The concept of embodiment is widely discussed in virtual reality (VR) game design research; however, its operationalisation remains inconsistent. This study investigates whether current definitions of embodiment in VR game research are overly vague or imprecise, potentially undermining their utility as an analytical and design framework. Analysing 35 empirical academic papers, we identified that only 11 directly defined embodiment. To examine the conceptual alignment of these definitions, we employed computational analysis techniques, including term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF), cosine similarity, and hierarchical clustering. Our findings indicate notable discrepancies in how embodiment is defined in research on VR game design, suggesting that several definitions lack consistency. The study contributes to the field by offering a data-driven analysis of embodiment in VR games, highlighting areas where greater definitional precision is needed to support robust research and design practices.

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Embodied Without Matter: An Analysis of Embodiment Definitions in VR Game Design Research

  • Adam Palmquist,
  • Erik Olsson,
  • Aedan Soellaart,
  • Nicolay Johansen,
  • Ole Goethe

摘要

The concept of embodiment is widely discussed in virtual reality (VR) game design research; however, its operationalisation remains inconsistent. This study investigates whether current definitions of embodiment in VR game research are overly vague or imprecise, potentially undermining their utility as an analytical and design framework. Analysing 35 empirical academic papers, we identified that only 11 directly defined embodiment. To examine the conceptual alignment of these definitions, we employed computational analysis techniques, including term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF), cosine similarity, and hierarchical clustering. Our findings indicate notable discrepancies in how embodiment is defined in research on VR game design, suggesting that several definitions lack consistency. The study contributes to the field by offering a data-driven analysis of embodiment in VR games, highlighting areas where greater definitional precision is needed to support robust research and design practices.