DIS60304 DESIGN RESEARCH DISSERTATION

BACHELOR OF DESIGN (HONS) IN CREATIVE MEDIA

Submission of

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION – Draft Dissertation

(Due date: 21 May 2023)

This assignment is prepared for The Design School, Faculty of Innovation and Technology, Taylor's University, in partial fulfilment for The Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media.

Academic Honesty Policy Statement:

I,Leong Jiahui(Student no.0353469), hereby attest that the contents of these attachments are my own work. Referenced work, articles, arts, programs, papers or part thereof are acknowledged at the end of this paper. This includes data excerpted from the Internet, other private networks, other people's disk or computer systems.

Design Research Dissertation (no less than 7,000 words) (not including title, index, and references) - Word

count estimation guide only

Title 

Clearly identify the topic of the dissertation. Use the title page provided

Acknowledgements

Briefly thank those who assisted in compiling the information.

Abstract Summarise the entire dissertation. Include the report's purpose; an outline of your research approach; theories applied; and the most important findings, results,

and conclusions or recommendations. Abstracts are read by researchers to

decide if they hold relevance for their own research.

Table of Contents

List the main sections or headings and the page number.

List of Tables & Illustrations

List any illustrations, graphs, tables, charts etc. and the page number.

Introduction (450 - 500 words)

Provide background and context to the research. Define the purpose, and scope

of the report, how the data was obtained, specific terms or concepts used. Include

a hypothesis statement if relevant.

The pandemic has changed a lot in the general sphere of gaming. Hand in hand with the increasing accessibility of mobile phones in this generation, it is no surprise that the number of people who plays video games has been on an upward curve since 2015. In fact, video games have become the second most popular online activity behind streaming videos (Shliakhovchuk & Muñoz, 2020),  where 48%-56% of youths (aged 16-24) play video games regularly (Wittek et al, 2015).Youths also take up the highest percentage of internet users who watch live streams of video games worldwide, which is 44% (Clement, 2019). These data confirm Juul’s (2005) claims that “video games are fast becoming games for everyone.”

In today’s rapidly changing, digitally infused and increasingly complex world, it is no surprise that the younger generation is rapidly growing disconnected from their own culture, and progressively lacking in cultural awareness. Often viewed as “sophisticated tools inhabiting and disseminating racial, gender and cultural meaning”(Leonard, 2004), video games have the potential to raise cultural awareness in youth players through their in-game designs.

The role of video gaming media has been undeniable in counting the influential

indicators of our lifestyle. According to Hutchinson(2019), video games are cultural artefacts that have the power to teach gamers about the culture of the place of origin where the game is set in, through its character design, environment design as well as storytelling narrative. All of these are characteristic elements in video games that allow gamers to learn visually and identify with (Witteveen,2009, as cited by Poy & Garcia, 2019) For example, Hutchinson (2019) argues that deep-seated Japanese attitudes and values are not only visible in the content of many Japanese videogames but can also be experienced first-hand by the gamer, giving great insight into Japanese culture. This is one of the many examples of how gamers can learn and connect with other cultures around the world as well as their own.

Video games are mostly player-driven. They give gamers the ability to step into

different roles (Bogost, 2011), confront complex problems, make meaningful choices

and experience the consequences of various choices and scenarios. They are active, immersive and interactive, hence providing a “safe space” where gamers can acquire knowledge of culture and experience different cultural identities in a virtual environment that mimics real life in a realistic sense (Zielke et al, 2009). With that said, they should not be solely seen as market products or entertainment gimmicks but as artistic works and cultural artefacts, that can teach us a lot about the culture of the place of origin. (Hutchinson, 2019).

However, popular mainstream video games nowadays like Genshin Impact,

The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and most mainstream AAA games, are not

serious games designed with education as their main objective. These games are

designed for entertainment and often teach us knowledge through their design and

narrative. Sometimes, lessons like cultural knowledge are infused within in a way

that can be absorbed by the subconscious instead of being specially designed to be

taken in by the conscious, logical mind (Koster, 2013). When learning in games, the

process is greatly supported by visual learning techniques based on aesthetically

pleasing and creative characters alongside environment designs. These reinforcing

factors greatly boost interactive skills in the learning experience (Poy & Garcia,

2019). Hence, this research aims to explore the challenges of integrating intercultural knowledge in video games through game character design to make sure rich cultures that have sustained themselves for thousands of years are authentically and evocatively represented through video games and can act as a bridge for youth gamers to better understand and learn about other cultures as well as their own.

Literature Review (750 - 850 words)

Summarise the literature relevant to your research to show how your research fits

with current literature.

Working title:

Video Game Design & Cultural Awareness from the Eye of Gen Z

2.0 Overview

In this digitally infused world, the younger generation is rapidly growing disconnected

from their own culture, and progressively lacking in cultural awareness. This is

alarming as this is a sign that the younger generation is gradually forgetting their

cultural roots and losing their cultural identity. The lack of cultural awareness regarding other cultures can also potentially lead to racial stereotypes and conflicts. This left Leong pondering, how can she help raise cultural awareness among youths. Being the “Net Generation”, video games are no stranger to Gen Z. What better way than to start there?

Bateman and Boon (2006) once stated that a good game design should reflect

its intended audiences’ desires. Like many things in life, to achieve a goal is to first understand it. Thus, in order to raise cultural awareness through video games, game designers and developers do not only need to understand the culture they are going to portray but they also need to be aware of the intended audiences’ preferences, in order to perfectly curate a game that could achieve its intended results.

2.1 Gen Z - the digital natives

Generation Z, more commonly known as Gen Z, describes the group of people born between the early 1990s and early 2000s, more specifically from the year 1997-2012 (McCrindle, 2006).Often referred to as the “digital natives”, this younger generation grew up surrounded by tech and media communication, hence achieving tech fluency (Prensky, 2001).

The DFC Global Consumer database (2021) has recently reported a total of 3.1

billion video game consumers in mid-2020. With the pandemic and the increasing

accessibility to mobile devices in this generation, it is no surprise that the number of

people playing video games has been on an upward curve since 2015. With an

overwhelming amount of 48%-56% of Gen Z actively play video games (Wittek et al, 2015), in which, according to Lenhart (2015) from Pew Research Centre, 81% of Gen Zers own or have access to game consoles. 91% of GenZ boys own game consoles, and 70% of girls own or enjoy access to consoles.

Studies have shown that Gen Zers are eager to learn and make an impact on

society (Johnston, 2018). This encouraging finding has prompted Leong to look into potential ways video games can be used in developing cultural awareness in youth gamers, to counter the alarming phenomenon that the younger generation is gradually forgetting their cultural roots and losing their cultural identity, as well as the consequences of potentially racial stereotypes and conflicts raised due to the lack of cultural awareness regarding other cultures. Coming from an entertainment design background, Leong hopes to focus her study on video game character design.

2.1.1 Gen Z's gaming preferences

The success of a serious game when connecting with the player is largely determined by the quality of visual design and the ability to evoke imaginary worlds where the imaginative role of the player is capable of being projected in an attractive way, often through its character and world designs (Raquel, P and García, M, 2019). The same can be said for entertainment AAA game titles.

Quoting authors, Shliakhovchuk et al.( 2021,p.26), “Gen Zers are looking for meaningful games, games that teach, games that are inclusive, and games which offer a diversity of characters and inter-character relationships.”

Despite the positive motivations from the younger generation, it is important to take into consideration the elements of video game design that fit the aesthetic preferences of the target audience in order to deliver cultural awareness effectively. According to  Shliakhovchuk et al. (2021), the top three features attracting participants to their favourite games were the same for both genders in this study: gameplay, graphics/art/animation, and good storytelling. Hence, this study aims to explore the potential of character design in delivering cultural awareness to youth gamers effectively, while catering to their gaming preferences.

2.2 Video Games: the secret weapon of cultural education

Based on the studies conducted by Shliakhovchuk et. al. (2020) focusing on the impact of video games on players from an intercultural perspective, the potential of video  games for intercultural education as evidenced by the steady number of studies published on the topic during the last two decades.

The biggest charm of utilizing games in cultural education is that they provide a motivating and stress-free environment to learn. To youths, this not only reduces the fear of failure and facing the challenges of learning, but it also helps increase self-confidence (Raquel, P & García, M, 2019) The biggest pro - Its perceived competence and effectiveness. Video games are no doubt a trump card when it comes to cultural education.

2.2.1 Cross-cultural Competence & Cultural Significant Presence

Researchers Gjicali et. al. (2020) believe that cross-cultural competence is a crucial part of cultural education that needs to be taught to youths that are living in an increasingly diverse society, following the effects of globalisation. A game’s immersive and standardized experience is a perfect tool to develop and assess cross-cultural skills.

