Taking a Look at the Player's Gaze: The Effects of Gaze Visualizations on the Perceived Presence in Games

This DiGRA 2015 study by Lankes and Wagner examines how visualizing a player's gaze in game interfaces affects spatial presence, addressing a gap in research on the aesthetic and interface design of gaze feedback. The authors tested two prototypes, a 2D platformer and a first-person exploration game, each in variants with and without a visible gaze-position rectangle and with diegetic versus virtual interface treatments, across 100 participants. The work positions gaze input as a potentially valuable design tool for increasing presence and engagement.

The central findings indicate that scenario had a significant effect on the self-location dimension of spatial presence, with the first-person variant lacking the gaze rectangle scoring highest, though pairwise differences were limited. Genre proved to be the more consequential factor: the 2D platformer produced markedly higher perceived possible actions than the 3D exploration variants. Interface type exerted only a minor influence overall. The visible white gaze rectangle initially reduced spatial presence, but players adapted to it over time, suggesting a learning effect.

The study's scope is limited to two prototypes, a predominantly male sample of mostly students, and a self-location scale with modest reliability (α=0.61), all of which constrain generalization. The authors conclude that genre, narrative, and challenge elements matter more than the specific visualization choice, and they recommend future research on additional genres, third-person perspectives, longer play sessions, and more stylized interface designs.