Differences Between 2-D and 3-D Gaming
September 22, 2011, 3-D User Experience Technical Summit, Hollywood–Andy Ellis from Florida State University detailed the differences between 2-D and 3-D gaming. Their findings show physically measurable differences in game types.
In general, the gaming industry is moving towards more 3-D content. Their measurements show greater presence and enjoyment for the 3-D versions of the games, so they are investigating the reasons for this difference. Understanding the values of 3-D can help to increase profitability, social factors, and can affect the development and consequences of more immersive gaming on various populations.
Their studies measured psychological and physical parameters. They measure presence- the ignorance of the real world, immersion- a feeling of being lost in the game attributes, and involvement- a state of heightened attention. Immersion is a requisite for presence and is technology based. Involvement is measured through physiological parameters like arousal, heart rate, and discomfort.
They used the games “Kill Zone 3” and “Grand Turismo 5” on a Sony PS3 and displayed on a Sony Bravia 3-D television. Their subject base is from students attending FSU, so is likely comprised of average but experienced gamers, and not the “pros”. The players were prescreened for stereo vision and had to have some gaming experience. The results indicate that their gamer population experienced greater enjoyment, presence, immersion, and involvement for 3-D versions of the game over 2-D. Enjoyment was greatest for those who reported the most presence, and presence was most associated with immersion.
They measured heart rate as a proxy for physiological arousal and found that the players had a lower heart rate for the 3-D versions. Previous studies have indicated that lower heart rates are related to greater attention, an effect that overrides the increases in heart rate due to emotional stress of playing an active game. GT5 had a higher differential than KillZone, which may be from a separate intensity factor. The length of play is another possible issue, as the trials were time limited for standardization.
They will be investigating subjective duration and other factors to measure their effects. Future work will increase the sample size of games and visual settings to find other contributing factors. Overall, they found that increasing the amount of visual information increased the emotional experience.
