Designing for the dichotomy of immersion in location based games

Gradinar, Adrian and Huck, Jonny and Coulton, Paul and Lochrie, Mark and Tsekleves, Emmanuel (2015) Designing for the dichotomy of immersion in location based games. In: Foundations of Digital Games 2015, 2015-06-22 - 2015-06-25, California.

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Abstract

The interaction design of mixed reality location based games typically focuses upon the digital content of the mobile screen, as this is characteristically the primary navigational tool players use to traverse the game space. This emphasis on the digital over the physical means the opportunity for player immersion in mixed reality games is often limited to the single (digital) dimension. This research seeks to redress this imbalance, which is caused, in part, by the requirement for the player’s attention to be systematically switched between the two worlds, defined in this research as the ‘Dichotomy of Immersion’. Using different design strategies we propose minimising the reliance of the player upon the mobile screen by encouraging greater observation of their physical surroundings. Using a ‘research through design’ approach for the mixed reality game PAC-LAN: Zombie Apocalypse, we illustrate design strategies for increasing immersion in location based games, which we believe will aid designers in enabling players to more readily engage with the physical context of the game and thus facilitate richer game experiences.

Item Type:
Contribution to Conference (Paper)
Journal or Publication Title:
Foundations of Digital Games 2015
Subjects:
?? location-based gamesdigital cartographydichotomy of immersion minimal-attention interfaces,immersionlegibility of spacephysical immersiondigital immersionmobile games ??
ID Code:
74315
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
18 Jun 2015 06:17
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
28 Feb 2024 01:36