Immersion in Games and Gamification

Abstract

The term immersion and what does it imply in the context of games are the concepts psychologists, game designers have been studying for decades. Immersion is often termed as presence in the gaming world, which is of various kinds in terms of how media is perceived. The spatial presence or immersion is closest to what game designers think of as immersion. The immersion in game design is that a game creates a spatial presence when the player starts to feel that he or she is there in the world created by game. Players who experience immersion are likely to just focus on the choices that seem meaningful in the context of the imaginary world. This chapter talks about what immersion is, how it is related to game design and gamification, its purpose, effectiveness, and associated elements and concepts. It also highlights how immersion can enhance the engagement for the users.