Rolling and Shooting: Two Augmented Reality Games
Comments:
one: Cindy Skach,
two: Ethan Ballinger
Reference:
Oda, Ohan and Feiner, Steven. Rolling and Shooting: Two Augmented Reality Games. CHI EA 2010. Columbia University.
Summary:
Oda and Feiner explore augmented reality gaming, which is graphics and sound that is overlaid into real world surroundings. This is accomplished in one case by gravity sensing eyeglasses with a camera fixed to them and in the other case a Sony Vaio UX series ultramobile personal computer (UMPC). The developers use two separate games to explore this type of virtual reality. One game is a labyrinth game where virtual marbles and dice move around based on gravity. The eyeglasses were used to notice the movement of a handheld labyrinth the user would tilt in order to simulate the virtual movement of the marble and dice. The other game is a networked two-player first person shooter in which each player tries to shoot off the other players dominoes from the table overlaid with optical markers. Using the UMPC, one can see the table with the dominoes appearing on the screen even though they are no dominoes on the table. Through this the developers sought to test interference avoidance between the two devices, so that the two players would not hit their UMPCs against each other through aggressive gaming. This was accomplished by the UMPC shifting its virtual location depending on how far it was being moved towards the other UMPC. The findings showed that there were significantly farther apart when this feature was used.
Discussion:
The idea of augmented reality seems to have huge implications for gaming in the coming years. I do not see it in the near future due to the primitive nature of this testing, but promising for the far future. The utilities used in this test seem very cumbersome as compared to a simple controller and screen. One would have to get use to many different scenarios in order to remember how exactly to interact with a device. I would be interested to see how the game actually felt, whether it was natural or very unnatural as some virtual reality games are. Further studies based upon this technology could include a user study to see if the technology seemed user friendly and acceptable to gamers, and their thoughts on how the systems played.
The point made about testing the technology with users is an important one which I failed to mention on my blog. I guess we always have to expect a user can be anyone from a techy person to a novice that happens to be interested on that application.
ReplyDelete@Jeremy: It seems to me that this technology is going in the right direction in terms of how we perceive things, however I think in order to really captivate the gamer's imagination, attention and life (to the extent that WoW can do) there would have to be the hologram of which you are speaking. I don't think that that sort of technology would arise from the technology presented here. It is a precedent that will pave the way for it, however.
ReplyDeleteThe same angry mothers who blame Columbine on Doom will resurface as this technology goes commercial. Obviously, the equipment is not restrained to video gaming, and neither are the ethical dilemas. Imagine a pair of Raybans that covers a table with nude girls instead of dominos.
ReplyDelete