Recent research published in journals virtual reality Evidence shows that adding story elements to virtual reality (VR) exercise games can make physical activity more appealing and may provide a new means of encouraging physical activity among young people. The study found that while these narrative elements did not increase the overall time spent playing, they did lead to an increase in the quality of physical activity as participants moved more actively during gameplay. .
The motivation behind this innovative research arose from pressing public health concerns about the prevalence of sedentary lifestyles and associated disease risks among U.S. adults. With the advent of VR technology, researchers saw an opportunity to make exercise more appealing by incorporating it into VR games, an already popular form of entertainment among young people. .
This interest has been particularly heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when physical activity levels have declined due to limited access to traditional exercise facilities. Researchers find alternative ways to combat sedentary lifestyles, especially during times when access to physical activity is limited, by exploring the potential of narrative-driven VR games to promote physical activity I aimed for that.
“I have always been fascinated by the power of stories. The emergence of emerging media technologies provides a great opportunity to explore the impact of stories,” said the study authors. Amy S. Luassociate professor and director of the Institute for Health Technology at Northeastern University.
The study recruited participants through web advertisements and posters on college campuses, focusing on individuals aged 18 to 29 with low levels of physical activity. Of the 252 students who expressed interest, 36 met the criteria and participated in active and seated VR gaming using an HTC Vive Pro headset with and without narrative elements. I completed the research of playing both.
Participants were randomly assigned to either narrative or non-narrative conditions and played both active VR games that required physical movement and sedentary VR games that did not. . The active VR games selected are Beat Saber, a rhythm-based game that requires the player to move to music, and his other rhythm-based but minimally physical activity Thumper, which requires players to sit and play. It functioned as a corresponding game for Panashi.
Before playing an active VR game, participants in the narrative condition watched a 5-minute video that introduced a story related to the game they were about to play. Researchers measured participants’ physical activity levels using wrist-worn accelerometers and collected data about their gaming experience through surveys.
Adding story elements did not significantly extend gameplay duration. The researchers note that story themes based on the Star Wars universe may not resonate with all participants, and future studies should consider a broader range of story themes and formats. suggested that it was necessary to do so.
“Star Wars series fatigue may be real! Perhaps they should have considered a different plot design,” Lu told PsyPost. “But who doesn’t think about Star Wars when playing Beat Saber?”
Participants in the narrative condition had higher rates of moderate to vigorous physical activity compared to participants in the non-narrative condition, suggesting that narrative may motivate players to put more effort into movement. It was suggested that there is a sex. Moreover, active VR games were found to promote physical activity significantly more than sedentary VR games, highlighting their potential as effective tools for increasing physical activity levels.
Furthermore, active VR games, especially those that include narrative elements, are more positive, as indicated by higher scores for flow, positive emotions, and enjoyment of physical activity compared to sedentary VR games. It provided a great gaming experience. This suggests that integrating stories into VR games can not only help promote physical activity, but also increase the overall enjoyment of exercise.
“Incorporating narrative elements into active virtual reality games can motivate people to exercise more,” Lu said. “This approach could be an effective strategy to combat sedentary lifestyles exacerbated by the pandemic.”
Despite these promising findings, this study faced several limitations. The study, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, required overcoming challenges such as physical distancing, which may have affected participants’ willingness to commit to physical activity. be.
“Conducting in-person VR research during a pandemic has not been fun, especially when it comes to managing research assistant and participant schedules,” Lu explained. “However, we were impressed by the enthusiastic response from participants.”
Additionally, narrative videos may not have been professionally produced and may not have been as immersive as possible, which may limit their impact on engagement.
“Due to budget constraints, we weren’t able to create a narrative clip to play directly on a VR headset,” Lu says. “Instead, we showed the story on a television screen before the participant switched to her VR play mode. Future research may eliminate such drastic modality changes to maintain an immersive experience.” We need to aim to do that.”
This study highlights the need for further research to explore more immersive and interactive narrative designs and assess their impact immediately after viewing. They also want to explore different narrative themes and delivery methods to maximize player engagement and physical activity. By continuing to explore the intersection of VR technology, storytelling, and exercise, researchers hope to unlock new strategies to combat sedentary lifestyles and promote physical health.
“It would be fun to further explore effective ways to add narrative to active VR games,” Lu said. “It will be interesting to see if we can really blend storytelling and VR.”
the study, “The impact of incorporating narrative elements on physical activity and gaming experience in active and sedentary virtual reality games” is written by Amy Shiron Lu, Victoria Peralski, Dar Aron, Alexandra Baran, Emma McGarrity, Neha Swaminathan, and Kaio Victor Souza.
