[arg_discuss] Educational ARGs
Steffen P. Walz
walz at arch.ethz.ch
Tue Nov 7 08:51:37 EST 2006
hi christy,
sorry for the delay. you had asked how i would classify / define the
relationship between pervasive games, augmented reality, and
alternate reality games.
i think that many terms are thrown into the current discourse
surrounding all these types of games, and that the discussion,
indeed, lacks proper definitiorial agreement (due to business, or
scientific claiming behavior;-)). then, on the other hand, we all
know this lack is typical for practices surrounding the invention and
research of new media, and maybe we should just leave it, well,
unordered;-).
anyways, i personally think and agree with you that the terms you
mention here belong do different defintion layers / dimensions - note
that i will blurb quite a bit before turning to alternate reality
games at the bottom of this post:
milgram et al. (1994), in their proceedings contribution "Augmented
Reality: A class of displays on the reality-virtuality continuum",
introduce a "virtuality continuum", cf. http://vered.rose.utoronto.ca/
people/paul_dir/IEICE94/ieice.html and scroll down a bit to figure 1.
in this taxonomy "for merging real and virtual worlds", types of
telecommunication environments are suggested, based on the mostly
visual representation of "real" and "virtual" objects in these
environments. these environments range from the extremum of a "real"
environment, meaning that there is no involvement of visually
represented virtual objects whatsoever, to virtual environments,
which "consist solely of virtual objects". everything in-between,
for example "augmented reality", or "augmented virtuality"
environments, belong to the umbrella definition of "mixed reality". i
have many problems with this view, although i am taking it on
sometimes. for example, it implies, at least when talking about an
activity within these environments, that the interactivees (or
players) of these environments are perceiving the objects as if the
objects are, matter of factly, say: somehow "less" "real" than other
objects. this is, of course, due to the technological nature of the
research discussed.
from a player-centered perspective, if a subject interacts with an
object, the object is not less real, but, for example, less manifest,
or without a temperature, or, to sum this up, in toto, mediated to
the player in varying degrees with varying means. also, because
originating from 1994, this taxonomy is a bit outdated. other
concepts have appeared, for example the concept of "hybrid reality "
- which others have suggested and which i had applied when designing
and discussing my game m.a.d. countdown in 2002.
on the one hand, the term hybrid reality tries to avoid the what-is-
objectively-speaking-real-and-what-not discussion, and simply states
that everything a player perceives and interacts with during gameplay
belongs to one reality - that is: the PLAYER's reality, and thus, the
"Wirklichkeit" wherein, and the platform whereon the game takes place.
on the other hand, and with reference to milgram et al., the concept
of hybrid reality contains less virtual objects than augmented
reality or even augmented virtuality, as it uses pervasive computing
technologies such as embedded computers, mobile devices, wireless
networks, positioning services such as GPS or the EU based Galileo,
and sensors / actuators such as RFID.
in this context, and on another definitiorial dimension, terms such
as "ubiquitous computing" or "pervasive computing" express
technological properties of a game platform, and, techno-medially
speaking, means to mediate to the player the formal and dramaturgical
ends of a given game system. in her ph.d. thesis, jane mcgonigal
calls the fast growing ubicomp infrastructure a "a kind of
relationship engine" that offers "infinitely many points of potential
connection" (add. spw: for engaging the player).
the term ubiquitous computing stems from palo alto researchers such
as marc weiser and rich gold, and defines the "third wave of
computing" which, after the emergence of workstations and personal
computers, has computing integrated into the environment rather than
environments displayed with the help of computers. the term pervasive
computing has first been used by companies trying to market ubicomp.
let me point you to the following site. where i have uploaded an
iteration of the virtuality continuum which i use for teaching to
express how technological properties can be associated with
conceptions of computed Wirklichkeit:
http://wiki.arch.ethz.ch/twiki/bin/view/Main/MixedReality
note that in my figure, i have substituted the original term "real
environment" from 1994 with "pyhsical environment" as opposed to
"virtual environment" still on the right hand's side. in any case,
many researchers found that the original ubicomp mantra of "anytime,
anywhere, anyhow access for anybody" - including ubiquitous /
pervasive gamers - presents manifold challenges to designers, and,
yes: the players in their, as mcgonigal believes, "escape from the
computer screen".
