Immersion (virtual reality)

Immersion describes the conversion into a state of consciousness ( impression ), in which the perception of oneself decreases in the real world and identification with the "I " ( the avatar ) increases in the virtual world. Here, for example, the nature of the design of the virtual world to influence the expression of the immersion effect, this will be larger by a captivating and sophisticated designed virtual world as a rule.

In contrast to the passive, cinematic immersion virtual reality allows for interaction with the virtual environment, and thereby a much higher intensity of immersion can be achieved.

One speaks of an immersive virtual environment ( " immersive virtual environment" ) when allowing the user to interact directly with this. CAVE with appropriate hardware interaction is an example of such a system. Contrary to this, the non- immersive virtual reality, for example, in a 3D CAD system which is run on a computer.

Idea of ​​immersion 1926

Without the concepts of immersion and virtual Realtität to know, described the journalist Louis Kapeller exactly in 1926 on the occasion of the first successful television transmission experiments:

Immersion in computer games

With the concept of immersion is in the discourse of game design, the experience of a player to be in a virtual world described. The American professor of digital media Janet H. Murray describes immersion as follows:

" The experience of being Transported to to elaborately simulated place is pleasurable in Itself, Regardless of the fantasy content. Immersion is a metaphorical term derived from the physical experience of being submerged in water. We seek the same feeling from a psychologically immersive experience did we do from a plunge in the ocean or swimming pool: the sensation of being surrounded by a completely Call other reality, as different as water is from air, did takes over all of our attention, our whole perceptual apparatus. "

" The experience of being transported to an elaborately simulated environment that is pleasant in itself, regardless of the fantastic content. Immersion is a metaphorical term, derived from the physical experience of immersion in water. We are looking for the same feeling of a psychologically immersive experience as we would expect from a dip in the sea or the swimming pool: The feeling of being surrounded by a completely other reality, as different as the water to the air behaves that all our attention on contracts, our whole perceptual apparatus. "

Players can experience this feeling very different intensity, it depends on the game, the personality of the player and the duration of playing. Richard Bartle distinguishes four different levels of immersion ( Levels of immersion):

• Player: The player character is a means to influence the game world.
• Avatar: The character is a representative of the player in the game world. Players speak in the third person about the character.
• Character: Computer players identify with the character and speak in the first person about it.
• Persona: the character is part of the identity of the computer player. He does not play a character in a virtual world, he is even in a virtual world.

The computer game genre of first-person shooters, for example, generally played from the perspective of the player character, so in the first-person perspective. The game designers use here the immersion to let the player experience the virtual world as directly as possible.

2012 presented the German computer magazine c't in issue 24/12 a test setup before which a loud c't " impressive immersion feeling " conveyed with various freeware tools, and with over 1000 € more expensive hardware.

Apprehension of immersion in literature and film

Examples for apprehension of the terms and concepts of "immersion " and "immersion in virtual reality " and the perception and understanding of reality in literature and film.

• 380 BC: Plato's allegory of the cave: "What if our perceived environment is only a shadow of a higher reality. "
• 1641: Meditations on First Philosophy ( Descartes) - meaning do NOT provide basic underlying findings, see Rationalism
• 1964: Simulacron -3 ( Daniel F. Galouye ) - in creating and visiting a virtual world a way to open to the world our world has created virtually, recently filmed as The 13th Floor
• 1971: The futurological Congress ( Stanislaw Lem ) - by means of psychoactive chemicals ( " Psychemie " ) to create virtual worlds with heavenly states, but the facade is crumbling
• 1973: World on a Wire ( Rainer Werner Fassbinder) - in a VR project is the successor of the deceased project manager finds that he himself is only a simulation, see Simulacron -3
• 1982: Tron ( Steven Lisberger ) - coined ideas about virtual reality, trapped in the computer ( strictly speaking, no immersion, but the actual transfer of the person in the virtual world )
• 1984: Neuromancer ( William Gibson ) - basis of cyberpunk and cyberspace with direct connection to the brain
• 1986: Star Trek TNG (Gene Roddenberry ) - holographic spaces that produce a tangible virtual reality to the viewer around, often human or AI do not know that they are in a virtual world
• 1988: Red Dwarf - British sitcom with VR elements
• 1991: Foundation - cycle ( Isaac Asimov ) - holographic rooms (including toilets) for relaxation
• 1991: Snow Crash ( Neal Stephenson ) - postmodern cyberpunk satire
• 1992: The Lawnmower Man - Action Thriller, virtual reality to change behavior
• 1994: Sam and Dave - Two shooters dive down ( Rafal Zielinski ) - Comedy, mixed in reality with virtual reality
• 1996: Otherland ( Tad Williams) - Fantasy novel in which immerse the characters in a virtual world and there fighting for the survival of many sick children
• 1998: The Truman Show (Peter Weir ) - reality show satire, a real world was under a huge dome, just for the main character, almost virtual, created
• 1999: The Matrix ( Wachowski siblings) - Action Thriller, bred by machines people break out of their virtual reality that is only for their control, from
• 1999: The 13th Floor - Science fiction film, people in a virtual world to build a second virtual environment on before them their own virtuality is aware, see Simulacron -3 and World on a Wire.
• 1999: eXistenZ - "You're the Game " by David Cronenberg - arranged cryptic story about a computer game that starts by Bioport and organic console, with multiple levels of reality
• 2001: Avalon - game of your life from Mamoru Oshii - iIllegales VR game transforms its participants from a certain level in mental cripple
• 2001: Spy Kids (Robert Rodriguez) - Rated- action, with VR elements
• 2001: Digimon ( Bandai ) - computer game and anime series, which almost completely takes place in a virtual world
• 2012: Sword Art Online - Anime Series, whose main action takes place in a computer game in which you reach by means of a VR helmet