The design approach of the game, especially with respect to social practices and the simulation technology could be further developed to achieve this particular goal (Johnson, 2010). Character designs are emphasised in this manner as characteristics embodying aspects of the stimulated culture are believed to be effective in raising cross-cultural competence, especially by embedding various characteristics in NPCs that personify various cultural values ( Gjicali et. al.,2020)

Meanwhile, “Cultural significant presence” is a theory proposed by Champion (2020), built from the UNESCO and ICOMOS cultural framework to create both engaging and educational cultural heritage games. In his study to determine how cultural presence could be communicated via single-player RPG games and whether they could succeed as learning tools, he discovered that the core gameplay of a cultural game design could simulate day-to-day activity while the secondary gameplay could convey a more overarching perspective, a cultural framework. Game mechanics and the in-game character designs could not only advance the game state but surprise and change the unconscious behaviour and culturally grounded assumptions of the player.

2.2.2 Visual Learning

Researchers Raquel & García (2019) have brought up that video games are becoming part of the main mass media and gamification techniques for education have been proven effective, especially with effective visual learning through role-playing characters' design aesthetics and interactive skills. They have also brought up how creativity and simulation in video games allow the learning experiences of players to be enhanced. Through visual learning, cultural education can be fulfilled through games that enforce meaningful relationships between the cultural representations of the game and its realistic, practical application in the real world.

Effective visual learning can be achieved through role-playing characters' design aesthetics and interactive skills. Cultural elements introduced into a character design can often become a multiplier element in developing meaningful learning contexts. Champion (2020), also stated that video games can act as curators of culture and tradition, and role-playing allows society to carry forward its goals, values, structure, and messages, which the player can easily pick up through visual learning. Visual language reinforces this ability through its recourse to creative language.

2.2.3 A "Safe Space"

Video games are known for their immersive and interactive nature, providing a virtual simulation of the real world to better facilitate raising cultural awareness among players. Gjicali et.al. (2020) believes that games can act as a “safe space” to engage with people with culturally distinct values from their own and learn how to communicate in culturally appropriate ways. Learning in video games could occur without mistakes leading to potentially serious and negative, high-stakes, real-world ramifications. This point is supported by Zielke et al (2009) that has stated that video games are active, immersive and interactive, hence providing a “safe space” where gamers can acquire cultural knowledge and experience different cultural identities in a virtual environment that mimics real life in a realistic sense.

According to Shliakhovchuk et al (2021)’s research, youths play games for a variety of reasons that transcends mere fun. Through real-world simulation in games when it comes to cultural expressions, players can experience the culture first-hand, in turn,  teaching players about said culture. After all, one of the most unique parts of a video game is how it allows the gamers to have the ability to put and fully immerse themselves in someone else’s shoes (Bogost, 2011), and in turn, learn from them.

2.3 Conclusion

Quoting Shliakhovchuk et al (p51, 2020), “It is critically important to carefully critique video games in order to discover the identities and cultural values into which the player is thrust, that intensifies bias and negative perceptions of different others.”

After all, to improve is to critique.

Much has been said about researchers acknowledging that great artistic expression can convey a high sense of cultural specificity if not a cultural sense of inhabitation. This concept heavily applies to character design in video games that provides an environment in which people could engage with culturally distinct values from their own and learn how to communicate in culturally appropriate ways in a “safe space”. In a nutshell, the future of Entertainment AAA games in cultural education is promising, with continuous research to explore how to incorporate cultural elements in an appropriate and educational way.

Research Methods (600 - 650 words)

State the methods used for your investigation. Identify the design of your research

and explain why this method was chosen. Provide enough detail so that someone

else can replicate your research.

3.1 Overview

In this section, the research methods utilised in this study are presented in detail, including the sources of data, instruments used, selection procedures, treatment of data gathered as well as statistical treatment of data. The research methods have been carefully curated to explore and study the challenges of raising cultural awareness among youth gamers in terms of cultural knowledge and intercultural literacy.

The first phase conducted was a qualitative method, visual analysis. This method allows the researcher to understand how cultural elements are represented in video game character design (RQ1 & RQ2).  According to Glaw et.al (2017), It is proven that visual methods enhance the richness of data by discovering additional layers of meaning, adding validity and depth, and creating knowledge. The observations and discoveries obtained through this study will be further discussed in this chapter to determine how cultural elements have been represented in the three chosen characters in Genshin Impact. The knowledge and understanding achieved in this study are then employed in the designing of the following questionnaire survey.

Meanwhile, a mixed-method online questionnaire survey acts as the research’s second study, serving to discover the potential of character design in developing cultural awareness among youth gamers (RQ3 & RQ4). Survey research is defined as "the collection of information from a sample of individuals through their responses to questions" (Check & Schutt, 2012, p. 160). This type of research allows for a variety of methods to recruit participants, collect data, and utilize various methods of instrumentation from quantitative to qualitative or both. Participants from all over the world have been invited to share their perspectives and views on the topic in detail, in which their responses are then filtered and analysed. As stated by Ponto (2015), surveys are an effective method of obtaining information reflecting demographic and personal characteristics.

A summary of the research design process can be found in figure 3.1 below.

fig 3.1 Research Method design process

3.2 Visual Analysis

(give an explanation why visual analysis is deemed appropriate method to be

used for your research, citation is needed here)

Having a clear understanding and the ability to identify cultural representations in video games is crucially important to study whether it has the potential to act as a platform for cultural awareness and education. Performing an observational study allows the researcher, Leong, to have a better understanding of the current state game character design of the selected game, Genshin Impact. This is proven by researchers Glaw et.al (2017), who believe that visual analysis adds to traditional methods by capturing more detail and a different kind of data than verbal and written methods. Through this process, Leong will be able to analyse the cultural elements present in the chosen game character design in full detail. Leong will also be able to dive deeper into the audience’s interpretation of the cultural elements in said characters, hence gauging their responses. With this understanding, Leong can craft an ideal questionnaire in the second phase of the research. In this visual study, Leong referred to Champion’s (2020) Game Design Schema in constructing an effective visual study focusing on cultural elements in character design. Quoting Champion (2020, p4),  “Cultural presence requires not just objects but also cultural artefacts and behaviours or activities within an overarching framework but also an awareness of what is within the accepted rules and conventions.”

3.2.1 Research locale

(where did you collect your sample of materials; how long did you take to

complete data collection; why collect data at this place)

All materials for the visual analysis were sourced online. This web-based research was performed over the span of two weeks, with the researcher visiting various online platforms including the official Genshin Impact game character archives that showcase a 360 turn-around view of each character design detail, the official Genshin Impact interviews with its game designers, and various Genshin Impact and video game-centric forums from social media to blog posts. This also includes the official Genshin Impact discord server and Facebook group, where thousand of Genshin Impact players gather and share their opinions on the game. All data collected has been critically reviewed and analysed for its validity before being incorporated into the visual analysis.  

3.2.2 Research materials

(explain what kind/ types of materials your research collect data from? How did

you select the types of materials among so many others?)

Utilizing the in-game characters archive function, all character assets and visuals used in this visual analysis are sourced from the game itself. This provides high-quality visuals to ensure all the details of each character design are fully captured, recorded and analysed. Meanwhile, real-life reference photos of the cultures are sourced from official and reliable sources, such as the UNESCO official website, the world-renown specialized agency of the United Nations aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. They work towards preserving regional and cultural history and promoting cultural diversity, sharing  the values with this research’s objective. All photos of the cultures are studied and verified before they are included in the analysis.

3.2.3 Data gathering procedures

(describe what process did you go through before, during and after the visual

analysis? What are the components you used to analyse the visual materials?

i.e. design elements such as colours; typo; structure; hierarchy...)

fig 3.2 Data gathering process flowchart

The visual analysis process begins with selecting three Genshin Impact characters - Yunjin, Kujou Sara, and Yoimiya, to study. Characters from different in-game regions ( Liyue-China, Inazuma-Japan) are chosen based on whether there is an intended cultural representation of the character by the game designers, as well as the audiences’ reception towards the cultural references of the characters.

Next, research is done in regard to the represented cultures to better understand and identify the cultural elements presented by each character. This is followed by a series of observational studies based on the structured framework (shown in Fig 1.2) to identify every cultural element represented and stylised in each character. According to Aarseth (2003), reading reports and reviews from other players is crucial in acquiring knowledge of the game design as it is representative of their knowledge of the game. Hence, the audiences’ reception, perspectives and inputs in regard to the characters’ designs from a cultural perspective are gathered and filtered from online forums to further refine the studies and omit biases. Official interviews with the game writers and designers are also reviewed to further acknowledge the intended notion in each design decision.

