Astaire

A Best-Fit Framework and Systematic Review of Asymmetric Gameplay in Multiplayer Virtual Reality Games

“…Conversely, when an early iteration of #3's game found an imbalance in favor of the non-HMD player due to an easier game mechanic (voice commands as input); they adjusted this to increase difficulty (voice commands based on pitch as input) and reduce this asymmetry. Zhou et al (2019) also highlight a balance in responsibilities as a positive factor increasing enjoyment, with an appealing "give and take' interaction style. "…”

“…#15 is a notable example for interdependence explicitly enforced through a communication constraint: at some point during the game, audio chat functionality is removed, and players have to develop their own communication system through gestures to succeed (Smilovitch and Lachman, 2019). #10is another interesting example: here, interdependence had a strong physical nature; "physical social contact" became a key coordination strategy to win the game (Zhou et al, 2019).…”

“…#18 report that couples displayed higher degrees of intimacy in interaction; it also affected players' acceptance of physical contact (Gugenheimer et al, 2018b). Zhou et al (2019) discuss this aspect in the most detail, describing the social connection between players as a strong factor in high social and affective experience ratings. It was reported to enhance relationships and support communication and synchronization.…”

“…The specifics of game design likely strongly influence PX results; for example, Gugenheimer et al (2017a) reported higher valence scores for their ShareVR (#9) system, which fosters explicitly shared physical space with a projection space and controller-mounted props compared to a gamepad-and-TV condition. Similarly, Zhou et al (2019) (#10) attributed the high enjoyment for their HMD player and non-HMD player to the richness of the highly embodied, physical interaction. Interestingly, they point out some enjoyment was derived from the peripheral interaction with spectators, who also reported high enjoyment and engagement ("It was really funny [.…”

“…VR's most appealing feature-its immersiveness-can also engender isolation (Boland and McGill, 2015;Mütterlein and Hess, 2017;Rogers et al, 2019). Thus, cross-reality consisting of the inclusion of non-VR users into the VR experience (asymmetry of interface) has been explored as a way to increase social interaction for both the HMD user and bystanders (e.g., Gugenheimer et al, 2017a;Zhou et al, 2019;Lee et al, 2020), with promising results for enjoyment and social connection. Furthermore, it may offer an alternative to users suffering from VR sickness (Jerald, 2015;Peck et al, 2020).…”