Is "Immersion" really a thing?

[Conner42]

Or am I just brain dead?

Maybe this has a lot to do with me compared to a lot of other people, I'll be damned if I can't think of the word "immersion" anymore without thinking of it as some kind of buzzword because, well, that's the cool thing for a game to do.

I hear anecdotes of people sitting down for a long session of gaming because they were so "immersed" in the experienced. I remember hearing from one guy who claimed to play Dragon Age: Origins 25 hours straight one time, or another guy who says that it's hard for him to break away from Mass Effect while he is playing it, or to all of the people who have spent so many hours on Skyrim.

For me, and with most of these games, I can only really stand about a 2 hour session at most before I go "I really can't stand playing this game anymore." There are some games that are hard for me to break away from. There are some 6 hour games that are just an absolute sludge to get through, but some games that are a little longer than that seem to go by in a blink of an eye. Games like the Batman Arkham games(except for origins, because *blegh*), FTL, Bioshock Infinite, and even some simple yet challenging App games from my phone my not be as "immersive" per say, but the provide some things that are just a lot more engaging for me. I think the reason why I've been getting into Street Fighter recently is because I just love the total control I have over my character. I'm not exactly "immersed" but the way the game is set up has the characters act as surrogates for me to sort of feel like those characters.

Hell, once upon a time, I was really addicted to the Rock Band games because I just liked the particular challenge it provided. Yes, I play the guitar for real now, but I'll be damned if going back to that game every once in a while isn't just a cathartic experience. Once again, not immersive, especially since I know how to play guitar now, but something engaging.

In summary, I think the reason why I want to talk about this is because I've been playing Skyrim lately. While Skyrim is a good game, I really do have a lot of problems with the game and hearing about all of the people getting "Immersed" by it just sort of confuses me. I can go into a long rant about every single problem I have with Skyrim, but I won't, that's for another time. But, I really am starting to think that "immersion" is just nothing more than a buzzword that we all have suddenly decided to accept...either that, or I really just don't understand.

So, I'd honestly like to hear from people who stand by immersion and would even like to hear about their experiences when they just got absorbed by a game. Because, this kind of is something that's pretty alien to me.

Sidenote: I think another thing about this is that once you think about immersion in a game, than the effect gets destroyed instantly because...well, that's pretty much the definition of immersion. And it's something I've been thinking about a lot, especially when I'm playing a game.

EDIT: I guess I should have define what it is to be "Immersed" in a game. Also, it looks like some guys are getting a bit defensive, making me realized that I probably should have used a different tone here, but I wrote this at a point when I was just getting frustrated with something due to this...thing.

So, immersion is something when you just lose yourself into the game. You are the main character, you are the guy exploring this world, you are the guy fighting the bad guys and all of that.

Yes, I realize that it's possible to play a game for more than a couple of hours, but I just sort of to forget to define why some people do that though.

 

[Zhukov]

Yes, it's become a rather meaningless buzzword.

That doesn't mean it isn't a thing though.

However, it's also rather hard to define. Which may be part of the reason it became a buzzword, since you can apply it to damn near anything without really having to explain yourself.

 

[The Random Critic]

To me it's how real the game itself felt, even you have said, which Skyrim does have, even though not as much as I would like since they rather focus on other things. Like gameplay challenge and linear quests, they even have romance option now.

But yes, you can be interested in other aspect of the game. Such as fair difficulty and good dialog, but I think the word for it is fine

Try some horror games, some of those are fairly immersive.

 

[Aaron Sylvester]

"Immersed" by definition only means to get really absorbed into something, and if something is interesting/fun enough to get immersed into then...viola! It's an immersive game

There is another aspect to immersion and I guess it's how close or "connected" you feel to the character you are playing as, or whether you start believing that the game world has become your world. But that aspect is by no means necessary to make a good game, it comes down to how the developer wants to craft the experience.

Vanilla/TBC WoW and Guild Wars 2 were incredibly immersive for me in that sense, I would wander around the world for hours just taking everything in with my headphones on. It FELT like I was actually an explorer in a big new world.

 

[Casual Shinji]

It's just a more expensive way of saying 'engaged' or 'involved'.

But it's obviously a thing since it's an existing word. People just like to throw it around more to sparkle up their love for a game.

 

[Keoul]

Just because you aren't immersed in a game does not mean immersion doesn't exist.

You've already said that you have heard people being immersed in games and playing them for hours and just because you don't get the same feeling you believe immersion doesn't exist? come on man.

What gets people immersed in a game varies from person to person, it's not a 'one size fits all' kinda deal. Immersion exists, you just haven't been playing games that can get you immersed.

 

[Ubiquitous Duck]

I've never heard immersion to be used to refer to not being able to pull yourself away from a game and you just continue playing it.

Would that count simple games as 'immersive' if they manage to keep your attention for hours? I've done this with FIFA, but wouldn't say I was immersed, just playing it while watching TV, as something to do.

To me, immersion always referred to the emotive connection and getting involved in the story/feeling attached to it, so that events resonate with you and have emotive or physical responses.

