ITAG 2015 Nottingham Trent University, 22 October 2015.

Dr. Angelica B. Ortiz de Gortari

@cyberpsyke

Game Transfer Phenomena and the impact of

highly immersive gaming technologies

“[We]’ll experience sights and sounds vivid and life like

enough to transport [us] to another place …—whole new

realities with limitless possibilities” (HTC Vive).

“Unlike anything [we] have ever experienced” (Oculus

Rift).

We will “rethinking reality” (HTC Vive).

We will “deeply immer[se in an] audio experience, putting

[us] in the middle of the world” (PlayStation VR).

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Effects of the virtual immersion

Direct effects are the ones that affect at tissue

level (photic seizures, migraines, damage of visual

or auditory system, and injures).

Indirect effects refer to effects at a high functional

level (e.g. modification of behaviour, modification

of perception and motion sickness and,

psychological implications) (Viirre & Bush, 2002).

Well known side-effects of VR

Cybersickness (subset of motion sickness)

Response to a non-habitual stimulus

Disruption of sensorial systems

Visually-induced perception of self-motion

(Cobbs, et al, 1999; LaViola, 2000).

Cybersickness

Symptoms include:

Visual symptoms (eyestrains, blurred vision,

headaches).

Disorientation (vertigo, imbalance).

Nausea (vomiting, dizziness) (e.g. Barrett, 2003).

In most cases the symptoms disappear after

repeated exposure.

Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP)

Investigate gamers’ experiences:

Last five years

based on over 3,500 gamers

Interviews, online forums and an online survey

(n=2,362)

Non-volitional phenomena with game contents

Seeing, hearing, feeling, thinking or doing

something; usually involuntary with game contents

The interplay of cognitive, perceptual and

physiological mechanisms

Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP)

The most interesting observations about

gamers’ GTP self-reports that have been

analyzed are the similarities reported by gamers

when playing the same games (Ortiz de Gortari, et

al., 2011; Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2014c).

Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP)

Modalities/sub-modalities

Automatic mental

processes Behaviours

Visual Auditory Body

Altered perceptions

VISUAL MODALITY

Background – purposes of VR

Use of VR under regulated settings for specific purposes such as therapy and training.

The use of highly immersive technologies for entertainment at home.

Background – VR gaming devices

Arcade-based gaming machines in the early ’90s

(e.g. Virtuality’s products).

Home use: e.g.Virtual Boy by Nintendo.

Visual related side-effects

Reflex seizures provoked by epileptogenic

precipitators (e.g. flashing lights, figure patterns) (Chuang, 2006).

Unintended altered sensorial perceptions can

easily be induced, particularly since playing video

games involves the exposure to repetitive stimuli

for extended periods of times.

Objects and environments change colour, shape,

become cell-shaded, outlined or glowing, etc.

GTP- visual altered perceptions

Gamers have reported seeing things wavy, scrolling

down, melting etc. after playing music related games

such as GH and RB (Ortiz de Gortari, et al., 2011; Ortiz

de Gortari & Griffiths, 2014b).

Motion after- effects (MAE).

The Rock Band user manual included warnings about

motion sickness.

GTP- visual altered perceptions

Visual aftereffects –

HMD pixelations

A user of a test version of a head mountain display

reported seeing “pixel grids burned into his

retinas” after using the display for five hours (Hutchinson, 2015).

GTP visual experiences-

pixelations

Seeing particular objects pixelated has been

reported after playing, mainly after playing older

video games (Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2014a).

The good news is that the new VG/HMD would

have better visual fidelity.

GTP– Recurrent afterimages

Seeing images in movement in the back of the

eyelids (Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2014a).

Stereotypical games.

77% visualized or saw video game images with

closed eyes (Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2015b).

GTP visual experiences –

Seeing images with open eyes

Seeing images with open eyes: tags above

people’s heads, maps, HUDs, menus (Ortiz de

Gortari & Griffiths, 2014a; Ortiz de Gortari, et al. 2011).

31% have seen images with open eyes (Ortiz de

Gortari & Griffiths, 2015b).

GTP visual experiences –

seeing images with open eyes

In a few cases these GTP have lead to automatic

actions (Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2014c).

Images triggered by associations.

Can be used in learning if applied correctly.

Body Modality

Body movements -

Wearable technology

Motion capture, intuitive controls, full body control.

Control VR, PrioVR, PerceptionNeuron.

Game controls/motion tracking

side-effects

Muscular injures (e.g. Zapata, et al, 2006).

Repetitive strain injury (e.g. Rubin, 2010).

