This study investigated what factors come into play when looking at the user experience involved with the commercial video game Disney Infinity (2.0 Edition), and sought to determine if the unique combination between sandbox and smart toy based gameplay present in gameplay offers an additional level of immersion. This study analyzed the effect of Disney Infinity (2.0 Edition) on immersion utilizing a Game Immersion Questionnaire modified to analyze play preference as well as video game experience. The study methodology analyzed 48 users while playing in "Toy Box" mode both with and without the associated smart toys, or Disney characters. Results show that while there was no significant difference in immersion for either group, nor were there any significant correlations between variables, there was a preference for playing the game with the associated smart toys in both groups. Recommendations were made for continued research building on modifications to this study as well as future research exploring the potential for smart toys in other areas.

在數位時代來臨的今日，利用數位媒體或科技將虛擬的遊戲世界與現實的世界連結整合的隨境遊戲，乃是未來趨勢上相當重要的一種行銷手段。然而目前學界上卻沒有確切關於隨境遊戲的一套設計方法。有鑒於此，本研究先蒐集相關的理論與研究，進而發展出隨境遊戲模型與刺激閾模型。利用這兩個模型設計一個以推廣流浪動物TNR為議題的隨境遊戲—Trap paw。在Trap paw中，玩家可以透過各種不同的方式與情境在現實世界裡面尋找線索來進行遊戲。之後，研究者採用半結構式的深度訪談法，訪談了六位不同身份背景的玩家，以探詢他們對於遊戲的回饋與建議。綜合此訪談結果與創作經驗，除了修正Trap paw的遊戲內容外，也提出了關於使用上述兩個模型進行創作的幾點建議。 在實作之後，發現這兩個模型宛若隨境遊戲的基石般穩固、實用性也很高，沒有需要特別修改之處。只不過若要應用在行銷活動式隨境遊戲設計上的話，針對隨境遊戲模型的使用可提供三點建議：（1）考慮先從明顯易見的空間擴增發想遊戲架構。（2）嘗試創造可見的魔法圈界。（3）舉辦效果良好的慶典式遊戲活動。至於使用刺激閾模型的部分，則建議：將「權變因子」這個因素作為主動促使個體逆轉成容易接受遊戲的行為導向狀態；將「厭膩」與「挫折」這兩個因素作為尋找個體已經是處於行為導向狀態的情境。透過這兩種面向的思考，以求在正確的時間與場合讓個體接觸到遊戲，使其容易接受遊戲而成為真正的玩家。 / In this digital marketing generation, the pervasive games which connected the game world with the reality by ubiquitous computing or digital medias get more and more attentions as a method for marketing. However, there are still not specific design theories or methods of the pervasive games. For that I developed two models that can be used to design the pervasive game: pervasive game model and liminal model by the collections of concerned theories and studies. By the pervasive game model and the liminal model, I created a pervasive game which is about promoting TNR-—Trap paw. In the Trap paw, players can find clues in a wide range of ways and in the different scenario out of their imagines. Qualitative interview is adopted as a research method and I interviewed six people to look for the feedbacks and suggestions about the game. Combined with the outcomes of interviews and my personal experience, I modified parts of the game. In the end, I give some suggestions about creating a pervasive game by using these two models. After completing the game, I find out that the two models are not only stable as the foundation stones of the pervasive games, but they can be applied widely. No further modifications are needed. However, when applying the pervasive game model to the field of promoting campaign, there are three suggestions: (1) begin with the space expansion (2) try to make some visible or tangible magic circles (3) through some gaming ceremonies. As for using liminal model to developing a game, I suggest that “contingent events” can be used to be an active factor to reverse individuals from telic state into paratelic state and concerning “frustration” and “satiation” to be factors to define whether an individual is in the paratelic states. Through these kinds of thinking, game might contact to the target audience in the right time and space. In this way, it’s easier for them to embrace the game and become real players.

