Developer's Journal --- What makes a game world ''immersive"?

Love these awesome threads on Reddit / Gamasutra:

Highlight of comments / idea:

---- It annoys me whenever developers talk about wanting to make the player "feel like a hero". No, dammit, I don't want to feel like a hero. I want to feel like a part of the world!


---- It's impossible to feel like a hero without feeling like part of the world, so you'd think developers would fix your annoyance by accident at least.

---- The convincing, immersive game world needs to be indifferent to the player and the player needs to feel like an intruder.

Check out the links below.

What makes a game world feel alive, and which games get it wrong or right?

What are some things a game can do to make a game world come "alive"?

Why does the GTA IV rendition of Liberty City feel so much more real and alive than any other open-world game?

The Secret of Immersive Game Worlds  (Gamasutra)