Mapping the literature on augmented reality-based gaming: a text mining approach

PurposeThis study aims to focus on carrying out a quantitative analysis of publications related to augmented reality (AR)-based gaming. AR combines the real world with the digital world and is a large basis of data in an ICT-based digital society. Therefore, there is a need for a comprehensive bibliometric review of research papers on AR-based gaming to identify the potential for the advancement of knowledge in this field.Design/methodology/approachIn the experimental part, reference data from Scopus was extracted according to a search string formulated with great care. The retrieved data were then analyzed through open-source, sophisticated bibliometric tools, VOSviewer, along with Biblioshiny-R.FindingsAfter running the analysis, it turns out that the years with the biggest number of publications were in 2010 and 2012. The focus areas of study include mixed reality, surveys and helmet-mounted displays. The USA was the most connected country in the research collaboration network; it has strong links with other nations including the UK, Canada and Greece, which cluster around it in the map. This trend of monetarily increasing number of papers depicts the growing interest and sustainable productivity in this research domain.Originality/valueThe purpose of this paper is to present a novel perspective on AR-based gaming, which has not been so far examined by bibliometric analysis. The results provide important information for researchers and stakeholders. In addition to filling a void in the literature, this study is an important reference for those researchers who are interested in exploring evolution and trends in AR-based gaming research.