Studying multi-user settings for pervasive games

ABSTRACT

Whenever a pervasive game has to be developed for a group of children an appropriate multi-user setting has to be found. If the pervasive game does not support the children with an adequate multi-user setting, unintended situations can emerge, such as a single user can dominate the game while the other users are bored and disinterested. In our research we approach that problem by investigating various multi-user settings that are characterized by a different distribution of interaction devices. We describe three multi-user settings, a pervasive game which we used as a test bed, and a user study with 18 children to find out how the multiuser settings influence the children's social behaviour as expressed by the level of activity for all group members, the off-task behaviour and the level of task-related conversations.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Evaluation/methodology

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Input devices and strategies (e.g., mouse, touchscreen)

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation, Human Factors

Keywords:
mobile interaction techniques, multi-user settings, pervasive applications, user study