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Fourth Wall Manipulation in Digital Games and Its Impact on the Gameplay Experience

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Fourth Wall Manipulation in Digital Games and Its Impact on the Gameplay Experience Fourth Wall Manipulation in Digital Games and its Impact on the Gameplay Experience Av: Alex Bräysy & Axel Arkö Handledare: Henrik Warpefelt Södertörns högskola | Institutionen för naturvetenskap, miljö och teknik Kandidatsuppsats 30 hp Medieteknik | HT2016/VT2017 Spelprogrammet Manipulationen av den Fjärde Väggen i Digitala Spel och dess Påverkan på Spelupplevelsen 2 Abstract This thesis explores how manipulation of the fourth wall can affect players’ Gameplay Experience in digital games, due to the lack of any significant research regarding the matter. In preparation of the study, multiple commercially released digital games with instances of fourth wall manipulation were analysed. This led to the creation of four distinct game design patterns. These patterns were implemented into a game artefact specifically created for the study, which was played by eight participants. After playing, the participants were interviewed about how they experienced the game artefact. The results show that the majority of the patterns had a positive effect on both the participants’ immersion and engagement, which both form part of the Gameplay Experience model. Keywords: Fourth Wall, Gameplay Experience, Immersion, Engagement, Digital Games, Development-led Research, Qualitative Study. Sammanfattning / Swedish Abstract Denna uppsats undersöker hur manipulering av den fjärde väggen kan påverka spelupplevelsen i digitala spel, då det saknas allmän betydelsefull forskning gällande ämnet. Under förstadiet av denna studie analyserades flertalet kommersiellt lanserade digitala spel som innehöll instanser av fjärde väggen manipuleringar. Detta ledde till skapandet av fyra olika designmönster. Dessa mönster implementerades i en spelartefakt specifikt skapad för studien, vilken spelades av åtta deltagare. Efter att ha spelat blev deltagarna intervjuade om hur de upplevde spelet. Resultaten påvisar att majoriteten av designmönstren hade en positiv inverkan både på deltagarnas immersion och engagemang, vilka båda formar delar av spelupplevelsemodellen. Nyckelord: Fjärde Väggen, Spelupplevelse, Immersion, Engagemang, Digitala Spel, Utvecklingsled Forskning, Kvalitativ Studie. 3 Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................... 3 Sammanfattning / Swedish Abstract ........................................................ 3 Table of Contents ...................................................................................... 4 1 Introduction ......................................................................................... 7 1.1 Aim of the Study ..................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Method Overview.................................................................................................... 9 1.3 Thesis Structure ..................................................................................................... 9 2 Background ....................................................................................... 10 2.1 Related Research ................................................................................................. 11 2.2 The Gameplay Experience Model ....................................................................... 12 2.2.1 Immersion .......................................................................................................... 12 2.2.1.1 Sensory Immersion................................................................................................ 13 2.2.1.2 Challenge-Based Immersion ................................................................................. 14 2.2.1.3 Imaginative Immersion ......................................................................................... 14 2.2.2 Engagement ....................................................................................................... 14 2.2.3 Presence ............................................................................................................ 15 2.3 Gameplay Experience Relations to the Fourth Wall ......................................... 16 2.4 Game Design Relations and Similarities to the Fourth Wall ........................... 18 2.4.1 Fourth Wall as Disruptive Game Design............................................................ 18 2.4.2 Fourth Wall as Non-Diegetic and/or Diegetic Element ...................................... 19 2.4.3 Fourth Wall Breaking or Expanding? ................................................................. 20 2.4.4 Fourth Wall Interplay with the Magic Circle ....................................................... 21 2.5 Summary of Background .................................................................................... 21 4 3 Pilot Study – Design Patterns Collection ........................................ 23 3.1 Method ................................................................................................................... 23 3.2 Results of the Design Pattern Collection .......................................................... 25 3.2.1 Medium Awareness ........................................................................................... 25 3.2.2 Medium Manipulation ......................................................................................... 28 3.2.3 Outside Medium Play ......................................................................................... 32 3.2.4 Prominent Player Involvement ........................................................................... 35 3.3 Discussion of Design Pattern Collection ........................................................... 37 3.4 Conclusion of Design Pattern Collection .......................................................... 38 4 Creation of the Artefact – Development Hell .................................. 39 4.1 Context of the Game ............................................................................................ 40 4.2 Implementation of the Design Patterns to the Artefact .................................... 40 4.2.1 Implementation of Medium Awareness .............................................................. 40 4.2.2 Implementation of Medium Manipulation ........................................................... 41 4.2.3 Implementation of Outside Medium Play ........................................................... 42 4.2.4 Implementation of Prominent Player Involvement ............................................. 43 4.3 Further Design Implications ................................................................................ 44 4.4 Discussion of the Artefact ................................................................................... 46 5 Main Study – Fourth Wall Impact on Players .................................. 48 5.1 Method ................................................................................................................... 48 5.1.1 Data Collection ................................................................................................... 48 5.1.2 Selection of Participants .................................................................................... 50 5.1.3 Method Analysis ................................................................................................. 50 5.1.4 Ethical Consideration ......................................................................................... 51 5.2 Results and Analysis of the Fourth Wall Impact on Players ........................... 53 5.2.1 Description of Themes ....................................................................................... 54 5.2.2 Reception of Medium Awareness ...................................................................... 54 5.2.3 Reception of Medium Manipulation ................................................................... 56 5.2.4 Reception of Outside Medium Play ................................................................... 59 5.2.5 Reception of Prominent Player Involvement ..................................................... 62 5.2.6 Additional Remarks ............................................................................................ 63 5 6 Discussions and Limitations ............................................................ 68 6.1 General Methodological Aspects ....................................................................... 68 6.2 Meaning of the Patterns on the Gameplay Experience .................................... 69 6.3 Future Research ................................................................................................... 72 7 Conclusions ....................................................................................... 74 Acknowledgements ................................................................................. 76 References ............................................................................................... 77 Appendix .................................................................................................. 82 6 1 Introduction Whenever one reads a book, watches television or a play, one might feel immersed within the experience the fiction is providing. But what if the fictions started to become self-aware? If a superhero character starts to jump between illustration panels in a graphic novel? If actors on stage start to have an exchange with the audience, talking directly to them, or if characters interact with the lighting, the camera, sound equipment or refer to the script in a motion picture? What if
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