Andrew Hearn
With Virtual Reality (VR) becoming more popular and accessible in recent years, this research will consider the question ‘Can VR influence player emotion within video games?’ The study will be centred around several key topics; Firstly, how emotion engineering is used while creating video game stories and mechanics, and how this can impact the players’ playstyle, behaviour, and sense of immersion. Further research will investigate the player experience and how this can enhance such response
In order to complete the experiment a game will be developed utilising the Unreal Engine which utilises both VR and non-VR mechanics. This will be accompanied by an observation and followed by a short questionnaire in which the player immersion, experience and behaviour will be evaluated.
The expected results of the research are that player behaviour, experience and reactions will be enhanced or manipulated in a fairly significant manner while experiencing video games within virtual reality, additionally it is expected the participants utilising VR will likely have significant changes to their gameplay style or behaviour while playing
Andrew Hearn
What am I researching?
Am I conducting a research study to delve into the emotions within video games and does virtual reality impact them. This study aims to find, does playing a video game in VR (virtual reality) make a player feel any more immersive in the world? And does this immersion make the player experience more, less or even new emotions while playing the game.
Why am I researching this area?
The reason I have chosen this area of research is because the passionate interest I have in the topic. I am immensely interested in how video games evoke emotions in the user and the techniques developers use to achieve this. I am also curious about VR and how it can either bring our more or less emotions from the players.
My approach to investigate this study is to carry out both primary and secondary research. my primary research will gather data from conducting an experiment in the form a video game demo, which can be played in both VR and non-VR. This demo will allow players to play through a scene that has aspects which aims to evoke an emotional response from the player.
My secondary data will consist of research I have done for the three key topics I have chosen in regards of the question in the form a lit review.
Creating a methodology for my experiment.
Using data gathered from my lit review I formed my methodology. this becomes the base for my experiment. The methodology allowed me to research the best practices for data collection, using the right research strategy, use methods such as triangulation to help valid my research and data analysis. Within the methodology is the choice of experimentation, in which I detailed what my experiment is going to be and research other methods I could have used but chose not to.
As my development of the game demo is not yet complete and as such, I have not been able to conduct my experiment, yet I cannot give results regarding it. I can however give my assumption on the data I will get based on the research I have done into the subject. my Hypothesis is that VR can impact the player emotion while playing video games, this is based on research I have done during my lit review.
Is my research useful?
As my research is not yet fully complete it is hard to say if my research is useful or can be useable, I do feel however that upon completion that my research will be helpful in regards to learning that video games do and can impact the lives of its players and as VR grows its impact on the players will grow.
