Improving First-Person Shooter Player  Performance With External Lighting

Abstract: This thesis project focuses on the creation and usage of external light effects to accommodate the needs of competitive gamers. Prior to the creation of these light effects, the function of audio in films and games was analyzed by examining the works of Michel Chion, who is the leading scholar in studying audio-vision: the relationship between the screen and sound. Subsequently, the possible application of these theories onto the lighting domain was discussed, showing the similarities and usefulness of these two different modalities. The goal of the thesis project was to improve the gamers’ perceived and objective performance in first-person shooter games. A counterbalanced within-group study was conducted; each participant played the game Doom 3 for 25 minutes with and without light effects. Four functional and informative light effects were created to accommodate the in-game content in an attempt to improve their performance. The players were given identical instructions on how to play the game. Four Philips Hue Go lights were placed in a rectangular shape around the participant with the TV in front. An additional Philips Hue LED strip was placed behind the TV. After each session, a standardized Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ) was used to collect data on the players’ perceived performance. In-game logs were collected to determine how the players fared in combat. A linear checkpoint system was created to judge how far the participants progressed. The GEQ data showed that the light effects improved the players perceived performance. However, the results from the in-game logs and player progression are inconclusive and not statistically significant. The identified potential reasons were the low sample size (n=14), too little practice time, potential differences in player skill and physical light positioning.