Spellbound : an activity-based outdoor mobile multiplayer game

Traditional outdoor recreation is physically and emotionally rewarding from goal directed social activities and encourages a connection with the real world but can be logistically difficult. Online gaming allows people to play together despite physical distances and differences in time zones. Players enjoy new experiences in awe-inspiring interactive worlds while effectively inactive. This project is a physically active outdoor social game that embeds a layer of fantasy and challenge in the real world employing location-based technologies available on mobile phones. Requiring the game be multiplayer in real-time and played in a physical space presents certain limitations in the design of input and output mechanics. This project demonstrates how those constraints were managed to create a compelling experience. A sixteen people evaluation validates the concept while observations and feedback suggest future improvements.

Department dc:contributor.department

Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Sra, Misha

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Christopher Schmandt.

• Architecture. Program in Media Arts and Sciences.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/91693

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/91693