What is immersion? (Scientific Survey)

[Xifel]

Escapists, please help me!

I have three questions:

1. How would you describe immersion?

2. How do you achieve immersion in a videogame?

3. What games have good immersion and why is it good?


Background:
This is part of a pre-study to a thesis I'm writing for my bachelor degree in Cognititive Science. This is a so-called qualitative "netografic study" which I recently heard of. Feel free to describe your thoughts on the subject. If you are intrested in the subject, want to see the result or want a bigger part of study, please feel free to send a PM to me.

Thank you!

 

[Freechoice]

Immersion is when you are making subconscious actions. When you stop being aware of the outside world, you have achieved an immersive state.

It comes about as a result of repetition or a very well crafted experience. If it's the latter, it's basically a game that has mastery or near master of its mechanics and makes a concerted effort to use them all in an effectual, overlapping fashion.

RE4 during the first 20 minutes. The intro to Bioshock and Half Life 2 come to mind.

 

[Miles000]

Immersion to me is only having one focus. Everything in the world fades away and it is only you and whatever you are doing.

Immersion in video games is BECOMING the character. When I'm truly immersed in a game its only my thoughts and my character. No controller, no TV, no outside interaction at all.
I've actually had someone walk into my room, talk to me and walk out with my mattress, (no jokes) and I didn't even know they were there until later when I turned it off. Apparently they even hit me.

The only games that have had me fully immersed have been Fallout 3 and Red Dead Redemption.

 

[darth.pixie]

1. How would you describe immersion?

Making choices that apply to the fantasy world and focusing on it. When you start explaining things in that world's terms. Finding yourself still thinking in game terms after finishing it.

2. How do you achieve immersion in a videogame?

Atmosphere, believable characters, lack of forth wall, good, solid background.

3. What games have good immersion and why is it good?

I was immersed by Vampire:Bloodlines, Theif, some parts of Neverwinter Nights 2 (trial), Witcher and Grim Fandango. There were probably more but these came to mind. They were well written, had enough details to make it interesting and had pretty good atmosphere.

 

[oplinger]

I have three questions:

1. How would you describe immersion?

2. How do you achieve immersion in a videogame?

3. What games have good immersion and why is it good?

1. Immersion is putting yourself within the game world (or any fantasy setting for that matter) and playing buy it's rules and making decisions based on that universe, and your own personal feelings. (Not for say..the better reward, or one that's more fun.) ..focus isn't really a part of it.

2. Play it, and hope it all makes sense. Or it all makes no sense in a coherent way. Strange things like, broken world geometry, crazy animations, a light breeze drowning out gunfire, or the AI being ridiculously thick break immersion, and overall may make you care less about the game.

3. I think the list of games with good immersion, at least by the definitions I outlined above, is quite large. Fallout 3 had good immersion. The Mass Effects have great immersion. FEAR for its time fit the bill. Immersion is good because it sets you in the mood for the game, it allows you to feel for the characters, be affected by the atmosphere, it draws you in to keep playing. Sometimes it even allows the developers to draw you forward into the reactions they want from you. Which can help in numerous ways like an awesome plot twist, or a emotional moment, be it anger at the bad guy, or sorrow when a character dies. Immersion is important.

 

[Xixikal]

Well there are 3 main types of immersion (according to Ernest Adams of the International Game Developers Association):
*Tactical immersion, which is experienced when performing tactile operations that involve skill. Players feel "in the zone" while perfecting actions that result in success.

*Strategic immersion, which is more cerebral, and is associated with mental challenge. Chess players experience strategic immersion when choosing a correct solution among a broad array of possibilities.

*Narrative immersion, which occurs when players become invested in a story, and is similar to what is experienced while reading a book or watching a movie.

There is also a fourth (according to some):
*Spatial Immersion, which occurs when a player feels the simulated world is perceptually convincing. The player feels that he or she is really "there" and that a simulated world looks and feels "real"

It is also interesting to note: displays must project a frame rate of at least 20 - 30 frames per second in order to achieve near perfect immersion whilst playing a video game.

 

[Xifel]

Thank you for the answers!

I really hope more of you find time to answer!