So I think we are on a different page.

And I don't really understand what your complaint is about people labelling a certain game as immersive, if you find 'no' games immersive. Can you really hold Skyrim up as an example, when you are saying that no games ever have this hold on you? It just seems like you aren't the kind of person who would ever play a game continuously, as you said yourself. This isn't a problem, you can do whatever you want, but of course then you wouldn't agree with people that certain games are immersive, because you find none to be.

So it seems like a strange complaint to me.

 

[AnthrSolidSnake]

Of course it's real. People wouldn't say it if it wasn't.

Immersion however if hard to explain to someone who rarely seems to experience it. It's sort of like a child-like imagination moment. It's where the game is so engrossing or convincing, that you play it as if it was all real, that either you ARE the character, or you're really watching the character and influencing them. You're not worried at all about what is around you in real life, and you end up playing a very good chuck of the way through the game without even realizing because you were just so absorbed in what was happening and what you were doing. You no longer think about how it's just a fun game anymore, you're thinking about whats happening as if it really was happening.

Ideally, this is all temporary of course. Once you step away from the game, you still know it was a game, but it was a game so convincing that it almost seemed real, or so well written that you become wholly invested.

 

[Fishyash]

I think the reason why I've been getting into Street Fighter recently is because I just love the total control I have over my character. I'm not exactly "immersed" but the way the game is set up has the characters act as surrogates for me to sort of feel like those characters.

Sorry but your description as to why you like Street Fighter sounds like a textbook example of immersion to me. In fact I was going to use Street Fighter as an example as to what game is immersive to me but you used it already.

Basically, immersion isn't just walking just strolling around in an RPG thinking "wow look at how well developed this world is!" An engaging story or a seemingly realistic simulation is just one way to get immersed in a game.

Thinking hard about your turn in a strategy game is immersion, getting 'in the zone' on an action game or a competitive game is immersion. Getting creeped the fuck out in a horror game is immersion.

Immersive is another word for engaging really, it just specifically refers to being 'in' the game and losing sense of what's around you. Literally any good game can do that.

 

[MrBaskerville]

Wouldn't immersion imply that you feel like being in the game? If so it's not something i have experienced, i know damn well that i'm playing a game. I think Engaged would be a better word, it would also eliminate the silly idea that games have to be realistic.

 

[Ragsnstitches]

OP, your examples of games you like and why you played them for so long IS immersion. Methinks you got the meaning of the word wrong.

Immersion is often associated with games that have rich stories, lore, atmosphere, worlds and/or characters, and many people seem to assume that being invested in these things is what constitutes immersion.

But mechanics and systems are also immersive. It's why I can lose many hours in RTS games that have virtually no narrative, or atmosphere or character... I get so absorbed by the systems in place like managing logistics, building forces and dominating the enemy.

While something like Skyrim may not do it for you, it's no less immersive to me (vanilla or modded). The adventure is the thing that draws me in. Exploring the world and uncovering small stories that add to the lore of the world. This has been the case for ALL TES games. It's also fun to think of a character you want to play as and working towards that end by developing their skills. That's why I have something like 7 or 8 different characters in my entire Skyrim experience. Everything else is seasoning or filler, the real meat to those games, for me, is the adventure.

Immersion is a thing and it's obvious you have felt it. But it's also not something magical or special. Tetris is immersive. Simplistic mobile games like Angry Birds can be immersive.

If you find pleasure in sinking huge amounts of time into something, that thing can be considered immersive.

 

[AnthrSolidSnake]

Wouldn't immersion imply that you feel like being in the game? If so it's not something i have experienced, i know damn well that i'm playing a game. I think Engaged would be a better word, it would also eliminate the silly idea that games have to be realistic.

It doesn't have to be that you feel like you are "in the game", but it's certainly one of the better feelings of immersion.

However I've always been biased against those who can't or actively refuse to be "immersed", thinking they are lacking imagination. There's no benefit to sit there constantly reminding myself I'm playing a video game. I just let a good game take me away. The real world sucks balls, so there are times where I pretend I'm the character in the game, and there are many times where I can temporarily feel that way.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Immersion can apply to a few different concepts, but generally I think of it as when you are playing a game, there is a suspension of disbelief where you conform to the game's world and rules. When something happens that doesn't make sense in the game's world, or you notice an exploit or glitch, you lose that willingness to play along momentarily. On what I believe to be an unrelated note, I would play some games for days at a time if it were practical, so yes, being able to play a game for more than 2 hours is a thing.

 

[Britpoint]

To me, 'immersion' is being so engaged with a game that you forget you are playing a game. Yes you're looking at a screen and pressing buttons, but those things don't register. My favourite example is Final Fantasy IX. I could just lose hours and hours and hours to that game.

FFX, on the other hand, I struggle to get immersed in. I still love it, it's still a great game, but there are always little things that annoy me about it that constantly remind me I'm in a game. Stuff like having to rotate all my characters into battle for a turn in order to get XP for all of them, that sort of thing breaks the immersion because at that point I'm not thinking about how to beat the enemies, I'm thinking about how to exploit the game mechanics to maximise my numbers.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

In my case immersion really exists.