Στόχος της εργασίας είναι η μελέτη, ανάπτυξη και αξιολόγηση συνεργατικών εφαρμογών σε φορητές συσκευές. Για την μελέτη αυτή, αναπτύχθηκε ένα παιχνίδι διάχυτου υπολογισμού, το οποίο υποστηρίζει την χρήση του από πολλούς παίκτες ταυτόχρονα και μπορεί να παιχτεί παράλληλα σε διαφορετικές πόλεις από διαφορετικές ομάδες παικτών. Το παιχνίδι αυτό ανήκει σε ένα αναδυόμενο είδος παιχνιδιών που αναμιγνύουν την πραγματικότητα με τον εικονικό ψηφιακό κόσμο, χρησιμοποιώντας τον πραγματικό χώρο σαν το περιβάλλον του παιχνιδιού. Το παιχνίδι που αναπτύχθηκε εδώ χρησιμοποιεί σαν βασικά στοιχεία την μπλόφα, την παραπλάνηση και την ανάθεση ρόλων. Για την ανάπτυξή του ακολουθήθηκε ένα επαναληπτικό μοντέλο σχεδιασμού με την αξιολόγηση να παίρνει μέρος με διάφορες τεχνικές και μεθόδους στα διάφορα στάδια ανάπτυξης. Η υλοποίηση πραγματοποιήθηκε για κινητά τηλέφωνα με λειτουργικό σύστημα Android, μια επίσης καινούργια πλατφόρμα για φορητές συσκευές από την Google και την OHA. / The aim of this project is the design, development and evaluation of collaborative applications on mobile devices. For this study, a pervasive game was developed, which supports the use of it by many players simultaneously and can be played simultaneously in different cities by different groups of players. This game belongs to an emerging genre that mixes reality with the virtual digital world, using the real space as the gaming environment. The game was developed here uses the main elements of the bluff, deception and the assignment of roles. For its development an iterative design model was followed. The evaluation phase took place with various techniques and methods in different stages of development. The implementation was made for mobile phones running Android, also a new platform for mobile devices from Google and the OHA.

This thesis sets out to explore why people engage in, and how to design for, play in a public setting. It does this by separating design for play from design of games, describing play as a socially and mentally understood activity, and a playful approach to engaging in that activity. It emphasises that while play is voluntary, design can help shape the players’ mode of engagement. The thesis uses a qualitative and inductive approach to research, with an understanding of knowledge as being constructed in the individual. The research is grounded in human computer interaction and interaction design, and closely related to game studies and design science. The research question concerns how design can influence the player activity in order to create a desired player experience in public, by harnessing playful engagement. It’s foundation is a theory of play which describes play as a framed, or hedged-off, activity with a fragile border; where knowledge and feelings can leak both in and out of the activity, and affect the play as well as what is around it. The theory of enjoyment of play is discussed, and the problem of treating this as ‘fun’ is addressed, concluding in a presentation of how playful engagement can be harnessed through design. The theory is applied in five design cases: I’m Your Body, a locative storytelling app; Codename Heroes, a pervasive game of personal empowerment; Passing On, a slow-paced game about communication; Busking Studies, which involves observing street performers and their shows; and DigiFys, an architectural design exploration of playgrounds and play paths. Finally, three concepts, or design tools, are presented, which address: 1) a structure for understanding a design through three layers, constructs designed by the designer, inspiring play activity with the player, leading to experience; 2) an approach to designing invitations to play; and finally 3), a four faceted structure for understanding play engagement when players engage in non intended ways.

