[Commlist] Call for initial abstracts for Book Chapters: Virtual Reality Gaming: embodiment, presence, immersion.

Virtual Reality (VR) is not a new technology by any stretch of the 
imagination. Regardless of how futuristic VR might appear in popular 
culture, VR encompasses a rich and varied history that began to surface 
in the 1980s and 1990s when VPL Research produced a number of commercial 
devices (e.g., the DataGlove and Audiosphere). As exciting as these 
systems were, the technology simply could not live up to the hype 
(Evans, 2018). The level of ‘immersion’ associated with these 
developments was just not enough to fulfil the implicit promise of VR. 
Simply put, the available technology was not able to conjure an 
experience of being present in a digital world that felt in any way 
‘real’ (Shields, 2005).

In contrast to the failed hype of its first few decades, contemporary VR 
is going through a marked ‘renaissance’ (Evans, 2018). Modern systems, 
such as the Meta Quest 2, are not only far more affordable than earlier 
offerings, but these headsets also represent a new era of standalone VR. 
Arguably gaming is the most visible form of media reinterpreted by VR. 
The emergence of virtual reality (VR) as a medium for games poses a 
challenge to researchers and designers with regards to reconceptualising 
the relationship between system, player and game play – in essence, a 
reconsideration of the human-computer interface (HCI) of gaming. The 
challenge has deep roots; the euphoric techno-utopianism of the 
discourses around 1990s VR was a reflection of the implicit and explicit 
revolutionary nature of VR as radically immersive and intimate compared 
to other interfaces. However, when considering the human-computer 
interaction of VR and games, the notion of immersion as an /a 
priori/ property of VR is problematic. The notion of immersion as a 
given creates a confusion when considering the relationship between 
immersion, embodiment and presence in VR, and fails to consider the 
intertwined relationship between these states felt by the gamer and how 
they are contingent on but also independent from one another.

VR should, in theory, aid the sense of presence in games for the player. 
VR incorporates bodily movement and orientation into the game 
environment, arguably improving the sense of ‘being there’ in the game. 
However, it is often unclear whether the success of games in VR in 
creating this increased sense of presence is not a function of the use 
of VR as a medium for the game but instead is a function of the design 
and immersive qualities of the game itself. To address this, more 
attention is required in understanding the processes of making of and 
experiences of VR games and the spatial, ludic and narrative aspects of 
games that affect immersion, embodiment and presence in VR games.

 From the early stages of development of consumer VR, games have been 
divided into two kinds: VR ports, which are games developed for non-VR 
systems and converted into VR and built-from-the-ground-up-for-VR games, 
games developed specifically for VR. Gaming in VR is marked by a tension 
between existing and emerging gaming forms. The differences between 
these kinds of game remain problematic in terms of immersion, embodiment 
and presence and the continuing development of VR ports is an issue with 
regards to harnessing the potential of VR for gaming. The framing of the 
affordances of VR in games is a key issue which demands further attention.

This volume will explore these and other issues with regards to VR 
games. This book invites chapter proposals that grapple with the unique 
aspects of VR games as they relate to immersion, embodiment and presence 
and other issues that arise from the intersection of gaming and VR. 
Themes may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  * Immersion and immersive experience in VR Games
  * Embodiment and modes of embodiment in VR games
  * VR Interfaces for games
  * Hapticity in VR games
  * Porting games to VR
  * The affordances of built-from-the-ground-up-for-VR games
  * The subjective feeling of presence in VR games
  * Genre conventions in VR games
  * The emotional aspects of VR gaming
  * The role of VR gaming in establishing, maintaining and dissolving
    relationships
  * Safeguarding in VR
  * Representation in VR games as a contributor to immersion, embodiment
    and presence
  * ‘Bad’ VR games and what does not work in VR
  * VR game design as a contributor to immersion, embodiment and presence
  * Spatial practices in VR games and the feeling of VR worlds

Proposals should include the contributor’s/author’s name, a brief 
biography, and an abstract of a maximum of 500 words (not counting 
citations.) The editors will notify authors if their abstract is 
accepted, at which point the authors will eventually submit a chapter 
between 4000-6000 words in length. Please send proposals to Leighton 
Evans ((l.evans /at/ swansea.ac.uk) <mailto:(l.evans /at/ swansea.ac.uk)>) and 
(editorialmultiplay /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(editorialmultiplay /at/ gmail.com)> *by 
Tuesday 1st August 2023*


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