The Slippery Path to Total Presence: How Omnidirectional Virtual Reality Treadmills Influence the Gaming Experience

Researchers, game designers, and consumers place great hopes into the potential benefits of virtual reality (VR) technology on the user experience in digital games. Indeed, initial empirical research has shown that VR technology can improve the gaming experience in a number of ways compared to traditional desktop gaming, for instance by amplifying immersion and flow. However, on the downside, a mismatch between physical locomotion and the movements of the avatar in the virtual world can also lead to unpleasant feelings when using VR technology—often referred to as cybersickness. One solution to this problem may be the implementation of novel passive repositioning systems (also called omnidirectional treadmills) that are designed to allow a continuous, more natural form of locomotion in VR. In the current study, we investigate how VR technology and the use of an omnidirectional treadmill influence the gaming experience. Traditional desktop gaming, VR gaming, and omnidirectional treadmill gaming are compared in a one-factorial experimental design (<em>N</em> = 203). As expected, we found that VR gaming on the one hand leads to higher levels of flow, presence, and enjoyment, but at the same time also is accompanied by higher levels of cybersickness than traditional desktop gaming. The use of the omnidirectional treadmill did not significantly improve the gaming experience and also did not reduce cybersickness. However, this more physically demanding form of locomotion may make omnidirectional treadmills interesting for exergame designers.

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Virtual reality as an empirical research tool — Exploring user experience in a real building and a corresponding virtual model

Computers Environment and Urban Systems ◽

10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2015.09.006 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 54 ◽

pp. 363-375 ◽

Cited By ~ 104

Author(s):

S.F. Kuliga ◽

T. Thrash ◽

R.C. Dalton ◽

C. Hölscher

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Empirical Research ◽

User Experience ◽

Research Tool ◽

Virtual Model ◽

Real Building

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Multimodality in VR: A survey

ACM Computing Surveys ◽

10.1145/3508361 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Martin ◽

Sandra Malpica ◽

Diego Gutierrez ◽

Belen Masia ◽

Ana Serrano

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Knowledge Transfer ◽

User Experience ◽

Virtual World ◽

Sensory Information ◽

The Body ◽

Overall Performance ◽

The Way

Virtual reality (VR) is rapidly growing, with the potential to change the way we create and consume content. In VR, users integrate multimodal sensory information they receive, to create a unified perception of the virtual world. In this survey, we review the body of work addressing multimodality in VR, and its role and benefits in user experience, together with different applications that leverage multimodality in many disciplines. These works thus encompass several fields of research, and demonstrate that multimodality plays a fundamental role in VR; enhancing the experience, improving overall performance, and yielding unprecedented abilities in skill and knowledge transfer.

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SweetPea: A standard language for factorial experimental design.

10.31234/osf.io/mdwqh ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sebastian Musslick ◽

Anastasia Cherkaev ◽

Ben Draut ◽

Ahsan Butt ◽

Vivek Srikumar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Machine Learning ◽

Experimental Design ◽

Computer Science ◽

Open Source ◽

Empirical Research ◽

Experimental Designs ◽

Factorial Experimental Design ◽

Potential Applications ◽

Sample Experiment ◽

Psychological Experiments

Experimental design is a key ingredient of reproducible empirical research. Yet, given the increasing complexity of experimental designs, researchers often struggle to implement ones that allow them to measure their variables of interest without confounds. SweetPea is an open-source declarative language in Python, in which researchers can describe their desired experiment as a set of factors and constraints. The language leverages advances in areas of computer science to sample experiment sequences in an unbiased way. In this article, we provide an overview of SweetPea’s capabilities, and demonstrate its application to the design of psychological experiments. Finally, we discuss current limitations of SweetPea, as well as potential applications to other domains of empirical research, such as neuroscience and machine learning.

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It is Only a Game

Law and Order in Virtual Worlds - Advances in Human and Social Aspects of Technology ◽

10.4018/978-1-61520-795-4.ch002 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 11-32

Author(s):

Angela Adrian

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Ubiquitous Computing ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Second Life ◽

Virtual World ◽

Social Worlds ◽

Star Wars ◽

The Social ◽

The One ◽

Blank Slate

In many ways, ubiquitous computing is viewed as the opposite of virtual reality. The earliest writings on ubiquitous computing recognized this fundamental difference. “Perhaps most diametrically opposed to our vision [of ubiquitous computing] is the notion of ‘virtual reality,’ which attempts to make a world inside the computer . . . . Virtual reality focuses an enormous apparatus on simulating the world rather than on invisibly enhancing the one that already exists. Indeed, the opposition between the notion of virtual reality and ubiquitous, invisible computing is so strong that some of us use the term ‘embodied virtuality’ to refer to the process of drawing computers out of their electronic shells.” (Weiser, 1991) Yet, the two share an important common trait: both are mediated by computing ability. The previous chapter introduced “MMORPGs” which are also sometimes referred to as game worlds or virtual worlds. Some of the most popular American MMORPGs are World of Warcraft, Everquest, Ultima Online, Dark Age of Camelot, Star Wars Galaxies, and City of Heroes. Legend of Mir, Final Fantasy XI, Lineage II, MU Online, Ragnarok Online, Lineage, and Kingdom of the Winds are some popular Asian MMORPGs. Dubit, Runescape, Playdo, and Habbo Hotel are popular in Europe. (Terra Nova, 2008) Another type of popular virtual world is the social virtual world, also sometimes referred to as “unstructured.” Some popular social virtual worlds are Second Life, Sims Online, Project Entropia, and There. (Virtual Worlds Review, 2008) Categorization as “social” does not fully comprehend these virtual worlds. Each world relies to an extent on user-created content. For example, Second Life started as a largely blank slate with most in-world objects being designed and created in-world by individual players. (Second Life, Create Anything, 2008) Social worlds can also have some game-like incentive aspects. The entire concept embodies far more than traditional video games.

