A study of presence in interactive game environments

How does an interactive environment affect a user’s experience? ‘Presence’ is something that is usually elicited through virtual reality but as traditional games develop into a rich media with immersive qualities beyond that of TV or film it is argued that they can also elicit the sense of presence. Is measuring presence in traditional games viable using VR structures? The most widely used method of measuring it is the Presence Questionnaire. It is argued however that a questionnaire is not enough for measuring the immediate experience felt by an individual and in this study from 2008 it’s complemented by an additional method of psychological measurement; time perception. Here two game levels are created in order to investigate the theory that an increased degree of interactivity affects presence in games. These levels are identical but for one factor one level is static and the other is highly interactive and destructible. Results from the time perception test and the accompanying questionnaire show a strong relationship between the levels of enjoyment and the increased amount of interactivity as well as a relationship between time distortion and the sense of presence.