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Immersion Audit 

 

The augmented reality game of laser tag is a free range motion interface wherein players are placed within a physical arena. Working individually or in teams, players compete to ‘shoot’ one another with virtual laser blasts which interact with various targets, both on the players, and throughout the arena, in a point scoring system marked by reactive lights and sounds. This essay proposes that, manipulated by various audial, physical, and psychological means, the arena induces immersion as players are directed towards a suspension of belief characterised by intellectual absorption and an emotionality directly correspondent to gameplay. For the purposes of this audit, the laser tag arenas Strike, and Darkzone were examined across six rounds.

 

Sound is used as a manipulative tool of immersion, enhancing suspension of belief by setting the tone and crafting the constructed representation of reality presented by the space. Both arenas featured surround sound speaker systems, and speakers on each player’s laser pack. The former played responsive, voice of god narration, alerting players during base attacks;[1] utilising the spatialized sound system to play audio in specific parts of the arena where players belonging to the attacked base were most likely to be. As noted in the studies of military simulation academics, Shilling, Wardynski and Zyda, such responsive audio enhances player engagement by crafting a sense of realism and eliciting a manipulated emotional response (Shilling, Wardynski, & Zyda 2002). The arena’s speaker system also projected ambient music. Similar to the subliminal use of film scores, music was utilised in the arena to manipulate the tone and pacing of gameplay. Whilst Strike’s customised dark ambient music set an appropriately serious tone, Darkzone’s use of sound effects with an underlying soundtrack of high tempo pop and rock hits encouraged faster, more actively engaged gameplay as players mimicked the soundscape’s pacing. While both arenas featured high volume, the comparatively high arousal of Darkzone’s sound design enabled players to experience greater attention, increased engagement, boosted emotionality, and therefore, increased immersion within the arena (Shilling, Wardynski, & Zyda, 2002; Serafin & Serafin, 2004). Due to the subliminal role of music in this arena, differences in musical content (instrumental or vocal) appear to make nominal difference to user engagement; with immersion instead relying upon an absence of repetitions within the soundscape (Serafin & Serafin, 2004). Exemplified by one particular round at Darkzone, loops are likely to be detected by the user and break immersion. Only after one song was played recurrently did the music become a noticed part of this arena, previously having been completely undetected by some players. The speakers on players’ personal laser packs also performed an important role; ensuring individualized engagement. Audible when shooting, and upon being shot, the packs provide over-the-top sound effects, which work towards immersion, through a concept propounded by Michel Chion, by providing a sense of realism, as opposed to presenting true reality (Chion, 1994). Here, the synchronization of sound (e.g. gunshot) with action (e.g. pulling the trigger) ensures sustained suspension of belief and engagement with the environment, as in this arena, sound fidelity is the product of synchresis (Chion, 1994). The gun’s reactiveness to individual gameplay through the constant signaling and affirmation of action by sound is an important factor in player absorption and the creation of a believable augmented reality. Though largely subliminal, the role of sound within the laser tag arena is fundamental in crafting the engrossment, and suspension of belief necessary for an immersive experience.

 

To ensure a sustainably engaging environment, laser tag arenas must also craft physically immersive spaces. Darkzone and Strike achieve this (to varying degrees) through the use of lights, obstacles, multiple storeys, and the employment of physically interactive stimuli to provide player agency: a crucial element to immersion within augmented reality games. Darkzone and Strike were both lacking in light. As noted by theme park designer Don Carson, a darkened arena functions to set its tone, allowing for a more believable game world as unrealistic elements are disguised in darkness, and fear and awareness are consequently heightened (Carson, 2000). Notably, the absence of light was one of the largest contributing factors to immersion, as the illusion of the world created within the arena was immediately broken, and suspension of disbelief instantly shattered, when overhead lights were turned on at the end of a game. The smaller LEDs situated within the arenas, upon the players’ packs, and on the walls, were all elements of possible interaction within the game, which dimmed when shot. The smaller light targets on the walls provided tactical focus points, allowing for deepened engagement by demanding accuracy and focus, accompanied by fear – the consequence of leaving oneself vulnerable to attack. As vulnerable moving targets, the player packs elicited an alertness, heightened fear and consequently, engagement. The diversity of light targets, demanding varying levels of engagement, and prompting varied emotional responses, allows for the creation of an interactive, dynamic, and responsive world within the laser tag arena. Through such environmental design, the user experiences sustained engagement and is afforded a deeper immersive experience (Serafin & Serafin, 2004). Another element of physical interaction was created through the existence of different levels and obstacles within the arenas. While Strike contained just one raised platform, Darkzone featured four stories and an abundance of obstacles, hiding positions, and vantage points. The existence of such within Darkzone exponentially increased the level of immersion present during gameplay, heightening the players’ awareness of their environment due to increased risk of attack from an unknown position. These physically interactive elements all culminate to provide player agency (Grimshaw, 2008). Instead of a passive soundtrack, a bare room, or series of lights that play out in sequence, the arena’s elements function in direct and immediate response to the gameplay at hand. As Carson asserts, the player should maintain at least the illusion of control, as this is vital to immersion within user-centric augmented realities (Carson, 2000). Allowing players express control over gameplay ensures that they become active players, immersed within the game as they are directly implicated in its narrative.