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Virtual Reality-based Platformer Games Development for Elevating Architectural Heritage Awareness

IJITEE (International Journal of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering) ◽

10.22146/ijitee.33592 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Ahmad Nasikun ◽

Bagas Y. Wijonarko ◽

Raja Bagus Arief Rahman ◽

Anugerah Galang Persada ◽

Sunu Wibirama

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

User Experience ◽

Virtual World ◽

Cultural Awareness ◽

Traditional Culture ◽

Cultural Value ◽

Architectural Heritage ◽

Mobile Game ◽

Younger Generation ◽

Games Development

As a country with abundant traditional culture, Indonesia is facing serious challenge in conserving them. There is a need to promote the traditional culture to a wider area of people, particularly to the younger generation. Virtual world offers a new way of promoting a nation’s culture via Virtual Reality (VR). This research aims to develop a VR-based platformer mobile game to promote cultural awareness in a new and creative way for younger generation. In the game, a player can observe one famous architectural heritage in Yogyakarta—Mesjid Gedhe Kauman—in fun way of game. A survey is conducted to measure its success in reaching the predetermined goals and to measure its user experience (UX). The survey confirm that the VR-based platformer game helps them in learning cultural value of the architecture (62.5/100) and it is relatively easy to navigate (72.5/100). Moreover, it has a good user experience (UX) score—all are above 0.8, meaning that its users are generally comfortable in playing the game.

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Identifying suboptimalities with factorial model comparison

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x18001541 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Wei Ji Ma

Keyword(s):

Experimental Design ◽

Model Comparison ◽

Process Models ◽

Multiple Forms ◽

Factorial Experimental Design ◽

Factorial Model ◽

Multiple Components ◽

The Many

AbstractGiven the many types of suboptimality in perception, I ask how one should test for multiple forms of suboptimality at the same time – or, more generally, how one should compare process models that can differ in any or all of the multiple components. In analogy to factorial experimental design, I advocate for factorial model comparison.

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Introduction to Games User Research

10.1093/oso/9780198794844.003.0001 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anders Drachen ◽

Pejman Mirza-Babaei ◽

Lennart E. Nacke

Keyword(s):

User Experience ◽

Video Game ◽

Digital Games ◽

Comprehensive Overview ◽

User Research ◽

Interdisciplinary Field ◽

Present Book ◽

Optimal Quality ◽

Experienced User

This chapter provides an introduction to the field of Games User Research (GUR) and to the present book. GUR is an interdisciplinary field of practice and research concerned with ensuring the optimal quality of usability and user experience in digital games. GUR inevitably involves any aspect of a video game that players interface with, directly or indirectly. This book aims to provide the foundational, accessible, go-to resource for people interested in GUR. It is a community-driven effort—it is written by passionate professionals and researchers in the GUR community as a handbook and guide for everyone interested in user research and games. We aim to provide the most comprehensive overview from an applied perspective, for a person new to GUR, but which is also useful for experienced user researchers.

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Back to reality: transition techniques from short HMD-based virtual experiences to the physical world

Multimedia Tools and Applications ◽

10.1007/s11042-021-11317-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Robin Horst ◽

Ramtin Naraghi-Taghi-Off ◽

Linda Rau ◽

Ralf Dörner

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Virtual World ◽

Visual Cues ◽

User Study ◽

Physical World ◽

Direct Communication ◽

Common Presentation ◽

Presentation Media ◽

Virtual Experiences ◽

Short Times

AbstractEvery Virtual Reality (VR) experience has to end at some point. While there already exist concepts to design transitions for users to enter a virtual world, their return from the physical world should be considered, as well, as it is a part of the overall VR experience. We call the latter outro-transitions. In contrast to offboarding of VR experiences, that takes place after taking off VR hardware (e.g., HMDs), outro-transitions are still part of the immersive experience. Such transitions occur more frequently when VR is experienced periodically and for only short times. One example where transition techniques are necessary is in an auditorium where the audience has individual VR headsets available, for example, in a presentation using PowerPoint slides together with brief VR experiences sprinkled between the slides. The audience must put on and take off HMDs frequently every time they switch from common presentation media to VR and back. In a such a one-to-many VR scenario, it is challenging for presenters to explore the process of multiple people coming back from the virtual to the physical world at once. Direct communication may be constrained while VR users are wearing an HMD. Presenters need a tool to indicate them to stop the VR session and switch back to the slide presentation. Virtual visual cues can help presenters or other external entities (e.g., automated/scripted events) to request VR users to end a VR session. Such transitions become part of the overall experience of the audience and thus must be considered. This paper explores visual cues as outro-transitions from a virtual world back to the physical world and their utility to enable presenters to request VR users to end a VR session. We propose and investigate eight transition techniques. We focus on their usage in short consecutive VR experiences and include both established and novel techniques. The transition techniques are evaluated within a user study to draw conclusions on the effects of outro-transitions on the overall experience and presence of participants. We also take into account how long an outro-transition may take and how comfortable our participants perceived the proposed techniques. The study points out that they preferred non-interactive outro-transitions over interactive ones, except for a transition that allowed VR users to communicate with presenters. Furthermore, we explore the presenter-VR user relation within a presentation scenario that uses short VR experiences. The study indicates involving presenters that can stop a VR session was not only negligible but preferred by our participants.

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