Cette thèse s'inscrit dans le domaine de l'ingénierie des Environnements Virtuels pour l’Apprentissage Humain (EVAH). Les jeux épistémiques numériques (JEN) sont une catégorie des jeux sérieux dédiés à la résolution de problèmes complexes, pluridisciplinaires et non-déterministes afin de proposer des situations d'apprentissage plus authentiques.La première partie de la thèse est consacrée à l’exploration des dimensions spatiales, temporelles et sociales des interactions dans un JEN. Des expérimentations ont été menées en milieu écologique et ont montré un apport pédagogique par une augmentation de l'engagement des apprenants. La conception des prototypes expérimentés a mis en évidence que le développement informatique des interactions immersives d'un EVAH demeure actuellement réservé à des spécialistes en Réalité Mixte ou Virtuelle (RMV).Ainsi la seconde partie de la thèse a été dédiée à la proposition d'un environnement de développement (MIREDGE). Une interface de programmation visuelle permet aux développeurs de modéliser des interactions sans connaissance spécifique en RMV par réutilisation de blocs. Des expérimentations ont permis d'évaluer l'efficacité et l'efficience de MIREDGE pour le profil des développeurs RMV ainsi que celui des développeurs non-initiés à la RMV. Les développeurs RMV ayant une nécessité à poursuivre leur algorithme au-delà de la programmation visuelle, MIREDGE permet une génération automatique de code dans leur moteur de jeu. L'approche garantie une large compatibilité avec les environnements de développement et les périphériques, ouvrant ainsi des perspectives sur l'étude de logiques d'interactions universelles. / This thesis is in the field of the virtual environments for human learning. Digital Epistemic Games (DEG) are a category of serious games dedicated to solving complex, multidisciplinary and non-deterministic problems. The objective of DEGs is to propose authentic learning situations in terms of interactions so that learners can construct and anchor knowledge in their context of use.The first part of the thesis is devoted to exploring spatial, temporal and social dimensions of DEG interactions. Experiments were conducted in ecological environment and showed an educational contribution through an increase in the learner engagement. The design of the prototypes showed that the development of the immersive interactions of a virtual environment for human learning currently remains reserved for specialists in Mixed Reality or Virtual (MVR).So the second part of the thesis was the proposal of a development environment named MIREDGE. A visual programming interface allows developers to model interactions without specific knowledge in MVR through the reuse of blocks. Experiments have evaluated the effectiveness and efficiency of MIREDGE for specialist and non-specialist developers in MVR.As specialist developers in MVR have to continue their algorithm beyond visual programming, MIREDGE allows automatic generation of code providing the corresponding script being totally re-editable in their game engine. The MIREDGE approach ensures wide compatibility with development environments and peripherals. This opens perspectives on the study of the logics of universal interactions.

[pt] Jogos pervasivos móveis são jogos que combinam os mundos real e virtual em um espaço híbrido, permitindo interações não apenas com o mundo do jogo virtualmente criado, mas também com o ambiente físico que envolve os jogadores. A Internet de Coisas Móveis (IoMT) especifica situações em que os dispositivos na Internet das Coisas (IoT) podem ser movidos ou se moverem de forma autônoma, mantendo conectividade remota e acessibilidade de qualquer lugar na Internet. Seguindo o enorme sucesso dos recentes jogos pervasivos móveis e a iminente expansão de IoT, nós fornecemos uma integração para toda a tecnologia envolvida no desenvolvimento de um jogo pervasivo móvel que incorpora dispositivos IoT. Também propomos um jogo móvel pervasivo que avalia os benefícios da união de ambos os campos. Este protótipo de jogo explora maneiras de aumentar a experiência dos jogadores através de mecânicas pervasivas, aproveitando a motivação dos jogadores para realizar tarefas de sensoriamento. O jogo também incorpora aplicações sérias na jogabilidade, tais como a localização de instalações e serviços. / [en] Mobile pervasive games are a game genre that combines the real and virtual worlds in a hybrid space, allowing interactions with not only the virtually created game world, but also with the physical environment that surrounds the players. The Internet of Mobile Things (IoMT) specifies situations in which devices on the Internet of Things (IoT) can be moved or move autonomously, while maintaining remote connectivity and accessibility from anywhere on the internet. Following the huge success of recent mobile pervasive games and the coming IoT boom, we provide an integration for all the technology involved in the development of a mobile pervasive game that incorporates IoT devices. We also propose a mobile pervasive game that evaluates the benefits of the union of both fields. This game prototype explores ways of increasing the experience of players through pervasive mechanics while taking advantage of the player s motivation to perform sensing tasks. It also incorporates serious applications into the gameplay, such as the localization of facilities and services.

Proceeding from a framing of theater as collaborative storytelling, I argue for defining role-playing games as a kind of performance and for their value in structuring experiential and participatory theater. Building on the impulse at the heart of experiential and immersive theater to place the audience within the world of the performance and center their experience, I explore what it means for theater artists to cede control over how audiences make meaning of their work in favor of letting narrative emerge from the participation of the audience during the performance event. I propose a framework called pervasive performance that merges theatrical frames and methods with pervasive gaming, which expands the magic circle of play and blurs the distinction between the game and everyday life. This union of ideas puts audience members in contact with one another and allows them to be playful and co-author the overall performance experience. Further, the blurring of the performance and everyday life transforms audience members’ relationship to the real world and gives them space to imagine and experiment with other worlds and ways of being in them. I devised an alternate reality game (ARG) at UMass Amherst in May 2023, and in my thesis I analyze this project and the process of creating it as a case study in pervasive performance.