Interest In Virtual Environments Research Articles

Taking fan engagement to a new level – assessing sports consumer interest in virtual environments and Web3 activations

PurposeThis paper explores sports consumer interest in virtual environments (VE) and Web3 activations, specifically how the level of psychological involvement, consumers' generational cohorts and previous experience with VE and Web3 activations influence consumer interest in VE and Web3 products and services related to their favorite sports team.Design/methodology/approachA survey instrument was developed and distributed online resulting in a sample size of n = 526. The survey was designed to measure consumers' psychological involvement with their favorite sports team based on the Psychological Continuum Model, and to determine respondents' interest in potential VE and Web3 activations. Finally, the survey collected demographical information and data regarding respondents' previous experience with VE and Web3 applications. Multiple regression analysis was subsequently conducted to predict the impact of (1) psychological involvement, (2) consumers' generational cohorts and (3) previous experience with VE and Web3 activations on the dependent variable consumer interest in VE and Web3 activations.FindingsThe regression model showed a significant impact of the independent variables on consumer interest in VE and Web3 activations with consumer involvement exerting the highest influence. Consumers' previous experience with VE and Web3 applications also seems to trigger interest, in line with the consumption capital theory. This study also suggests that younger generational cohorts are not intrinsically more attracted to VE and Web3 activations but their interest seems to depend on the type of activation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is intended as a first assessment of independent variables that may have an impact on sports consumer interest in VE and Web3 activations. Further research is needed to assess the impact these variables combined with other indicators may have on consumer interest, for instance by employing a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach. This research included selected VE and Web3 applications comprising online games, NFTs and cryptocurrencies, to calculate a VE and Web3 Literacy Score for the purpose of this paper. However, the “umbrella term Web3” (Wang et al., 2022) could indicate a number of additional applications not considered in this research. Future studies could examine sports consumer experience with additional Web3 activations when assessing VE and Web3 Literacy.Practical implicationsThe results of this research imply the need for a diversification of the VE and Web3 portfolio offered by sports teams to cater to different consumer segments. Upcoming challenges for sports teams include motivating younger consumers to take an interest in Web3 activations beyond gaming. Additionally, sports teams should encourage loyal supporters in the advanced stages of the PCM who possess limited VE and Web3 experience, to engage in VE and Web3 activations through simplified offers complementing their overall fan experience.Originality/valueVE and Web3 activations currently offered by sports teams are still in their early stages and data underpinning their success is scarce. This is the first study examining variables that may influence consumer interest in a sports context.

Towards an ontology of virtual environments: A critical account

The growing critical and economic success of Virtual Reality technologies is generating renewed scholarly interest in virtual environments. One of the most long-lasting and influential perspectives on the topic has been labelled «virtual realism» (Heim [1998]), and it has passed throughout the entire history of virtual environments studies up to recent days (Chalmers [2022]). Virtual Realism frames virtual environments in terms of realism, and precisely of perceptive soundness and isomorphism between physical environments and virtual ones, producing a convincing illusion of being physically present in the digital space. This article develops a critical counter-argument to this account. By employing James J. Gibson’s ecology of perception and Deleuze’s and Lévy’s philosophy of the virtual, the article aims at demonstrating that the ontology of virtual environments is rooted in a domain of predetermined possibilities, and that the resulting aesthetics can not be fully immersive. Instead, the latter should embrace the «emersive» and anti-realistic qualities of the medium as an expressive device.

Scientific Landscape of Embodied Experience in the Virtual Environment: A Bibliometric Analysis

The realm of architecture has been influenced by the expansion in virtual environments (VEs), along with Industry 4.0 technologies transforming human–VE interactions. Despite increasing scholarly interest in embodied experience-integrated VE, there have been few comprehensive literature reviews undertaken on VEs from a holistic experience perspective. Therefore, this article reviews the literature on the embodied experiential dimension of VEs that has become necessary to adapt theories and methodologies in a way that enhances the user experience in a VE. This study employs a bibliometric analysis to review research performance and undertake a science mapping of the literature. The 969 pieces of data retrieved from Web of Science were subjected to a performance analysis, and VOSviewer was used to visualize the intellectual structure and research themes. The results of this study emphasize the strength and growing interest in VEs from the embodied experience perspective. Another significant finding is that VE experience studies are mostly based on embodied technologies. In this paper, the results of analyses are discussed in terms of productivity, collaboration, and research themes for future. This study contributes to the literature by providing a significant theoretical reference for the potential of the embodied experience in VE research, which will mostly attract the interest of architectural design researchers.

