Immersion is when...

[Lissa-QUON]

After playing KOTOR for a while I started mentally calculating my choices in life as "dark sided" or "light sided."

Enh I mainly have immersion experiences dealing with Thief, after playing obsessively for a while I find myself purposely moving as quietly as possible looking for shadows and such to scamper to.

Somewhat of an example.

One time someone came in the middle of a level of Thief 2 where Garret has to crouch at a key hold and eavesdrop for some important info. So Garret is leaning into the door, I'm leaning into my speakers (volume button, what volume button?) and someone comes into the room I immediately turn to them shush them up with a finger to my lips an imperative "I'm eavesdropping!" and go back to leaning into my speaker.

 

[Dommyboy]

Immersion is when my friends and myself say 'Get out of here, Stalker.'

 

[Naked_Snake]

Immersion is when I start to fret about my camouflage index when more than 1 person is in the room. Thank god for Octocamo.

 

[Naked_Snake]

This.

 

[Naked_Snake]

Or possibly when you look into your backpack and try to arrange everything so it fits neatly into your grid-style inventory.

 

[DarkPanda XIII]

Immersion is when you are in your car at a stop light, and look out to a really nice car next to yours, and plan to get out of your car to yank them out of theirs. (Saints Row 2, ftw)

 

[MadeinHell]

When I feel the guts of a hopeless victim dripping from my face.
*evil laughter*




[sub]Or when I really like the story[/sub]

 

[Twad]

immersion is when you forget that you are playing a game.

 

[EatPieYes]

Immersion is when you accept the rules in a game's world to that degree that you feel handicapped in the real world. Or really unhibited. Depends on how you see it and what game you play.

 

[imaloony]

Immersion is when I sit down to play Fallout 3, sit up later with a killer headache and are shocked to see that six hours have gone by.

 

[zhemis]

When I was younger like 12-13 I developed a fear of my own dog (ei. I ran away, and because my dog was playful it ran after me, which made me run faster and make a little scared noise) while I read Cujo. Whatever, I was young and it's a scary book.

Aside from mentally figuring my own stats or survival chances after extended play times (of whatever game) I can't say immersion has gripped me so much in a video game.

If you play Diablo enough, you start to dream about it.

 

[skennedy929]

Immersion is a seamless blend of graphics, audio design, controls and story that can suck you in for hours on end and make it seem like minutes.

STALKER is a very immersive experience, and probably makes the best use of my adrenal glands.

Fallout 3 had me nearly pass out from hunger after a marathon session.

Nazi Zombies, though wholly unrealistic, had me dreaming of the undead ripping into my house as I ran around boarding up windows.

Half Life 2 was interesting enough that my best friend's wife (who is NOT into video games) sat down and started asking questions about the Combine and the game world in general.