Collaborative Motion Modes in Serious Game Using Virtual Co-Embodiment: A Pilot Study on Usability and User Perception

With the increasing attention to collaboration in Serious Games, particularly in immersive virtual environments, a novel approach of virtual co-embodiment (e.g., one avatar controlled by multiple users) in recent studies has the potential to contribute to the research on collaborative motion in multiplayer games. This pilot study investigates the usability and the agency of collaborative motion modes in a virtual cycling game under the virtual co-embodiment system. Results showed that these new collaborative modes reported a higher perceived usability. Besides, based on quantitative and qualitative findings, co-embodiment modes in this virtual serious game might evoke an enhanced users' agency.