Concert Interaction Translation: Augmenting VR Live Concert Experience using Chat-Driven Artificial Collective Reactions

Computer-mediated concerts can be enjoyed on various devices, from desktop and mobile to VR devices, often supporting multiple devices simultaneously. However, due to the limited accessibility of VR devices, relatively small audience members tend to congregate in VR venues, resulting in diminished unique social experiences. To address this gap and enrich VR concert experiences, we present a novel approach that leverages non-VR user interaction data, specifically chat from audiences watching the same content on a live-streaming platform. Based on an analysis of audience reactions in offline concerts, we designed and prototyped a concert interaction translation system that extracts the level of engagement and emotions from chats and translates them to collective movements, cheers, and singalongs of virtual audience avatars in a VR venue. Our user study (n=48) demonstrates that our system, which combines both movement and audio reactions, significantly enhances the sense of immersion and co-presence than the previous method.