We explore how computer games can be designed to maintain some of the social aspects of traditional game play, by moving computational game elements into the physical world. We have constructed a mobile multiplayer game, Pirates!, to illustrate how wireless and proximity-sensing technology can be integrated in the design of new game experiences. We describe Pirates! and its implementation, and report insights gained during a demonstration at a scientific conference. Observations of test users indicate that Pirates! can be deployed in a social setting where co-located people play together in order to promote social interaction between players and non-players alike.

This paper presents a gameplay experience model, assesses its potential as a tool for research and presents some directions for future work. The presented model was born from observations among game-playing children and their non-player parents, which directed us to have a closer look at the complex nature of gameplay experience. Our research led into a heuristic gameplay experience model that identifies some of the key components and processes that are relevant in the experience of gameplay, with a particular focus on immersion. The model includes three components: sensory, challenge-based and imaginative immersion (SCI-model). The classification was assessed with self-evaluation questionnaires filled in by informants who played different popular games. It was found that the gameplay experiences related to these games did indeed differ as expected in terms of the identified three immersion components.

In this paper we introduce ALMA – A Layered Model of Affect. It integrates three major affective characteristics: emotions, moods and personality that cover short, medium, and long term affect. The use of this model consists of two phases: In the preparation phase appraisal rules and personality profiles for characters must be specified with the help of AffectML – our XML based affect modeling language. In the runtime phase, the specified appraisal rules are used to compute real-time emotions and moods as results of a subjective appraisal of relevant input. The computed affective characteristics are represented in AffectML and can be processed by sub-sequent modules that control the cognitive processes and physical behavior of embodied conversational characters. ALMA is part of the VirtualHuman project which develops interactive virtual characters that serve as dialog partners with human-like conversational skills. ALMA provides our virtual humans with a personality profile and with real-time emotions and moods. These are used by the multimodal behavior generation module to enrich the lifelike and believable qualities.

In this paper, we introduce a toolkit called SceneMaker for authoring scenes for adaptive, interactive performances. These performances are based on automatically generated and prescripted scenes which can be authored with the SceneMaker in a two-step approach: In step one, the scene flow is defined using cascaded finite state machines. In a second step, the content of each scene must be provided. This can be done either manually by using a simple scripting language, or by integrating scenes which are automatically generated at runtime based on a domain and dialogue model. Both scene types can be interweaved in our planbased, distributed platform. The system provides a context memory with access functions that can be used by the author to make scenes user-adaptive. Using CrossTalk as the target application, we describe our models and languages, and illustrate the authoring process. CrossTalk is an interactive installation with animated presentation agents which “live ” beyond the actual presentation and systematically step out of character within the presentation, both to enhance the illusion of life. The context memory enables the system to adapt to user feedback and generates data for later evaluation of user/system behavior. The SceneMaker toolkit should enable the non-expert to compose adaptive, interactive performances in a rapid prototyping approach.

In this paper, we present a new multi-screen interactive environment. The system extracts a silhouette of the participant for driving the interaction using a method that overcomes the inherent problems associated with traditional chroma-keying, background subtraction, and rear-light projection methods. We present an approach for generating a robust silhouette of the participant using specialized infrared lighting while not making the underlying technology apparent to those interacting within the system. The design also enables video projection screens to be placed in front of and behind the user without interfering with the silhouette extraction process. The framework itself is a portable system which can act as a re-usable infrastructure for many interactive projects. 1 Introduction When designing interactive environments, it's imperative for the system to be engaging as well as be reliably "aware" of the person (or people) interacting within the space. Many installations are design...

Virtual Reality (VR) is currently the subject of much academic research and virtual environments, particularly in the form of 3D computer games, are the subject of much commercial activity. However, the development process for VEs is not well documented or fully researched. In this paper the available literature relating to VE design is briefly reviewed prior to the presentation of a possible design methodology for VEs. The paper then goes on to discuss the weak points in the methodology and problems with inter-relating the various stages. Finally, future areas of research are identified.

We created the characters Agneta & Frida with the intent to strengthen and encourage exploration of information spaces. In a follow-up study we tried to capture whether users found the characters believable, whether they raised affective responses in users, and whether they created a richer more narratively oriented experience of the space. In order to do so, we had to develop new criteria and methods of understanding users ’ conceptions and affective responses. We discuss the study in detail, as well as the general implications for how to perform user studies and design of character-enhanced systems. 1

Interactive immersive entertainment, or videogame playing, has emerged as a major entertainment and educational medium. As research and development initiatives proliferate, educational researchers might benefit by developing more grounded theories about them. This article argues for framing game play as a designed experience. Players ’ understandings are developed through cycles of performance within the gameworlds, which instantiate particular theories of the world (ideological worlds). Players develop new identities both through game play and through the gaming communities in which these identities are enacted. Thus research that examines game-based learning needs to account for both kinds of interactions within the gameworld and in broader social contexts. Examples from curriculum developed for Civilization III and Supercharged! show how games can communicate powerful ideas and open new identity trajectories for learners.

er than use more formalised information artefacts. When navigating cities people tend to ask other people for advice rather than study maps (Streeter and Vitello, 1985), when trying to find information about pharmaceuticals medical doctors tend to ask other doctors for advice (Tiimpka and Hallberg, 1996), if your child has red spots you might phone your mother or talk to a friend for an opinion. Even when we are not directly looking for information we use a wide range of cues, both from features of the environment and from the behaviour of other people, to manage our activities. Alan Munro observed how people followed crowds or simply sat around at a venue when deciding which shows and street events to attend at the Edinburgh Arts Festival (Munro, 1998). We might be influenced to pick up a book because it appears well thumbed, we walk into a sunny courtyard because it looks attractive or we might decide to see a film because our friends enjoyed it. Not only do we find our ways through

We present a model to support the design, analysis, and comparison of games through the use of game design patterns, descriptions of reoccurring interaction relevant to game play. The model consists of a structural framework to describe the components of games, and patterns of interaction that describes how components are used by players (or a computer) to affect various aspects of the game play. Focusing on the patterns and identified methods for using them, we describe the development of the model and how we are currently working to enlarge and validate the collection of patterns.