How Do Narrative Features Affect a Player’s Immersion in Computer Games? The Analytical Hierarchy Process Approach

Zixuan Guo, Cheng-Hung Lo*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceedingConference Proceedingpeer-review

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.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCross-Cultural Design. Applications in Learning, Arts, Cultural Heritage, Creative Industries, and Virtual Reality - 14th International Conference, CCD 2022, Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022, Proceedings
EditorsPei-Luen Patrick Rau
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages468-483
Number of pages16
ISBN (Print)9783031060465
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 Jun 2022
Event14th International Conference on Cross-Cultural Design, CCD 2022 Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022 - Virtual, Online
Duration: 26 Jun 20221 Jul 2022

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume13312 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference14th International Conference on Cross-Cultural Design, CCD 2022 Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022
CityVirtual, Online
Period26/06/221/07/22

Keywords

  • 2D side-scrolling puzzle games
  • Analytical Hierarchy Process
  • Game narratives
  • Player immersion
  • Video game

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