The Attractiveness and Effectiveness of Upper Body and Full Body Casual Exergame Controllers

Exergames, active videogames in which players use their bodies to control the game, have been successful under certain conditions to produce enjoyable experiences and physical benefits. Casual exergames have been developed with simple game mechanics and short game play durations with the intent to promote exertion. Previous research has suggested that using full body game controllers in exergames compared to upper body movements has greater potential in producing high levels of exertion. In the present work we explore the impact of using upper compared to full body exergame controllers on players' level of perceived immersion, perceived control, and perceived exertion in the context of casual exergames. A between subject, quasi-experiment was conducted with 80 participants, playing the same casual exergame with either upper body movement controllers or full body movement controllers. The results showed a significant difference between groups in terms of perceived control but not in terms of perceived immersion or perceived exertion. Based on the findings we recommend that casual exergame designers do not overlook the use of upper body game controllers in casual exergames but consider them as an alternative to using full body game controllers.