Flow Experience and Mood States While Playing Body Movement-Controlled Video Games

Abstract

Body movement-controlled video games (BMCVGs) are a genre of video gaming utilizing body movement to control game play that is becoming increasingly popular. Despite the popularity and widespread interest in BMCVGs, there is limited information available about the nature of the players’ experiences when they engage in BMCVG play. A total of 14 young adults played 6 different BMCVGs for 6 min each and performed traditional cycling exercise in a randomized order. After two familiarization sessions, on a third occasion, subjects rated their enjoyment and completed the Flow State Scale-2 questionnaire. The BMCVGs were rated more enjoyable than traditional cycling exercise and the Flow dimensions Challenge-Skill Balance and Merging of Action and Awareness scored significantly higher than the norms for exercise activity and instead corresponded more closely to the norms for sporting activity. These findings suggest that BMCVGs could therefore act as a gateway for sedentary individuals to become involved in sporting activities.