Abstract
Video games have become an important narrative medium to convey stories, but previous studies lack of research on the relationship between immersion and narrative characteristics. With 2D side-scrolling puzzle games as the example, we utilize the method of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to reveal how the immersion as a whole are modulated by different narrative features through a set of immersive factors. We adopt an immersion model composed of six dimensions, and conducted a quantitative survey to collect players’ reactions to the selected game. According to the results of AHP analysis, the three narrative features arouse mostly the players’ curiosity when engaging them in the games. Both the spatial and interactive features contribute the least in invoking the players’ empathy, whilst the structural features invoke the least concentration. The AHP method provides strong data support in understanding game narratives and the related immersive effects at a more elaborated level.
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Appendix
Appendix
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(1)
Curiosity
Curiosity can stimulate players’ senses and cognition to explore the game narrative. Attractive content makes players have desire to discover new things and explore new environments.
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Concentration
Concentration means that players focus on the game narrative. When players are immersed, they need to concentrate first and then keep their attention. The immersion level of players is directly proportional to the attention and energy they put in.
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Comprehension
Comprehension refers to the understanding of the structure and content of the game. Only when players understand the nature and content of the game can they begin to feel immersed.
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Control
Players can feel a sense of control characters and the game world. If players can control over the game characters and play games freely, they may feel like exploring a real environment and have a sense of immersion.
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Challenge
Challenge is the difficulty that players encounter in the game narrative. Challenge helps to focus the player’s attention. In general, the difficulty of the game has different levels and gradually increases, which can attract players to continue the game.
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Empathy
Empathy means that players enter the imaginary game world mentally. When the players are immersed in the game story, they will invest the real emotion. For example, the players have a sense of cognition to the game characters and the game world.
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Familiarity
Familiarity means that players are familiar with the game background and content. The players who are familiar with the game have different game experiences to some extent.
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Guo, Z., Lo, CH. (2022). How Do Narrative Features Affect a Player’s Immersion in Computer Games? The Analytical Hierarchy Process Approach. In: Rau, PL.P. (eds) Cross-Cultural Design. Applications in Learning, Arts, Cultural Heritage, Creative Industries, and Virtual Reality. HCII 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13312. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06047-2_35
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