Command Systems and Player-Avatar Interaction In Successful Fighting Games In Light Of Neuroscientific Theories and Models

Videogames allow the player to control an avatar with a virtual body that shares biological features with his or her own physical body. In neuroscience models of cognition in which perception, execution and imagination of movements are tightly related has recently emerged. As such, I approach the study of human-fighting game interaction by using neuroscience theories and models. Fighting games are based on martial arts and thus seem the perfect case study for this purpose. In a comparison between Street Fighter, Tekken, Mortal Kombat and Soulcalibur command systems, different features will be analyzed alongside some of the neuroscientific findings that may be useful in understanding not only how players’ cognitive processes differ in these games, but also design flaws that interfere with the players experience. Author