Motion sensor control (e.g., hand laceration, tooth

avulsion, thumb bone injury, etc.) (e.g. Bonis, 2007;

Galanopoulos, et al., 2012).

Motion tracking - Wii Control, PS Move, Kinect.

GTP–

Involuntary movements of limbs

Involuntary movements of limbs:

Fingers twitching- due to repetitive motion

When wanting to use video game elements IRL

(Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2014b; Ortiz et al., 2011).

GTP –

Involuntary movements of limbs

44% experienced reflex body

reactions associated with a VG (Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2015b).

Objects associated with the game

may activate motoric central areas

(Ortiz de Gortari, 2015a). –

Therapeutic purposes.

Haptic technologies

Haptic devices

Gaming vests e.g. KOR-FX.

Gloves e.g. Gloveone.

Oculus touch, Tactical haptics.

GTP– Tactile sensations

Gamers have reported tactile sensations of game

controls when not playing (e.g., pushing buttons or

force feedback) (Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2014b).

Also users of mobile phones have reported ghost

vibrations (Deb, 2014).

Motoric rehabilitation, phantom limb pain.

Treadmills for VR

Treadmills for gaming e.g. Omni, Cyberith

Virtualizer, Kat Walk.

Allow users to walk and in general control the game

with more natural body movements.

Promote physical activity.

GTP– Moving as in the VG

Gamers have reported uncoordinated movements

of arms

Finding themselves moving as in the game (e.g.,

“strafing” as in First Person Shooters) (Ortiz de

Gortari & Griffiths, 2014c; Ortiz de Gortari, et al. 2011).

Rotating platforms for VR

Rotating platforms or chairs e.g., Roto, FeelThree

Allow the user to rotate his physical body

according to the movements in the game.

Potentially can reduce cybersickness symptoms by

avoiding the sensory discrepancies when

perceiving movement when being static.

GTP– Bodily sensations

51% felt bodily sensations of movement as in a

VG.

VG with high speed, flying or floating

Similar as the “Mal de Debarquement Syndrome”

and related to motion sickness (Ortiz de Gortari &

Griffiths, 2015b; Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2014a).

Auditory Modality

Wearable audio devices

Headphones- Hearing through headphones allows

the greatest control over the auditory cues.

Wearable haptic audio devices such as wearable

sub-woofer - enables “feeling” the sound rather

than just hearing it (e.g. Woojer).

Enhancing sound realism.

Auditory side-effects

Prolonged exposure to certain sounds can exceed

the recommended limits (HSE) and provoke hearing

loss, similar to exposure to repetitive high intensity

pulsatile sound (Virre & Bush, 2002).

Realistic screams of pain lead to increased arousal

(Eui Jun, et al. 2011)

Hearing erratic breathing in comparison to quiet

breathing can lead to anxiety and potentially to

panic attacks in susceptible individuals (Lauter, et al.

2009).

GTP auditory experiences

Many gamers have reported hearing music,

sounds or voices from the game when not playing

(e.g. explosions, coins falling, whisperings) (Ortiz

de Gortari & Griffiths, 2014c).

74% heard the music from a VG IRL

65% heard a sound from a VG IRL

46% heard a character’s voice from a VG IRL

(Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2015b).

Experiencing involuntary auditory replays of cues

from the game can elicit thoughts, emotions and

impulsive actions learned in the game.

Depend on the contents of the game.

Earworms for learning languages.

GTP auditory experiences

Mental processes

& Behaviours

Perceived realism

Sensory realism- simulation of physical objects are

typically embedded in video games (Jeong et al.

2012).

Presence – sense of being in the in the VE (Slater

& Wilbur, 1997).

An experiment using Oculus Rift found that a roller

coaster that was more realistic and with better

optical flow provoked greater levels of

cybersickness symptoms (Davis, et al. 2015).

VR HMD & mix-ups

Spent 24 hours wearing a head mounted display,

only taking short breaks.

On several occasions the participant confused

being in the VE or in the physical world

Made mix-ups between artefacts and events in both

contexts (Steinicke & Bruder, 2014).

43% have momentarily mixed up VG events with

actual RL events (Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2015).

GTP automatic mental processes –

Want to use VG elements

Gamers have reported making mishaps/slips when

wanting to use video game elements IRL (Ortiz de

Gortari & Griffiths, 2014b; Ortiz de Gortari, et al. 2011).

75% have thought about using something from a

VG IRL (Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2015b).

Some gamers have mixed up (slips of action) game

controls or keyboards when doing daily routines such

as driving or bicycling (Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths,

2014b; Ortiz de Gortari, et al. 2011).

GTP- automatic actions

GTP- automatic behaviours

Some gamers responded to RL stimuli similarly as

in the game (Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2014b,

2014c; Ortiz de Gortari, et al. 2011).

Change of behaviours and responses to stimuli

associated with the game.

49% acted differently in RL situations because

something they have experienced in a VG

unintentionally (Ortiz de Gortari & Griffiths, 2015).

Conclusions

In addition to VG contents, now hardware is

also a key factor to take into account for

understanding the effects of video games.

Current user recommendations primarily concern:

Rating classification of the videogame content

Warnings about epileptic seizures.

Motion sickness.

Conclusions –

User recommendations

Samsung Gear VR

Stop using the device if: experienced seizures,

loss of awareness, eyestrain or nausea.

Oculus Rift

Children under the age of 13 should not use head-

mounted display at all.

Do not engage in activities that require “hand-eye

coordination, balance, and multi-tasking ability.”

Conclusions –

User recommendations

Oculus Rift

“…prolonged use should be avoided“.

Breaks of 10-15 min every 30 minutes of use.

Lose track of time: playing time was underestimated

more than the reading task, particularly by

participants that typically play games. Shorter

durations were overestimated and longer durations

were underestimated (Tobin & Grodin, 2009).

Conclusions –

User recommendations

“A 15 minute break every hour? God, I wish I could

use that excuse at work!” (Forum MetalGear Solid 4)

Conclusions –

User recommendations based research

about GTP

Stereotypical images, pixelations may result in

unconformable recurrent afterimages.

Prolonged play: GTP is more likely to occurred when

playing 3 to 6 hours.

Neural adaptations are real and can occur even when

playing video games on conventional devices.

Take a break after playing. GTP tend to occur soon

after playing or hours after. They are sometimes

triggered by associations later on.

Conclusions –

User recommendations based research

about GTP

Simulation of RL stimuli may facilitate mix-ups.

Many GTP occurred by automatic associations

between real life stimuli and VG elements.

In most of the cases gamers have no further

consequences due to GTP. 20% have reported

distress or disability.

Managing to pair the correct stimuli can make VR

equipment very useful for therapeutic or learning

means.

Conclusions

Immersing in virtual reality does not impair our

ability to distinguish reality, but mishaps after the

exposure can come along.

The positive or negative implications of those mishaps

may depend on:

The individual executive control when not

performing automatic actions.

The circumstances where GTP occur.

The appraisal users do of their non-volitional

experiences.

References

• E. J. Jeong, F. A. Biocca, and C. J. Bohil, "Sensory realism and mediated aggression in video games," Computers in Human

Behavior, vol. 28, pp. 1840-1848, September 2012.

• S. Persky and J. Blascovich, "Immersive virtual video game play and presence: Influences on aggressive feelings and

behavior," Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments, vol. 17, pp. 57-72, 2008.

• J. A. LaViola, "Discussion of cybersickness in virtual environments," SIGCHI Bulletin, vol. 32, pp. 47-56, 2000.

• S. V. G. Cobb, S. Nichols, A. Ramsey, and J. R. Wilson, "Virtual reality-induced symptoms and effects (VRISE)," Presence:

Teleoperators & Virtual Environments, vol. 8, pp. 169-186, 1999. • B. D. Lawson, D. A. Graeber, A. M. Mead, and E. R. Muth, "Signs and Symptoms of human syndromes associated with synthetic

experiences," in Handbook of virtual environments: Design, Implementation, and Applications, K. M. Stanney, Ed., ed Mahwah, NJ:

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002, pp. 589-618.

• J. Barrett, "Side effects of virtual enviroments: A review of the literature," DSTO Information Sciences Laboratory, Edinburgh South

AustraliaMay 2003.

• Y.-C. Chuang, "Massively Multiplayer Online role playing game induced seizures: A neglected health problem in internet addiction,"

Cyberpsychology & Behavior, vol. 9, pp. 451-456, 2006.

• B. J. Dyson, "She's a waterfall: Motion aftereffect and perceptual design in video games involving virtual musicianship.," Perception,

vol. 39, pp. 131-132, 2010.

• L. Hutchinson. (2015, April 20). Five-hour play sessions with an Oculus Rift are giving me “grid eyes”. Available:

http://arstechnica.com/staff/2014/10/multi-hour-oculus-rift-sessions-are-doing-weird-things-to-my-eyes/

• A. Deb, "Phantom vibration and phantom ringing among mobile phone users: A systematic review of literature," Asia-Pacific

Psychiatry, vol. Advance online publication. 10.1111/appy.12164, November 2014. • J. Lauter, E. Mathukutty, and B. Scott, "How can a video game cause panic attacks? Effects of an auditory stressor on the human

brainstem," presented at the 158th Meeting Acoustical Society of America, San Antonio, Texas, 2009.

• E. Viirre and D. Bush, "Direct effects of virtual enviroments on users," in Handbook of virtual environments: Design, Implementation, and

Applications, K. M. Stanney, Ed., ed Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002, pp. 581-588.

• J. Eui Jun, C. J. Bohil, and F. A. Biocca, "Brand logo placement in violent games," Journal of Advertising, vol. 40, pp. 59-72,

Mar 2011.

References

• S. Davis, K. Nesbitt, and E. Nalivaiko, "Comparing the onset of cybersickness using the Oculus Rift and two virtual roller coasters," in Proceedings of the

11th Australasian Conference on Interactive Entertainment (IE 2015), 2015, p. 30.

• E. J. Jeong, F. A. Biocca, and C. J. Bohil, "Sensory realism and mediated aggression in video games," Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 28, pp. 1840-

1848, September 2012.

• F. Steinicke and G. Bruder, "A self-experimentation report about long-term use of fully-immersive technology," in Proceedings of the 2nd ACM symposium

on Spatial user interaction, 2014, pp. 66-69.

• H. G. Hoffman, A. Garcia-Palacios, A. K. Thomas, and A. Schmidt, "Virtual reality monitoring: Phenomenal characteristics of real, virtual, and false

memories," Cyberpsychology & Behavior vol. 4, pp. 565-72, Oct 2001.

• A. Hall, "Viewers' perceptions of reality programs," Communication Quarterly, vol. 54, pp. 191-211, May 2006

• Lewis (2015) When Will Virtual-Reality Headsets Stop Making People Sick? http://www.livescience.com/50129-virtual-reality-nausea-sickness.html

• Viirre E, Bush D. (2002) Direct effects of virtual enviroments on users. In: Stanney KM, ed. Handbook of virtual environments: Design, Implementation, and

Applications. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 2002. pp. 581-8.

• Skorka-Brown J, Andrade J, Whalley B, May J. Playing Tetris decreases drug and other cravings in real world settings. Addictive Behaviors. 2015;51:165-

70.

• Tobin S, Grondin S. Video games and the perception of very long durations by adolescents. Computers in Human Behavior. 2009;25(2):554-9.

• A. B. Ortiz de Gortari and M. D. Griffiths, "An empirical examination of factors associated with Game Transfer Phenomena severity," (Manuscript under

review), 2015c.

• A. B. Ortiz de Gortari and M. D. Griffiths, "Automatic mental processes, automatic actions and behaviours in Game Transfer Phenomena: An empirical self-

report study using online forum data," International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, vol. 12, pp. 1-21, 2014/01/22 2014c.

• A. B. Ortiz de Gortari and M. D. Griffiths, "Altered visual perception in Game Transfer Phenomena: An empirical self-report study," International Journal of

Human-Computer Interaction, vol. 30, pp. 95-105, Febraury 2014a.

• A. B. Ortiz de Gortari and M. D. Griffiths, "Auditory experiences in Game Transfer Phenomena: An empirical self-report study," International Journal of

Cyber Behavior, Psychology and Learning vol. 4, pp. 59-75, January 2014b.

• A. B. Ortiz de Gortari, K. Aronsson, and M. D. Griffiths, "Game Transfer Phenomena in video game playing: A qualitative interview study," International

Journal of Cyber Behavior, Psychology and Learning vol. 1, pp. 15-33, September 2011.

• A. B. Ortiz de Gortari, "Exploring Game Transfer Phenomena: A multimodal research approach for investigating video games’ effects (unpublished doctoral

dissertation)," Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK, 2015a.

• A. B. Ortiz de Gortari and M. D. Griffiths, "Prevalence and characteristics of Game Transfer Phenomena: A descriptive survey study," (Manuscript under

review), 2015b.

• A. B. Ortiz de Gortari and M. D. Griffiths, "Game Transfer Phenomena and its associated factors: An exploratory empirical online survey study " Computers

in Human Behavior. (in press), 2015c.

• A. B. Ortiz de Gortari, "Targeting the Real life Impact of Virtual interactions: The Game Transfer Phenomenon 42 video games players’ experiences

(Unpublished Master disertation)," Stockholm University, Stockholm, 2010.

• A. B. Ortiz de Gortari, K. Aronsson, and M. D. Griffiths, "Game Transfer Phenomena in video game Playing: A qualitative interview study," in Evolving

Psychological and Educational Perspectives on Cyber Behavior, R. Zheng, Ed., ed Pennsylvania: IGI Global, 2013.