Author:
Anna Lisa Martin-Niedecken
Affiliation:
Zurich University of the Arts, Switzerland
Keyword(s):
Exergame Fitness Training, Dual Flow, Spatial Experience, Exergame Spaces, Children.
Abstract:
With the trend towards movement-based exergames and the gamification of sport, new body-centered controller technologies have moved into the living rooms and the gyms. The highly complex, multi-modal and multi-sensory interactions with these systems create new ways of perception and interaction, the exploration and experience of which completely captivate the users. Based on related work we analyzed interactions and interdependencies between these new perceptual and interactive spaces at the levels of “body space”, “controller space” and “in-game space”. This extensive theoretical framework is then used to illustrate possible applications of these theories, using the example of our fitness game environment “Plunder Planet” for children and young adolescents. Subsequently, we present a user study specifically focusing on the qualitative analysis of space-related gameplay experiences and play strategies of users playing “Plunder Planet”. We introduce and analyze sketches drawn by child
ren and young adolescents after playing the psychophysiologically adaptive exergame with two different controller devices. The additional qualitative evaluation showed positive effects of all three design categories (body, controller and in-game scenario) on the player’s space-related gameplay experiences. Finally, we identify possible departure points for future research-based developments of holistic, user-centered exergame settings which have maximum attractiveness and effectiveness for the player.
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