3.2.4 Data analysis

(what technique did you use to analyse your visual materials and reach the

conclusion)

fig 1.2 Visual Analysis Checklist example

The characters chosen are first observed for cultural elements present in their design by going through the checklist. After identifying the elements represented in each part of the characters, comparisons are made based on their real-life counterpart to determine the degree of stylization of the culture and whether they are still accurately represented. Official interview videos with the creators, as well as input from game forums, are studied to ensure that no details are missed out. A descriptive analysis of every cultural element and their accuracy to their real-life counterpart is produced at the end of the study.

3.2.5 Limitations

(is there any limitation that your visual analysis is intentionally excluding? i.e.

types of materials collected/ specific location where you gathered the materials/

specific components you are focusing on)

“In the process of interpreting and analysing visual data, there is a need to acknowledge the possible ambiguity and polysemic quality of visual representation.” (Ong, 2020, p35) All the observations and analysis are based on the researcher, Leong’s perspective and views. Despite being mindful of staying as objective as possible, the observations made may be biased due to Leong’s personal experience with the game. Furthermore, the public’s opinions are sourced from social media, which may be unreliable as there is no proper verification of their validity.

3.3 Survey

(give an explanation why survey is deemed appropriate method to be used for your research, citation is needed here)

The second research method used was a mixed-method survey. According to Ponto (2017), survey research has the ability to obtain information describing the characteristics of a large sample of individuals of interest relatively quickly. Jones et.al. (2013), has also stated that survey research is a unique way of gathering information from a large cohort, allowing a greater statistical power, information and availability of validated models, resulting from having a large population. Performing a questionnaire survey allows the researcher, Leong to collect data in a large amount to be quantified. Despite being primarily a quantitative instrument, this questionnaire is a mixed-method survey. Hence, there are also qualitative open-ended questions for participants to offer their views on the topic in more detail, allowing Leong to have a better understanding of the audience’s perspective.

3.3.1 Research locale

(where did you collect your survey; how long did you take to complete data collection; why collect data at this place)

The questionnaire survey was created with Google Forms, a user-friendly survey platform that presents collected data in a statistical format to ease analysis. It was circulated on multiple online platforms like Instagram, Facebook Groups, Discord, Reddit, Whatsapp, and Telegram to collect responses. The researcher has also chosen video game-centric platforms on social media like the Genshin Impact Facebook groups, Genshin Impact discords servers, Genshin Impact Subreddits, and Nintendo enthusiasts' Facebook groups to collect more relevant data. The survey was distributed across the web and continuously promoted for three weeks. All the participants have consented to partake in the survey and their responses remain anonymous. The survey was also structured in a short but concise manner so the participants will not easily get bored and drop out of the survey, following the suggestion from researchers Shliakhovchuk et.al.(2021)who kept their survey questions straight to the point.

3.3.2 Research respondents

(explain what kind of respondents your research collect data from? i.e. millennial/ young adults/ retiree/ Malaysian consumers...)

The main target respondents are but, are not restricted to, young adults who play games. As the research is centred around youths, more specifically Gen Z gamers from age 16-24, it is crucial to have sufficient data from the age group. However, input from other age groups, those who game and those who don’t, is still valuable for data comparison and recording purposes to further refine the study and produce a more comprehensive result.

3.3.3 Research instrument

(if you used survey, you are likely to have a set of questionnaires designed to

ask your respondents. You need to explain the design of your instrument. i.e.

how many sections in your survey/ number of questions are designed to answer

to which RQ/ who checked your survey design before distributing to

respondents)

This questionnaire survey consists of 5 sections, with a total of 33 questions. Quantitative questions include multiple choice questions, Likert scale and checkboxes while qualitative questions are given as optional long answer questions to collect the

respondents’ reasonings and further elaboration and thoughts on the subject. The first section is a demographic study. It contains questions regarding general details of the respondents like their gender, age, and where they are from. This is crucial to have a better understanding of the respondents’ cultural background and age group. The second section aims to collect information on the respondents’ gaming backgrounds to better understand their gaming preferences and whether they are considered season players or casual ones, and how that can affect their opinions on the research topic. The third and fourth sections focus on questions related to Genshin Impact and its character design in raising cultural awareness. While the third section is about Genshin Impact character designs in general, section 4 is specifically focused on Yunjin, one of the characters chosen in the visual analysis. This allows the researcher to omit any potential biases from her visual analysis and gather more data on how the public felt about the character and the cultural representation. Yun Jin was chosen as she was the first character who was openly acknowledged by the creators to promote a culture, who stated that incorporating the Chinese opera culture in Yun Jin had been an intentional move to create a global interest in an art form that even the government efforts had struggled to popularize domestically. In turn, Yun Jin and the culture she represented garnered plenty of attention from the gaming community. Finally, the last section consists of questions about games and their impact on cultural awareness in general.

Participants who do not play Genshin Impact will be directed to section 5, so they need not spend time on questions that are irrelevant to them. The questionnaire is also structured in a way where only multiple-choice questions are made mandatory to lower the risk of participants losing interest and dropping out of the survey or providing perfunctory answers.

A pilot study was conducted to obtain feedback for the contents of the survey before it was refined and reviewed to produce the official survey. It was thoroughly checked by the module facilitator, Dr Hayati before being distributed online.

3.3.4 Data gathering procedures

(describe what process did you go through before, during and after data

collection)

The process begins with revisiting the research questions and objectives. This allows Leong to identify the best approach to structuring the survey. The results from the visual analysis were also taken into account in order to collect more data so the potential biases can be omitted as much as possible. Subsequently, the survey is reviewed and revised before being distributed online via various social media platforms. Continuous promotion and circulation of the survey are required to achieve a sufficient amount of data. The survey was live for three weeks. Finally, an analysis was conducted on the data collected to produce a primary research report.

3.3.5 Statistical treatment

(what technique/ software did you use to analyse your data and reach the

conclusion. i.e. descriptive analysis?)

Microsoft Excel has been utilized to compare and contrast the data collected. The Google form has also conveniently displayed the responses in either a pie chart or bar chart format with percentages listed to ease analysis.

3.3.6 Limitations

(is there any limitation that your survey is intentionally excluding? i.e. types of

respondents/ specific location/ focused questionnaire designed)

While it is true that multiple-choice questions are effective in capturing the attention span of respondents, open-ended question is most effective in collecting detailed data. In this case, all open-ended questions are not compulsory to be answered, hence respondents

might lose patience and not provide in-depth and honest answers. Furthermore, most of the respondents are sourced online from various social media platforms, hence it is not

possible to verify whether they are who they claimed to be. Additionally, during the data analysis process, Leong noticed that a few questions could have been rephrased better or utilized a Likert scale instead of multiple choice to achieve a more accurate result from the participants.

Research Findings and Analysis (1,000 - 1,500 words)

Objectively report the findings or results. This may include collated results and

statistical analysis. You may append raw data if required.

The results from the mixed-method research will be presented and elaborated on in detail in this section. This section will contain three parts. First are the results from the Visual Analysis of cultural elements presented in three Genshin Impact characters. The

second part reports the findings gathered from the questionnaire survey. To wrap it all up, there will be an overall discussion disclosed at the end of this section.

4.1 Visual Analysis

(Explain clearly the types of visual materials and how many pieces in total

you have analyzed. Then place the analysis table/ evidence – see example

below.)

You need to give 1-2 paragraphs to explain the overall findings based on the analysis.

4.1.1 Yun Jin

Yun Jin is a character from Liyue, an in-game region inspired by China. From Leong’s experience with the game and observations from the gaming community, it is apparent that Yun Jin’s character design has implemented strong elements of Chinese culture, specifically the Peking Opera. Even the creators of the game had stated that incorporating the Chinese opera culture in Yun Jin had been an intentional move to create a global interest in an art form that even government efforts had struggled to popularize domestically.

According to Xiao Luohao, a developer on the Genshin writing team:

“It is difficult to carry the profound accumulation of Chinese opera art over thousands of years. But if there is a way to use Genshin Impact, a form of entertainment that is easily accepted by others... to expose people to the artistic crystallization of Chinese traditional opera, and even generate interest in the art itself … to get in touch with the essence of the real opera culture… we felt that if the game can serve as a simple introduction, then our effort would be worthwhile.”

When her character was released, she received major praise from the players and introduced many to the Peking opera culture. Leong believed Yunjin was one of the characters whose design successfully brought about cultural awareness among the players.

Peking opera, or Beijing opera, is the most dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. The traditional plays share a large role in preserving Chinese culture for new generations.