 

Perhaps the most crucial element in crafting an immersive experience within augmented reality gaming, is the gameplay’s ability to elicit an emotional response. The story, motivations interactions, and patterns of laser tag are all factors which contribute to gameplay emotionality. Story establishment begins in the laser tag briefing room. While both Darkzone and Strike have backstories for their laser tag arenas, these are lacking in conviction and do little to engross the player in the game world. Their function is however to prime the user for gameplay; addressing the participant in second person, and situating them within the game world (Grimshaw, 2008). In this way, the player is already more willing to engage, and thus more susceptible to the emotionally manipulative devices within. A user-centric experience, laser tag’s true story is produced by the players themselves (Carson, 2000).  Competition is created through a point system. This promotes engagement by allowing the players to become goal oriented, and establishes the user-driven narrative, which persists and grows throughout gameplay, as players rise to the top becoming targets or threats to the other players (Wang & Sun, 2011). With the ability to check their ranking throughout gameplay, users are provided with consistent motivation to rank up or hold their position. This allows for more active and engaged gameplay, in addition to emotional investment. The establishment of a user-centric narrative is most evident within free-for-all rounds. These are generally highly dramatic. Alliances are made and betrayed, and players at their most alert due to the increased risk of being shot, as compared to team rounds. To foster success in both individual and team settings, the game demands group coordination – strategising, instruction, defence, attack – gameplay demands intellectual engagement and through this, establishes player immersion within the game world. The story and effort commanded by the game increases the likelihood of players developing an emotional investment in the gameplay, educing responses such as anger, sadness, joy, and frustration to experiences within the game world. As concluded by film academics Valentijn Visch, Ed Tan, and Dylan Molenaar, ‘stronger immersion [leads] to more intense emotions’ (Visch, Tan, Molenaar, 2010). In augmented realities such as laser tag, the arena’s immersive abilities are directly reflected in the intensity of the player’s emotions; their emotional states becoming barometers of their own immersion. Through the culmination of all the immersive devices used by laser tag arenas, the test of their immersive abilities, is found in the emotional engagement of the user.

 

Through the implementation of emotive and responsive audio, effective laser tag arenas create a soundscape that permits and promotes the suspension of belief. Through the creation of physically interactive environments, they allow player agency. Through competition and user-centric story, they foster intellectual, and crucially, emotional engagement. While the individual user experience may vary depending on skill level, game role, age, temperament, or experience, the laser tag arena’s multitude of stimuli, and adaptive, user-driven nature permits and encourages unique game play. The culmination of the arena’s purposefully manipulative engagement strategies is to create an environment of immersion; wherein an augmented reality may be temporarily believed.

 

 

Reference List

 

Carson, D 2000, Environmental Storytelling: Creating Immersive 3D Worlds Using Lessons Learned from the Theme Park industry, Gamasutra.com, accessed 1 Sep 2017.

http://www.primitive-eye.com/pdf_files/Enviromental_storytelling_pt1.pdf

 

Chion, M 1994, Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen, Columbia University Press, USA.

 

Grimshaw, M 2008, Sound and immersion in the first-person shooter, Games Computing and Creative Technologies, no. 3, University of Bolton Institutional Repository, UK.

 

Lipscomb, S & Zehnder, S 2004, Immersion in the Virtual Environment: The Effect of a Musical Score on the Video Gaming Experience, Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human Science, no. 23, 337 – 343, JPN.

Serafin, S & Serafin, G 2004, Sound Design to Enhance Presence in Photorealistic Virtual Reality, ICAD, Aus, accessed, 1 Sep 2017.

https://smartech.gatech.edu/bitstream/handle/1853/50913/SerafinSerafin2004.pdf

 

Shilling, R; Wardynski, E; & Zyda, M 2002, Introducing Emotion into Military Simulation and Videogame Design: America’s Army Operations and VIRTE, Calhoun, USA, accessed 30 August 2017.

https://calhoun.nps.edu/bitstream/handle/10945/41580/ShillingGameon2002.pdf?sequence=1

 

Ulate, S 2002, The Impact of Emotional Arousal on Learning in Virtual Environments, MOVES Institute, CA.

 

Visch, V; Tan, E; Molenaar, D 2010, The emotional and cognitive effect of immersion in film viewing, Cognition and Emotion, vol. 24, no. 8, p. 1439 – 1445, Taylor and Francis, UK.

 

Wang, H & Sun, C 2011, Game Reward Systems: Gaming Experiences and Social Meanings, Digital Games and Research Association, Fi.

 

Yim, J & Graham, N 2007, Using Games to Increase Exercise Motivation, ACM, USA.

http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/1330000/1328232/p166-yim.pdf?ip=131.170.239.14&id=1328232&acc=ACTIVE%20SERVICE&key=65D80644F295BC0D%2E124032AC6F25F239%2E4D4702B0C3E38B35%2E4D4702B0C3E38B35&CFID=800374800&CFTOKEN=99091791&__acm__=1504475473_ca9b20304fcbfc17ab844a33580cce94

[1] Each team is assigned a coloured base to defend, which the other team may attack for points.

 

I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration.