Exploring the effect of the Group Size and Feedback of non-player character spectators in virtual reality exergames

Despite the widespread interest in leveraging non-player characters (NPCs) to enhance gameplay experiences, there is a gap in understanding of how NPC spectators (i.e., those virtual characters in the scene that watch users' actions) affect players. For instance, the impact of NPC spectators�...

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Main Authors: Wenge Xu, Kangyou Yu, Xuanru Meng, Diego Monteiro, Dominic Kao, Hai-Ning Liang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1079132/full
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author Wenge Xu
Kangyou Yu
Xuanru Meng
Diego Monteiro
Dominic Kao
Hai-Ning Liang
author_facet Wenge Xu
Kangyou Yu
Xuanru Meng
Diego Monteiro
Dominic Kao
Hai-Ning Liang
author_sort Wenge Xu
collection DOAJ
description Despite the widespread interest in leveraging non-player characters (NPCs) to enhance gameplay experiences, there is a gap in understanding of how NPC spectators (i.e., those virtual characters in the scene that watch users' actions) affect players. For instance, the impact of NPC spectators' presence and feedback on players' performance and experience has not been studied, especially in virtual reality (VR) exergames. This paper aims to fill this gap and reports two user studies that assess their effect on such games. Study 1 explored the impact of having NPC spectators present and their feedback available in a gesture-based VR exergame and found having NPC spectators and their feedback could improve players' game performance, experience, and exertion. Based on Study 1's results, we further explored two characteristics of the spectators—their group size (small/large) and their feedback (with/without). The results show that (1) a large spectator number is more helpful since it improves the overall game experience (higher competence, flow, immersion), increases AvgHR% (the average heart rate percentage divided by the maximum heart rate), and enhances performance (improved players' combo performance and increased gesture success rate for particular gesture); (2) spectator feedback is instrumental in improving players' performance (higher gesture success rates, more combos performed successfully, more monster's combos prevented), enhancing game experience (positive affect, competence, flow, and immersion), and reducing negative game experience, increasing exertion (AvgHR% and burned more calories). Based on the results, we derived two main design recommendations for VR exergames that could pave the way for improving gameplay performance and game experience, especially among young adults.
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spelling doaj.art-051c3fe98c934abfaa7dc290211d13f72023-05-18T08:17:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-05-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.10791321079132Exploring the effect of the Group Size and Feedback of non-player character spectators in virtual reality exergamesWenge Xu0Kangyou Yu1Xuanru Meng2Diego Monteiro3Dominic Kao4Hai-Ning Liang5DMT Lab, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, United KingdomDepartment of Computing, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, ChinaDepartment of Computing, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, ChinaDigital Engineering School, ESIEA, Laval, FranceDepartment of Computer and Information Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United StatesDepartment of Computing, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, ChinaDespite the widespread interest in leveraging non-player characters (NPCs) to enhance gameplay experiences, there is a gap in understanding of how NPC spectators (i.e., those virtual characters in the scene that watch users' actions) affect players. For instance, the impact of NPC spectators' presence and feedback on players' performance and experience has not been studied, especially in virtual reality (VR) exergames. This paper aims to fill this gap and reports two user studies that assess their effect on such games. Study 1 explored the impact of having NPC spectators present and their feedback available in a gesture-based VR exergame and found having NPC spectators and their feedback could improve players' game performance, experience, and exertion. Based on Study 1's results, we further explored two characteristics of the spectators—their group size (small/large) and their feedback (with/without). The results show that (1) a large spectator number is more helpful since it improves the overall game experience (higher competence, flow, immersion), increases AvgHR% (the average heart rate percentage divided by the maximum heart rate), and enhances performance (improved players' combo performance and increased gesture success rate for particular gesture); (2) spectator feedback is instrumental in improving players' performance (higher gesture success rates, more combos performed successfully, more monster's combos prevented), enhancing game experience (positive affect, competence, flow, and immersion), and reducing negative game experience, increasing exertion (AvgHR% and burned more calories). Based on the results, we derived two main design recommendations for VR exergames that could pave the way for improving gameplay performance and game experience, especially among young adults.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1079132/fullvirtual realityexergamesvirtual spectatorspectator feedbacknon-player characters
spellingShingle Wenge Xu
Kangyou Yu
Xuanru Meng
Diego Monteiro
Dominic Kao
Hai-Ning Liang
Exploring the effect of the Group Size and Feedback of non-player character spectators in virtual reality exergames
Frontiers in Psychology
virtual reality
exergames
virtual spectator
spectator feedback
non-player characters
title Exploring the effect of the Group Size and Feedback of non-player character spectators in virtual reality exergames
title_full Exploring the effect of the Group Size and Feedback of non-player character spectators in virtual reality exergames
title_fullStr Exploring the effect of the Group Size and Feedback of non-player character spectators in virtual reality exergames
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the effect of the Group Size and Feedback of non-player character spectators in virtual reality exergames
title_short Exploring the effect of the Group Size and Feedback of non-player character spectators in virtual reality exergames
title_sort exploring the effect of the group size and feedback of non player character spectators in virtual reality exergames
topic virtual reality
exergames
virtual spectator
spectator feedback
non-player characters
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1079132/full
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