# Integration Between Serious Games and EEG Signals:
## 1 Introduction  
The propensity or inclination to consume video games has changed, breaking the paradigms and stereotypes related to the gender and age of players, becoming one of the most popular forms of entertainment for millions of people and generating an increase in the number of games [1]. According to findings from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2018-2022 report by consulting firm Price Waterhouse Cooper's (PWC), video games and e-sports will be one of the industry's fastest-growing segments. In addition, the firm presents the four main revenue categories in the global video game and e-sports market that will grow respectably until 2022: revenue from traditional games, social or casual games, video game advertising, and e-sports [2]. Video game consumption patterns among young people reflect specific demographic trends. In Latin America, and especially in Colombia, young people between 16 and24 years of age constitute the most active segment, followed by groups of 25 to 34 years of age and 35 to 44 years old [3]. Speaking about Colombia, a 2022 report indicated that video games have already become a daily necessity for 37% of Colombians [4]. Their figures indicate that 41% people have at least one video game console in their home, and 6 out of 10 respondents said they play video games regularly. In terms of gender [3], women represent 52. 2% of the players, while men constitute 47.8%. The predominant age of the players is 25 to 34 years old, followed by the range of 35 to 44 years old and 16 to 24 years old. This indicates that the activity is not limited to the youngest. Several studies on video game consumption have been carried out in Colombia, such as a study in Medellin (Colombia), which focuses on games about violence and drug trafficking [3], the relationship between video games and obesity [5], school performance and video games [6,7], and toxic behaviors [8], among others. The versatility of video games allows them to be part of different environments, providing not only entertainment but also 'playful instruments to achieve a desired objective, that is, a learning effect, training, or a better state of health' [9]. On the other hand, studies show the advantages of game-based learning strategies over traditional methods [10,11], even concluding that learning through game-based technology improves cognitive skills [12]. The above allows us to introduce the concept of a serious game, which has been applied in training and simulation, digital education, vocational or workplace training, marketing and advertising, health or awareness, and social impact. In general, a serious game combines concepts, principles, and methods of game design with information and communication technologies (ICT) and specific strategies and technologies, taking into account the objective of the game [13]. It is important to note that typical information and communication technologies (ICTs) include aspects related to artificial intelligence for automatic game control; aspects of human-computer interaction (HCI) for game control and input/output (I/O) devices; sensor technology to retrieve context information (user/player); multimedia aspects; usability and gaming experience features; among others [9]. This is reflected in some commercial gaming devices that offer several ways to interact with games, either as standalone controllers or in hybrid modes [14], and in research where the relationship between serious games and HCI can be evidenced, under an approach based on brain-computer interfaces (BCI), specifically using electroencephalographic (EEG) signals. The use of brain EEG signals with serious games is a recent trend in research [15, 16, 17, 18]. The existence of new types of EEG sensors available for game development makes it possible to adapt games that use recognition of brain states [19]. The process for mapping brain activity into game actions is demonstrated in Figure 1, which provides an example of a BCI system used in gaming. Neural signals originate in the human brain and are recorded by an EEG cap.