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. 2015 May 11;1(1):e2. doi: 10.2196/mededu.3754

Table 3.

Comparison of gaming aspects by year of study.

Gaming aspects
Lower batch (N=249), n (%) Upper batch (N=248), n (%) P values
Interest in playing




Not interested 22/245 (9.0) 18/245 (7.3) .509

Interested 223/245 (91.0) 227/245 (92.7)
Interest level of interested students

Weak interest 139/223 (62.3) 154/227 (67.8) .220

Strong interest 84/223 (37.7) 73/227 (32.2)
Paid for in-game items




Yes 70/245 (28.1) 48/245 (19.4) .022b

No 179/245 (71.9) 200/245 (80.6)
Payment method for in-game items a

Own allowance 59/70 (84.3) 42/47 (89.4) .433

Own income 8/70 (11.4) 12/47 (25.5) .047b

Parents’ money 9/70 (12.9) 4/47 (8.5) .463
Reward system




Score 31/214 (14.5) 34/221 (15.4) .793

Experience points 54/214 (25.2) 36/221 (16.3) .021b

Item granting 24/214 (11.2) 18/221 (8.1) .278

Resources 10/214 (4.7) 13/221 (5.9) .573

Achievement system 28/214 (13.1) 32/221 (14.5) .673

Feedback messages 0 (0.0) 5/221 (2.3) .061

Plot animations & pictures 22/214 (10.3) 16/221 (7.2) .262

Unlocking
mechanism
45/214 (21.0) 67/221 (30.3) .027b
Game setting




Science fiction 35/236 (14.8) 32/242 (13.2) .613

Historical 18/236 (7.6) 21/242 (8.7) .675

Fantasy/medieval/mythic 135/236 (57.2) 118/242 (48.8) .064

Modern 47/236 (19.9) 70/242 (28.9) .022b

Others 1/236 (0.4) 1/242 (0.4) -
Game storyline




War 24/237 (10.1) 26/244 (10.7) .849

Heroic/saving humanity 35/237 (14.8) 26/244 (10.7) .175

Spy/secret agent 58/237 (24.5) 41/244 (16.8) .038b

Adventurer 75/237 (31.6) 72/244 (29.5) .611

Authentic pharmacy-related plot 42/237 (17.7) 77/244 (31.6) <.001b

Others 3/237 (1.3) 2/244 (0.8) -
Game perspective




2D 109/245 (44.5) 112/246 (45.5) .817

3D 136/245 (55.5) 134/246 (54.5)
2D game perspectives




2D top-down 75/109 (68.8) 83/112 (74.1) .383

2D side-scrolling 34/109 (31.2) 29/112 (25.9)
3D game perspectives




3D first-person 73/136 (53.7) 74/134 (55.2) .799

3D third-person 63/136 (46.3) 60/134 (44.8)
Game style




Competitive 71/243 (29.2) 76/246 (30.9) .686

Cooperative 84/243 (34.6) 76/246 (30.9) .387

Collaborative 88/243 (36.2) 94/246 (38.2) .648
Game scenario




A (authentic simulation) 87/248 (35.1) 122/248 (49.2) .001b

B (post-apocalyptic fantasy) 161/248 (64.9) 126/248 (50.8)

aPercentages may not add to 100% due to multiple responses.

bStatistical significance was defined as P<.05.