Player Engagement and Cultural Immersion in Traditional Malaysian Games (Wau Bulan): A Quantitative Study

Introduction: This paper explores how rapid urbanisation and the hegemony of contemporary digital entertainment[1] has led to structural estrangement of digital-native youth from Wau Bulan, a state biopolitical asset. It explores the promise of digital ludic architectures as mathematically verifiable engines for cross-generational cultural transmission [2]. Method: The extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is tested through a concurrent mixed-methods design. Sequential multiple linear regressions were used to test predictive structural covariance on quantitative data (N=28), and thematic coding with ATLAS.ti was used to analyse qualitative phenomenological feedback to understand mechanisms of user engagement [3]. Results: The psychometric construct operationalisation showed high internal reliability. The structural modelling revealed that Perceived Usefulness (β =.502) and Perceived Enjoyment (β = .477) are significant predictors of positive Player Attitude. It is worth mentioning that Perceived Enjoyment (β = .623) was the only significant predictor of long-term Behavioural Intention, while mechanical usability (β = .008) was not statistically significant. Discussion: The empirical outputs show that mechanical usability is just an expected baseline for today's digital-native consumers. Sustained system acceptance requires profound affective engagement and emotional pleasantness to efficiently trigger cultural internalisation [4]. Conclusion: To be able to successfully bridge the gap of intergenerational alienation, digital heritage applications require a structural synthesis of rigorous pedagogical instructional design [5], deep psychological “flow” [6], and intrinsically rewarding game mechanics.

Keywords: Wau Bulan, Digital Game-Based Learning, Cultural Heritage Preservation, Visual Semiotics, Instructional Design.

Heritage Gamification, Digital Game-Based Learning

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