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Main Authors: Wang, Xiyuan, Li, Ziang, Chen, Sizhe, Xing, Xingxing, Wan, Wei, Li, Quan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.06105
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author Wang, Xiyuan
Li, Ziang
Chen, Sizhe
Xing, Xingxing
Wan, Wei
Li, Quan
author_facet Wang, Xiyuan
Li, Ziang
Chen, Sizhe
Xing, Xingxing
Wan, Wei
Li, Quan
contents In-game friend recommendations significantly impact player retention and sustained engagement in online games. Balancing similarity and diversity in recommendations is crucial for fostering stronger social bonds across diverse player groups. However, automated recommendation systems struggle to achieve this balance, especially as player preferences evolve over time. To tackle this challenge, we introduce Prefer2SD (derived from Preference to Similarity and Diversity), an iterative, human-in-the-loop approach designed to optimize the similarity-diversity (SD) ratio in friend recommendations. Developed in collaboration with a local game company, Prefer2D leverages a visual analytics system to help experts explore, analyze, and adjust friend recommendations dynamically, incorporating players' shifting preferences. The system employs interactive visualizations that enable experts to fine-tune the balance between similarity and diversity for distinct player groups. We demonstrate the efficacy of Prefer2SD through a within-subjects study (N=12), a case study, and expert interviews, showcasing its ability to enhance in-game friend recommendations and offering insights for the broader field of personalized recommendation systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_06105
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Prefer2SD: A Human-in-the-Loop Approach to Balancing Similarity and Diversity in In-Game Friend Recommendations
Wang, Xiyuan
Li, Ziang
Chen, Sizhe
Xing, Xingxing
Wan, Wei
Li, Quan
Human-Computer Interaction
In-game friend recommendations significantly impact player retention and sustained engagement in online games. Balancing similarity and diversity in recommendations is crucial for fostering stronger social bonds across diverse player groups. However, automated recommendation systems struggle to achieve this balance, especially as player preferences evolve over time. To tackle this challenge, we introduce Prefer2SD (derived from Preference to Similarity and Diversity), an iterative, human-in-the-loop approach designed to optimize the similarity-diversity (SD) ratio in friend recommendations. Developed in collaboration with a local game company, Prefer2D leverages a visual analytics system to help experts explore, analyze, and adjust friend recommendations dynamically, incorporating players' shifting preferences. The system employs interactive visualizations that enable experts to fine-tune the balance between similarity and diversity for distinct player groups. We demonstrate the efficacy of Prefer2SD through a within-subjects study (N=12), a case study, and expert interviews, showcasing its ability to enhance in-game friend recommendations and offering insights for the broader field of personalized recommendation systems.
title Prefer2SD: A Human-in-the-Loop Approach to Balancing Similarity and Diversity in In-Game Friend Recommendations
topic Human-Computer Interaction
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.06105