Examining movement as foundation for embodied player experiences and technology relationships

Abstract

Game studies and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research on embodied experiences and technology relationships often diverge; while game studies focus on the player–in-game character relationship, HCI emphasises sensory perception and stimulation. This paper bridges these perspectives by examining movement as fundamental to perception and interaction, exploring how movement unfolds in sequences between player(s) and technologies. The paper presents a theoretical framework that combines the neuroscientific theories of predictive processing and active inference with phenomenology to understand perception as a subjective experience along with its underlying neurobiological processes. Complemented by an autoethnographic inquiry in which the primary author played seven games over three years, we apply the theoretical framework to analyse how movement drives embodied experiences. Our findings reveal that the composition of movement sequences is a key mechanism for embodied player experiences and technology relationships. Furthermore, the study identifies four dynamics in the sequential movement compositions that shape the qualities of experience. By foregrounding movement as central to connecting players and avatars in sensory engagement, we provide a unified perspective that benefits researchers and designers across the fields of game studies and HCI.