In Yun Jin’s splash art design, it can be seen that her posture mimics the one of a Peking opera performer. Her hand gestures are also parallel to those used when performing in Peking opera, known as “finger patterns”. Her chosen weapon is a polearm, which is a common prop used in Peking opera.  

The flags on her back are also modelled after the Peking opera, which symbolizes a martial character. Since characters in Genshin Impact are involved in combat, her ability “Feiyun flag” is a nod to the original Peking opera culture she was based on.

When observing Yun Jin’s facial features, it is apparent that she had elaborate reddish eye makeup, pointy long lashes as well as pale skin. The Peking opera is known for this style of exaggerated makeup.

Although Yun Jin’s general design is stylized for the game itself, she still had Chinese opera incorporated into almost every aspect of her design. The large headrest, pompoms, feather plumes, pink shawl and cloud collar are some of the most apparent elements of the Peking opera that Yun Jin’s design implemented.

It is also interesting to note that Yun Jin’s in-game animation and story narrative are all heavily revolved around the Peking Opera culture, even hiring a professional Peking opera performer to perform a Chinese opera song in-game as Yun Jin. Needless to say that Yun Jin’s character has been a very successful attempt in changing the public perception of the Chinese opera culture, and in turn, introducing the tradition to many.

4.1.2 Kujou Sara

Kujou Sara is a character from Inazuma, the in-game region inspired by Japan. Her character design is based on the Japanese folklore character, the tengu. Kujou Sara’s design has implemented many elements of the tengu, as well as ancient Japanese shrine attire that Leong believed, has effectively carried the Japanese culture across to the players.

In Japanese folklore, the tengu is a type of mischievous supernatural being, sometimes considered the reincarnated spirit of one who was proud and arrogant in life. While they used to be considered disruptive demons and harbingers of war, their image eventually softened and is now known as protective and even manifestations of Buddhist deities, usually worshipped by those who practice Shugendō, a belief based on local folk-religious practices. Tengu are renowned swordsmen and are said to have taught the military arts to the Minamoto hero Yoshitsune. Kujou Sara’s role in the game as a military commander mirrors the role of the acient Tengu.

Tengu are often depicted with red skin, a long nose, and big black bird wings.

In Kujou Sara’s design, she does not have red skin, but she does wear a headpiece with a stylized red tengu mask. The mask has a long protruding beak, mirroring the most prominent feature of a tengu mask, the long nose. These tengu masks are often used for Noh stage plays and certain Shinto festivals. The Shinto festival’s traditional costume is also reflected in other parts of Kujou Sara’s outfit.

Meanwhile, they kept the Tengu’s big black wings for her design. With the red mask and black wings, her stylized design remained authentic for players to relate her to the tengu at first glance.

Looking into the details of the outfit, Kujou Sara’s outfit entailed many subtle references and elements of the appearance of tengu as well as the traditional attire worn during Shinto festivals, where the Tengu are often worshipped.

Below is a visual design analysis done by user “inkplutos” on Reddit, which Leong felt was very informative and useful to elaborate further on the cultural references in her character design.

Hanging from Kujou Sara’s headpiece are Suzu bells. Suzu bells are usually found on Kagura Suzu, a wand used by priests or shrine maidens during traditional Japanese rituals.

Sara’s top resembles a kariginu (狩衣, “hunting cloak”), which are informal clothes worn by men of the Japanese royal court during the Heian period. It also bears a strong resemblence to the robes worn by Japanese priests, though it is a more stylized and revealing version of it, to match the aesthetics of the game art style.

On Sara’s dress is a pom-pom sash known as the yuigesa. The yuigesa is a distinctive piece of harness commonly worn by the Tengu. Each pompom on the yuigesa signifies the virtues of wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance and transcendence. The design choice of removing 4 of these pom-poms lead to the players’ speculation that Kujou Sara lacks four of these virtues. Besides that, Tengu is commonly depicted holding a magical feather fan, and this is represented in Kujou Sara’s attack animation as a weapon.

In Kujou Sara’s attack animation, she wields a magical feather fan, which is the same weapon used by Tengus.

Finally, Kujou Sara’s footwear also bears significant reference to the Tengu’s, wearing the tengu geta, one-toothed traditional clogs. These clogs are very distinctive footwear worn especially by the Tengu. When her character was released, the clogs actually sparked a lot of conversation and discussions between players, allowing many to be exposed to the culture for the first time.

4.1.3 Yoimiya

Yoimiya is a character from Inazuma, an in-game region inspired by Japan. Her character design is based on the Japanese summer festival (“natsu matsuri”) culture. Within her design, many elements of the summer festival culture, from the ritual to the festival games & attire, were subtly implemented. Leong found her design interesting to look into, as it does not only contain traditional attire of the culture it represents but also transformed significant elements of the culture itself into clothing and accessory designs.

Summer festivals are commonly held in Japan annually and often on a large scale. They are primarily held as a means for religious communication between people and kami—Japanese deities. Marking a variety of things, they're the main kind of celebration in Shinto, Japan's former state religion.

The first cultural element implemented in her design is in her hair accessory. It is based on the Yoyo Tsuri, a common festival game of a water balloon attached to a rubber string with a loop on the end, allowing it to be bounced like a yo-yo. However, the overall structure and the wooden plate attached also resembles a Fūrin. A Fūrin is called a wind chime in English. It is usually hung during the summertime near windows so when blown by the wind, soothing chimes can be heard. The patterns on the accessory also resemble a Temari,  a type of toy or a gift mostly made from old kimonos from parents and grandparents, holding a deep connection and importance. These balls represent friendship and loyalty. Their bright and brilliant colours are also symbolic of wishing the person a happy life. This is reflected in Yoimiya’s cheerful and positive personality.

The next cultural aspect of Yoimiya’s character design is her top. The top she is wearing is called a happi. A happi is a traditional tube-sleeved Japanese coat, usually worn only during festivals. Underneath the happi is a sarashi. A sarashi is an undergarment which is usually wrapped and worn around the body or chest under a kimono or a happi coat. The sarashi is also a worn symbol of toughness since it’s also associated with warriors. Besides that, the whiteness and purity of the cloth also have ritual significance. The sarashi is often worn during the summertime especially during summer festivals, to provide more coverage of the skin when wearing a happi or hanten. The sash holding up the sleeves is called tasuki, a fashion accessory used for holding up the long sleeves of the Japanese kimono. Her clothing design has fully implemented the traditional Japanese summer festival attire.

On Yoimiya’s left arm is a giant goldfish tattoo. This could tie to goldfish scooping, a very popular traditional Japanese game in which a player scoops goldfish with a paper scooper, often played at summer festivals. Goldfishes are associated with wealth and abundance.

The pouch attached to Yoimiya’s waist is a kinchaku. These are commonly used at festivals to hold personal valuables and belongings.

The giant rope sash at the back could be inspired by the shimenawa, which is a giant rope that is often found at Shinto shrines, torii gates, and sacred landmarks. They are often associated with religious ritual purifications in the Shinto religion and used as a ward against evil spirits.

Yoimiya also wears Japanese sandals, also known as the geta, which are commonly worn with Japanese traditional wear like the yukata to the summer festivals.

In her idle animation, Yoimiya plays with a sparkler, which is a small handheld firework stick often seen at summer festivals.

After a deep analysis, Leong felt that these details of Yoimiya’s character design truly bring out the culture of the traditional Japanese summer festivals, exposing the players to various types of Japanese traditional clothing instead of the usual generalization of Japanese traditional wear as “kimono” and “yukata”.

Compared to the other 2 characters chosen, Yoimiya’s design was considered more “generic” by the players, hence went underappreciated and did not garner too much attention. However, it still sparked reasonable interest among the community who are already interested in Japanese culture to learn more about it.

4.1.4 Conclusion

After studying how the cultural elements were implemented in the 3 chosen Genshin Impact characters as well as the players’ responses to them, Leong believes cultural awareness can indeed be raised through game character design. Genshin Impact has implemented strong cultural elements in their character designs, ranging from traditional arts, folklore mythology and traditional festivals. With a better understanding of how it is done and the players’ general responses to them, Leong is now better equipped to design her questionnaire to collect data from her target audience.

4.2 Survey

This questionnaire consists of 5 sections, with a total of 33 questions. This section will report on the findings of each section, as well as its relevance to the research objectives and research questions. This survey recorded a total of 87 relevant respondents.

  4.2.1 Section 1: Demographic Study

In this section, questions regarding the respondents, gender, age group and cultural background are based on the region they come from.

Based on the results, a majority of 63 respondents who answered this questionnaire are female. 18 are male, while 6 are non-binary and gender fluid.

