ahierony@gmail.com | Savannah College of Art and Design
What are the challenges and rewards facing designers developing digital games using alternative input devices? How can these games engage participants and give them unique interactive experiences beyond the casualness of mini-games? In an attempt to answer these questions, I will describe the design process behind two physical gaming installations I am currently developing.
First, some background. In 2005 I developed an interactive installation called MOVE in which participants were able to play through six different game modules: AVOID, CHASE, COLLECT, HIDE, THROW, and
JUMP (see Figure 1a), each allowing players to prompt basic actions that avatars perform in video games. The installation used a floor projection setup where the presence and movements of participants were tracked using a camera (see Figure 1b). The projection on the floor was updated based on participants’ actions and displayed graphics in an abstract language of simple 2-D shapes; a restrained color palette (white, grey, and red); and simplified physics simulations (collision, acceleration, friction, among others). These simple game modules could be experienced by only one player
at a time. Moreover, they rapidly increased in difficulty, leaving players just a few minutes to experience each game module and giving them no chance to win (see Figure 1c).
The installation turned out to be quite successful, especially with a younger audience. Children between the age of six and 12 would often spend hours at a time trying to master the games, forming lines around the projection and replaying them over and over again. Why was this simple gameplay project so addictive for children accustomed to more sophisticated game experiences at home?
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