Requirements Analysis of Presence: Factor Analytic Insights from a RPG Game

( Detailed article submitted to an international journal and is still under review )

This study aims to define components of presence by focusing on virtual environment design requrements defined by Stuart (2001) Selected requirements appropriate for my study are: ( Click arrow to see the question of each requirement )

• Interactivity
• Sociability
• Veridicality
• Presence
• Resolution
• Representation of User
• Navigation Techniques
• Physics of the Virtual World
• Connectivity
• Automation
• Locus of Control

( See Stuart's book for more details about these requirements )

Among these requirements, only interactivity is not a direct question. Interactivity is supposed to be a complex combination of the requirements given above.

1. Data

Data obtained from Oblivion players are available for 3663 participants. Messages about this study were posted on 13 forums. The questionnaire was online for 23 days, after which it gets a total of 8065 views and 258 posts in these forums. Web server statistics show that 6256 people visited the web page of the questionnaire, indicating a %58-response rate.

2. Demographic Variables

Click the button below to continue to Factor Analysis Results.

QUESTIONS

• Sociability :
  ( When I join a guild of Oblivion ( Fighter's Guild, Mage's Guild, etc. ) , I feel myself a member of a community that values, welcomes and respects my character. )
• Veridicality :
  ( The virtual world of Oblivion, with its wildlife and nature, succesfully simulates the real world we are living in. )
• Presence :
  ( When playing Oblivion, I get detached from the real world, feeling as if I am living in the world of Oblivion. )
• Resolution :
  ( Visual detail of the virtual world do NOT enhance my gaming experience. )
• Representation of User :
  ( I customize my character's appearance, instead of playing standard faces offered in the game's introduction. )
• Navigation Techniques :
  ( Instead of walking around and/or riding a horse, I use fast traveling option more frequently. )
• Physics of the Virtual World :
  ( Real world physics employed in Oblivion enhances my gaming experience by creating objects responsive to my every action.)
• Connectivity :
  ( If possible, I would like to play Oblivion in a massively multiplayer environment where I share the virtual world with other people.)
• Automation :
  ( NPCs in Oblivion, who have a 24 hour schedule of their own ( they sleep, wander, eat, etc. ), behave like real persons. )
• Locus of Control :
  ( Instead of using the standard classes, spells and magical items offered in the game, I customize them according to my needs. )

REFERENCES

Stuart, R. (2001). The design of virtual environments. Ft. Lee, NJ: Barricade Books.