An overwhelming majority of 68 fall into the research’s target audience, youths

(16-24 years old). This is followed by 25-34 year olds with 8 respondents and children aged 15 and below with 7 respondents. Only 3 of the respondents are aged between 35-44 years old while the minority are 44-45 year olds, only consisting of 1 respondent.

The researcher believes that age potentially plays a huge role on their perception of video games as well as their reception towards cultural elements based on their level of maturity.

Where the respondents are from plays a huge role in their perspective on cultural awareness, as it directly affects what culture they are surrounded with. It also provides better insight on their cultural background.

39 of the respondents are from Asia. North America/Central America comes in

second with 26, followed by Europe with 19. 2 of the respondents are from Australia and only 1.1% (1) are from Africa.

The researcher, Leong believes that where the respondents are from plays a huge role

in their perspective on cultural awareness, as it directly affects what culture they are

surrounded with. It also gives Leong better insight on their cultural background.

4.2.2 Section 2: Experience with Video Games

This section aims to guage the type of gamer the respondents are based on their experiences with video games. Data about the respondents preferred game genres, gaming platforms and the time they spend on games are collected.

The researcher, Leong, believes that the time spent playing video games can affect the player’s perception towards a game character design. For example, spending more time with a game character can grant them a better understanding and familiarity.

Out of the 88 respondents, 37 reported playing video games 3-10 hours a week. This is followed by 24 respondents who only play less than 1 hour per week. Subsequently, 19 respondents reported playing 3 - 10 hours of video games per week and only 7 reported playing 11-19 hours a week. No respondents played 20 hours or more. It was also observed that males tend to spend more time playing video games than females.

When asked about their most frequent gaming platform, mobile devices are the most popular, with a total of 45 responses. Gaming consoles and PC are tied for second with 20 respondents while 1 respondent reported playing on their VR most often.

As the research is focused on youths and Gen Z, it is crucial to note that most youths from the data collected from this survey play 3-10 hours of video games per week, and their most preferred gaming platform is on their mobile devices. According to the DFC Global Consumer database (2021), this could be due to the increased accessibility towards mobile devices in recent years.

3. What are the types of games you play the most? (select up to 3)

In the questionnaire, respondents were required to select their favourite genre of games. Each respondent can vote for up to 3 genres. Role-playing games recorded a majority of 50 votes, followed by sandbox games which recorded a total of 33 votes. Receiving 27 and 26 votes respectively were puzzle games and shooter games, followed by strategy games that received 16 votes. Visual novel games followed with 15 votes while multiplayer online battle royale came in next with 11 votes. Finally, real-time strategy games and sports games are tied at last with 8 votes each.

From the analysis, it showed that gender does not seem to have a major influence on the popular game genres, as the top game genres remained as sandbox games, role-playing games, shooter games and puzzle games. The same can be said about the youths’ responses as well, proving that these games work well in appealing to the general public of all ages.

From Leong’s perspective, the popularity of RPGs may stem from their overarching story that involves the participation of the player to maneuver the story. Leong also believes that this genre can be most effective in raising cultural awareness through its design as the players are more immersed and engaged into the world, story and characters.

Based on the deduction, the popularity of Sandbox games may be due to their creative and laid-back nature that can be enjoyed by all ages. Puzzle games may be popular due to their stage-based gameplay that can be completed in short amounts of time.

4. “You can learn new knowledge/skills when playing video games”

On a scale of 1-5, how much do you agree with the statement above?

Based on the results, a majority of 59 reacted positively (4-5) towards learning of new knowledge and skills through video games.21 are neutral (3) with this statement, while 6 reacted negatively (1-2) towards the statement.

Further analysis showed that out of the ones that responded negatively towards the

statement, 83% of them fall under the group who rarely play video games (2 hours or less per week). Leong believes that being unfamiliar with video games may cause them to have a more biased opinion and more prone to the negative stereotypes associated with video games. Subsequently, most of the respondents who reacted negatively towards the statement often play puzzle games and sandbox games.

However, a majority of the target audience, youths, have reacted positively towards the statement.  

Of the 87 respondents, 36 respondents reported having played Genshin Impact before. while 51 have not. The 36 respondents consist of 30 females, 4 non-binary and 2 males. 29 are youths.

From the 36 respondents, 58.3% (21) of the respondents play video games for 3-10 hours a week, 22.2% (8) play 1-2 hours per week, 11.1% (4) play for 11-19 hours, and only 8.3% (3) plays less for than an hour. 30 of them were female.

Genshin Impact does not have a specified target demographic, however, it does have an age rating of 13+.

4.2.3 Section 3: Culture & Genshin Impact

This section focuses and targets the respondents who are familiar with the game Genshin Impact and aims to learn more about their general opinions on the game from a cultural perspective.

1. “The regions in Genshin Impact are inspired by countries and cultures in real life.”

On a scale of 1-5, how much do you agree with the statement above?

Based on the results, a majority of 30 are positive [4-5] about the presence of cultural references in Genshin Impact. 5 do not feel particularly strongly about the statement[3], while 1 mildly disagrees with it [1-2].

Based on the respondent’s responses, Genshin Impact has established and conveyed its cultural elements well enough to its audience.

2. On a scale of 1-5, how often do you pay attention to the character design in Genshin Impact?

Based on the responses, 29 of the respondents pay close attention to the character design in Genshin Impact [4-5]. 6 feels indifferent about the character designs [3] while 1 rarely pays attention to the character design[1-2]. Among these respondents, a majority of youths also reacted positively towards the statement.

This data is encouraging as the responses will be coming from people who are familiar with the character designs and can offer more in-depth information about them. Leong speculates that this may be loosely tied to the character gacha-system of the game that encourages players to pay more attention to the character designs.

3. “Cultural references enrich my gaming experience in Genshin Impact.”

On a scale of 1-5, how much do you agree with the statement above?

Based on the responses, 33 of the respondents reacted positively towards the implementation cultural elements in the gameplay [4-5], which 16 of them strongly agree [5]. 2 of the respondents rated a 3 while only 1 rated a 1. No youths reacted negatively towards the statement, with ratings of 3 and above only.

Leong believes that this data reflects that many enjoy the implementation of cultural elements in the game and this shows promise for the potential of video games in raising cultural awareness among its players.

To provide more credibility, familiarity towards the character Yun Jin is crucial for the next section so relevant and more in-depth opinions on the subject can be collected. Of the 36 respondents, 33 are familiar with the in-game character Yun Jin. They will be directed to the next section focusing on the character while the remaining 3 respondents will move on to section 5.

From the 33 respondents who will be moving onto section 4, 27 are youths.

4.2.4 Section 4: Yun Jin & the Peking Opera

This section focuses and targets the respondents who are familiar with the game character from Genshin Impact, Yun Jin, who was also a subject in th researcher’s visual analysis. The aim is to learn more about their perspectives on the cultural representation by Yun Jin’s character design, and whether it is effective in raising cultural awareness among the respondents.

5. On a scale of 1-5, are you aware that Yun Jin’s character design is based on Chinese culture, the Peking opera?

Out of the 27 respondents, 19 rated a 5 and are extremely aware that Yun Jin’s character design is based on the Peking opera. 10 of the respondents rated a 4, 2 rated a 3, while 1 and 2 were both 1 respondent each.

This shows that Yun Jin had done a good job portraying the culture to the players based on this survey. There may also be a possibility where players skip/ do not pay attention to the dialogues in story quests, causing them to be unaware of the culture Yun Jin is associated with.

Based on the results, 25 of the respondents did learn more about the Peking opera culture through their in-game interactions with Yun Jin while 8 did not.

Leong believes this can also be affected by the attention given by the players towards Yun Jin. Many players have admitted to skipping dialogues and speed run through the story quests without paying the content any attention, so they could receive the rewards faster.

Based on the results, 25 of the respondents have expressed their interest to learn more about the Peking opera culture after interacting with Yun Jin while 8 did not. However, among the 8 who did not, 7 of them are aware of the Peking culture Yun Jin is representing.

Leong believes that character design has its limitations and while the representation has achieved the awareness of the culture among players, it is still very much dependant on the player’s individual interest in the said culture.

8. Based on your understanding of Peking Opera, do you think Yun Jin’s character design reflects the culture well?

Rate her design on a scale of 1-5.

Based on the results, 9 of the respondents rated 5 for Yun Jin’s design in terms of reflecting the Peking culture well. 16 rated a 4, 6 rated a 3 while 1 rated a 2.

Leong acknowledges that the result are relative to the player’s understanding towards the Peking opera culture, and may not necessary be accurate. This is subjective to the players/respondents’ personal opinion, but still reflects the effectiveness in raising cultural awareness.

9. Based on question 8, which aspect of Yun Jin’s character design did you think represented the Peking opera culture well / poorly? Please explain.

