Factors of player experience in describing the relationship between remade and original works

Players judge a videogame remake not as a unique work, but in relation to the original game it is based on (e.g. whether it reproduces the original’s player experience or updates the original in a modern way). Although examining the player experience offered by a remake can contribute to our understanding of the kind of experiences that are necessary for a work to be considered to identify faithfully to its original version, there has been little academic research from this perspective. Here we investigate which of the different experiences of playing original and remade works (e.g., quality of graphics, controllability, and immersion) were related to the relationship between the original and the remakes (e.g., reproduction and modernization) by developing a questionnaire and conducting an online survey. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the player experience as rated for a set of original and remade works can be summarized into at least five dimensions: positive impressions of the original and the remake, social relationships, immersion, and flaws. Correlation analysis also showed experience factors related to the player ratings of remakes, based on the ratings such as reproducibility and modernization. These results suggest that player experience may describe the conditions under which a remake is considered to identify faithfully with the original work it was based on.