Thesis Abstract

This is not the final version of my thesis abstract. However, I think it's a good starting point.

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Many authors in the field of game studies have used the term immersion in a variety of ways, many of which are imprecise. No one concise definition for immersion exists, but the most apt description is a sense of presence, or deep absorption in a videogame environment. However, at least three difficulties arise when using this definition of immersion in academic writing and discourse. First, there is no feasible way to quantify and measure immersion; at the time of this writing, there does not exist any accurate and valid measure to describe immersion. One cannot identify levels of immersion, or discuss those levels in an academic discourse; one cannot be forty percent immersed in one game, and sixty percent immersed in another. Second, immersion is a fluid state of being; the level and nature of immersion changes from moment to moment even within a specific videogame title. Several videogame scholars have noted that in-game menus and other non-game elements break immersion; a single generalized term is unable to handle the complexity of a state that is constantly in flux. Finally, immersion exists in widely varied forms—the state of mind that a player experiences while playing Tetris, World of Warcraft, and Call of Duty are all quite dissimilar, as each of those games requires and elicits entirely different mental states and emotions, and each game contains vastly different gameplay elements. However, videogame players experience immersion for each of those titles, and the current literature does not differentiate between those three unique player experiences.

These elements combine to mark immersion as an antiquated and inadequate description for the potentially intense and influential mental state that occurs during stimulating videogame play. Couple this failure with the relative importance of the state being described; deep immersion in game play has been discussed in conjunction with addiction, social dysfunction, and even aggression and physical violence and occasionally homicidal rampages. In light of the relative importance of immersion, the potential ramifications of deep involvement, and the inadequate nature of the current language in use today, I believe it is imperative to develop a more accurate term for use in the study of videogames.

Toward this end, this thesis will examine the history of videogame studies, the development of immersion as an ubiquitous buzzword in the academic literature, and the development of a new measure of immersion: Gordon Calleja’s Digital Game Experience Model. Furthermore, this model will be cross-examined with the engagement literature from academic studies of television viewership in order to begin the development of a new, cross-platform model of involvement that could potentially expand to encompass elements of engagement and involvement across all digital media. After conducting a thorough review of the prevailing literature, then I will conduct a duplication of Calleja’s work in developing the DGEM, interviewing videogame players about their gaming/play habits, and correlating their responses with the six-sided model developed by Calleja. Finally, I will suggest new directions for the study of immersion, as well as potential applications for the new model that has been developed.