Virtual Reality (VR) designers and researchers often need to measure emotions and presence as they evolve over time. The experience sampling method (ESM) is a common way to achieve this, however, ESM disrupts the experience and lacks granularity. We propose RetroSketch, a new method for measuring subjective emotions and presence in VR, where users watch back their VR experience and retrospectively sketch a plot of their feelings. RetroSketch leaves the VR experience undisturbed and yields highly granular data, including information about salient events and qualitative descriptions of their feelings. We compared RetroSketch and ESM in a large study (n=140) using five different VR experiences over one-hour sessions. Our results show that RetroSketch and ESM measures are highly correlated with each other, as well as physiological measures indicative of emotion. The correlations are robust across different VR experiences and user demographics. They also highlight the impact of ESM on users' experience.
Video game onboarding faces the challenge of teaching game mechanics in a fun and engaging way. Artificial intelligence (AI) solutions have become a quick fix to help users understand technology. However, little is known about how AI supports player onboarding in video games. To address this knowledge gap, this research explores player perspectives on AI-supported onboarding. We conducted a qualitative user study (n=20) to investigate player expectations, attitudes, and concerns about AI-supported learning experiences. Players learn primarily through the lived experience of a game and value personalized guidance during onboarding. Participants emphasized the importance of maintaining control over how AI is used during onboarding and the freedom to choose their support level. Our results suggest that players want future AI-supported onboarding systems to prioritize their agency, encourage active learning, and maintain transparency throughout the learning process. We contribute to game design research by proposing balanced, player-centric AI-supported onboarding experiences in video games.
Navigating is essential in many video games. However, previous work suggests that many games still suffer from navigational problems that decrease enjoyment. In this paper, we focus on "Desire Paths", informal trails collectively created by pedestrians representing the most convenient route. While they are known to be useful wayfinding aids, it is unclear how they affect navigation and experience in games. We therefore investigated diegetically visualized player trajectory data in a 2D game through virtual footprints that were persistently visible for all subsequent players. Through a mixed-methods study involving 50 participants, we found that virtual footprints improved navigation by guiding players to points of interest and reducing disorientation for early players. However, visual clutter from excessive footprints reduced their effectiveness in later stages. They also fostered a sense of community, especially for late-stage players and prompted exploration of yet undiscovered areas. We further discuss design implications and future research directions.
Entertainment videogames have been recognized for their potential therapeutic benefits, but there is a need for more in-depth, game-specific explorations of the game features that could contribute to such benefits. This study examines how players of Dark Souls describe the game as helping them cope with depression. We conducted a thematic analysis of Reddit discussions where players narrate their mental health experiences with the game, using AI tools to assist in identifying relevant data for a purposive sample. Our findings suggest that Dark Souls could support players’ mental health, for example, by (1) cultivating resilience and perseverance through its challenging gameplay, (2) triggering existential reflections through symbolic representations of depression, and (3) enabling supportive online communities and interactions. Our findings offer rich, player-centered insights into the perceived mental health benefits of commercial videogames, highlighting their potential to transcend entertainment and inform the design of engaging digital mental health tools.
While virtual reality (VR) games offer immersive experiences, prolonged improper head posture during VR gaming sessions can cause neck discomfort and injuries. To address this issue, we prototyped a framework to detect instances of improper head posture and apply various visual interventions to correct them. After assessing the prototype's usability in a co-design workshop with participants experienced in VR design and kinesiology, we refined the interventions in two main directions --- using explicit visual indicators or employing implicit background changes. The refined interventions were subsequently tested in a controlled experiment involving a target selection task. The study results demonstrate that the interventions effectively helped participants maintain better head posture during VR gameplay compared to the control condition.
Social VR platforms are increasingly transforming online social spaces by enhancing embodied and immersive social interactions within VR. However, how social VR users also share their activities outside the social VR platform, such as on 2D live streaming platforms, is an increasingly popular yet understudied phenomenon that blends social VR and live streaming research. Through 17 interviews with experienced social VR streamers, we unpack social VR streamers' innovative strategies to further blur the boundary between VR and non-VR spaces to engage their audiences and potential limitations of their strategies. We add new insights into how social VR streamers transcend traditional 2D streamer-audience engagement, which also extend our current understandings of cross-reality interactions. Grounded in these insights, we propose design implications to better support more complicated cross-reality dynamics in social VR streaming while mitigating potential tensions, in hopes of achieving more inclusive, engaging, and secure cross-reality environments in the future.
This paper explores the design of interpersonal bodily intertwinement in social body games. We present ``Light Up Fireflies'', a two-player VR game where players embody a single avatar, with each player responsible for controlling one half of the avatar’s body. Players must coordinate closely to navigate the virtual environment and engage with the game’s tasks, where any misalignment might cause the avatar to fall. Unlike previous research, which often focused on partial or segmented bodily interactions, our game encourages a fully integrated form of bodily coordination. Players do not merely react to each other’s movements but co-experience the avatar's body, fostering a richer and more immersive connection between them. Through a study with 16 participants, we identified three key player experiences: bodily strangeness, intertwined bodily movements, and interpersonal bodily understanding. We also provide design implications for future social body games that aim to facilitate deeper, more intertwined embodied experiences.