VR 콘텐츠의 현존감 유형 및 구성요소 분석 -Steam 기반 VR 콘텐츠 대표 사례를 중심으로-

초록

(Background and Purpose) Virtual reality(VR) content has expanded into diverse forms with the advancement of hardware and software and has gained attention as a medium that provides users with a strong sense of presence and immersive experience. While studies on the utilization and enhancement of presence have been actively conducted, studies that identify the components of different presence types and apply them to actual VR content cases to examine how these components are implemented remain relatively limited. Accordingly, this study aims to analyze the types of presence in VR content by applying the components proposed in previous studies to actual VR content cases and examining the implementation characteristics of each presence type. (Method) The scope of this study was limited to VR content released on the Steam platform. The analysis focused on titles with a“Very Positive”or higher user rating on Steam. Content primarily intended for learning specific functions or demonstrating particular technologies, such as educational, experiential, and sports content, was excluded, and titles in which immersion and interaction constitute major aspects of the overall user experience were selected for analysis. Based on previous studies, the components and analytical criteria for physical, social, and personal presence were established and applied to representative VR content cases. Although multiple types of presence may coexist within a single case, each case was analyzed according to its representative presence type, with a focus on user manipulation, interaction, and implementation characteristics associated with each component. (Results) The analysis showed that sensory realism and spatial location awareness, the components of physical presence, were commonly associated with visual and auditory environmental representation, physical responses, spatial exploration, and object manipulation. For social presence, recognition of others' existence and social relationality were commonly associated with the perception of others through avatars, voice, and behavior, while differences in implementation were observed depending on the purpose of the content, ranging from free social interaction to joint activities and cooperation. For personal presence, bodily self-identification and self-identity were associated with the representation of users' physical movements through virtual body movements and with the connection of users' judgments and actions to the progression and outcomes of the content. (Conclusions) This study contributes by applying the presence types and components discussed in previous studies to actual VR content cases and compared and analyzed the specific implementation characteristics of each component, as well as the commonalities and differences across cases. Rather than concluding that presence was actually experienced by users, the findings identify how components and implementation characteristics that may facilitate presence are manifested in actual VR content. Future research should objectively validate the factors and implementation characteristics that may facilitate presence through a wider range of VR content cases and user studies. It is expected that the findings of this study will serve as a useful reference for considering presence-related factors in the design and planning of VR content.

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