Immersive experiences in racing video games
Sorkio, Joonas (2021)
Sorkio, Joonas
2021
Tietojenkäsittelytieteiden kandidaattiohjelma - Bachelor's Programme in Computer Sciences
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2021-12-20
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202112169311
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202112169311
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis is to investigate immersive gaming experiences in the context of racing games. The emphasis is on how various display and input devices affect the player’s immersion, presence, flow and simulator sickness, but some game design perspectives, such as track and audio design, are also examined.
This thesis is written in the form of a literature review. In the first half, the relevant concepts are defined to aid in interpreting the results of the latter half. In the second half, some existing empirical research on display devices, input devices and game design is reviewed in an effort to find an answer to the research question. The highlighted research varies in methods: some utilize controlled laboratory conditions, while some collect data with mass surveys. Immersion, flow, presence and simulator sickness are still measured mostly with subjective questionnaires and interviews.
The main observation of the thesis is that virtual reality head-mounted displays produce more immersive experiences in comparison to traditional monitors. On the other hand, virtual reality is correlated with increased incidence of simulator sickness, which is in itself counter-productive to the immersive experience. It should be noted that simulator sickness can be mitigated over time with repeated virtual reality exposure. In terms of input devices, the results are somewhat inconclusive, which can be explained to an extent by the differences in the research methods. Under laboratory conditions, the steering wheel controllers are experienced to be more natural and presence-inducing than traditional controllers. However, when the players are using the input device that they are most comfortable with, the differences in the quality of the experience are insignificant between the two groups. Race tracks with higher average speed and fewer gear changes are more appealing to the average player than twisty, technical tracks. Audio design is especially critical in racing games: the often exaggerated engine and tyre sounds not only support the immersive experience, but also provide the player with critical feedback of the gameplay.
This thesis is written in the form of a literature review. In the first half, the relevant concepts are defined to aid in interpreting the results of the latter half. In the second half, some existing empirical research on display devices, input devices and game design is reviewed in an effort to find an answer to the research question. The highlighted research varies in methods: some utilize controlled laboratory conditions, while some collect data with mass surveys. Immersion, flow, presence and simulator sickness are still measured mostly with subjective questionnaires and interviews.
The main observation of the thesis is that virtual reality head-mounted displays produce more immersive experiences in comparison to traditional monitors. On the other hand, virtual reality is correlated with increased incidence of simulator sickness, which is in itself counter-productive to the immersive experience. It should be noted that simulator sickness can be mitigated over time with repeated virtual reality exposure. In terms of input devices, the results are somewhat inconclusive, which can be explained to an extent by the differences in the research methods. Under laboratory conditions, the steering wheel controllers are experienced to be more natural and presence-inducing than traditional controllers. However, when the players are using the input device that they are most comfortable with, the differences in the quality of the experience are insignificant between the two groups. Race tracks with higher average speed and fewer gear changes are more appealing to the average player than twisty, technical tracks. Audio design is especially critical in racing games: the often exaggerated engine and tyre sounds not only support the immersive experience, but also provide the player with critical feedback of the gameplay.
Kokoelmat
- Kandidaatintutkielmat [7051]