The Effects of Digital Game Visuals on Creativity

Abstract

While computers and the technological developments that come with them make life easier in many areas, they have also become the focal point of games and entertainment tools. Thanks to the technological developments that have developed and changed over time, traditional games have been replaced by digital games, albeit partially due to urbanization and shrinking playgrounds. In this case, the visuals in digital games have begun to affect the visual perception of the individual and reveal visual differences. This has enabled Visual Arts Education to be addressed with an approach that focuses on children's developmental characteristics, interests and talents. In accordance with the progressive education approach, the child's creativity has been supported and thus the importance of the quality of educational programs has become more apparent. The main purpose of this study is to determine the effects of visuals in digital game designs on the creativity of middle school students within the scope of art education through student opinions. A mixed research method model was chosen in the study, where quantitative and qualitative data were used together. Accordingly, the study group consisted of 100 6th and 7th grade students taking Visual Arts Course in Samsun. In the study, maximum diversity sampling, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used in terms of collecting qualitative data, and the sample consisted of 10 volunteer students selected from the study group. As a result of the study, it was revealed that digital games positively contribute to students' creative thinking, visual design and artistic development processes, but they can also cause physical discomfort. While students stated that they were especially inspired by three-dimensional realistic visuals, they stated that survival games were the most preferred genre with their tension and story elements.