Digital pets can benefit health
A Norwegian-developed mobile game could motivate people to take more steps each day.
According to a master’s thesis at NTNU, a mobile game can make physical activity more enjoyable.
Two master’s students investigated how the mobile game BitPet affects physical activity, motivation and social well-being. The three-week study involved 51 participants and combined questionnaires, interviews, step-counts and activity data collected through the game itself.
Encouraging people to move a little more
“One of the clearest findings was that the virtual pet became an important source of motivation for many participants. The sense of responsibility for the pet, combined with step points, progression, in-game resources and photo competitions, encouraged many people to be a little more physically active,” says Alf Inge Wang, one of the game’s founders.
Wang is also Professor at NTNU’s Department of Computer Science and served as supervisor for the master’s students.
“Many participants said they chose to walk the long way home, walked to the shop instead of driving, or went for an extra walk simply to help their pet evolve,” he explains.
On average, players were more than 20% more physically active on the days they played the game.
The study also found considerable variation in how motivating participants found the game, and that it had only a limited impact on levels of social activity.
Participants ranged from 20 to 52 years old, with an average age of 26. Most were between 24 and 26, and the group consisted of 65% women and 35% men.
Although BitPet is designed to appeal to a broad audience, user testing indicates that the most engaged players are women aged 16 to 40. The same has been found true of similar virtual pet simulators.
The game draws inspiration from classics such as Tamagotchi, Pokémon Snap, Animal Crossing, The Sims Pets, and similar titles.
Mathias Grønstad presenting the game at the Norwegian Gaming Convention. Photo: Spillkonventet 2024
The player’s activity shapes the pet’s fitness
BitPet players care for digital pets that grow and develop in step with the user’s real-world physical activity. The pet’s fitness depends on how active the player is, which the game measures using the smartphone’s built-in step counter.
Players collect resources and encounter other pets on a map. Future versions of BitPet will also introduce location-based social gameplay designed to encourage face-to-face meetings and interaction between players.
The game combines elements of digital pets, location-based gaming and augmented reality.
The study’s results are based on Android users. Due to a technical issue during the study, data from iOS users was not recorded correctly and was therefore excluded from the analysis.
NTNU research helped shape the game
“BitPet is built on several years of research into game design, motivation, physical activity and exergames,” says Wang. Researchers at NTNU have contributed knowledge about how games can motivate people to become more physically active, and these insights have been applied directly to the game’s mechanics.
Alf Inge Wang and Mathias Grønstad. Photo: Private
Theories of intrinsic motivation, reward systems, progression and player engagement underpin features such as step points, exploration, resource collection and the development of the virtual pet.
Alf Inge Wang and Mathias Grønstad’s new master’s thesis forms part of this wider research collaboration and provides valuable insights into which game mechanics are most effective in practice.
BitPet AS, led by Mathias Grønstad, has received NOK 5 million from the Research Council of Norway to validate its business model through further research and development.
The company has now developed a playable beta version of the game, which has been launched in Norway on both the App Store and Google Play.
