How to Measure the Game Experience? Analysis of the Factor Structure of Two Questionnaires

We describe and report the analysis of two widely used questionnaires to measure the player experience in digital games. In order to contribute to the further validation and meaningful application of the PENS and GEQ we examined the underlying factorial structure of both questionnaires. Four hundred and forty-seven participants played two different games and rated them on a set of various variables including the PENS and GEQ. Consistent with previous research we gained additional insight into optimization of both measurements. While the factor structure of the PENS appears to be consistent and invariant across two different games, the GEQ reveals weaknesses in fulfilling these requirements.