Location Based Gaming, Reshaping the way we think about Video Games.
By Danny Quinn
October 13
Video games in western culture are usually meet with scrutiny by the general public and seen as one of the major contributors to complex social problems such as the rising percentage of childhood obesity (Levin 2004). The far-reaching effects and social impact of gaming are usually ignored (Marshall 2006, 294), however, a new form of video-gaming known as Location Based Gaming (LBG) may help in reshaping negative attitudes surrounding the link between gaming and obesity (McAndrews 2008).
Location Based Gaming is the term given to the process of playing a video game using technology like Global Positioning Satellites (GPS), delivered through a GSM enabled mobile phone that combines player's real world with a virtual world on the handset (Rooprai 2007). LBG is a relatively new form of gaming with it roots being traced to the 2001 Swedish game of Botfighters (Sotamaa 2002, 37) but a combination of factors is contributing to establishing a framework for the development of sophisticated Location Based Mobile Games. These include the growth of Internet mobility and affordability (Lonthoff and Ortner 2007, 183), the development of more powerful handsets (Guillemot in Waters 2008) and a steadily growing market for mobile gaming (Davis 2008). One company that is utilizing these technological developments to create physically engaging LB mobile games is UK-based firm LocoMatrix.
LocoMatrix has developed active location-based games aimed at a primary market of young people to be played outdoors using GPS-enabled mobile phones. Fruit Farmer, for example, is a game in which one or more players run around a real environment such as a park, or a soccer field collecting virtual oranges, visible on their mobile handset, while avoiding virtual obstacles such as killer wasps (Locomatrix 2007). Nintendo have already proved the potential success that active video gaming can have, as demonstrated by the phenomenal achievement of the Wii (Aoyama and Izushi 2008, 9) so it seems the challenge for LocoMatrix will be implementing an innovative distribution model.
The company is already promoting a bottom-up (Bruns 2008) method of game development by offering consumers an open API (application programming interface) and will be freely open to other developers to create their own games. Incentives like this may be attractive to potential consumers, however, according to Flew (2008, 204-210) adoption of innovations such as LBG largely depends on promotion through early adopters. Conversely, the distribution of an immature product filled with bugs and shortcomings can ultimately alienate these early adopters and doom the product. LBG is still an infant gaming technology, therefore it is limited by factors such as being locally constrictive. As Stuart Dredge (2008, para. 3) of www.pocketgamer.biz puts it “What use is a location-based mobile game if there's nobody near you to play against?”
Ultimately, the challenge for Locomatrix and other LBG developers is to create an innovative method of developing, distributing and promoting this new and active form of gaming. As Henry Jenkins’ (2006, 312) of MIT puts it, “Games represent a new lively art, one as appropriate for the digital age as those earlier media were for the machine age”. With this in mind Location Based games such as LocoMatrix’s Fruit Farmer could help in constructing a new positive perspective on video gaming within the public sphere.
References:
Aoyama, Y. and H. Izushi. 2008. User-led Innovation and the video game industry. http://www.dime-eu.org/files/active/0/AoyamaIzushiPAPER.pdf (accessed October 10, 2008).
Bruns, A. 2008. Global Economic Drivers (KCB202). Podcast. http://www.slideshare.net/Snurb/global-economic-drivers-kcb202-pres... (accessed September 28, 2008).
Davis, J. 2008. GDC: Guillemot Sees No 'Explosion' for Mobile Games; Just Steady Growth. http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/gdc-guillemot-sees-no-explos... (accessed October 9, 2008).
Dredge, S. 2008. Opinion: The problem with location-based mobile games. http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/feature.asp?c=9042 (accessed October 10, 2008).
Flew, T. 2008. New Media: An Introduction. 3rd ed. South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press.
Jenkins, H. 2003. Games, The New lively Art. In Creative Industries, ed. J. Hartley 312-326. Malden, MA : Blackwell.
Levin, A. 2004. Video Games, Not TV, Linked To Obesity In Kids. http://www.cfah.org/hbns/news/video03-17-04.cfm(accessed October 10, 2008).
LocoMatrix. 2007. Press kit: Unlocking the potential of augmented reality: Where the virtual world infiltrates the real world… http://www.locomatrix.com/press.html(accessed October 10, 2008).
Lonthoff, J. and E. Ortner. 2007. Mobile Location-Based Gaming as Driver for Location-Based Services (LBS) – Exemplified by Mobile Hunters. http://www.informatica.si/PDF/31-2/06_Lonthoff-Mobile%20Location-Ba...(accessed October 10, 2008).
Marshall, D. 2006. Computer Games. In The Media & Communications in Australia, ed. S. Cunningham & G. Turner 279-300. Crows Nest, N.S.W : Allen & Unwin.
McAndrews, B. 2008. Location-based games lure kids off the couch. http://www.springwise.com/gaming/locationbased_games_lure_kids/ (accessed October 10, 2008).
Rooprai, H. 2007. TechWatch - Location Based Gaming. http://www.location.net.in/magazine/2007/may-june/22.htm (accessed October 11, 2008).
Sotamaa, O. 2002. All The World’s A Botfighter Stage:
Notes on Location-based Multi-User Gaming. http://www.digra.org/dl/db/05164.14477 (accessed October 10, 2008).
