Enhancing multiplayer gaming via per-player visual theme selection

Abstract

Visual aesthetics play a critical role in player engagement within multiplayer games. Traditionally, all players participating in the same game experience the same visual style, limiting personalization and potentially reducing long-term interest. This work proposes a customizable visualization system in an online multiplayer First Person Shooter (FPS), allowing each player to independently choose a visual style (e.g., Wild West or Sci-Fi) without gaining any gameplay advantage. The aim is to enhance user experience and replayability while preserving competitive fairness. User studies with 39 participants showed that free visual choice significantly improved competence, immersion, and social involvement, while reducing negative experiences.