The Impact of Virtual Reality Technologies on the Gaming Experience of People
Student’s Name
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Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………3
Background of the Study……………………………………………………………………3
Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………………………3
Research Aim, Objectives, and Questions…………………………………………………..3
Research aim…………………………………………………………………………………3
Objectives of the study………………………………………………………………………3
Research Question……………………………………………………………………………4
Justification of the Study……………………………………………………………………..4
Virtual Reality and Gaming…………………………………………………………………..5
Benefits of Virtual Reality in Gaming………………………………………………………..6
Detriments of Virtual Reality in Gaming……………………………………………………..6
Theoretical Framework………………………………………………………………………..6
Methods………………………………………………………………………………………..7
Research Design……………………………………………………………………………….7
Sampling and Data Collection…………………………………………………………………8
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria………………………………………………………………8
Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………………….9
Ethical Considerations…………………………………………………………………………9
Findings………………………………………………………………………………………10
Analysis and discussion………………………………………………………………………10
The Impact of Virtual Reality Technologies on the Gaming Experience of People
Introduction
Background of the Study
The gaming industry is growing at an exponential rate spurred by the significant advances in technology and aggressive marketing by the game developers and device manufacturers. In turn, gaming has grown into a multimillion dollar industry because it has managed to penetrate all corners of the world through mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, whose prices have dropped dramatically, making them affordable even to the poor members of the developing countries. Consequently, about $37 billion was generated by the personal computer gaming market while $77 billion was made from the mobile gaming market in 2020 (Clement, 2021). Most of this income is made by the major multinational that develop the gaming content, manufacture the gaming devices, and sell the games to the public, including Apple, Sony, and Tencent. For example, Sony sold over 112 PlayStation 4 sets in 2020 alone. The United Arab Emirates has not been left behind, with local gaming developers becoming established in the country, and their number is increasing, as they enjoy government’s incentives.
Statement of the Problem
Digital technologies have advanced significantly and become more sophisticated due to the innovations in artificial intelligence, deep machine learning, and cloud computing.
Research Aim, Objectives, and Questions
Research aim
This study aims at explaining how virtual reality has influenced the gaming experience of the players.
Objectives of the study
The objectives of this study were:
- To determine the prevalence of virtual reality games
- To provide a few examples of virtual reality games that are available and popular among video gamers
- To identify the reasons inspiring gamers to prefer virtual reality games over video games that use other technologies
- To identify the benefits and detriments of virtual reality games
Research Question
These objectives were used to answer the research question:
- What is the impact of virtual reality games in the gaming experiences of players?
Justification of the Study
The model of delivery of games has changed over time as technologies change. The first generation video games were simplified versions that had little resemblance of reality. However, over time, games have become more real than ever before, providing an immersive experience to the players. The use of artificial intelligence and deep machine learning technologies have enabled developers to produce games that are very close to reality. Understanding the experiences of gamers when playing games with virtual reality would help understand the benefits and detriments of modern games. The possible benefits could be improved learning while detriments could include addiction and acquisition of antisocial behaviors, which has been associated with regular computer and internet use. Therefore, understanding the benefits and detriments of virtual reality games from the experiences they provide the players can help find new uses of the games, which could be beneficial to the players, which developing interventions that can help prevent the detriments that the games can present to the players.
Literature Review
Virtual Reality and Gaming
Pallavicini et al. (2017) sought to distinguish the experiences from traditional games and the virtual reality-based ones. They divided the gaming modalities into two; immersive and non-immersive conditions, which were studied using virtual reality technology and tablets, respectively. The results indicated that although the players performed similarly in both versions, with no difference in the total time played, those playing the virtual reality version reported feeling more anxious compared to this that played the non-immersive version.
Roettl, J., & Terlutter, R. (2018) investigated how players experienced 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional, and virtual reality videogames by exposing them to the same game with the three versions. The study focused on experiences such as presence, attitude and arousal. The findings indicated that virtual reality games induced more presence and cognitive load compared to the 2D and 3D versions. However, the virtual reality game version did not influence the presence and attitude of the players any more than the other two versions. However, the players reported feeling more dizzy, and motion-sick when playing the virtual reality videogame than in the other two versions.
Shelstad et al. (2017) investigated whether virtual reality influenced the satisfaction of the game player compared to traditional gaming formats using computers and screens. The study exposed players to two gaming situations; one with virtual reality and another without, although they played the same videogame requiring the same strategy. The study found that those playing the virtual reality videogame derived more satisfaction compared to those that played the same game traditionally. The virtual reality players expressed feeling more satisfied, engaged, creative, and joyous.
Benefits of Virtual Reality in Gaming
Shin et al. (2021) studied the potential of a virtual reality application in managing the conflicts between parents and young adults with internet gaming disorder (IGD). The young adults used the VR app to express their anger because of the conflicts with their parents and apply coping skills to deal with the negative emotions their anger produced. The study revealed the usefulness of the VR app in encouraging more socially-acceptable behaviors and managing family conflicts in individuals with internet gaming disorder. Similarly, Smys (2019) revealed that virtual reality games could for used for therapy and mental stimulation for people with physical disabilities suffering from trauma and stress.
