The World As A Game Board

A part of Swedish ICT
The world as a game board
Karl-Petter Åkesson
kalle@sics.se

Overview
Historical – how have we played so far in the physical room?
New technology – Internet of Things
Games around us that use technology
ARG and Pervasive games
Marketing examples
Some things to consider

History
Games and play is older than humanity
Naturally using our surroundings

Play
Important way of learning
Passing time

Physical efforts
Many games has become what we know as sports

Social games
Games as a meeting point
Winning not so important

Murder Mystery Dinner Party
A box with instruction for a mini roleplaying game
http://www.mystery-games.com/mystery-game.html

LARP
Live Action Role Playing
Two main genres
Strategic
Social

Creativity
Making clothes, equipment, food etc.
Characters, stories

What enables technology?
Structure
Control of rules
Pacing a story
Communication
Between individuals, places and things
Experiences
Different media, e.g. sound and images.

Internet of Things
Collection of communicating items
Sense the surrounding
the surrounding becomes the game space
Control physical phenomena
Effect the surrounding to perceive the game
Communication
Devices can share information

What exists today?
Innovative use of existing technology
Traditional games and sports enhanced with technology

GeoCaching
Treasures localized with GPS
http://www.geocaching.com

GeoCaching
Gbg High 9
N 57° 41.537 E 011° 56.582 (WGS84)
The official view point for persons looking for stars is situated close to this cache location. You will also be close to a small special fortress (see picture).

GPSDrawing
A series of coordinates generates a drawing
GPS
http://www.gpsdrawing.com/

Vasaloppet
Each runner has an ID tags in the shoe
Individual timings

Dance Dance Revolution

LaserDome

ARG and Pervasive Games
New game genres
Games that utilize our everyday world
Grown out of mobility and internet

Alternate Reality Games
Playing with alternative views
Mainly using websites, e-mail and other online services
Nokia Game - 1999
The Beast – 2001
Majestic – 2001

Perplex City - 2005
Solve mysteries tofind the cube
Cards with puzzles
Over 600.000 solved
Over 45.000 players
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perplex_City

Pervasive Games
Blurring the boarders more
Where is the game played?
Who is playing the game?
When is the game played?

BotFighters - 2000
A hunt with yourmobile as a gun
Find and shootdown as manyas possible.
Wrong targetgroup.

CanYouSeeMeNow? - 2001
http://www.canyouseemenow.co.uk/

Momentum - 2006
Massive
5 weeks - 24/7
30 players
Whole of Stockholm
Technology enhanced LARP
Players took control of the plot
http://momentum.sics.se/

The truth about Marika - 2007
First integration of TV series and Pervasive Game
Interactive Emmy

FastFoot Challenge - 2008
GPS based hunt
http://www.fastfoot.mobi/

CipherCities
Quests and missions
Using mobile internet or SMS
Community created games
http://ciphercities.com/

GPS Mission
Solve a mission by visiting places
Community created
Mobile phone with GPS
http://gpsmission.com/

Marketing examples
Nokia Game – 1999 – 2005
The Beast – The Movie A.I. - 2001
I Love Bees – Halo 2 - 2004
Primacy - Numb3rs - 2007

Things to consider
Socially
Collision with society
Non-participants/spectators
Utilize technology shortcomings
Business models
Existing ones independent in time and space

The End
Thank you for your time!
Questions?
http://pervasivegames.wordpress.com
http://www.pervasive-gaming.org
Karl-PetterÅkesson - kalle@sics.se