Modelling Playful User Interfaces for Hybrid Games

Both toy and games industries are investing in hybrid play products. In such scenarios user access the system using toys as input/output, thus, these consist of playful user interfaces. Hybrid play systems are complex design artefacts since they use real and virtual information, so they present new challenges to both designers and developers. We supposed both industries could benefit with hybrid design approaches from product concepts. Our primary research goal aimed to develop tools and methods to assist the community in developing such interactions. Hence, we performed a systematic literature review covering related research published between 2008 and 2016. To extend our contribution, we added 120 hybrid play products from a market report. After data extraction, we manage results to propose a relational model for hybrid gameplay interaction. The model comprises several interactive aspects relating three entities: the things, environment, and people. The model allowed describing different scenarios of smart play including both active and passive technologies, located either in outdoor or indoor environments. Aiming to evaluate model usage, we applied it as a practical tool for designing hybrid playful systems. To achieve it, we included the model in a 16-week class to create hybrid games. We detailed model usage in the course schedule and discussed how students experienced it. Besides, we presented student’s six working prototypes, including design cycles, and playtesting sessions. After class, we conducted semi-structured interviews with student’s representatives. Results revealed model usefulness to describe their system setup and interface elements. According to students, model vocabulary facilitated communication among team members. Afterwards, we proposed improvements in model nomenclature based on student’s feedback. Thus, to evaluate changings we applied the model in a series of three creative workshops. Workshops had 4-8 hours duration focusing on stages of conception, ideation, and low-fidelity prototyping. Accordingly, updated model enabled participants in developing six hybrid game concepts. Finally, we summarised research contributions and recommended topics for a future methodological approach.

2006

Thesis for the Degree of Licentiate of Engineering. This thesis discusses the design of interactive entertaining artifacts such as computer games and computer augmented toys, games and objects. The aim has been to find and/or develop design tools – i.e. methods and approaches – that can be used when designing such artifacts in general, and when aiming for an emotional response or tempting challenge in particular. Another aim is to inspire game designers, interaction designers, product designers, artists and everyone else interested by describing actual projects where interactive entertainment artifacts have been created. Five tools are being presented, each with an accompanying case. They are: Slow technology; an approach to create a challenging object by using ambiguity, thus promoting reflection. This is being exemplified by the Interactive Quilt, which is an enigmatic combination of a jukebox and a quilt. Animal Expression Transfer; an approach that can be used to create emotional responses to an artifact by transferring animal traits onto an object, as in the case of the Iron Horse, a computer augmented bike making horse-sounds. Game Mechanics for Computer Augmented Board Games; a set of building stones for computer augmented board games, suitable for increasing, decreasing or regulating the challenge in a game. They widen the design space of the traditional board game by enabling complex functionality that does not burden the user, but enrichens the game experience. The projects MultiMonsterMania, a collectible and interactive card game with the accompanying game The Hatchery exemplify this. Game Design Patterns; a pattern language for games that can be used to discuss, analyze and design games of any kind, amongst them also computer augmented games. How this can be done is being demonstrated in the description of a workshop. The Forces-Clashes-Remnants-model; a design model for iterative multidisciplinary game design. It is being exemplified by describing the design process of myTHeme, a computer augmented storytelling game for non-storytellers.”

2010

This paper uses two models of design, Stolterman's and Löwgren's three abstraction levels and Lawson's model of designing, from the general design research to describe the game design process of an experimental pervasive mobile phone game. The game was designed to be deployed at a big science fiction convention for two days and was part of a research through design project where the focus was to understand which core mechanics could work for pervasive mobile phone games. The design process was, as is usual for experimental designs, very iterative. Data were gathered during the design process as entries in a design diary, notes from playtesting and bodystorming sessions, user interface sketches, and a series of software prototypes. The two complementary models of design were used to analyse the design process and the result is that the models give a good overview to an experimental game design process and reveal activities, design situations, and design choices which could have otherwise been lost in the analysis.

Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2018

The study reports on an ongoing research that intends to identify and validate the core dimensions for Game-Based-Learning (GBL) and further explore the shift in dimensional focus between different phases of educational game development life cycle: pre-production (design), production (development) and post-production (testing and maintenance). Hence, this paper presents the initial work focusing on design phase by presenting a comparative analysis of educational game design models using GBL attributes, validity and framework attributes as analytical lens. The main objective is to analyze the fundamental GBL attributes in existing design models; to identify the common attributes which demonstrate their importance for design phase and highlight any need for further research in terms of attribute validation and framework improvement. This study also highlights the strengths and weakness of existing design frameworks. The results of analysis underline learning/pedagogical aspects and game factors as the most essential attributes for design phase of educational games. Comparative analysis also guides researchers/practitioners to better understand GBL through various properties of different existing design models and highlights the open problems such as lack of tool support, empirical validation, independent evaluations, adaptability and absence of concrete guidance for application to make more informed judgments.

When seeking to create ideal learning environments for students and teachers, it can be a challenge to find a balance between facilitating learning processes at high levels of cognitive complexity [1] and creating playful and engaging experiences for students and teachers [2]. This challenge is relevant to the professional creation of small digital learning games as well as the big Game [3], that is, the learning and play situations that exist surrounding the use of small learning games, when students discuss, negotiate, develop, and decide what to do next inside the learning games. The desired balance is lost if the learning processes become shallow – at a low level of cognitive complexity – though it may be great fun [4]. Conversely, a game may facilitate good learning processes and many learning activities but result in low motivation among students because it is considered boring. The difficulty in aligning learning situations with playful situations can be viewed as the typical difference in focus points between learning designers and game designers [5]. For learning designers, learning goals and learning processes are very important and are given a high priority. For game designers, learning goals may become secondary to the gameplay itself –game designers traditionally prioritize engaging gameplay [6, 7]. This represents two systems with different aims – learning and play. However, it is well-known that play and learning are deeply interconnected [8]. As game designer Raph Koster stated, “Fun in games arises out of mastery, it arises out of comprehension. It is the act of solving puzzles that makes games fun. With games, learning is the drug.” [9, p. 40]. The research question that we investigated was whether it is possible to create frameworks that intertwine learning and play in a meaningful and successful way. Furthermore, we wished to determine whether it is possible to implement these frameworks in learning situations in a way that creates meaningful and cognitive complex learning processes. This paper gives a brief description of a framework for designing engaging learning games. This overview is followed by an outline describing how this framework was used to build a Design-Based Research (DBR) project focused on teaching adult students through their design of curriculum-based digital learning games [10]. The students included in this study were engaged in the pursued of a full-time upper secondary general education at VUC Storstrøm, an adult education centre in Denmark.