23 respondents have offered their views on the subject. According to the respondents, some of the key elements done well in Yun Jin’s character design are the flags. Most believed that it was the most prominent feature that reflects the Peking opera culture in her design. Her headpiece and makeup were also praised as being reflective of

the Peking opera culture. Another key aspect praised by most of the respondents is her animations and her poses. They found them accurate to be representative of the Peking opera movements.

However, some respondents also pointed out the flaws of Yun Jin’s design. A respondent believes that the key elements of the Peking opera outfit are present but are watered down, and the dark colour scheme of the dress does not match the usual bright colour scheme of the Peking opera attire. Another respondent felt that Yun

Jin’s features conformed to fit certain Western beauty standards. One also thought that her dress had similarities towards Lolita fashion, which did not represent the Peking opera culture at all.

When asked about their understanding of the culture after interacting with the character, a majority of the respondents, 16, understood a little about the Peking Opera culture and 6 have understood it well and would like to learn more about it. There were 1 that understood the culture very well and 4 that are not applicable as they are already familiar with the culture prior to interacting with Yun Jin. However, 6 claimed to still be unfamiliar with the culture.

Of the 20 youths, only 4 were still unfamiliar with the culture, proving that cultural awareness was successfully delivered to players to a certain degree.

These data provided more insight into questions 6 and 7.

11. In your opinion, what other Genshin Impact characters have successfully/poorly represented their culture in their design? Why do you think so?

A total of 22 respondents have offered their views on this question. Summarized above are some of the most mentioned

characters and the culture they represent according to the respondents’ perspectives.

While some praised Liyue (region based on China)’s character design for its accurate representation of Chinese culture, some felt that the developers could have included more influences. For example, a respondent expressed their love for Ningguang’s Qi pao while another countered that her dress did not look like a Qi Pao.

However, most respondents stated that more recent regions like Inazuma [Japan], have character designs that represent the culture very well. One particular respondent mentioned, “I think the producers could have informed a little more about the cultures they've taken inspiration from, but I like how the clothes are and I think it's cool they didn't do them exactly to preserve a style unique to the game.”

Leong believes that this subject can be very subjective to the respondents’ understanding of a culture, and further visual analysis and data collection can be useful in designing a cultural character while preserving the style of the game.

4.2.5 Section 5: Culture & Video Games

This section aims to learn more about the respondents’ general opinions on the video game from a cultural perspective. With a primary focus of character designs, data on the respondents’ opinion on video games as a cultural education tool was collected.

The majority of the respondents, 37, mostly pay attention to character designs when it involves the games they play. 37 will always pay attention to video game character designs in general, 11 will occasionally pay attention to them while only 2 have never paid video game character designs any attention. From the respondents, an overwhelming majority of 61 youths were confirmed to be attentive towards video game character designs.

Leong believes that this data solidifies video game character designs as a medium to convey a message to the players.

To further gauge the context of question 1, it was revealed that 38 will only pay extra attention when it comes to characters that they like.27 claims that they will always pay close attention to character designs regardless of the character. Meanwhile, 17 will only look at character design in detail occasionally, and 5 never observed game character designs in detail. Similarly, most youths pay extra attention to video character designs, especially when it cms to characters they enjoy.

Leong believes that the character's personality and other factors that affect its popularity with the players are vital and go hand in hand with the character design to attract the player’s attention, especially to encourage them to study the designs in more detail.

In this question, Leong hopes to gauge whether character designs have the potential to be a deciding factor for players to purchase or play a game.

A majority of 61 players confirmed that they will, in fact, give the game a chance solely because they found the character design attractive. Meanwhile, 26 of the respondents decided that character design cannot be the sole factor in playing a video game. The same can be expressed for youths, where 47 admitted to trying out a game solely because fo its attractive character designs.

According to the data collected, it seemed that character designs do in fact play a huge role in a gamer’s thought process when purchasing a game.

53 have encountered video game character designs with cultural references while 33 have not.

This shows that there are some who are still unfamiliar with the concept. Leong believes this could be due to the respondents being unaware of the recent, more progressive games.

5. Based on question 4, what games have you played that you thought did an excellent/poor job of portraying a culture? What makes you think so?

46 respondents answered the question, but only 39 are taken into account after filtering. Based on the responses, some of the most mentioned games that they have perceived to be excellent at portraying a culture include - Valorant, God of War, The

Sims, Assassin’s Creed and Genshin Impact. However, some respondents have also raised certain weaknesses of the games when it comes to the degree of accuracy.

From the results, Leong learned that a realistic art style also plays a part in portraying a culture effectively to the players. For battle royale/fighting games like Valorant, Street Fighter, Mobile Legends and Onmyoji, attractive character skins that represent a culture can also effectively carry the culture across to the players.

Leong has also discovered that many felt strongly about having character customization options and believes that implementing cultural representations through character customizations is something that should continue to be explored.

Besides that, some respondents also suggested the implementation of cultural events into games to be able to celebrate and convey the culture well to the players. An example given was The Sims.

Based on the result, 65 of the respondents will be interested in playing a video game when the culture or cultures they are interested in are present, while 9 will not.

The results show that most of the respondents are intrigued by the idea of experiencing real-world cultures in a virtual setting. Youths also expressed overwhelming enthusiasm towards the idea, with 53 out of 68 responding ‘yes’.

Based on the result, 34 responded that characters that represent their culture or a culture they like, are usually not their favourite character while 29 claimed otherwise. 23 felt that this statement is not applicable to them.

There are many factors that can lead to this result, whether the cultures were not properly represented, the character personality/backstory was not interesting, the gamers’ personal preference and many more.

After more consideration and discussion with the advisor, Leong believes that this question was slightly off-topic and irrelevant to the research, as cultural awareness can be spread regardless of whether one views the character as their favourite.

According to the results, 53 will feel intrigued by the cultures referenced in video games and would want to learn about them, but 34 will not.

Leong believes this is a matter of personal preference towards the character design or the culture or both.

9. Based on question 8, please further describe your experiences with cultural references that interest you in video games.

This question received a total of 34 responses, filtered from a total of 39. Based on the results, the majority of the respondents are interested in learning more about the culture they have experienced in video games, whether in the form of culinary, weapons,

or festivals.

One particular respondent stated that researching the cultures to get a little more than surface-level understanding helps enhance their gaming experience. Another respondent also stated that they would really appreciate it “if cultural aspects

aren't fictional and actually exist.” Some also stated that cultural references in games bring them joy. Many have mentioned “Hades” as an example when describing their interest in learning more about cultural references from games.

However, there are also some that feels indifferent about cultural references in games, as they are not interested in them and are only here for the fun. Some are also worried that games will misuse or misrepresent a culture and may bring harmful stereotypes and stigma to it.

Leong believes that more research is required to gauge a better understanding of what appeals to the audience most in regard to this subjective matter.

10. On a scale of 1-5, how often are you interested in learning about the cultural backgrounds represented by video game characters that you like?

A continuation from question 32 rated a 3 out of 5 when asked about the frequency of them being interested to learn further about a culture represented by game characters they like. 30 rated a 4, followed by those who rated a 2 and a 5 respectively, 9 and 10 respondents. Only 6 rated a 1 out of 5.

Most youths expressed their interest in learning more about the cultures as well, with 56 out of 68 rating 3 and above.

11. Based on question 10, further describe your experiences.

A total of 39 relevant responses are filtered from 41 responses to the question. Based on the responses, some claimed that their main reason in researching more about a character’s cultural background was to understand the character’s lore better.

“I think it is more based on understanding the characters lore and background, rather than wanting to know more about the culture.” Some are motivated to do some research after finishing a good game, while some are artists that purely enjoy and appreciate the art.

However, most responses claim that it was very much based on their interest towards the culture, and not too much on how well represented it is in a character.

12. What components in a game do you think are most effective to implement cultural elements? (Select up to 2)

This question aims to understand game components that are effective in implementing cultural elements.

Based on the results, character design (64), storytelling narrative (45) and environmental/landscape (42) takes the top spots with the most votes in terms of its effectiveness to deliver cultural messages to the players.

Leong believes this is mainly due to the fact that these 3 components are the ones that players most frequently interact and engage with closely in video games.

13. From your experience and perspective, do you think video game character designs can be effective in raising cultural awareness in players?

Please rate on a scale of 1-5.

Based on the results, 58 respondents have reacted positively towards the potential of video game character design in effectively raising cultural awareness in players, rating a 4 or a 5 out of 5. 25 respondents have rated a 3, while 4 respondents did not think video game character designs can be effective in raising cultural awareness in players, rating a 1 or a 2.

