Effects of viewpoint, gamer type, and gender on game performance and immersion in shooting games

Abstract This study examined how viewpoint (first-person vs. third-person), gamer type (hardcore vs. casual), and gender relate to task completion efficiency and immersion in a controlled tablet-based shooting game. A total of 100 participants recruited via snowball sampling each completed four tasks imposing distinct demands, in a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects design with task as a within-subjects factor; immersion was assessed after the session using the Immersion Experience Questionnaire (IEQ; Cronbach’s α = 0.90). A mixed-design ANOVA showed that the third-person viewpoint, F(1, 92) = 9.27, p =0.003, η²ₚ = 0.092, and hardcore gamer type, F(1, 92) = 11.79, p <0.001, η²ₚ = 0.114, were each associated with faster completion, with no significant interaction involving task, indicating that both advantages held consistently across the four tasks. Supplementary shots-fired data revealed a difference not captured by completion time: in the most complex combat task, hardcore gamers reached the goal with roughly one-third the shots of casual gamers, F(1, 92) = 100.70, p <0.001, η²ₚ = 0.52, whereas viewpoint was unrelated to shots fired. Exploratory per-task analyses suggested selective effects of gamer type, viewpoint, and gender that did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. For immersion, viewpoint showed no effect, whereas a gender × gamer-type interaction emerged: among hardcore gamers, female participants reported higher immersion than male participants, while casual gamers did not differ by gender. These findings are specific to this sample, platform, and prototype.