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

Table 4.

Comparison of gaming aspects by game scenario choice in the pharmacy-related serious game.

Gaming aspects
Scenario A (N=209), n (%) Scenario B (N=287), n (%) P values
Year of study




Year 1 43/209 (20.6) 90/287 (31.4) .007a

Year 2 44/209 (21.1) 71/287 (24.7) .337

Year 3 61/209 (29.2) 65/287 (22.6) .099

Year 4 61/209 (29.2) 61/287 (21.3) .043a
Interest in playing




Not interested 20/206 (9.7) 19/283 (6.7) .227

Interested 186/206 (90.3) 264/283 (93.3)
Interest level of interested students


Weak interest 126/186 (67.7) 167/264 (63.3) .326

Strong interest 60/186 (32.3) 97/264 (36.7)
Paid for in-game items




Yes 41/209 (19.6) 77/287 (26.8) .063

No 168/209 (80.4) 210/287 (73.2)
Payment method for in-game items




Own allowance 39/40 (97.5) 62/77 (80.5) .010a

Own income 6/40 (15.0) 14/77 (18.2) .665

Parents’ money 1/40 (2.5) 12/77 (15.6) .034a
Reward system




Score 31/184 (16.8) 34/250 (13.6) .349

Experience points 33/184 (17.9) 57/250 (22.8) .217

Item granting 13/184 (7.1) 28/250 (11.2) .146

Resources 11/184 (6.0) 12/250 (4.8) .588

Achievement system 24/184 (13.0) 36/250 (14.4) .686

Feedback messages 3/184 (1.6) 2/250 (0.8) .654

Plot animations & pics 12/184 (6.5) 26/250 (10.4) .158

Unlocking mechanism 57/184 (31.0) 55/250 (22.0) .035a
Game setting




Science fiction 23/201 (11.4) 43/276 (15.6) .196

Historical 22/201 (10.9) 17/276 (6.2) .060

Fantasy/medieval mythic 66/201 (32.8) 187/276 (67.8) <.001a

Modern 90/201 (44.8) 27/276 (9.8) <.001a

Others 0 (0.0) 2/276 (0.7) -
Game storyline




War 12/201 (6.0) 38/279 (13.6) .007a

Heroic/saving humanity 17/201 (8.5) 44/279 (15.8) .018a

Spy/secret agent 31/201 (15.4) 67/279 (24.0) .021a

Adventurer 55/201 (27.4) 92/279 (33.0) .188

Authentic pharmacy-related plot 86/201 (42.8) 33/279 (11.8) <.001a

Others 0 (0.0) 5/279 (1.8) -
Game perspective




2D 119/207 (57.5) 101/283 (35.7) <.001a

3D 88/207 (42.5) 182/283 (64.3)
2D game perspectives




2D top-down 87/119 (73.1) 71/101 (70.3) .644

2D side-scrolling 32/119 (26.9) 30/101 (29.7)
3D game perspectives




3D first-person 54/88 (61.4) 93/182 (51.1) .112

3D third-person 34/88 (38.6) 89/182 (48.9)
Game style




Competitive 52/207 (25.1) 95/281 (33.8) .039a

Cooperative 68/207 (32.9) 91/281 (32.4) .914

Collaborative 87/207 (42.0) 95/281 (33.8) .063

aStatistical significance was defined as P<.05.