Thesis Documentation

New Concept statement

I’m making a group game, concentrating on collective immersion, with the primary player wearing a VR headset. The game will also immerse other players without the VR headset. With virtual reality and asymmetric roles, the game will immerse the players into the action.The primary player and the secondary players rely on each other to achieve the goal. At the same time, it will include an antagonist who tries to block the other secondary players’ attempt at solving the puzzle and completing the game, thus creating a more immersive and engaging interaction. The primary player is playing a VR RPG puzzle game, and the secondary players are playing a platform puzzle game

Asymmetrical gameplay

Because my group immersive experience requires different ways to experience the game, so I choose to use "strong asymmetry gameplay" where "some of the players play will have drastically different experiences as they play together."

The goal for this prototype’s gameplay is to save the person on the top, by cleaning all the obstalcles in between. The primary player needs the secondary player’s power to overcome obstacles, and the secondary players can not win the game without the primary player. So in my game, the primary player is being the person on the top and secondary player has the bigger view to assist primary player to doge and step down to the land eventually. During the gameplay, two players need to collrabte with each other to come up a stratgey and walking path to win the game, each of the players has limted views and abilities, which will essentially force them to communcitate with each other to finsih the game.

My immersive game allows the secondary players to change the terrain and the environment. The process will dramatically change the primary player’s game view. Based on the feedback I got from my previous prorotypes, even shaking the camera a little bit in VR will affect the players’ experience. The feeling of any movement such as jumping, running, revolving in VR is amplified.

My prototype is focus on the asymmetric gameplay and environmental puzzle game. So far I only have two players. Adding more players and an antagonist will be my next step.

About the game

Normally, VR games are being exclussive to one player at one time, but i am creating a cohesive game experince for all players with different devices.

In order to keep the secondary players being excited, I can either keep them occupied or offer them a more interesting experience. My game will immerse secondary players while helping, killing or controlling the primary player. Because secondary players will not able to have VR headset, without VR experience they may feel jealous or unfair.

The primary player will explore a virtual reality world, and the transformations in the VR world will immerse him or her. Based on my Major Studio One final project, I found that even change gravity a little bit, the player will feel huge differences. Because Virtual Reality is very powerful in immersing users, the transformations in the VR world may also evoke physical reactions, for example motion sickness. It means I can design a very powerful visual experience based on VR technology.

To make the secondary players access the game easier, they can interact with the primary player or the VR world with or without game controller. They will interact with the primary player by conversations, game controllers, physical components or even gestures. And they will have their own goals, the primary player will be their tool to achieve it. For example, maybe they can only kick other secondary players out of the game by controlling, manipulating, misleading or persuading the primary player or even other secondary players.

Playing my game will be visually engaging. I design this game with low poly style. Because it’s easy to bulid and it looks clean and tidy.

My target audience

My target audience is interested in new VR experience and group game play, and this game has potential to be a party game or a team building.

My user tests (such as game jam, play tech and user testing at the point in Bronx)shows that young people like middle school and college students enjoy this game more.