in my own definition, ubiquitous or pervasive games are not so much
about escapism, as if the player is trying to become one with a
wagnerian "Gesamtkunstwerk" as part of a performative activity, as
mcgonigal argues. rather, i believe that spec. pervasive (or
ubiquitous games, you pick one term interchangeably) games represent
an inverse space-time surveillance system across media in which
players engage in an (artificial) conflict, defined by rules, that
results in a quantifiable outcome.
this means that pervasive games carry a dialectic that unfolds across
media in environments rich with computers of all kinds: on the one
hand, these games grant the player agency - subjectivity and
alternate identity making together with other players, or by
themselves, face2face, or facelessly e.g. by email. in doing so, and
on the other hand, pergames bring upon the player an invisible system
of rule and technology control: a technology of power, if you wish,
because computing technology are not only an ideal media to run games
- cf. juul (2006) - but also ideal and ultimate player surveillance
tools, which passively or actively, covertly or overtly, yet
systematically observe - that is: collect, analyse, interpret,
disseminate, and verify data about - the nature, status, behavior,
position, context, and/or movement of the player. however, i do not
think that surveiltainment is a bad thing per se. rather, it seems
that in capitalist societies, surveillance - and control - is a
constituting element of the event society, and therefore a sine qua
non component of our everyday life conditions.
in come ARGs: so in another iteration of the figure by milgram et
al., we could include alternate reality games as a subset of mixed
reality games next to hybrid reality games IF we thought of ARGs only
technologically. however, if we look at ARGs narratively, and take
their prime goal to erect a fictious, yet rule based play environment
across media, then we'd need to classify them in yet another figure
iteration, where we would need to include a formal and a
dramaturgical axis to the diagram.
in another diagram i have created - to be read from bottom to top - i
have tried to map out the design space of pervasive games to be
created for non-entertainment purposes:
http://wiki.arch.ethz.ch/twiki/bin/view/Main/PervasiveGames
in this figure, i separate strictly game design aspects both formal
and dramaturgical from other aspects of the design, such as
-the space of the game; where does it take place?
-the purpose of the game: apart from its inner game purpose - what is
it good for?
-the interaction platform of the game: how does the player interact
with the game?
maybe this figure can serve as an inspiration or starting point for
further discussing how to define / stratify ARGs, and set them apart
from mixed reality games.
sorry for my long and rather academic answer, i hope i did not break
the rules of conduct of this list --
br,
spw
Am 01.11.2006 um 01:09 schrieb Christy Dena:
> Hello Steffen,
>
> No, I wasn't aware of your work. Great!
>
> I put a call out on this list and at ARGN and a few places on the
> web a few months ago, for researchers looking at ARGs to contact me
> about the whitepaper section. There are researchers who are looking
> at ARGs in education, so that is how there is some information
> about education in there. However, there is not a separate section
> outlining all the people who are teaching ARGs. The whitepaper was
> current as to a few months ago -- and what I could dig up. That is
> why I think a section on the ARG SIG website would be helpful -- to
> provide up to date info about the emerging interest in the
> education aspects.
>
> The stuff you're doing looks great Steffen. But I do see Pervasive
> games and augmented reality and alternate reality as different
> genres. ARGs could be seen as a subset or parallel type of
> Pervasive Games.
>
> What do you see as the relationship between pervasive games,
> augmented reality and alternate reality games?
>
> Cheers,
> Christy
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 31/10/2006, at 12:01 AM, Steffen P. Walz wrote:
>
>> addendum:
>>
>> of course, and with regard to pervasive / augmented reality /
>> handheld+X game design for learning, also consider eric klopfer's
>> work at the MIT. as far as i know, eric currently writes a book
>> for the MIT press about the topic.
>>
>> br,
>> spw
>>
>> Am 30.10.2006 um 09:49 schrieb Steffen P. Walz:
>>
>>> hi richard & christy,
>>>
>>> i am not sure if we are listed in the whitepaper christy mentions:
>>>
>>> at the ETH zurich in switzerland, we take advantage of pervasive
>>> games / game design (which are, in comparito teach students, and
>>> expect pervasive games as results from students, too, cf.
