Difficulties in immersion

I recently played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which I learnt is the one of the most grossing video games ever. However, I was having a difficult time getting immersed in the game.

I was totally concentrating, but it was hard as a beginner to know which of the buttons will get me to aim so I can successfully shoot the opponents down, or to turn around. So it was useful to have the screen reminding me to press the triangle to change the weapons and the square to revive my team member. Hypermediated I may be, but it meant that the game playing could continue more smoothly, even if only a just a little.

The two most challenging things for me were getting a sense of where in the submarine I was. Having to go between two different screens, that of the map and my vision field, is stressful, when there are people shooting at me and team mate keep calling out to follow him. Where are you? Where am I? Oh, no, I’m shot! Quick, come back to revive me!

Added to the frustration was the fact that when I want to look up, and so push up on the right stick, I am looking down instead, and vice versa. Isn’t that a case of structural incoherence? Why am I looking down when I want to be looking up?

Every time I was about to be immersed I got hypermediated again by my lack of game literacy. I could never experience situated immersion because I was too unfamiliar with the game space to transport myself in there.

The game offered me a challenge I was willing to take on, but in the end that challenge proved too high in comparison to my competency. It is true I got better used to the controls after each repeat. Still, never got past the first stage. Couldn’t work out how to get there. Why is there a door blocking my way? How do I open it? Afterwards, I had to give up, because I wasn’t advancing. Sigh. May try again later, perhaps.

Viv.