Effects of 3D Audio and Video in Video Games Interactive Qualifying Project Report submitted to the Faculty of the WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science by ^ , Samuel Jaffe Christian Walker Eric Oswald Date: March 6, 2013 _____________________ Professor Robert W. Lindeman, Major Advisor Abstract ! Our study was carried out in order to improve our understanding of the relationship between 3D audio and video, and user experience in video games. In order to determine the best way to attempt to measure these effects, we researched several methods of 3D video and 3D audio delivery. We decided to use two different games to gauge the effectiveness of 3D video, Mario Kart 7 and Crysis 2. Due to a small sample size, we were unable to conclude strongly in either way about many of the factors we believed that 3D video and audio would effect, but were able to see an increase in enjoyment and perceived ability from our surveys.! ! ! ii! Table of Contents Abstract!....................................................................................................................................................!ii! 1 Introduction!.........................................................................................................................................!1! 2 Background!..........................................................................................................................................!4! 2.1 3D Audio Methods!.....................................................................................................................................!4! 2.2 3D Video Methods!......................................................................................................................................!5! 2.3 Games!.........................................................................................................................................................!10! 3 Problem Statement!...........................................................................................................................!13! 3.1 Purpose!.......................................................................................................................................................!13! 3.2 Hypothesis!..................................................................................................................................................!14! 3.3 Justification!...............................................................................................................................................!14! 4 Empirical Design!...............................................................................................................................!16! 4.1 Controls!......................................................................................................................................................!16! 4.2 Independent Variables/Uncontrollable Factors!................................................................................!18! 4.3 Dependent Variables!...............................................................................................................................!19! 4.4 Methodology!..............................................................................................................................................!20! 4.5 Statistical Analysis!...................................................................................................................................!22! 4.6 Resources!...................................................................................................................................................!23! 5 Data Report!........................................................................................................................................!24! 5.1 Statistics for Mario Kart 7!.....................................................................................................................!24! 5.2 Statistics for Crysis 2!...............................................................................................................................!28! 5.3 Analysis and Interpretation!...................................................................................................................!34! 6 Weaknesses!.........................................................................................................................................!36! 7 Conclusions!.........................................................................................................................................!39! Bibliography!..........................................................................................................................................!41! Appendix A! Appendix B! Appendix C! Appendix D! Appendix E! Appendix F! Appendix G! Appendix H! ! ! iii! Table of Figures ! Figure 1: Active Shutter!.......................................................................................................................!6! Figure 2: Parallax Barrier vs. Lenticular Array!.............................................................................!7! Figure 3: Nintendo Virtual Boy!..........................................................................................................!8! Figure 4: Oculus Rift!.............................................................................................................................!9! Figure 5: Mario Kart 7!.......................................................................................................................!11! Figure 6: Crysis 2 Gameplay!.............................................................................................................!12! Figure 7: Crysis 2 Gameplay!.............................................................................................................!12! Figure 8: Airship Fortress!..................................................................................................................!17! Figure 9: Average completion time by track (Mario Kart 7)!.....................................................!27! Figure 10: Crysis 2 “ability to react”!...............................................................................................!30! Figure 11: Crysis 2 "percieve distance/direction"!........................................................................!31! Figure 12: Crysis 2 "satisfaction with playing"!............................................................................!31! Table of Tables Table 1: Crysis 2 Experiment Groups!.............................................................................................!20! Table 2: Mario Kart 7 Experiment Groups!...................................................................................!20! Table 3: Mario Kart 7 Intersession Survey!....................................................................................!25! Table 4: Mario Kart 7 Comparative Survey!..................................................................................!26! Table 5: Track time data for Mario Kart 7!....................................................................................!27! Table 6: Track death data for Mario Kart 7!..................................................................................!28! Table 7: Crysis 2 Intersession Survey!..............................................................................................!29! Table 8: Crysis 2 Experience Survey!...............................................................................................!30! Table 9: Crysis 2 Immersion Survey!................................................................................................!32! Table 10: Crysis 2 gameplay data!.....................................................................................................!33! ! v! 1 Introduction The video game industry started off simply with basic games such as pong. Since then video games have come a long way. As time went on and the public’s interest in games grew, the graphics, realism, usability and general level of technology involved in the production of video games grew. The idea of an immersive environment, in which the participant is able to see, hear, and perhaps even smell or feel a virtual environment has existed for many years in fiction. It is not surprising to see that video games would eventually seek to become closer to that ideal of perfect immersion. One of the first attempts to produce 3D video games was by Nintendo. Nintendo’s first foray into 3D was in the form of a 3D add-on to the Famicom, known as the Famicom 3D System. It used shutter glasses technology to simulate a 3D environment but was limited in its uses as few games were developed to make use of it. In addition, the system was never released outside of Japan (Varias). The first fully 3D gaming system was the Nintendo Virtual Boy, released in 1995. The Virtual Boy projected a different image to each eyepiece to create the sense of 3D in its games. Selling only 770,000 consoles (Snow 2), the Virtual Boy left the market less than a year after its introduction (Boyer). Furthermore, Nintendo continued to experiment in 3D technology in their games even after the failure of the Virtual Boy. For example, one planned feature of the Nintendo Gamecube system was actually the ability to support 3D games (Goldman). Gamecube systems came built enabled for 3D but the actual implementation of this technology never happened. Nintendo