Published in: Proceedings of Interact 2001 (Paper)

Pirates!

Using the Physical World as a Game Board

Staffan Björk, Jennica Falk, Rebecca Hansson, Peter Ljungstrand
PLAY research studio, Interactive Institute
c/o Viktoria Institute, Box 620, 405 30 Göteborg, SWEDEN
http://www.interactiveinstitute.se
jennica.falk@interactiveinstitute.se

Abstract

We explore how computer games can be designed to maintain some of the social aspects of traditional game play, by moving computational game elements into the physical world. We have constructed a mobile multi-player game, Pirates!, to illustrate how wireless and proximity-sensing technology can be utilized to create new forms of game experiences. We describe Pirates! and its implementation, and provide insights gained during a demonstration at a scientific conference. Observations of test users indicate that Pirates! can be deployed successfully in a social setting, where co-located people can play together.

Keywords

computer games, ubiquitous computing, augmented reality, context-awareness, wireless computing, entertainment applications, proximity-triggered interaction

© 2001