Gaze as a Navigation and Control Mechanism in Third-Person Shooter Video Games

摘要

Gaze as an input mechanic, to this date, has not been widely adopted as a navigation and control mechanism in video games. However, recent advances in the development of affordable hardware, such as portable eyetrackers, have the potential to drive an increasing interest in the design of gaze-induced interaction metaphors in interactive systems. In order to bridge this gap, we designed a prototype third-person shooter video game controllable through traditional inputs (i.e., a console joystick), gaze-based controls (i.e., mediated through an off-the-shelf commercially available eyetracker), or hybrid mechanics. This paper reports the design rationale of the video game and the results of a proof of concept, aiming to comparatively measure user experience and playability of the video game under the influence of traditional and/or gaze-based navigation and control mechanisms. The obtained results show that users preferred hybrid controls for interacting with the game, as it improves performance and provides assistance and useful affordances for enhancing the overall experience. These results are quite promising and provide insights for designing novel gaming mechanics incorporating gaze as an active navigation and control input.