I’m going to challenge you both on that statement. Here’s why: consider why you’re saying that. Is it because, say, Rich and I didn’t -graphically- immerse ourselves into a game? We were, “there,” as part of the game, felt that engaged sweat from the incoming destroyers, feel the anxiety of diving for avoidance and subsequent entanglement of torpedo paths and Is it because we didn’t fall by this game immersion rule/definition:
People who experience immersion tend to only consider choices that make sense in the context of the imaginary world.
I can tell you very much yes, I did make choices within context, even for older games that had that same pull. If instead you’re pulling -just- the spacial presence of a game out as part of the definition, then no, unless playing VR game, how would we? That thereby makes immersion strictly as spatial presence unreliable as a part of this thread for the most part.
This article on immersion defines it so narrowly as to be really akin to VR. And yet, the word itself has been used to described many things: immersed in a task at work, immersed in a movie, immersed in a book, etc. So no, I’m never, “immersed,” in that definition beyond VR, and I think that’s nitpicking what, “immersion,” is for media, including games.
Note, many of us here aren’t game developers so we don’t look at the term as strictly as someone who is. I understand that, it’s part of the greatness of this forum and these threads. So I apologize if I’m stepping on the toes of those who view that as a work term and operational game description. But I can assure you, I have been and continue to play the rare game that immerses ME. When I study and try to implement actual and very real techniques so that I can avoid say, a sub wolfpack up against me, I’m pretty deep into a game. I’m there and I’m experiencing things directly. My actions define my life, figuratively within a very anxious setting. I’m immersed. When I sweat trying to sneak around a leviathan deep in Subnautica, like physically sweat, I’m immersed.