What can Game Transfer Phenomena tell us about the impact of highly immersive gaming technologies? (Angelica B. Ortiz De Gortari) Interactive Technologies and Games (ITAG) Conference 2015 Health, Disability and EducationDates: Thursday 22 October 2015 - Friday 23 October 2015 Location: The Council House, NG1 2DT

1. 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

2. “[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

3. Introduction

4. Introduction

5. Introduction

6. Introduction

7. 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).

8. 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).

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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).

12. Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP)
Modalities/sub-modalities
Automatic
mental
processes
Behaviours
Visual Auditory Body
Altered
perceptions

13. VISUAL MODALITY

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. Objects and environments change colour, shape,
become cell-shaded, outlined or glowing, etc.
GTP- visual altered perceptions

18. 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

19. 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).

20. 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.

21. 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).

22. 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).

23. 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.

24. Body Modality

25. Body movements -
Wearable technology
Motion capture, intuitive controls, full body control.
Control VR, PrioVR, PerceptionNeuron.

26. 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.

27. 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).

28. 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.

29. Haptic technologies
Haptic devices
Gaming vests e.g. KOR-FX.
Gloves e.g. Gloveone.
Oculus touch, Tactical haptics.

30. 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.

31. 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.

32. 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).

33. 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.

34. 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).

35. Auditory Modality

36. 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.

37. 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).

38. 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).

39. 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

40. Mental processes
& Behaviours

41. 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).

42. 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).

43. 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).

44. 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

45. 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).

46. 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.

47. 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.”

48. 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).

49. Conclusions –
User recommendations
“A 15 minute break every hour? God, I wish I could
use that excuse at work!” (Forum MetalGear Solid 4)

50. 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.

51. 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.

52. 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.

54. 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.

55. 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.