Flow and Immersion in Video Games: The Aftermath of a Conceptual Challenge

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01682

. 2018 Sep 5:9:1682.

doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01682. eCollection 2018.

Flow and Immersion in Video Games: The Aftermath of a Conceptual Challenge

Lazaros Michailidis^{1

2}, Emili Balaguer-Ballester^{3

4}, Xun He⁵

Affiliations

¹ Bournemouth University, Centre for Digital Entertainment, Department of Media and Communication, Bournemouth, United Kingdom.
² Sony Interactive Entertainment, London, United Kingdom.
³ Bournemouth University, Department of Computing and Informatics, Bournemouth, United Kingdom.
⁴ Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg-Mannheim, Manheim, Germany.
⁵ Bournemouth University, Department of Psychology, Bournemouth, United Kingdom.

PMID: 30233477
PMCID: PMC6134042
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01682

Free PMC article

Flow and Immersion in Video Games: The Aftermath of a Conceptual Challenge

Lazaros Michailidis et al. Front Psychol. 2018.

Free PMC article

. 2018 Sep 5:9:1682.

doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01682. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Lazaros Michailidis^{1

2}, Emili Balaguer-Ballester^{3

4}, Xun He⁵

Affiliations

¹ Bournemouth University, Centre for Digital Entertainment, Department of Media and Communication, Bournemouth, United Kingdom.
² Sony Interactive Entertainment, London, United Kingdom.
³ Bournemouth University, Department of Computing and Informatics, Bournemouth, United Kingdom.
⁴ Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg-Mannheim, Manheim, Germany.
⁵ Bournemouth University, Department of Psychology, Bournemouth, United Kingdom.

PMID: 30233477
PMCID: PMC6134042
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01682

Abstract

One of the most pleasurable aspects of video games is their ability to induce immersive experiences. However, there appears to be a tentative conceptualization of what an immersive experience is. In this short review, we specifically focus on the terms of flow and immersion, as they are the most widely used and applied definitions in the video game literature, whilst their differences remain disputable. We critically review the concepts separately and proceed with a comparison on their proposed differences. We conclude that immersion and flow do not substantially differ in current studies and that more evidence is needed to justify their separation.

Keywords: engagement; flow; immersion; presence; video games.

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References

1. Arzate C., Ramirez J. A. U. (2017). Player-centered game AI from a flow perspective: towards a better understanding of past trends and future directions. Entertain. Comput. 20 11–24. 10.1016/j.entcom.2017.02.003 - DOI
1. Bauer R., Fels M., Vukelić M., Ziemann U., Gharabaghi A. (2015). Bridging the gap between motor imagery and motor execution with a brain–robot interface. Neuroimage 108 319–327. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.12.026 - DOI - PubMed
1. Baumgartner T., Speck D., Wettstein D., Masnari O., Beeli G., Jäncke L. (2008). Feeling present in arousing virtual reality worlds: prefrontal brain regions differentially orchestrate presence experience in adults and children. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 2:8. 10.3389/neuro.09.008.2008 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Baumgartner T., Valko L., Esslen M., Jäncke L. (2006). Neural correlate of spatial presence in an arousing and noninteractive virtual reality: an EEG and psychophysiology study. CyberPsychol. Behav. 9 30–45. 10.1089/cpb.2006.9.30 - DOI - PubMed
1. Bavelier D., Achtman R. L., Mani M., Föcker J. (2012). Neural bases of selective attention in action video game players. Vision Res. 61 132–143. 10.1016/j.visres.2011.08.007 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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[1] Arzate C., Ramirez J. A. U. (2017). Player-centered game AI from a flow perspective: towards a better understanding of past trends and future directions. Entertain. Comput. 20 11–24. 10.1016/j.entcom.2017.02.003 - DOI

[2] Arzate C., Ramirez J. A. U. (2017). Player-centered game AI from a flow perspective: towards a better understanding of past trends and future directions. Entertain. Comput. 20 11–24. 10.1016/j.entcom.2017.02.003 - DOI

[3] Bauer R., Fels M., Vukelić M., Ziemann U., Gharabaghi A. (2015). Bridging the gap between motor imagery and motor execution with a brain–robot interface. Neuroimage 108 319–327. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.12.026 - DOI - PubMed

[4] Bauer R., Fels M., Vukelić M., Ziemann U., Gharabaghi A. (2015). Bridging the gap between motor imagery and motor execution with a brain–robot interface. Neuroimage 108 319–327. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.12.026 - DOI - PubMed

[5] Baumgartner T., Speck D., Wettstein D., Masnari O., Beeli G., Jäncke L. (2008). Feeling present in arousing virtual reality worlds: prefrontal brain regions differentially orchestrate presence experience in adults and children. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 2:8. 10.3389/neuro.09.008.2008 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[6] Baumgartner T., Speck D., Wettstein D., Masnari O., Beeli G., Jäncke L. (2008). Feeling present in arousing virtual reality worlds: prefrontal brain regions differentially orchestrate presence experience in adults and children. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 2:8. 10.3389/neuro.09.008.2008 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[7] Baumgartner T., Valko L., Esslen M., Jäncke L. (2006). Neural correlate of spatial presence in an arousing and noninteractive virtual reality: an EEG and psychophysiology study. CyberPsychol. Behav. 9 30–45. 10.1089/cpb.2006.9.30 - DOI - PubMed

[8] Baumgartner T., Valko L., Esslen M., Jäncke L. (2006). Neural correlate of spatial presence in an arousing and noninteractive virtual reality: an EEG and psychophysiology study. CyberPsychol. Behav. 9 30–45. 10.1089/cpb.2006.9.30 - DOI - PubMed

[9] Bavelier D., Achtman R. L., Mani M., Föcker J. (2012). Neural bases of selective attention in action video game players. Vision Res. 61 132–143. 10.1016/j.visres.2011.08.007 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Bavelier D., Achtman R. L., Mani M., Föcker J. (2012). Neural bases of selective attention in action video game players. Vision Res. 61 132–143. 10.1016/j.visres.2011.08.007 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Flow and Immersion in Video Games: The Aftermath of a Conceptual Challenge

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Flow and Immersion in Video Games: The Aftermath of a Conceptual Challenge

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