Abstract
Virtual reality games are widely renowned for their inherent immersive experiences. However, the challenge of a successful serious virtual reality (SVR) game in terms of effectiveness, is found in the degree of meaningfulness of the immersive experience itself. This requires a theoretically grounded design rationale and a diligent design process. In this paper we explain what the game Reducept aims to do, how design research led to successful prototypes, and what the underlying design rationale was.
We conclude that there is a natural fit between the known therapies for unexplained chronic pain, which relied heavily on patients' imagination, and the inherent properties of a VR experience using a mental model of reality. Accordingly, the use of a metaphorical recontextualization was essential in the design process of Reducept. We argue that it resulted in the appropriate form of transfer between the SVR game and the state of chronic pain of the participants. Further research is needed not only on the effects of these and many other VR artifacts, but also on the supporting design process which gets them to succeed.
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Kuipers, D.A., Kleiman, F., Zantema, L., Wenzler, I. (2023). Reducept VR: The Importance of a Design Rationale for the Immersiveness of a Virtual Reality Game to Support Chronic Pain Treatment Effectively. In: Harteveld, C., Sutherland, S., Troiano, G., Lukosch, H., Meijer, S. (eds) Simulation and Gaming for Social Impact. ISAGA 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13622. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37171-4_11
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