Figure 7. Screenshot of a
Roblox game “Shouting Simulator” in which the first author (the avatar
with red hair) can click on an icon to shout, “oof,” to communicate with other players, in addition
to using the free chat.
4. Discussion In this study, we established a method for evaluating large-scale VW platforms con-
cerning features that enable and/or restrict communication and play in online virtual en-
vironments for players ranging from young children to adolescents. We applied a three-
step analysis to offer a comprehensive assessment of existing platforms and in-depth fea-
ture analysis for selected platforms. In the first step, we used six major thematic categories
of information (player, developer, gameplay, communication and moderation, social in-
teraction, parental controls) to provide a historical evaluation review of popular VW plat-
forms for youth across different stages of childhood and early adolescence. In the second
step, we used three levels (low, moderate/scaffolded, high) to evaluate two specific types
of features—communication and moderation and parental control—and provided an
analysis of 10 core platforms to compare and contrast three degrees of freedom for young
players to communicate and play. These categories address the complexity of customized
parental control features. Analysis of in-game player communication and parent control
features revealed complex design considerations regarding how developmental age,
game genre, and developer background can all influence the ways player communication
and parental controls are customized across platforms. Lastly, we represented examples
Figure 7. Screenshot of a
Roblox
game “Shouting Simulator” in which the first author (the avatar
with red hair) can click on an icon to shout, “oof,” to communicate with other players, in addition to
using the free chat.