Waters. D. 2008. How mobile got its game on. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7254123.stm (accessed Sep 11, 2008)
October 13
Video games in western culture are usually meet with scrutiny by the general public and seen as one of the major contributors to complex social problems such as the rising percentage of childhood obesity (Levin 2004). The far-reaching effects and social impact of gaming are usually ignored (Marshall 2006, 294), however, a new form of video-gaming known as Location Based Gaming (LBG) may help in reshaping negative attitudes surrounding the link between gaming and obesity (McAndrews 2008).
Location Based Gaming is the term given to the process of playing a video game using technology like Global Positioning Satellites (GPS), delivered through a GSM enabled mobile phone that combines player's real world with a virtual world on the handset (Rooprai 2007). LBG is a relatively new form of gaming with it roots being traced to the 2001 Swedish game of Botfighters (Sotamaa 2002, 37) but a combination of factors is contributing to establishing a framework for the development of sophisticated Location Based Mobile Games. These include the growth of Internet mobility and affordability (Lonthoff and Ortner 2007, 183), the development of more powerful handsets (Guillemot in Waters 2008) and a steadily growing market for mobile gaming (Davis 2008). One company that is utilizing these technological developments to create physically engaging LB mobile games is UK-based firm LocoMatrix.
LocoMatrix has developed active location-based games aimed at a primary market of young people to be played outdoors using GPS-enabled mobile phones. Fruit Farmer, for example, is a game in which one or more players run around a real environment such as a park, or a soccer field collecting virtual oranges, visible on their mobile handset, while avoiding virtual obstacles such as killer wasps (Locomatrix 2007). Nintendo have already proved the potential success that active video gaming can have, as demonstrated by the phenomenal achievement of the Wii (Aoyama and Izushi 2008, 9) so it seems the challenge for LocoMatrix will be implementing an innovative distribution model.
The company is already promoting a bottom-up (Bruns 2008) method of game development by offering consumers an open API (application programming interface) and will be freely open to other developers to create their own games. Incentives like this may be attractive to potential consumers, however, according to Flew (2008, 204-210) adoption of innovations such as LBG largely depends on promotion through early adopters. Conversely, the distribution of an immature product filled with bugs and shortcomings can ultimately alienate these early adopters and doom the product. LBG is still an infant gaming technology, therefore it is limited by factors such as being locally constrictive. As Stuart Dredge (2008, para. 3) of www.pocketgamer.biz puts it “What use is a location-based mobile game if there's nobody near you to play against?”
Ultimately, the challenge for Locomatrix and other LBG developers is to create an innovative method of developing, distributing and promoting this new and active form of gaming. As Henry Jenkins’ (2006, 312) of MIT puts it, “Games represent a new lively art, one as appropriate for the digital age as those earlier media were for the machine age”. With this in mind Location Based games such as LocoMatrix’s Fruit Farmer could help in constructing a new positive perspective on video gaming within the public sphere.
References:
Aoyama, Y. and H. Izushi. 2008. User-led Innovation and the video game industry. http://www.dime-eu.org/files/active/0/AoyamaIzushiPAPER.pdf (accessed October 10, 2008).
Bruns, A. 2008. Global Economic Drivers (KCB202). Podcast. http://www.slideshare.net/Snurb/global-economic-drivers-kcb202-pres... (accessed September 28, 2008).
Davis, J. 2008. GDC: Guillemot Sees No 'Explosion' for Mobile Games; Just Steady Growth. http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/gdc-guillemot-sees-no-explos... (accessed October 9, 2008).
Dredge, S. 2008. Opinion: The problem with location-based mobile games. http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/feature.asp?c=9042 (accessed October 10, 2008).
Flew, T. 2008. New Media: An Introduction. 3rd ed. South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press.
Jenkins, H. 2003. Games, The New lively Art. In Creative Industries, ed. J. Hartley 312-326. Malden, MA : Blackwell.
Levin, A. 2004. Video Games, Not TV, Linked To Obesity In Kids. http://www.cfah.org/hbns/news/video03-17-04.cfm(accessed October 10, 2008).
LocoMatrix. 2007. Press kit: Unlocking the potential of augmented reality: Where the virtual world infiltrates the real world… http://www.locomatrix.com/press.html(accessed October 10, 2008).
Lonthoff, J. and E. Ortner. 2007. Mobile Location-Based Gaming as Driver for Location-Based Services (LBS) – Exemplified by Mobile Hunters. http://www.informatica.si/PDF/31-2/06_Lonthoff-Mobile%20Location-Ba...(accessed October 10, 2008).
Marshall, D. 2006. Computer Games. In The Media & Communications in Australia, ed. S. Cunningham & G. Turner 279-300. Crows Nest, N.S.W : Allen & Unwin.
McAndrews, B. 2008. Location-based games lure kids off the couch. http://www.springwise.com/gaming/locationbased_games_lure_kids/ (accessed October 10, 2008).
Rooprai, H. 2007. TechWatch - Location Based Gaming. http://www.location.net.in/magazine/2007/may-june/22.htm (accessed October 11, 2008).
Sotamaa, O. 2002. All The World’s A Botfighter Stage:
Notes on Location-based Multi-User Gaming. http://www.digra.org/dl/db/05164.14477 (accessed October 10, 2008).
Waters. D. 2008. How mobile got its game on. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7254123.stm (accessed Sep 11, 2008)
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Danny James Quinn on -
Just had to update the links on this post guys so any potential audience will have a tree of links in case interest is sparked :)
About
Badge
© 2010 Created by Axel Bruns on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
