164 Environments of intelligence
overlay, however, is not something that is pictorially displayed on the handset’s
screen, like it would be in Augmented Reality applications proper (see the next
section on AR). Notably, the virtual overlay in this game does not include avatars but only pseudonyms by which players are identified. Players are engaged
in face-to-face interaction but, unless being already personally acquainted, they
might recognise each other as players only in the course of the game. Obviously,
the game is supposed to be played in public everyday contexts, on the way to or
from school, on an afternoon stroll and so forth, and typically not in recession
from interaction in public environments. There are no messaging or chat functions incorporated in the game. Besides real-time information on the presence of
other players in one’s vicinity and the status of the game, the gaming interface
is used only for allocating roles to locations and spatial relations, in the form of
descriptions of tasks and geographical coordinates (direction and distance) related
to these tasks, plus feedback on the accomplishment of the tasks, gaming points
collected and rankings between players.
In the first of the two paradigmatic gaming modes, one player could define
a sequence of GPS points which the other players are then challenged to track
physically, by locating them with their devices while walking or running the virtual course. Gaming points (“experience points”) are awarded to those players
who complete the sequence first or fastest. Separately or in conjunction with such
challenges, a player could pick a virtual fight with another player in his vicinity
who, after being located and formally solicited, is alerted to the imminent attack
and has a “fight or flight” choice at hand. Although the flight option has to be
physically realised, as the targeted individual will have to run from his pursuer to
bring himself out of the (rather narrow) fighting range, the fight itself is not supposed to include any physical elements apart from the players’ spatial proximity.
Instead, it is played out on their mobile handsets as a random function based trial
of strength, with no tactics available to the players to overpower their adversary.
On occasion of a set of field trials of a GeoBashing prototype with high-school
students and first-term IT students at the University of Klagenfurt, the author of
these lines and his colleagues conducted a short series of participant observations.
8
What could be observed on that occasion was that what had been intended as a
virtual overlay to the real world interacted with aspects of the real world in several respects, not all of which were anticipated: First of all, and least surprisingly,
everyday surroundings, like a city park or a university campus, are transformed
into a playing field, by virtue of being thus perceived and treated by the players.
Being tagged with GPS coordinates, otherwise wholly insignificant and featureless locations are turned into landmarks, which to detect and physically occupy is
essential to the purpose of the game. The patch of ice behind the building on the
wintry campus might turn out to be the target, while the building itself might be a
mere obstacle. (Actually, buildings cannot possibly be more than obstacles in this
game, as GPS becomes unreliable or dysfunctional indoors, making the gameplay
a dedicated outdoor activity.)
9
In terms of perceptual coordination, the players are presented with the predicament of mapping the tasks and coordinates displayed on their handsets’ screens
overlay, however, is not something that is pictorially displayed on the handset’s
screen, like it would be in Augmented Reality applications proper (see the next
section on AR). Notably, the virtual overlay in this game does not include avatars but only pseudonyms by which players are identified. Players are engaged
in face-to-face interaction but, unless being already personally acquainted, they
might recognise each other as players only in the course of the game. Obviously,
the game is supposed to be played in public everyday contexts, on the way to or
from school, on an afternoon stroll and so forth, and typically not in recession
from interaction in public environments. There are no messaging or chat functions incorporated in the game. Besides real-time information on the presence of
other players in one’s vicinity and the status of the game, the gaming interface
is used only for allocating roles to locations and spatial relations, in the form of
descriptions of tasks and geographical coordinates (direction and distance) related
to these tasks, plus feedback on the accomplishment of the tasks, gaming points
collected and rankings between players.
In the first of the two paradigmatic gaming modes, one player could define
a sequence of GPS points which the other players are then challenged to track
physically, by locating them with their devices while walking or running the virtual course. Gaming points (“experience points”) are awarded to those players
who complete the sequence first or fastest. Separately or in conjunction with such
challenges, a player could pick a virtual fight with another player in his vicinity
who, after being located and formally solicited, is alerted to the imminent attack
and has a “fight or flight” choice at hand. Although the flight option has to be
physically realised, as the targeted individual will have to run from his pursuer to
bring himself out of the (rather narrow) fighting range, the fight itself is not supposed to include any physical elements apart from the players’ spatial proximity.
Instead, it is played out on their mobile handsets as a random function based trial
of strength, with no tactics available to the players to overpower their adversary.
On occasion of a set of field trials of a GeoBashing prototype with high-school
students and first-term IT students at the University of Klagenfurt, the author of
these lines and his colleagues conducted a short series of participant observations.
8
What could be observed on that occasion was that what had been intended as a
virtual overlay to the real world interacted with aspects of the real world in several respects, not all of which were anticipated: First of all, and least surprisingly,
everyday surroundings, like a city park or a university campus, are transformed
into a playing field, by virtue of being thus perceived and treated by the players.
Being tagged with GPS coordinates, otherwise wholly insignificant and featureless locations are turned into landmarks, which to detect and physically occupy is
essential to the purpose of the game. The patch of ice behind the building on the
wintry campus might turn out to be the target, while the building itself might be a
mere obstacle. (Actually, buildings cannot possibly be more than obstacles in this
game, as GPS becomes unreliable or dysfunctional indoors, making the gameplay
a dedicated outdoor activity.)
9
In terms of perceptual coordination, the players are presented with the predicament of mapping the tasks and coordinates displayed on their handsets’ screens