I had the pleasure of visiting Incheon, South Korea, a few months ago, a modern city just south of Seoul. It was an unforgettable experience! I enjoyed admiring the view of the traditional Korean architecture contrasting with the skyscrapers in the background. The clouds floated by the towering buildings, and I could have stared at them for hours. At night, one could feel the warm breeze blowing, accompanied by the symphony of thousands of chirping crickets.
To my surprise, when I went back home, I discovered that one of the maps in the video game Battlefield 2042 was based on Incheon. Initially, I was filled with excitement at the prospect of virtually experiencing Incheon from the comfort of my home. However, my enthusiasm slowly faded away as a shadow of sadness fell over me. The simulation of Incheon turned a peaceful location into a warzone, with unexpected and dangerous events unfolding.
Who owns reality!?
It is one thing to want to spend our time on Earth escaping into fantasy worlds and losing ourselves in the experience. But it is another thing entirely when the games we play add spice to our reality and make us see the world in new ways.
The portrayal of a familiar place in a movie can trigger nostalgic memories: “Look, Washington Square, we were there a few years ago!”
But being part of a realistic simulation of a location can be more powerful; it can make us feel like we are really there. Immersing ourselves in virtual environments that offer sensory appeal, emotional engagement, and the possibility of embodying virtual entities can make our experience highly memorable.
Games that linger!
Lingering game experiences can influence how we perceive and respond to real-world simulated scenarios.
In my research on Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP), I have come across reports of gamers who have felt nervous about being observed by snipers in windows, scanning open fields strategically, thinking about the best spots to hide, expecting soldiers to appear, hearing explosions outside their windows, and seeing virtual heads-up displays (HUDs) from the game in their peripheral vision.
“When I played too much World Ware 2 Online, I always refused to go near churches…I
said I was not a fan of churches…but truth be told…I was afraid that French snipers
were lying down under the bell, waiting to pull the trigger” (Normax)
“After playing Katamari Damacy, I had a sudden urge to roll over things. This is not
good when you are driving. Rows of orange cones should not look like a golden
opportunity” (Panter44). (1)
GTP occur spontaneously and without individual control or premeditation, resulting in temporal effects. However, when there is a strong association between stimuli, it can lead to perpetual internal voices or thoughts with game content.
In some cases, individuals have even reported changes in their behaviours because of GTP, for example, finding themselves hiding, approaching particular objects, and avoiding places.
The proteus effect is another example of how virtual simulations can alter our self-perception and, consequently, our behaviour. Research has shown that embodying a virtual entity can lead us to adjust our behaviour to conform to its digital representation (2).
Studies utilising priming paradigms have revealed that exposure to sounds, images, or other stimuli can temporarily affect how we interpret the same or similar stimuli later, potentially impacting both our cognition and behaviour. Additionally, research on cue reactivity has revealed that brain regions associated with rewards are activated when individuals encounter stimuli associated with drinking, smoking, or gaming.
Priming and cue-reactivity paradigms can explain why finding a bottlecap on the pavement can trigger a craving for Coca-Cola, but if you’re a fan of the Fallout series, you might react differently, as in Fallout, bottlecaps are the standard currency.
Suddenly experiencing GTP can transform mundane moments into bursts of excitement or fear, especially when real-life stimuli are automatically associated with memories, sounds, or images from the game.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I investigated if the incorporation of video game elements could offer some benefits to the perception of the world during the pandemic (3).
The findings revealed that the majority of participating video game players reported a positive influence from GTP. Slightly over 50% perceived mundane tasks as enjoyable and reported feeling more creative or intelligent. Additionally, 48% expressed a desire for the real world to emulate a video game, while 16% reported concerns about the real world becoming more like a video game. Given the unusual circumstances surrounding the pandemic and social isolation, these results aren’t entirely unexpected.
Players who possess high resilience and are skilled at coping with stress through effective mechanisms, such as viewing stressful life events from multiple perspectives, were more likely to benefit from GTP by interpreting it as a positive experience (3).
In terms of the negative impact of GTP, it was found that almost one-third (32%) of the participants reported feeling confused and disoriented, 28% felt as if they were losing their sanity, and 22% expressed feelings of losing control over their actions. The negative effects of GTP were linked to engaging in more COVID-19 preventive measures and heightened concerns regarding contamination, indicating anxiety.
The findings suggest that it is important to understand individual characteristics and to be mindful of individuals whose GTP creates a negative impact, as they are at a higher risk of experiencing distress and dysfunction due to their experiences.
The effects of GTP appear to depend on how gamers perceive the transfer of game experiences. While the media content directs the orchestra, it is ultimately up to the individual to appraise the impact of GTP (4).
The fact that one place can be experienced as two worlds with different meanings, all due to the blurring of boundaries between the virtual and physical realms through simulation technologies and our malleable minds, calls for careful reflection on the reach of technology.
As the line between digital and physical worlds blurs, our perceptions are shaped by both spaces. GTP show how games can influence our thoughts and experiences, prompting us to consider who or what we let shape our reality. Who owns reality!?
Amid the constant stimulation of media and technology, we still hold the quiet power to choose. To pause, to disconnect, to listen to the crickets singing in peaceful silence.
Perhaps, in that stillness, we rediscover not just reality, but who we truly are and who we wish to become.
References
1.Ortiz de Gortari, A. B., & Griffiths, M. D. (2014). Automatic mental processes, automatic actions and behaviours in Game Transfer Phenomena: An empirical self-report study using online forum data. International journal of mental health and addiction, 12(4), 432-452.
2.Martin Coesel, A., Biancardi, B., & Buisine, S. (2024). A theoretical review of the Proteus effect: understanding the underlying processes. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1379599.
3. Ortiz de Gortari, A. B. O. (2023). Coping with COVID-19 pandemic stressors: Comparisons between non-players and players, and levels of Game Transfer Phenomena. Entertainment Computing, 44, 100530.
3.Ortiz de Gortari, A. B., & Griffiths, M. D. (2014). Altered visual perception in Game Transfer Phenomena: An empirical self-report study. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 30(2), 95-105.
4.Ortiz de Gortari, A. B., & Griffiths, M. D. (2016). Prevalence and characteristics of Game Transfer Phenomena: A descriptive survey study. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 32(6), 470-480.
How do you think our armed forces troops fare when they are subjected to combat game simulations in the name of ‘training’? Many of the programs used by the military for combat training purposes use actual cities and locations. Most often these are locations where there is a war or conflict in progress or the possibility is very high, taking a Tel Aviv or Pyongyang and turning it into a war zone. However, it is not uncommon for the simulation to take on a more personal tone with simulations of an attack on the likes of London, Paris, New York City or other major metropolis’. After extended exposure to these simulations to prepare the solider for combat, how much of their reality perspective has been altered? And is there any kind of ‘deprogramming’ available for troops who are returning to civilian life? As a Vietnam era vet, I understand first hand how actual combat situations can affect, even alter one’s future vision of reality. What would the modern era soldier’s perspective and reality be upon visiting a location in which they have had extended ‘distorted’ encounters, albeit virtually, to their surroundings?