title: What Is the Key for Older People to Show Interest in Playing Digital Learning Games? Initial Qualitative Findings from the LEAGE Project on a Multicultural European Sample.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Learning digital games can influence both older adults' health condition and their capacity to carry on activities in their actual environment. The goal of the current study was to explore and define the user requirements for developing digital learning games for older Europeans, focusing on types of learning games, motivational and social aspects, and preferences on game controllers.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this initial stage, a qualitative focus group study was performed in three participating countries (Spain, The Netherlands, and Greece) where both games existing in the market and others developed in other European Commission projects like HERMES were presented to them, both on video presentations and also with the possibility to actually test some of them.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Challenge, socialization, fun, providing learning opportunities, and escape from daily routine were extracted as the main keys why older people would be interested in playing digital games. Users described themselves as active and participating in many leisure activities, and this level of activity appeared to be related with the contents proposed for digital games, such as physical activity, culture, arts, and other human sciences (history, geography, traveling, foreign languages, music), and daily life skills (cooking, computer use, first aid).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The knowledge gathered from the focus groups will be used as input for the design of a learning game that will be largely compatible with the needs and abilities of a wide range of older Europeans.
authors.affiliation: 1 Matia Gerontological Institute Foundation-INGEMA , Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain .
authors.forename: Unai
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Diaz-Orueta
authors.affiliation: 1 Matia Gerontological Institute Foundation-INGEMA , Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain .|2 Department of Evolutionary Psychology and Education, Faculty of Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela , Santiago de Compostela, Spain .
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Facal
authors.affiliation: 3 Stichting Smart Homes , Eersel, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Henk Herman
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Nap
authors.affiliation: 4 50plus Hellas , Athens, Greece .
authors.forename: Myrto-Maria
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ranga