JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In the fields of education, healthcare, and business, serious games (SRGs) have become an established training and education tool. Despite this, serious game design has been criticised for failing to address the needs and preferences of stakeholders adequately. In response, stakeholder theory (ST) has been proposed as a basis for understanding the interests of stakeholders involved in the design and implementation of SRGs. Enterprise architecture (EA), which focuses on the development and optimisation of complex organisational systems, has also been suggested as a valuable tool for SRG design. Using the Architecture Development Method (ADM) method within SRG contexts, moreover, can aid in the identification of capabilities, methods, and processes that can enhance future SRG projects.

Objective:

A conceptual framework for the design of SRGs that integrates ST and EA principles is presented. The framework is comprised of several elements, such as stakeholder analysis, requirements collection, architecture design, and implementation planning. As such, this paper completes the synthesis of theory undertaken in prior work to put forward a conceptual framework for the design of SRGs.

Methods:

The process of creating a conceptual framework involves identifying key concepts, relationships, and variables that are pertinent to the research question or problem. This work builds on an integrative literature review of the three pillars of serious game design, stakeholder theory and enterprise architecture. Theory mapping has been used as a visual method for representing concepts and their relationships in a graphical format. This technique entails generating and organising ideas into a hierarchy of related concepts and sub-concepts, followed using visual symbols and connecting lines to represent their relationships. The development of new theory involves proposing a set of interconnected concepts and relationships based on existing theory and empirical evidence, as well as refining the framework through ongoing testing and refinement. Creating a conceptual framework therefore requires a combination of techniques, such as a literature review, concept mapping, and theory development. Using these techniques within a design science research frame of iteratively designing, implementing, evaluating, and refining a solution to a practical problem, the researchers construct a framework that captures the key concepts, relationships, and variables pertinent to their research question or problem.

Results:

By taking a stakeholder-centric approach to the design of serious games, designers can ensure that the game meets the needs of its users and is in line with the organisation's overall objectives. This paper, then, offers a conception of a stakeholder-centred design framework that is diagnostic, flexible, informative, empowering, supportive, and sustainable. The framework prioritises the needs and interests of various stakeholders, including game developers, players, investors, regulators, and others, to promote good design.

Conclusions:

This paper provides a conceptual rendering of a stakeholder-centred serious game design framework for serious game designers that synthesises theory from stakeholder theory and enterprise architecture, as well as to illustrate the potential benefits of applying these frameworks to serious game design. We believe that by taking a more structured and stakeholder-centric approach to serious game design, designers can create games that are more effective, engaging, and in line with a team or organisation's overall objectives.