Meet Your Digital Twin in Space? Profiling International Expat’s Readiness for Metaverse Space Travel, Tech-Savviness, COVID-19 Travel Anxiety, and Travel Fear of Missing Out

The metaverse promises an unimaginable future for digital travelers by enabling them to gain unique experiences (e.g., space travel) that would otherwise be impossible in non-virtual reality. Moreover, COVID-19 travel anxiety has triggered growing interest in virtual environments (e.g., metaverse travel) in the aftermath of the pandemic. The cost-conscious and tech-savvy behavior of travelers has been resurrected in the ‘new normal’; however, the fear of missing out (FOMO) is now dictating travelers’ choices for newness, immersive and rewarding travel experiences. To address these emerging trends, promising new technologies, and untested relationships, the present study explored the effects of COVID-19 travel anxiety on the readiness for metaverse space travel. In addition, the moderating influence of tech savviness and travel FOMO was tested on this relationship. Drawing on data of international expats (N = 386) in UAE, the finding based on structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that the international expat’s readiness for metaverse space travel is positively influenced by their COVID-19 travel anxiety. Moreover, expats with high tendencies of travel FOMO and tech savviness will experience a stronger impact of COVID-19 travel anxiety on their readiness for metaverse space travel. These novel findings guided by prominent theories (e.g., self-determination, SOR, and protection motivation) offer new insights for policy makers and practitioners to strategically achieve digital-tourism transformation and sustainability through emerging and immersive metaverse technologies.

메타버스 성공 요인 분석을 위한 탐색적 연구 : 텍스트 마이닝과 인터뷰 혼합방법론

The development of online technologies and the popularization of contactless lifestyles has increased interest in virtual environments. One area receiving particular attention is the metaverse. However, there is a lack of high-quality critical scholarship on how metaverse and related platforms are selected by users and developed relative to their promise. Therefore this study aims to: 1) identify metaverse success factors by applying a mixed-methods approach and 2) present practical implications. Using text mining techniques and expert interviews, this study examines success factors of the metaverse platform and suggests strategies for the success of the metaverse platform based on derived factors. Simultaneously utilizing user experience-based text mining techniques and interviews, this study advances the methodological literature. This study concludes with recommendations for activating the metaverse platform, contributing to the managerial literature.

Arm Motor Recovery Using a Virtual Reality Intervention in Chronic Stroke

Introduction. Despite interest in virtual environments (VEs) for poststroke arm motor rehabilitation, advantages over physical environment (PE) training have not been established. Objective. The authors compared kinematic and clinical outcomes of dose-matched upper-limb training between a 3D VE and a PE in chronic stroke. Methods: Participants (n = 32) were randomized to a 3D VE or PE for training. They pointed to 6 workspace targets (72 trials, 12 trials/target, randomized) for 12 sessions over 4 weeks with similar feedback on precision, movement speed, and trunk displacement. Primary (kinematics, clinical arm motor impairment) and secondary (activity level, arm use) outcomes were compared by time (PRE, POST, and follow-up, RET), training environment, and impairment severity (mild, moderate-to-severe) using mixed-model analyses of variance (ANOVAs). Results. Endpoint speed, overall performance on a reach-to-grasp task, and activity levels increased in both groups. Only participants in the VE group improved shoulder horizontal adduction at POST (9.5°) and flexion at both POST (6.3°) and RET (13°). Impairment level affected outcomes. After VE training, the mild group increased elbow extension (RET, 25.5°). The moderate-to-severe group in VE increased arm use at POST (0.5 points) and reaching ability at RET (2.2 points). The moderate-to-severe group training in PE increased reaching ability earlier (POST, 1.7 points) and both elbow extension (10.7°) and arm use (0.4 points) at RET, but these changes were accompanied by increased compensatory trunk displacement (RET, 30.2 mm). Conclusion. VE training led to more changes in the mild group and a motor recovery pattern in the moderate-to-severe group indicative of less compensation, possibly because of a better use of feedback.