Onboarding for a new playful narrative adventure in game metaverses

Abstract

Metaverses represent a new iteration of the internet, blending physical and digital realms (e.g., augmented reality, mixed reality, virtual reality) alongside technologies. They manifest in diverse forms such as game metaverses that encourage real-world interaction while featuring fictional contexts and gaming elements. These game metaverses use narrative affordances to enhance user immersion and improve overall experience. Employing an interpretive approach involving online ethnography and interviews with 15 users, we highlight the significant role of narrative affordances in enhancing narrative immersion, demonstrating how ACNH has evolved from a traditional video game into a game metaverse by users. This research contributes to the understanding of narrative dynamics in game metaverses, emphasizing the interplay between formal and material affordances and their impact on user immersion.