# Virtually Connected in a Multiverse of Madness?--Perceptions of Gaming, Animation, and Metaverse
## 3 Methods  
### Data Gathering--Focus Group  
This study consists of three synchronous online focus groups, with a total of 13 participants of Portuguese nationality. For choosing the participants, we used as inclusion criteria: (1) being a gamer (plays digital or video games regularly); (2) being young adults or adults; (3) having some knowledge regarding video-conference tools. As for the exclusion criteria: (1) did not match all the inclusion criteria mentioned; (2) needed access to a computer with internet to participate in the online focus group. There were seven males and six females, with an average age of twenty-nine. Google Meet was the software chosen to make the video conference.  
The questions were revised for each focus group depending on difficulties observed and on the understanding of what was asked in the previous focus group made. However, we never interfered with the line of ideas or suggested a response. For example, one question clarified the meaning of metaverse because participants asked directly if the metaverse was the concept itself mentioned or if it was the Facebook company changing their name to Meta. In a general way, all the participants understood what was questioned immediately.  
The focus groups comprised twenty-eight questions, divided into three main themes: gaming, animation, and metaverse.  
For the gaming theme, we had these questions prepared:  
1. What is it for you to play?
2. What is the gaming world for you?
3. What is a gamer for you?
4. What do you think about there being different types of gamers?
5. How do you feel/think that the gaming world is present in our daily lives?
6. What do you think/feel about the statement \"a game is a virtual reality\"?
7. What do you think/feel about the possibility of social reality being an important factor in choosing a game in favor of others?
8. When you play, do you feel immersed (\"inside\") in the game?
9. How do you relate playing with your everyday reality?
10. How do you relate playing with animation and the metaverse?
11. To what extent do you feel immersed in a virtual world while playing the game? As? Why?
12. What are the most fascinating features for you to play?
13. What are the most important features in a game to feel more immersed?
14. Do you know or use any objects/technologies that provide immersion in a game? For the animation theme, the questions were:  
1. What do you think/feel about the statement \"animation is present in all games\"?
2. Do you consider animation an important factor in a game?
3. What features do you like/look for in a gaming animation?
4. What do you think about the statement \"an animation is a kind of virtual reality\"? For the main theme of metaverse the questions were:  
1. What is the metaverse for you? Refer to at least three words about what it means.
2. What do you think about the metaverse? What do you think the metaverse is for?
3. Have you ever been immersed in the Metaverse? What made you feel/think?
4. For which population do you think the metaverse is more directed? (adults, teens, children, or seniors/elderly?)
5. How is the metaverse present in your daily life?
6. Do you think the metaverse is a virtual reality? Why?
7. How do you think/feel about the metaverse's relation to our social reality?
8. What do you think about the possibility of social reality being an important factor in interacting with the metaverse?
9. Is a game a metaverse?