# Gamification and Immersive Experiences: A Gamified Approach for Promoting Active Aging
## 2 Background
### Gamification and Immersive Experiences  
Recent research demonstrates that serious games and gamification have both enhancing and preventive effects on cognitive abilities in older adults [2]. However, gamification research has largely overlooked one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in recent years: older adults. Despite this oversight, studies have shown that older adults play and enjoy games as much as younger adults [2]. This research [2] has also concluded that digital games can provide various health benefits to older adults [2,3]. Furthermore, as future generations of older adults will have become more familiar with digital technologies and games from their childhood or youth, the digital divide between older and younger adults is expected to narrow significantly [4]. Consequently, it is imperative to investigate how older adults' interactions with digital games can positively impact aging.  
Immersive ludic experiences present an innovative approach to promoting mental health and providing other benefits for older adults [7,14]. These experiences create environments that engage the senses, offering users a unique opportunity to disconnect from their usual surroundings and immerse themselves in sensory-rich spaces that evoke specific sensations. Immersive experiences can be developed using various technologies, including:  
* Virtual Reality (VR): VR involves creating a lifelike digital universe, allowing users to replace their current environment with a virtual one and move freely within the digitally generated space.
* Augmented Reality (AR): AR overlays virtually created objects onto the physical world, integrating these elements seamlessly into the user's environment.
* Mixed Reality (MR): MR combines VR and AR to generate new spaces where real-world objects interact with 3D-generated virtual elements.
* 360\({}^{\circ}\) Images and Videos: This technology enables users to create and view immersive images that transport them visually to specific spaces, providing the sensation of being fully present in the depicted environment.  
These immersive technologies are applied across diverse social and business sectors, including marketing, education, tourism, industry, leisure, and healthcare. In healthcare [14, 15, 16], immersive experiences play a significant role in palliative care by redirecting patients' focus to pleasant environments through projections or interactive games, stimulating emotions and engagement. Scientific studies have shown that these experiences can alleviate pain by stimulating the brain to block pain receptors.  
Numerous commercial web applications and platforms have been developed to offer immersive experiences tailored to distinct purposes and audiences [17,18]. For instance, JigSpace uses 3D elements to enable users to explore, create, and share knowledge interactively. Employing augmented reality offers insights into how objects function, enhancing visualization-based learning. Another example is Orbulus, which facilitates virtual travel and exploration by allowing users to visit various locations through virtual reality. Designed for accessibility, Orbulus eliminates the need for additional accessories to control the experience, making virtual reality more approachable. Similarly, Unimersiv focuses on educational VR, regularly publishing immersive content on space, history, and science, aiming to accelerate learning through engaging VR experiences. Lastly, Pokemon GO, a mobile game, integrates augmented reality with geolocation, encouraging players to search for, capture, and collect Pokemon. Beyond collection, it incorporates competitive elements, allowing players to battle for gym control and earn rewards. These platforms demonstrate the versatility of immersive technologies in education, entertainment, and exploration.  
The following section proposes a gamified and immersive technological solution to promote active aging, developed as part of the PEGAMEX-ACTIVE research project [19].