Virtual-reality based leisure experience of nintendo wii for elderly

Abstract

However, there have been very few studies on examining whether video games might provide leisure experience and on the experiences gathering from playing video games as a leisure pursuit. The use of Nintendo Wii has become common in rehabilitation particularly in older population, where the term "Wiihabilitation" has been set out (Wollersheim et al., 2010, p.: 86). As the purpose of this study was to discover and understand the dimensions of leisure experience of elders' leisure playing Wii games as a leisure activity, a qualitative research design was adopted. Purposive sampling method was adopted in this study. The sample was composed of 13 older people who were the participants of the Municipality in Eskisehir-Turkey. The intervention took 40 minutes per a session, two times in a week for 6 weeks. Participants played all four games in each session for ten minutes. According to the results of the interviews, three themes were uncovered related to leisure experience gained through Wii game exercises. For labeling the emerged themes, the recent leisure experience literature was frequently consulted. These three preliminary themes are labeled as social experience, physical experience and relaxation.