Immersion

Thursday's lecture and the idea of immersion completely expanded my knowledge and interest surrounding the study of videogames. Consistency of the game space was an aspect of gaming which was declared as fundamental in the videogame experience by Taylor. This is an element which is seen to effect the level of immersion. Through this the framing of a particular game is seen as fundamentally important. For example to which extent can customisation effect immersion? Does an individual necessarily want to see a representation of ones self within a gaming character, and if this is not available, how does this effect ones immersion and engagement within the game? I believe that this comes down to individual personal engagement. Videogames provide the chance to undertake another persona of the self, and one which is disconnected from reality and everyday life. In my opinion the framing of a game does not necessarily effect immersion. When an individual is playing a videogame there is always a sense of the difference between reality and ones presence outside of the fantasy element of the game.

Taylor also describes a difference between acting on the game space and acting within a game space. From this the level to which this differs from each individual depends upon ones personal investment towards the game. For example acting on the game space could involve an individual who is not completely serious regarding a particular game, yet still has some degree of immersion. On the other hand acting within a game space could involve an individual who has personally purchased the game and has a greater personal drive in conquoring the game. In my opinion this describes the extent to which an individual is immersed in a game, which depends immensely on personal investment.