14. Based on question 13, please further describe your views.

“Just like how after K-pop became popular, Korea became a more popular destination for tourists, and of course Japan with the popularity of anime, it’s relatively easy for games and media to raise cultural awareness,” One of the respondents from the 45 filtered respondents commented.

Most respondents believe cultural awareness can indeed be achieved through video game character design, but the extent of it differs from person to person. Some people might not be personally intrigued by culture in general, which might lead them to not be effectively taught on cultural awareness. Where as others who have a general or personal interest in cultures would be more prone to dive deeper into cultures represented in video games.

Meanwhile, others have commented that character design comes second after the storytelling narrative of the game when it comes to delivering a cultural message. Leong believes that many factors are involved in raising cultural awareness through video games, and character designs need to be complemented with these other elements in order to effectively spread cultural awareness among players. “With games, it's a great platform to add in the focus on a culture in an interesting and interactive way, without making it feel like a lecture. And it can add in cultures, that often doesn't get the focus in a western/eurocentric-minded world.” another respondent also stated.

4.2.6 Conclusion

After the month long research, the researcher, Leong, has learned a lot on how character designs can be utilized to represent a culture and spread cultural awareness, as well as gotten other perspectives on the issue. Through the visual analysis, Leong has discovered the ways Genshin Impact has utilized in stylizing cultural elements into a

character design without losing its value. Many aspects need to be considered when implementing a culture into a design to ensure that it is attractive and appealing to the audience while still remaining authentic to its origin. Through the questionnaire, Leong managed to learn more about the public’s opinions on cultural aspects in video games, especially in terms of character design. Majority of the respondents consist of Leong’s target audience, youths aged 16-24, as well.

Leong has gathered much insight from the respondents on the effectiveness of video games in spreading cultural awareness, and how they, as a gamer, think is the most effective way in doing so. A list of games and their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to cultural representation was also collected based on the respondents’ answers, and can be further analysed and studied by the researcher in the future. Quoting a respondent’s answer from the questionnaire, “Games can make people unaware of the outside world, so why not bring the outside world into the game?”

All in all, this research have produced encouraging results that prompts the researcher to further explore on the topic. Leong is optimistic that spreading cultural awareness can indeed be achieved through video game character designs, but more research needs to be done before it can be effectively executed.

Discussion (2,000 - 3,500 words)

Interpret and explain the results and indicate how these results fit with current

literature. State if your hypothesis was supported or not and provide explanations.

Acknowledge any limitations of your research. End the discussion with justified

comments on the importance of the findings.

Come up with models & charts diagrams (conceptual framework) on the direction & sectors of the discussion.

This section aims to summarize the findings as written in Section 4.0: Research Findings and Analysis, as well as the secondary research in Section 2.0: Literature Review to dissect, discuss, compare and contrast how each finding correlates to the other. Concurrently, this section will discuss the research questions and objectives established in Section 1.0: Introduction, and to what trajectory the findings answer them.

5.1 Youth, Culture, Games

Findings support/challenge the findings from literature review? Potential real world impact?

In this section, findings from both primary and secondary research will be analyzed, collated and compared based on the research objectives and questions. The discussion will center around the three main themes of the research - youth, culture and video games, and how the three correlates with one another.

5.1.1  Cultural representation in video game character designs today

Visual analysis data, sec 5 data, sec 4 data

The main focus in this section will be based on the selected game for this research, Genshin Impact. Based on the findings gathered from the two research methods implemented, it is apparent that Genshin Impact has carried out extensive research before stylizing cultural elements into a character design without losing its value.

According to Gjicali et. al. (2020), character designs that emphasises the characteristics embodying aspects of the stimulated culture are believed to be effective in raising cross-cultural competence, especially by embedding various characteristics in characters that personify various cultural values. The Genshin Impact character studied in the visual analysis, Yun Jin, encapsulated that very well. For example, Yun Jin raised cultural awareness on the Peking Opera culture by personifying it in the form of costume design. Based on the visual analysis, Yun Jin’s character design, despite stylized to fit the game’s art style and aesthetic, has kept the core, most recognisable features of the culture in its authentic form. For instance, the key feature of a Peking Opera performer, the gigantic pom-pom headpiece as well as the exaggerated makeup were effectively portrayed in Yun Jin’s character design. Hence, players are still able to identify the culture and learn more about it. This well portrayed culture can be viewed as an equivalent to a “virtual simulation of the real world”, which is effective in facilitating the raising of cultural awareness among players. (Gjicali et. al. 2020)

Shliakhovchuk et al (2020) acknowledged that great artistic expression can

convey a high sense of cultural specificity, if not a cultural sense of inhabitation. This

concept applies to not just character design but the landscapes, environments and

overall interface design as well. The point was supported by the survey results, in which the respondents also believed that environment and landscape design as well as story telling narrative should go hand in hand with character design in order to effectively implement cultural elements in a video game. Infusing the Peking Opera culture into Yun Jin’s character design has transcended the visual aspect, from incorporating the culture into other stimulating elements in the game like storytelling narrative as well as the in-game music soundtrack, animations, backstory, to hiring an actual professional Peking Opera performer to perform an in-game song for the character. A detailed stage was also set up in game for Yun Jin to perform at, thoroughly creating a virtual counterpart of the culture for players to experience in game. This immersive, interactive virtual environment that mimics real life in a realistic sense can effectively allow players to acquire cultural knowledge and experience different cultural identities (Zielke et al, 2009). This is also proven in the data collected in the survey, where an overwhelming majority of 25 out of 33 respondents claimed that interacting with Yun Jin in Genshin Impact has allowed them to learn more about the Peking Opera culture, successfully raising cultural awareness among the players.

Of course, Genshin Impact is only one of the many recent games that have effectively implemented cultural representation in their game. After the years of critique surrounding the lack of cultural representation in video games as well as the stereotypes induced by poorly represented ones, games produced in the recent years have been progressively improving in that manner. According to the respondents of the survey, Valorant, God of War, The Sims, Assassin’s Creed and Hades are among the most mentioned titles that they have perceived to be excellent at portraying a culture. Excellent portrayal of culture by Assassin’s Creed was supported by researcher Champion (2021), who has done extensive observational studies on the game and praised the game’s free add-on Discovery Tour feature that has historically accurate audio tours, despite not being in the main story. Some respondents have also brought up the usage of a realistic art style that plays a part in portraying a culture effectively to the players.

Besides the base character design, the survey also recorded the effectiveness in showcasing different cultures via attractive character skins. This is a feature on many recent battle royale/fighting games like Valorant and Mobile Legends. It can be viewed as an extension to introduce a culture to players without altering the basis of the game. Video games of today also implements cultural different events into their games, creating a “safe space” for players to experience them virtually and learn more about the customs of the cultural celebration(Gjicali et.al.,2020). This also relates to researcher Bogost’s (2011) point about video games allowing players to have the ability to put and fully immerse themselves in someone else’s shoes. A prime example of this practice are the popular sandbox games like The Sims and Animal Crossing, that embraces and unites its players through different cultural celebrations.

However, the trickiest part in including a culture in game designs, even in today’s progressive society, was the degree of its accuracy. The same culture can be perceived very differently by different individuals, especially when in regards to its appropriation by people of different cultural backgrounds. A more extensive research needs to be carried out to study the new perspective of "inaccuracy" and "inspiration" in fiction when it comes to culture in order to effectively utilize video games as an instrument of cultural education.

5.1.2  The potential of video game character design in developing understanding of cultural knowledge and developing cultural awareness in youths.

2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.1, to improvise is to critique, why it works, why it does not

As mentioned in section 2.2.2, researchers Raquel & García (2019) claimed that video games are becoming part of the main mass media and gamification techniques for education have been proven effective, especially with effective visual learning through role-playing characters' design aesthetics and interactive skills. This is supported with Leong’s survey, where a large majority agreed that new knowledge and skills could be picked up from playing video games. They especially expressed their interest and motivation in learning more about the represented culture if it is presented well and complements the existing gameplay story.

As gamers themselves, some of the respondents believed that having culture woven into a character design and background is a smart move that indirectly encourages them to research and study about the culture in order to understand the game character lore better, in a way, hitting two birds with one stone. On the other end of the spectrum, some respondents purely appreciate the culture as good art. All of the respondents’ perspectives regarding the effectiveness of video games in cultural education can be related back to the core principle brought up Raquel & García (2019), which is visual learning techniques. They believed that with visual learning, cultural education can be fulfilled through games that enforce meaningful relationships between the cultural representations of the game and its realistic, practical application in the real world. Their point was supported by Champion (2021), who strongly believes that visual language reinforces the ability to learn through its recourse to creative language.

