Effects of Head-Coupled Perspective on User Experience in a First-Person Shooter Game

Abstract: Background. Head-tracking enables the use of head movements as a form of input for video games. Some games allow the player to use their head to orient the in-game camera. However, the movement of the in-game camera is seldom proportional to the movement of the player. Head-Coupled Perspective is achieved by tracking the player’s head and displacing the in-game camera similarly. There is a lack of data gathered on how a Head-Coupled Perspective affects user experience in video games. Objectives. The aim of this thesis is to investigate how Head-Coupled Perspective affects user experience by implementing it into a first-person shooter game. Methods. Head-Coupled Perspective was implemented into Receiver 2 (WolfireGames LLC). An experiment was conducted where 28 participants were divided into two groups. The groups were divided by the order in which they play the standard version and the Head-Coupled Perspective version of the game. Their impressions were measured using a questionnaire adapted from the Game Experience Questionnaire. After playing both versions, participants answered comparative questions comparing the game versions. Participants’ in-game task completion time and head velocity were recorded during the tests. Results. The results showed that both groups preferred the first version of the game they played. Overall, the Head-Coupled Perspective version of the game generated higher scores for the Flow and Negativity constructs. The results gathered through the questionnaire had low statistical significance. Conclusions. This study indicates that task engagement and negative feelings increase when playing a First-Person Shooter game with Head-Coupled Perspective. However, due to the low statistical significance of the data, more work is required on the subject before a rigorous conclusion can be drawn. On top of that, Head-Coupled Perspective had no significant effect on the difficulty of the game and the subjects' head velocity.