Interactivity as Demand
The interactive nature of video games has perpetually drawn the focus of game developers and game scholars alike—the former eager to create immersive and involving digital worlds to shock and awe players, and the latter eager to understand the potential for powerful effects stemming from this immersion and involvement. Yet as video games evolve in terms of their technology and their content, the relationship between the player and the system becomes increasingly complex. This dialogue demands near-constant attention from the players, and these demands exist on at least four dimensions: cognitive, emotional, physical, and social. In the present chapter, these four demands are explicated, theoretically and empirically positioned as entertaining in their own right, and discussed as important mediators of media entertainment experiences.