The multimedia challenges raised by pervasive games

ABSTRACT

Pervasive gaming is a new form of multimedia entertainment that extends the traditional computer gaming experience out into the real world. Through a combination of personal devices, positioning systems and other multimedia sensors, combined with wireless networking, a pervasive game can respond to a player's movements and context and enable them to communicate with a game server and other players. We review recent examples of pervasive games in order to explain their distinctive characteristics as multimedia applications. We then consider the challenge of scaling pervasive games to include potentially very large numbers of players. We propose a new approach based upon a campaign model in which individuals, local groups and experts draw on a combination of pervasive games, online services and broadcasting to take part in national or even global events. We discuss the challenges that this raises for further research.

References

1. R. Want, A. Hopper, V. Falcão, and J. Gibbons, "The active badge location system,in ACM Transactions on Information Systems" (TOIS), vol. 10, 1992, pp. 91--102.
2. R. Want, B. N. Schilit, N. I. Adams, R. Gold, K. Petersen, D. Goldberg, J. R. Ellis, and M. Weiser, "The PARCTAB Ubiquitous Computing Experiment," Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Palo Alto CSL-95-1, March 1995.
3. K. Cheverst, N. D., K. Mitchell, A. Friday, and C. Efstratiou, "Developing a context-aware electronic tourist guide: some issues and experiences," presented at SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems, The Hague, The Netherlands, 2000.
4. P. J. Brown and G. J. F. Jones, "Context-aware retrieval: exploring a new environment for information retrieval and information filtering," in Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, vol. 5, 2001, pp. 253--263.
5. T. Imielinski and J. C. Navas, "GPS-based geographic addressing, routing, and resource discovery," in Communications of the ACM, vol. 42, 1999, pp. 86--92.
6. S. Benford, D. Rowland, M. Flintham, R. Hull, J. Reid, J. Morrison, K. Facer, and B. Clayton, "Savannah: Designing a location-based game simulating lion behaviour," presented at Proceedings of Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment 2004, 2004.
7. S. Benford, C. Magerkurth, and P. Ljungstrand, "Bridging the physical and digital in pervasive gaming," in Communications of the ACM, vol. 48, 2005, pp. 54--57.
8. W. Piekarski and B. Thomas, "ARQuake: The Outdoors Augmented Reality System," in Communications Of The ACM, vol. 45, 2002, pp. 36--38.
9. "Ilovebees," in www.ilovebees.com, vol. verified 20th may 2005.
10. "Birdwatch," in www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch, vol. verified 20th may 2005.
11. "Thegogame," in www.thegogame.com, vol. verified 20th may 2005.
12. S. Benford, R. Anastasi, M. Flintham, A. Drozd, A. Crabtree, C. Greenhalgh, N. Tandavanitj, M. Adams, and J. Row-Farr, "Coping with uncertainty in a location-based game," in IEEE Pervasive Computing, 2003, pp. 34--41.
13. Blast Theory, "Can You See Me Now?," in http://www.blasttheory.co.uk/bt/work_cysmn.html, vol. 2005. London - UK, 2005.
14. S. Benford, M. Flintham, A. Drozd, R. Anastasi, D. Rowland, N. Tandavanitj, M. Adams, J. Row-Farr, A. Oldroyd, and J. Sutton, "Uncle Roy All Around You: Implicating the City in a Location-Based Performance," presented at Advanced Computer Entertainment 2004, Singapore, 2004.
15. S. Benford, W. Seagar, M. Flintham, R. Anastasi, D. Rowland, J. Humble, D. Stanton, J. Bowers, N. Tandavanitj, M. Adams, J. R. Farr, A. Oldroyd, and J. Sutton, "The Error of our Ways: The experience of Self-Reported Position in a Location-Based Game," presented at UbiComp 2004, Nottingham - UK, 2004.
16. S. Benford, D. Rowland, M. Flintham, A. Drozd, R. Hull, J. Reid, J. Morrison, and K. Facer, "Life on the edge: supporting collaboration in location-based experiences," presented at SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems, Portland, Oregon, USA, 2005.
17. "Botfighters," in www.botfighters.com, vol. verified 20th may 2005.
18. "Springwatch," in www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildbritain/springwatch, vol. verified 20th may 2005.
19. M. Chalmers and A. Galani, "Seamful interweaving: heterogeneity in the theory and design of interactive systems," presented at Designing interactive systems: processes, practices, methods, and techniques, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2004.

Index Terms

• Computer systems organization

  • Architectures

    • Distributed architectures

• Human-centered computing

  • Human computer interaction (HCI)

• Software and its engineering

  • Software organization and properties

    • Software system structures

      • Distributed systems organizing principles