Detriments of Virtual Reality in Gaming
Several detriments of virtual reality games reported in the literature are similar to those associated with other videogames and internet use.
Theoretical Framework
This theoretical framework explains the theories that are relevant and application to the study topic and questions. In this study, the flow theory, game theory, and theory of planned behavior are useful in explaining the behavior and experiences of people that play videogames based on virtual reality.
The flow theory explains the experiences of an individual that is deeply engaged in an activity. The theory posits that when a person is actively engaged in an activity requiring the use of skills to overcome challenges, they can experience an optimal feeling called ‘flow’ also known as ‘being in the zone’ (Mahfouz et al. 2020). This state of the mind is experienced by a person that is fully immersed in an activity and feels focused, energized, motivated, and joyous (Mahfouz et al., 2020). This theory useful in this study because it explains the exhilaration experienced by the players of virtual reality games. Similarly, game theory suggests that game player make strategies and decisions that influence the outcomes based on the choices made by other players (Fang et al., 2021). It explains the decision-making and strategy-formulation process of players in a competitive situation, in which the actions of the competitors influence the strategies and decisions made by a player. This theory is applicable in this study because it explains how and what strategies and decision are taken by videogame players and the influence of virtual reality on these strategies and experiences. In addition, theory of planned behavior is a psychological theory used to explain and predict behavior of people. The theory posits that individuals make decisions to engage in certain behaviors based on their attitudes, perceived behavioral control and subjective norms (Conner, 2020). This theory is useful to this study because it explains why devoted players of videogames engage in this activity repeatedly and excessively, and how virtual reality influences this behavior.
Methods
Research Design
A secondary research was conducted to help determine the impact of virtual reality technologies in the gaming experiences of people. This approach used secondary sources and the data sources to provide information regarding the gamers’ experiences when playing virtual reality games. The rationale of using the secondary research was based on the researcher’s research philosophy, which was founded on the interpretivism paradigm. The researcher believes that reality is subjective and has multiple interpretations based on the lived experiences of people. In this case, gamers live the phenomenon of virtual reality games and are therefore well positioned to explain their gaming experience having been immersed in the virtual reality games. However, these lived experiences are captured in secondary sources that are readily available over the internet.
Sampling and Data Collection
Therefore, data was collected from secondary sources from online repositories. The researcher searched the internet using keywords to help narrow the wide selection. This helped the getting of relevant sources containing information that could be used to answer the research question. The keywords used to query the internet included, virtual reality games, experiences of videogame players, pros and cons of playing videogames, experiencing virtual reality in videogames, and the future of virtual reality videogames. These keywords were typed into search engines, like Google, Google Scholar, and Microsoft Academic. The secondary sources included peer reviewed journal articles, news articles, institutional articles from governmental, public and private organizations, and expert opinions.
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
The researcher encountered numerous publications from the internet search. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to select the secondary sources that would be included in the study and the ones that would be rejected. The inclusion criteria included:
- The sources should have been at least 5 years old. This means that they should have been published in 2017 or later. However, older sources were accepted if they provided important historical data and information related to the research topic. This was to ensure that they contained recent and up-to-date data and information that is relevant to this study.
- The sources should be published in English language or at least have English translation if the original publication was in any other language apart from English.
- The sources were from reputed and credible publishers and authors. This ensured that they contained credible data and information.
The exclusion criteria for selecting the secondary sources were the opposite of the inclusion criteria. Therefore, secondary sources that were published earlier than 2017, were in languages other than English, and were from dubious authors and publishers, were rejected.
Data Analysis
The thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data obtained from the secondary sources. Thematic analysis is a method used to analyze qualitative data and information. These are usually in form of texts and transcripts. The analytical approach requires the researcher to examine the data and information in the secondary sources to identify common themes. These themes comprise topics, ideals and patterns of meanings that appear repeatedly in the text of the sources. Specifically, the researcher begins by reading through the publications severally and highlighting the main themes that emerge. This is repeated with every source selected for the study. The common themes related to the different aspects of the research topic and question, are put together. These themes are condensed further to bring out the major themes. In the end, the researcher ends up with major and minor or sub-themes.
Ethical Considerations
Although this study did not involve subject or respondents, the researcher has to still adherer to the highest ethical conduct of research. In this regard, the researcher had to be objective when analyzing the data and information contained in the secondary sources to avoid being biased. Also, the researcher had to present the findings from the secondary sources as truthfully as possible without expressing personal opinions. However, the discussion allowed an authentic evaluation of the data and information, with the researcher expressing personal opinions on the subjective issues that emerged from the secondary sources. In addition, the researcher ensured that the findings of the study were not divulged to unauthorized persons, while committing to not present information that had not been presented by a colleague in the same topic in the same institution to avoid plagiarism.
Findings
The findings from the secondary sources revealed that videogame player were more immersed in a virtual reality videogame than in a traditional one by feeling more present in the game.
Analysis and discussion
The analysis of the data and information from the secondary sources revealed several themes that could help explain the impact of virtual reality technologies on the gaming experience of people. These themes included immersion, satisfaction, addiction,
References
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