Subsequently, Gjicali et.al. (2020) believes that games can act as a “safe space” to engage with people with diverse cultural backgrounds and learn how to communicate in culturally appropriate ways. Learning can occur seamlessly in virtual environment without any stress of potentially leading up to major real-world consequences. Prospectively, this can be achieved especially through game character design, where the cultural componenets implemented often become the multiplier element in developing meaningful learning contexts. Shliakhovchuk et. al. (2020) supports by proving its effectiveness, evidenced by the steady number of studies published on the topic during the last two decades.

Applying the concept on youths, video games have certainly established itself as a trump card in cultural education. To youths, this not only reduces the fear of failure and facing the challenges of learning new cultures, but it also helps increase self-confidence (Raquel, P & García, M, 2019). Data from the survey proves that a huge majority of youths are keen to learn about the cultural backgrounds represented by video game characters they enjoy, and agreed that video game character designs can be effective in raising cultural awareness in players.

However, cultural elements represented in character designs often need to be complemented by other components of the game like environment and landscape design as well as the background story to be able to comprehensively deliver the culture to the players. Like some respondents have voiced up, the extent of cultural education received by each player differs from person to person, and is very much dependant on their initial interest in culture as a whole. This can also be affected by the ways one plays a game, as different individuals will have different goals and motives when playing a game. For example, some players have admitted to skipping dialogues and speed run through the story quests without paying the content any attention, so they could receive the rewards faster. Hence, despite the representation of the Peking Opera culture in the character studied, Yun Jin, was deemed comprehensive by many, there are still a small group of anomaly that was ignorant to the culture and have admitted to not learning anything from interacting with the character.

Based on the survey responses, it also seemed to be crucial for producers and game designers to be vocal about cultural representation in their games to garner more attention and interest from the player fanbase. An incentive or promotional programme could also be launched alongside the game to further promote the culture, with the potential to raise cultural awareness of not just existing players but new comers as well. An example for this is how Genshin Impact (Hoyoverse, 2020) have orchestra performances of the soundtrack with the release of each in-game region, each inspired by different cultures of the real world. These orchestra performances feature not only music composed with the cultural inspiration, but played with the culture’s traditional instruments, introducing to the players on the culture’s music.

Needless to say, Leong has learned that in order effectively raise cultural awareness amongst youths through video games, all components of the game from its narrative language to its visual and sound design has to go hand in hand cohesively to be able to optimise the visual characterism and achieve desired learning outcomes, especially with the added challenge of being a non-serious (commercial AAA) video game, ,mostly designed primarily for entertainment instead of education. Champion (2020, p.11) has quoted Lisa Gilbert’s comment on the game Assassin’s Creed in his article, stating that “the series ought to be useful when teaching about  history, but no one seems quite sure how to go about using it.” However, all researchers from articles reviewed in section 2 have acknowledged that great artistic expression can convey a high sense of cultural specificity, if not a cultural sense of inhabitation. This concept applies to not just character design but the landscapes, environments, sound and overall interface design as well. The critiques towards cultural representation and appropriation in video games will continue to push game design forward from a cultural perspective, and slowly shape video games into a conducive platform for cultural education.

5.1.3 What kind of games are most effective in infusing cultural knowledge for youth players to understand cultural knowledge and develop cultural awareness?

2.1.1, focus on youth’s preferences

Youths aged 16-24, who also fall into Gen Z, are the target audience of Leong’s research. In this context, the authors of the articles reviewed in section 2 have also brought up the relationship between video games and youths and how they could act as a tool to raise cultural awareness among them. With the advancement of tech, Raquel & García (2019) mentioned that youths have changed the habits of technology consumption. Their research involving Leong’s target audience, youths, has shown positive results that visual learning through games was indeed effective and the youths participating responded warmly to the possibility of identifying with attractive figures visually. Following the discovery, Shliakhovchuk et. al (2021) took the next step by dedicating their research to studying the video game preferences of Gen Z (youths) to gain relevant insight into gaming preferences and what youths find appealing in AAA entertainment games. With that data, they provide more information for future researchers, game developers and educators to develop video games as educational tools more effectively. In their research, they have produced promising statistics of youths’ positive responses towards cultural awareness in video games.

According to Shliakhovchuk et al (2021), youths play games for a variety of reasons that transcends mere fun. They focus on core values the games try to convey, and hope to experience video games with a meaningful context.  Based on the survey results, majority of the respondents have expressed interest in playing games that represents cultures, whether their own or others’. The respondents believe that character design, storytelling narrative and environmental/landscape are the most effective in delivering cultural messages to the players. This prompts Leong to deduct the type of games suited for cultural education. Based on Bogost (2011)’s deduction, one should take full advantage of the ability of video games in allowing its players to fully immerse themselves in someone else’s shoes. RPGs fit this criteria the most, allowing players to step into different roles, confront complex problems, make meaningful choices and experience the consequences of various choices and scenarios. RPGs also tend to have an overarching story and a stronger world building that builds the fundamental structure to weave in cultural representations seamlesslly for players to experience. Based on the survey results, RPGs are the top game genre played by the respondents, regardless of the gender, and are proven to appeal to the general public. Leong also believes that this genre can potentially be most effective in raising cultural awareness through its design as the players are more immersed and engaged into the world, story and characters.

On another end of the spectrum, it was recorded from the survey that the most popular game genre among youths are Sandbox games. The popularity of Sandbox games may be due to their creative and laid-back nature that can be enjoyed by all ages. Some critics believed that the low-stakes gameplay in sandbox games provides positive distractions keeping people occupied and mentally engaged (Tassi, 2021), hence quickly becoming a top choice among youths, especially after the covid-19  pandemic, where video game sales have skyrocketed, with game companies such as Nintendo reporting more than 400% increase in profit compared to the previous year (Hackett, 2020). Fully utilizing its popularity, cultural elements can also be implemented into these games via the in-game designs and in-game events that celebrates cultural festivities.

Coming in third, shooter games are also a very popular game cenre among youths. According to a suggestion by a survey respondent, character skins can be an effective way to infuse cultural elements into games that do not have an overarching story. This way, players can still appreciate the culture elements in the character design and learn more about them without it altering the main basis of the fast-paced gameplay.

Leong believes that further extensive research needs to be carried out to suggest a cultural framework for video games, as the current research shows that there are no solution that is one size fits all. However, RPGs are seemingly the strongest contender when it comes to delivering cultural education in the most comprehensive manner.

5.3 Limitations

It’s often a good idea for qualitative research methods like visual analysis to start with 5 subjects and then scale up by a further 5 based on how complicated the subject matter is. (Renwick,2019) This part was unfortunately overlooked in the initial planning stage with only 3 characters chosen for analysis. Consequently, results and data collected may not have been comprehensive enough.

As mentioned in section 3.2.5, visual analysis clearly have the limitation of bias as it is analysed through the researcher’s own opinion, and thus why a survey was carried out subsequently to collect data from another point of view. However, it was apparent during the data analysis that some parts of the survey could have been designed in a simpler way to minimise potential confusion from the respondents. Likert scales should have been utilized more often to gather a more quantifiable data that can ease the analysis process. The survey questions should be revised, as some questions are deemed to be slightly irrelevant to the research objective and questions, while some questions are too similar in context and could have been combined as one.

5.5 Future Research Recommendations

Future research can expand on this study to gather further detailed data, and perhaps tackling the subject of cultural apropriation all together. Researchers can also look into the perspectives of "inaccuracy" and "inspiration" in fiction when it comes to cultural representation. A broader analysis of different video games could also be applied, as this research only included a few of the characters from Genshin Impact. Notable titles like Assasin’s Creed, Hades and God of War also contain rich cultural references that have plenty potential to raise cultural awareness among its players. Additionally, it would be interesting to have a focus group of people who have played these games to offer their views on the subject in detail.

When discussing topics like culture that could be a subjective or sensitive matter to some individuals, it is recommended to consult professionals in the field. Interviews or surveys done with these industry professionals could offer much insight to the topic to enhance the findings.

In terms of the survey, a more diverse sample could be gathered for a more fruitful discussion. While a majority of 68 out of the 87 responses recorded and analyzed fall under the target age group of 16-24, they were mostly from Asia, America and Europe, with little to no representation from Australia, Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific Islands. Thus, if more input could be gathered from these regions, more information can be gathered especially in terms of their culture that could potentially birth a new finding.

Conclusion/s (600 - 650 words)

State conclusions, which you have logically drawn given the evidence of your

results and findings.

Project Design Recommendations (300 - 350 words)

State your project design recommendations. These should relate directly to the

conclusions and provide possible solutions to problems identified in the report.

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Appendices

Identify these as Appendix A, Appendix B, etc., and only include if they are referred to in the dissertation.