Uncanny details : Exploration how the uncanny valley appears within the movements of virtual characters

Abstract: This study has examined what in virtual characters movement invokes negative sensations associated with the Uncanny Valley. This was done through a study involving semi-structured interviews, open-ended surveys and eye tracking during which the 10 participants observed gameplay and dialogue clips from three different games. A literature review was performed regarding the topics of Game User Experience, Immersion, Animation, Motion capture, Uncanny Valley and Body language studies. The results of the study indicate that it is possible for participants to identify what details in virtual characters’ movements induce these negative sensations to them, which strengthen previous research of the topic. The results of this study did not show a great deal of variation between the participants yet showed a unique set of motivations and examples about what influenced their perception. However, with such a small sample, the results can only be applied to this study and merely provide the groundwork for future studies of the topic. However, it does provide more detailed information about the uncanny valley that can help game developers to make informed decisions when choosing to work with realistic animation