When I start to play a game and it doesn't let me put it down because I'm very interested into what is going to happen next is when I consider myself fully immersed in that world and I don't want to do anything else than see how it finishes. I have "binge played" these type of games on multiple occasions.

This has happened multiple times with games such as The Witcher 1&2, Dragon Age Origins, Planescape Torment etc. Notice a trend there? Seems to me that the genre that seems to immerse me the most are RPG's.

 

[Lilani]

Wouldn't immersion imply that you feel like being in the game? If so it's not something i have experienced, i know damn well that i'm playing a game. I think Engaged would be a better word, it would also eliminate the silly idea that games have to be realistic.

Hm, yes and no. However it's not really that you feel like you're IN the game, just that you aren't consciously thinking "I'm controlling a virtual avatar right now." Have you ever been watching a movie and for a while just forget that you're sitting in a theater or on a couch at home? Your focus becomes narrowed to just the events that are going on in the movie, you aren't consciously thinking about anything else around you. That's what immersion is--being so engrossed in the task that nothing else but that task is registering. An immersive game does that. You forget you're controlling a virtual avatar or just pressing buttons and just focus on the task at hand. You're still pressing buttons, but you aren't thinking of it in that way. When you make Mario jump, you see it as jumping, not as pressing A (or B? I don't remember).

 

[Ieyke]

Of course it's a thing.
Like...a really basic thing.
I don't understand where your confusion is.

 

[MrBaskerville]

Wouldn't immersion imply that you feel like being in the game? If so it's not something i have experienced, i know damn well that i'm playing a game. I think Engaged would be a better word, it would also eliminate the silly idea that games have to be realistic.

It doesn't have to be that you feel like you are "in the game", but it's certainly one of the better feelings of immersion.

However I've always been biased against those who can't or actively refuse to be "immersed", thinking they are lacking imagination. There's no benefit to sit there constantly reminding myself I'm playing a video game. I just let a good game take me away. The real world sucks balls, so there are times where I pretend I'm the character in the game, and there are many times where I can temporarily feel that way.

I've been deeply engaged by a games mechanics and style which could probably also mean that i have immersed myself in a game. I just don't like the word and the fact that total immersion seems to be the end goal of most developers. My problem is that immersion seems to be percieved to be something you achieve by creating a 1:1 experience, something i don't find interesting at all. I don't think a game gets more engaging just because you remove the Hud or create simple and superficial motion controls that mimicks real lige movements. I'm much more engaged by a deep gameplay system that challenges me on several levels. And i never understood the point of removing vital informations from the screen just to create a false sense of "you being in the game" even though it doesn't work that way .

The language barrier is probably causing me to ramble, what i'm trying to say is that i don't like the use of the word and what it usually means when it is being used. I don't like that games seems to be moving in that particular direction. So it's probably not that i don't believe in the effect it's just that i dislike the way we try to achieve it.

 

[Nimcha]

A few days ago I actually cheered when that Thresher Maw took out that Reaper on Tuchanka. I can't get more immersed in a game than that, really.

 

[Conner42]

snip

Yeah, I should have defined it first. Anyways, I think getting immersed is when you forget that you're playing a game. Maybe to an extent where you feel like you are a part of the game world. So, yeah, playing a game for an extensive amount of time has some relevance with immersion, but I forgot to explain why this happens with some people.

A few days ago I actually cheered when that Thresher Maw took out that Reaper on Tuchanka. I can't get more immersed in a game than that, really.

Believe me, I'm really jealous. I really don't remember the last time I was that much involved into a game or...really, any sort of medium.

Sorry but your description as to why you like Street Fighter sounds like a textbook example of immersion to me. In fact I was going to use Street Fighter as an example as to what game is immersive to me but you used it already.

I forgot to define immersion somewhere down the line. But, I wouldn't exactly say that I have been immersed into it because I'm always constantly feel like I'm playing a game. Still, I will have to say that Street Fighter has gotten a lot closer to any other game(even though, because this is the fanboy in me, I still find Smash Bros to be a better game, but it's because of personal taste. I like both games for completely different reasons.)

When you make Mario jump, you see it as jumping, not as pressing A (or B? I don't remember).

It depends on which console you're playing on.

Reading all of these things does make me kind of sad though. I can almost remember experiencing these things when I was a lot younger. I remember when Paper Mario was new game and I would just go out and explore the world because, for one thing, I love Mario and, another thing, I really loved that there was a way to expand his universe.

So, through out my "growing up," I think I've lost something along the way. My mind is always looking for instant gratification and of the such. My patience has gone down.

I know it seems like I'm frustrated with people who use the word and the game industry, but, believe me, I'm more frustrated that I'm not exactly able to experience something like this.

A lot of you guys have brought up some really good points. So, keep this discussion going cuz this is gettin' good!