Immersive

Technology has never stopped improving, and the gaming industry has shown the impact of these improvements. New games become more immersive. In addition, new technology releases are solely to support gamers’ immersion. How do these technologies make gaming feel more real, and what does it mean for players? 

Why Immersion Is Important in Games

Immersion isn’t only referring to high-quality sounds and graphics. It’s also about the compelling experience it provides that blurs the lines between reality and fiction. Live dealer casinos have been a groundbreaking innovation in the gambling industry. Immersion is one of the reasons why casino game developers came up with this product. 

Although online casino games are great to play, it’s missing the social aspect that has been involved in casino games for decades. Immersion is one of the reasons why live casino games are popular. It allows players to play as if they’re present inside a brick-and-mortar establishment. 

Psychologically, multiple aspects can make a game immersive:

• Multiple channels of sensory information: Games become more engaging when they trigger multiple senses at once. This is because players would get a sense of spatial presence and feel like they’re ‘physically present’ inside the game’s world.
  
• Completeness of sensory information: Everything that happens in the game must have a reason, especially for the things that the players can see.
  
• Cognitively demanding environments: Environments that require strong focus and attention keep players mentally involved. When the human brains understand what’s going on and can ‘navigate’ the world, it’ll be hard for it to remind the body that they’re playing a game.
  
• Strong narrative: A strong narrative can stick with someone every time. This focus is one of the key factors that help build immersion. A game’s story works to make the world convincing and draw players in. 

Why should developers focus on building immersive gameplay? This is because most gamers are seeking to live out their fantasies. The more players feel like the experience is real, the more likely they are to stay engaged. 

Three Technologies That Contribute the Most to Immersion

Technology improvements in gaming have been massive. However, some of them focus solely on improving players’ immersion. 

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is nothing but immersive. Augmented Reality is a technology that allows games to combine a virtual world with a physical environment. There would be 3D object that supports the game’s narrative, but it’ll allow players to ‘see’ these 3D objects in the physical environment of their choice. 

The appeal of the high immersion that Augmented Reality offers highly attracts players. One of the biggest games that has used AR is Pokémon GO. This type of game kept a large player base loyal because of how immersive it felt. Despite being released years ago, the game is still relevant today. 

Virtual Reality

Pixabay

Virtual Reality (VR) is another technology that focuses on providing immersion for gamers. Virtual Reality, unlike AR, pulls players fully into a digital world. 

What makes the Virtual Reality experience very immersive is how it combines visual and audio elements. Not only would players enjoy the game with goggles that would show what the world looks like and isolate them from their physical environment, but the device also comes with a built-in audio setup or headset. With both devices cutting players completely from their physical surroundings, players can fully experience true immersion. 

In addition, VR games aren’t like computer games where players would only be pressing buttons and see things unfold. Additional gears ask players to stand up and do the actions directly. This makes them more alert to what’s happening inside the game. 

Controllers

If Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality focus on what the players hear and see, controllers take over the action. Many gaming companies are aware that innovative controllers that contribute to immersion have a great impact on players’ experience. Thus, many started building feature-rich controllers. 

This can be audio devices or wireless connectivity for better use. The accuracy of controllers has also been heightened for a more realistic feel in players’ hands.