Fast-paced action games rely on high-motion avatar actions such as dodge rolls, knockdowns, and high-speed locomotion. In VR, presenting these actions from a first-person viewpoint can induce motion sickness when the camera moves in ways the user’s body does not. Prior out-of-body and hybrid-perspective VR research shows that decoupling the viewpoint from the avatar can reduce discomfort, but focus on locomotion or isolated actions. To bring research closer to real-life application, we contribute a hybrid first-/third-person VR viewpoint control method for melee combat, a complex use case involving locomotion, dodge rolls, and stagger/knockdown reactions. We display high-motion actions in third person while keeping the user’s head-tracked viewpoint stable, and teleport the viewpoint before and/or after the action. We evaluated the system in two experiments. Experiment 1 was an exploratory qualitative evaluation (N=27). Experiment 2 was a quantitative within-subjects comparison of motion sickness with respect to a first-person baseline (N=20). The results suggest that our approach successfully reduces motion sickness and appears suitable for short actions such as dodge rolls and staggers, while longer locomotion sequences may introduce trade-offs around embodiment and agency. Overall, our work offers a novel design reference for using hybrid perspectives in high-motion VR gameplay.
This study investigates the design of non-human animal embodiment in Virtual Reality games to address the gaps in XR animal embodiment, authenticity, and de-anthropocentric game design. Through a thematic analysis of player reviews (Study 1), we identified four interaction types that demonstrated how anthropocentric logic often limits immersion. Subsequently, six co-design workshops (Study 2) with 18 participants elicited 12 actionable design opportunities. Our findings suggest that effective de-anthropocentric design should prioritize selective mimicry and algorithmic assistance over full morphological simulation. This work bridges theory and practice, providing design pathways for creating transformative non-human perspectives in immersive environments.
Video games increasingly collect personal and behavioural data from players, yet little is known about how privacy controls in this medium are designed or whether they meet regulatory expectations. While prior research has examined consent notices and privacy interfaces in web and mobile applications, video games remain understudied. This paper presents a structured interface audit of user-facing privacy controls in N = 40 popular PC games identified from Steam’s “most played” rankings between November 2025 and January 2026. Drawing on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and guidance from the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), we developed a legally grounded evaluation rubric translating regulatory requirements into observable interface criteria. The rubric spans four dimensions: (1) consent and user control, (2) interface design, (3) transparency, and (4) usability and accessibility. Our findings reveal weak implementation of privacy settings and identify four recurring design patterns. These patterns raise concerns about transparency, accountability, and user agency within increasingly distributed game and platform ecosystems. By situating game privacy settings within debates on platform governance, dark patterns, and privacy-by-design, this paper argues that privacy should be treated as a core dimension of user experience rather than a legal obligation. Embedding clearer, more granular, and more accessible controls within game design may enhance trust and improve alignment with privacy-by-design principles.
Cooperative games increasingly feature multiple AI agents serving distinct roles, yet how players form and transfer trust across such agents remains unclear. We investigated trust spillover between a task-executing Teammate AI and an advisory Guide AI in a web-based cooperative cooking game (within-subjects, N = 23). Teammate AI ability (high vs. low) and Guide AI accuracy (high vs. low/absent) were experimentally manipulated. Results revealed a directional asymmetry in trust spillover. Teammate AI ability significantly influenced trust in the Guide AI ( \(\eta _p^2 =.220\) ), whereas Guide AI accuracy and presence had no effect on trust in the Teammate AI ( \(\eta _p^2 =.002\) ). This suggests that, under cognitive constraints, trust propagates from high-salience task agents to lower-salience advisory agents, but not vice versa. Additionally, the presence of the Guide AI improved performance and perceived control independent of advice accuracy, suggesting an attentional cueing effect. Finally, congruent agent quality levels enhanced perceived relatedness, highlighting the importance of system-level coherence. These findings demonstrate asymmetric trust spillover in cooperative games with role-differentiated AI, where execution-focused agents anchor system-wide trust formation, with implications for multi-agent AI systems in which agents serve distinct functional roles.
Trading card games have grown significantly in popularity, with “Magic: The Gathering” (Magic) standing out as one of the most widely played examples. However, the increasing complexity of cards and mechanics presents a steep learning curve for new players, making it difficult to understand game mechanics and come up with game strategies. This paper addresses this challenge by introducing “SpellGlasses,” an augmented reality (AR) interface for smart glasses to support Magic players during gameplay by providing real-time explanations of game mechanics and supplementary information. The development process was guided by player feedback and iterative user studies. Participants perceived SpellGlasses as helpful for rule comprehension and onboarding support while largely preserving the physical gameplay experience. These results suggest that AR smart glasses have the potential to support learning and accessibility in complex physical games. We present design implications that are transferable to similar applications for smart glasses aimed at facilitating the onboarding in physical games.