>>>
>>> http://wiki.arch.ethz.ch/twiki/bin/view/Game0405
>>> http://wiki.arch.ethz.ch/twiki/bin/view/Game05
>>>
>>> both design studios were german only, but there are a number of
>>> articles about these classes in english; they are listed in the
>>> blibliography on my academic website:
>>>
>>> http://wiki.arch.ethz.ch/twiki/bin/view/Main/
>>> SteffenPWalz#PubLications
>>>
>>> br,
>>> spw
>>>
>>> Am 30.10.2006 um 02:47 schrieb Christy Dena:
>>>
>>>> Hello Richard,
>>>>
>>>> In the forthcoming ARG whitepaper there is a section on ARGs and
>>>> Academia. In it I cover (amongst other things) educators who are
>>>> studying ARGs; ARGs that have been created in education for
>>>> students and for educators; ARGs that are created as part of
>>>> someone's education (research). I also just posted on this list
>>>> about some ARGs that were recently created by 3rd year
>>>> Multimedia and Digital Design students at Monash University,
>>>> Caulfield, Australia under the direction of Troy Innocent.
>>>> Contact me directly if you'd like more info. :)
>>>>
>>>> But none of these include ARGs that have been created for
>>>> businesses as pedagogical devices, of which there are many.
>>>>
>>>> I think this sort of interest in ARGs for education (in
>>>> secondary, tertiary and business settings) is just going to
>>>> increase and the IGDA ARG SIG can be a valuable source of
>>>> information. A section, therefore, on the IGDA ARG SIG webpage
>>>> with this information would be really helpful...
>>>>
>>>> Cheers,
>>>> Christy
>>>>
>>>> School of Arts, Letters and Media
>>>> University of Sydney, Australia
>>>> www.Cross-MediaEntertainment.com
>>>> www.ChristyDena.com
>>>> www.WriterResponseTheory.org
>>>> www.SlateNight.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 30/10/2006, at 8:07 AM, Richard Sebastian wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hello:
>>>>>
>>>>> I am interested in the educational potential of ARGs, and would
>>>>> like
>>>>> to know if anyone out there is currently using an ARG or ARG-like
>>>>> model for educational purposes. If so, I would be interested in
>>>>> talking to you further about your work.
>>>>>
>>>>> Please contact me at sebastian (at) virginia.edu
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks!
>>>>>
>>>>> Richard Sebastian
>>>>> Doctoral candidate, Instructional Technology
>>>>> Curry School of Education
>>>>> University of Virginia
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> ARG_Discuss mailing list
>>>>> ARG_Discuss at igda.org
>>>>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/arg_discuss
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>
>>> __
>>> Steffen P. Walz
>>> ETH Zurich
>>> Game Design Research
>>> Department of Architecture
>>> Phone +41 44 658 1636 Chair
>>> for CAAD, HIL E 15.1
>>> walz at arch.ethz.ch
>>> CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
>>>
>>> http://spw.playbe.com (my playce)
>>> http://wiki.arch.ethz.ch/twiki/bin/view/Main/SteffenPWalz (academic)
>>>
>>>
>>
>> __
>> Steffen P. Walz
>> ETH Zurich
>> Game Design Research
>> Department of Architecture
>> Phone +41 44 658 1636 Chair
>> for CAAD, HIL E 15.1
>> walz at arch.ethz.ch
>> CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
>>
>> http://spw.playbe.com (my playce)
>> http://wiki.arch.ethz.ch/twiki/bin/view/Main/SteffenPWalz (academic)
>>
>>
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>
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__
Steffen P. Walz
ETH Zurich
Game Design Research Department
of Architecture
Phone +41 44 658 1636 Chair for
CAAD, HIL E 15.1
walz at arch.ethz.ch
CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
http://spw.playbe.com (my playce)
http://wiki.arch.ethz.ch/twiki/bin/view/Main/SteffenPWalz (academic)
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