Assessing the quality of experience of virtual reality games

doctoral thesis

• Title (croatian): Procjena iskustvene kvalitete igara u virtualnoj stvarnosti
• Author: Sara Vlahović
• Mentor: Lea Skorin-Kapov (mentor)
• Committee member: Mirko Sužnjević (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Željka Car (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Katrien De Moor https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8752-3351 (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing; (Department of Telecommunications); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-02-15, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: TECHNICAL SCIENCES; Computing
• Universal decimal classification (UDC): 004 - Computer science and technology. Computing. Data processing

Abstract

Over the last decade, numerous consumer-grade VR systems have emerged on the market, offering affordable prices with the promise of providing a highly immersive experience. However, consumers have remained reluctant to invest in personal VR devices. The issue of inadequate user satisfaction with currently available systems and services highlights the need for further research in the field of Quality of Experience (QoE) for immersive media such as VR. To better understand the ways in which QoE for VR differs from QoE for non-immersive platforms, it is necessary to consider the defining characteristics of this technology - from its multimodal interactivity to its obtrusiveness.

This thesis proposes a three-tier set of models illustrating the possible relationships between QoE influence factors, QoE features, QoE constituents, and the overall QoE for VR gaming. Using subjective and objective measures, selected relationships proposed in the models were investigated over the course of multiple user studies, with a focus on the negative consequences of VR gaming, the quality of interaction mechanics in terms of fun, comfort, and workload, as well as the impact of network degradation and social context on the overall experience. In addition to presenting research outcomes, this thesis introduces a taxonomy of VR interaction mechanics, provides guidelines for their implementation and evaluation, and addresses the challenges encountered when conducting multiplayer user studies.

Abstract (croatian)

Tijekom posljednjeg desetljeća na tržištu su se pojavili brojni sustavi za virtualnu stvarnost (VR), predstavljeni po pristupačnim cijenama uz obećanje visokog stupnja imerzije, odnosno percepcije uronjenosti u virtualni svijet. Međutim, do danas, potrošači još uvijek oklijevaju s ulaganjem u osobne VR uređaje. Problematika nezadovoljstva korisnika trenutno dostupnim sustavima i uslugama naglašava potrebu za daljnjim istraživanjem u području iskustvene kvalitete (engl. Quality of Experience, skraćeno QoE) za imerzivne medije poput VR-a. Kako bismo bolje razumjeli načine na koje se QoE za VR razlikuje od QoE-a za neimerzivne platforme, potrebno je razmotriti definirajuće karakteristike ove tehnologije - od multimodalne interaktivnosti do nametljivosti.

Ova disertacija predlaže troslojni skup modela koji ilustriraju moguće odnose između ukupne iskustvene kvalitete te njezinih sastavnica, značajki i čimbenika, specifično za uslugu igranja u VR-u. Korištenjem subjektivnih i objektivnih mjera, odabrane veze predložene u modelima istražene su višestrukim korisničkim studijama, s fokusom na negativne posljedice igranja u VR-u, kvalitetu interakcijskih mehanika obzirom na zabavu, ugodu i radno opterećenje, te učinak mrežne degradacije i društvenog konteksta na ukupno iskustvo. Uz rezultate korisničkih studija, u disertaciji je predstavljena i kategorizacija interakcijskih mehanika u VR-u, osmišljene smjernice za njihovu implementaciju i evaluaciju, te analizirani izazovi pri provođenju korisničkih studija s više istovremenih igrača.

• Keywords: quality of Experience; virtual reality; VR gaming; game mechanics; VR-induced symptoms and effects
• Keywords (croatian): iskustvena kvaliteta; virtualna stvarnost; igranje u VR-u; mehanike igara; simptomi i učinci izazvani VR-om
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:168:433455
• Promotion: 2024
• Study programme: Title: Computer Science; Study programme type: university; Study level: postgraduate; Academic / professional title: Doktor znanosti (Doktor znanosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• Extent: 224 str. : graf. prikazi ; 30 cm
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-05-10 15:04:22