Insensitivity to Network Delay: Minecraft Gaming Experience of Casual Gamers

Assessing the impact of network delay on perceived quality of gaming has been subject to many studies involving different genres ranging from fast-paced first-person shooters to strategy games. This paper assesses the impact of network latency on the Quality of Experience (QoE) of casual gamers playing Minecraft. It is based on a user study involving 12 casual gamers with no prior experience with Minecraft. QoE is assessed using the Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ) and dedicated questions for the overall perceived quality and experienced gameplay interruptions. The main finding is that casual Minecraft players are rather insensitive to network delay of up to 1 sec.