“Total Immersion” is described as an artificially created sensory experience that you know isn’t real but leads you to be emotionally involved nonetheless. It’s typically used in describing a kind of mythical high-point for virtual reality hardware. The belief is that one day we will be able to plug our brains in to some device and immediately feel emotionally involved with what we experience. We will be able to smell the flowers, taste the water, and it will be all just so real. Even though some part of our brain knows we’re just sitting in our easychair at home, our hearts will skip a beat.

The ironic thing is that total immersion, by definition, has already existed for pretty much forever. Humans have a long legacy of created entertainments that have had the ability separate our souls from our bodies, our pain, and our lives – even if it is just momentarily. From the first fire we ever gazed into to the best book we ever read, total immersion exists. Yet video game makers are selling immersion snake-oil by the billions. I’m talking about motion controllers, plug in guitars, 3D glasses, etc. Even achievements. These things have their place, to be sure, but perhaps it’s time to finally recognize them for what they are: hollow prophylactics substituting for a better created experience and our disbelief that video games are legitmate.

The Nintendo Wii was of course the OG of this whole thing. It’s success with so-called non-gamers was astounding. That said, if you weren’t a gamer before you got a Wii, then i’m guessing you were simply someone who didn’t have the time, imagination, or belief that video games could be immersive experiences. No offense meant. I don’t hold this against you. This was probably the “big idea” behind the Wii in the first place.

I was right there with you. I present a photo of my very tired significant other proudly showing our line ticket for a Nintendo Wii on release day:

I too believed that the Wii would make video games themselves better experiences.

Of course, I was a pre-Wii gamer too. I guess I forgot that I already had experienced many moments of immersion playing them throughout the years. Here’s an example screenshot of a particularly memorable one (not actually taken by me but used to prove this point):

Not exactly the most mind blowing and exciting looking thing is it? It’s from Silent Hunter 3 – a video game that simulates a submarine. This screenshot portrays a particularly sphincter-tightening moment where several enemy ships have been sighted on the horizon. Oblivious to the grinding pain in my mousing arm, I am in an emotional panic, plotting an intercept course as quickly as I can. Somewhere, off in the distance, my mother is saying something about me doing my homework….

I truly hope the same moments are happening with “non-gamers” become gamers elsewhere, thanks to things like the Wii, because it means we can get over these fake total immersion pieces of crap and get down to really what will create better experiences: better games, and allowing ourselves to enjoy them for what they are.

Consider books. Books, for the most part, have no gimmicks. In fact, they may be one of the least gimmicky mediums ever. They are words on a page. All of the immersion happens in your head, as you read and interpret/imagine what is happening. I’m man enough to admit I have read books that made me cry. So there’s your emotional involvement. Why was that not total immersion? Why do we think that only some kind of weird VR suit is the only way to feel total immersion?

One day we actually will have that magical machine we plug into that lets us smell the virtual flowers and taste the virtual water. But if the experience to “immerses” us, it will have nothing to do with the machine, and everything to do with the flowers and the water. The best way to truly create total immersion is by creating better experiences. Now that we we have a broader acceptance of the idea that that video games just might be capable of involving us emotionally, it’s time to take the next step, and let them do just that.