TY - GEN
T1 - Bollocks!! Designing pervasive games that play with the social rules of built environments
AU - Linehan, Conor
AU - Bull, Nick
AU - Kirman, Ben
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - We propose that pervasive games designed with mechanics that are specifically in opposition with, or disruptive of, social rules of the environment in which they are played, have unique potential to provide interesting, provocative experiences for players. We explore this concept through the design and evaluation of an experimental game prototype, Shhh!, inspired by the juvenile game Bollocks, and implemented on Android mobile devices, which challenges players to make loud noises in libraries. Six participants played the game before engaging in semi-structured interviews, explored through inductive thematic analysis. Results suggest that the game provoked in players a heightened awareness of social rules, as well as a complex social dilemma of whether or not to act. We conclude by presenting a model for designing games that play with the social, as well as physical, rules of the environments in which they are set.
AB - We propose that pervasive games designed with mechanics that are specifically in opposition with, or disruptive of, social rules of the environment in which they are played, have unique potential to provide interesting, provocative experiences for players. We explore this concept through the design and evaluation of an experimental game prototype, Shhh!, inspired by the juvenile game Bollocks, and implemented on Android mobile devices, which challenges players to make loud noises in libraries. Six participants played the game before engaging in semi-structured interviews, explored through inductive thematic analysis. Results suggest that the game provoked in players a heightened awareness of social rules, as well as a complex social dilemma of whether or not to act. We conclude by presenting a model for designing games that play with the social, as well as physical, rules of the environments in which they are set.
KW - Critical games
KW - Non-players
KW - Pervasive games
KW - Social context
KW - Social rules
KW - Unwritten rules
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84893973689
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-319-03161-3_9
DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-03161-3_9
M3 - Conference proceeding
AN - SCOPUS:84893973689
SN - 9783319031606
T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
SP - 123
EP - 137
BT - Advances in Computer Entertainment - 10th International Conference, ACE 2013, Proceedings
T2 - 10th International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment, ACE 2013
Y2 - 12 November 2013 through 15 November 2013
ER -