Aesthetic consideration of the immersion in digital games

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K00123
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01050:Aesthetics and art studies-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Yoshida Hiroshi 東京大学, 大学院人文社会系研究科(文学部), 准教授 (40431879)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 美学 / 感性学 / ゲーム研究

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project, "Aesthetic consideration of the immersion in digital games," has examined the concept of immersion in digital games (games that use digital computers), which are representative form of play in our age, from an aesthetic point of view. Ultimately, it was to elucidate the relationship between the real world and the fictional world (or virtual world) in the modern media environment.
This research project was based on the achievements of comprehensive research on illusion and immersion that the researcher has conducted so far, and has further developed it, along the three axes of play, media, and player identity, clarifying the mode of immersion peculiar to digital games.

Free Research Field

美学、感性学、ゲーム研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

遊び、メディア、プレイヤーという三つの観点からデジタルゲームならではの没入の様態を解明した本研究課題は、狭義の虚構世界を生み出すメディア環境の理解に新知見を提供するだけでなく、バーチャル環境（VR、AR）やウェブデザインの設計、情報通信技術（ICT）教育、eラーニングの構築など、ユーザーや参加者の積極的関与と没入が要請される多くの社会実践に対して有益な示唆を与えることができた。さらには、現代のメディア環境に特有であるデジタルゲームの没入の現象を分析することで、フロー状態に関する心理学的研究や、依存症・アディクションをめぐる精神医学的研究との連携を行うこともできた。