necessitates a detailed understanding of what video games are. Here we propose and outline a taxonomy of the various components within video games that could impact different aspects of creativity interventions and creative processes. We then break down those components, including genre, graphics, mechanics, instructions, incentive systems, and multiplayer functionality. We apply this taxonomy briefly in several games, and Minecraft and Baldur's Gate 3 are used in more depth to show how researchers can apply our proposed framework. Knowing which video game components affect which creativity outcomes can clarify our understanding of creativity and the creative process in a digital world, and identify how gameplay itself can be a creative artifact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Creative Behavior is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Not All Games Play the Same: Specifying How Components of Video Games May be Associated With Creativity.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stapleton%2C+Darian%22">Stapleton, Darian</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> dstaple@gmu.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Goldstein%2C+Thalia+R%2E%22">Goldstein, Thalia R.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Creative+Behavior%22">Journal of Creative Behavior</searchLink>. Sep2025, Vol. 59 Issue 3, p1-22. 22p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Video+games%22">Video games</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Creative+ability%22">Creative ability</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Digital+media%22">Digital media</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Taxonomy%22">Taxonomy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Originality%22">Originality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multiplayer+games%22">Multiplayer games</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Understanding the impacts of digital media such as video games is critical for scholarship during the digital transformation. While the literature on the effects of video games continues to grow, there is little work on positive effects, including creativity, either as an outcome from or process within games. Video games are a media type that often requires creative problem‐solving and multiple idea generation. Importantly, adequately theorizing, measuring, and assessing creativity as both an action within video games and a possible outcome of engaging with video games necessitates a detailed understanding of what video games are. Here we propose and outline a taxonomy of the various components within video games that could impact different aspects of creativity interventions and creative processes. We then break down those components, including genre, graphics, mechanics, instructions, incentive systems, and multiplayer functionality. We apply this taxonomy briefly in several games, and Minecraft and Baldur's Gate 3 are used in more depth to show how researchers can apply our proposed framework. Knowing which video game components affect which creativity outcomes can clarify our understanding of creativity and the creative process in a digital world, and identify how gameplay itself can be a creative artifact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Creative Behavior is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1002/jocb.1522
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 22
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      – SubjectFull: Video games
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Creative ability
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      – SubjectFull: Digital media
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      – SubjectFull: Originality
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              M: 09
              Text: Sep2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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