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TEST62014年7月19日READINGPASSAGE1Youshouldspendabout20minutesonQuestions1-13,whicharebasedonReadingPassage1below.ComputerGamesforPreschoolers:Arintend09sResearchandDesignProcessDesigningcomputergamesforyoungchildrenisadauntingtaskforgameproducers,who,foralongtime,haveconcentratedonmore'hardcoregamefans.ThisarticlechroniclesthedesignprocessandresearchinvolvedincreatingNintendoDSforpreschoolgamers.AfterspeakingwithourproducerswhohaveakeeninterestindesigningfortheDS,wefinallyagreedonthreekeygoalsforourproject.First,tounderstandtherangeofphysicalandcognitiveabilitiesofpreschoolersinthecontextofhandheldsystemgameplay;second,tounderstandhowpreschoolgamersinteractwiththeDS,specificallyhowtheycontrolthedifferentformsofplayandgamemechanicsofferedbythegamespresentlyonthemarketforthisplatform:third,tounderstandtheexpectationsofpreschoolers'parentsconcerningthehandheldsystemsaswellasthepurchaseandplaycontextswithinwhichgameplayoccurs.Theteamoftheresearchdecidedthatin-homeethnographieswithpreschoolersandtheirfamilieswouldyieldcomprehensivedatabasewithwhichtogiveourproducersmoreinformationandinsights.sowestartbyconducting26in-homeethnographiesinthreemarketsacrosstheUnitedStates:anEastcoasturban/suburbanarea,aWestcoasturban/suburbanarea,andaMidwestsuburban/ruralarea.Thesubjectsinthisstudyincluded15girlsand11boysrangingfrom3yearsand3monthsoldto5yearsand11monthsold.Also,becausepreviousresearchhadshowntheeffectsofoldersiblingsongameplay(demonstrated,forexample,bymoreadvancedmotorcoordinationwhenusingacomputermouse),householdswereemployedtohaveacombinationofpreschoolerswithandwithoutelderpeers.Inordertounderstandboth'experiencedandnewpreschoolusersoftheplatform,wedividedthesamplesothat13familiesownedatleastoneNimendoDSandtheothersdidnot.ForthosehouseholdsthatdidnotownaDS,onewasbroughttotheinterviewtorthekidtoplay.Thisallowedustoseeboththeinstinctiveandintuitivemovementsofthenewplayers(andofthemoreexperiencedplayerswhenplayingnewgames),aswellasthelearnedmovementsofthemoreexperiencedplayers.Eachofthoseinterviewstookabout60to120minutesandincludedthepreschooler,atleastoneparent,andoftensiblingsandanothercaregiver.Threekindsofinformationwerecollectedaftereachinterview.Fromanyoldersiblingsandtheparentsthatwereavailable,wegathereddataabout:thebuyingdecisionssurroundinggamesystemsinthehousehold,thefamily'stypicalgameplaypatterns,levelsofparentalmoderationwithregardtocomputergaming,andthemostfavoritegamesplayedbyfamilymembers.Wecouldalsounderstandtheideologyofgaminginthesehomesbecauseofthesein-homeinterviews:whattypesofspaceswereusedforgameplay,howthesystemswereinstalled,wherethehandheldplayoccurredinthehouse(aswellason-the-goplay),andthenumberandtypeofgamesandgamesystemsowned.Themostimportantis.wegatheredthegame-playinginformationforeverysinglekid.Beforecarryingouttheinterviews,theresearchteamhadcloselydiscussedwiththein-housegameproducerstocreatealistofgamemechanicsandproblemstiedtopreschoolers'motorandcognitivecapabilitiesthatwerecriticalforthemtounderstandpriortowritingthegames.Theserangedfromgeneraldexterityissuesrelatedtogamecontrollerstotheeffectivenessofin-gameinstructionstospecificmechanicsincurrentgamesthattheproducerswereinterestedinimplementingforfuturepre-schooltitles.Duringtheinterviews,themoderatorgavespecificguidancetothepreschoolerthroughaseriesofgames,sothatheorshecouldobservetheinteractionandprobeboththepreschoolerandhisorherparentsonfeelings,attitudes,andfrustrationsthataroseinthedifferentcircumstances.IfthesubjectintheexperimenthadpreviousexposuretotheDSsystem,heorshewasfirstaskedtoplayhisorherfavoritegameonthatmachine.Thisgavetheresearchersinformationaboutcurrentlevelofgamingskillrelatedtothecomplexityof'thechosenone,allowingthemtoseethechildplayingagamewithmechanicsheorshewasalreadyfamiliarwith.Acrossthe26preschoolers,theNintendoDSselectionsscopewereverybroad,includingNewSuperMarioBros,SonicRush,Nintendogs,andTonvHawk’sProvingGround.Theinterviewerobservedthechildplay,notingpreferencesforgamemechanicsandJnotorinteractionswiththedeviceaswellasthecomplexityleveleachgamemechanicwasforthetestedsubject.Theresearchersaskedallofthepreschoolerstoplaywithaspecificgameinconsultationwithourproducers,TheLittleMermaid:ArielsUnclerseaAciventure.Thegamewaschosenfortwomajorreasons.First,itwasoneofthefewgamesonthemarketwithcharactersthatappealtothisyoungagegroup.Second,itincorporatedalargevarietyofmechanicsthathighlightedtheuniquenessoftheDSplatform.includingusingthemicrophoneforblowingorsinging.Thefindingsfromthisinitialexperimentwereextensive.Afterreviewingtheoutcomesanddiscussingtheimplicationsforthegamedesignwithourinternalgameproductionteam.wethenoutlinedthedesigningneedsandpresentedthefindingstoafirmspecialisingingamedesign.WeworkedcloselywiththoseexpertstosetthegamedesignforthetwopreschooltargetedDSgamesunderdevelopmentonwhatwehadgathered.AsthetwoDSgameswentintothedevelopmentprocess,atormativeresearchcourseoTactionwassetup.Wheneverwedcvelopednewgamemechanics.webroughtpreschoolersintoourin-houseutilitylabtotestthemechanicsandt