Stenros, J et al ~ Designing Temporal Expansion

97
“While spatially and socially expanded games use the tangible realness of ordinary life to spice up the game experience, temporally expanded games add the pleasure of gaming to ordinary life.”

103
“A lack of rhythm in a game makes it hard to parse noise from signal.” It is easier for players to integrate the game with their real lives if things happen regularly – even if this makes the game less plausible.
“The very start of a pervasive game often makes or breaks the whole game experience and, hence, should be crafted very carefully.”

104
Definition rabbit hole: “A common way of luring players into alternate reality games has been through rabbit holes, which are ludic entrances to the fictitious world of a game hidden in ordinary environments that people can find accidentally and then enter the game. Basically this means that puzzles or mysteries that lead to the game are hidden in plain sight.”
“Believability is the most important feature of a rabbit hole, […] [but] regular players have become quite apt to recognising them.”

107
Definition contextual adaptability: “The ability of a game to adjust, either actively or passively, to changes in the social environment so that negative effects on gameplay or activities overlapping play sessions are minimized.” (Bjoerk et al 2004)

108
“A good temporally expanded game strikes a balance between sufficient contextual adaptability [see above, p107] and thrilling pervasivity.”

109
“Temporally expanded games invade a player’s ordinary life and spice it up. They mix playful and serious activities and situations, producing a refreshing element of surprise that feels as though it is just out of the player’s control. The games add color to mundane, boring moments with the ever-present possibility of playing. However, as players can never control the games completely (without exiting the game), this does produce anxiety that needs to be taken into account in the design.
The ultimate temporally expanded game would completely erase the distinction between the ordinary and the ludic.”

About the author

Woitek Konzal

Producer, Consultant, Lecturer & Researcher. I love working where technology meets media in novel ways. Once, I even won an Emmy for digital innovation doing that. Be it for a small but exciting campaign about underground electronic music collectives or for a monster project combining two movies, various 360° videos, 72 ARG-like mini puzzles, and a Unity game, all wrapped up in one cross-platform app – I have proven my ability to adapt to what is required. This passion for novel technologies has regularly allowed me to cross paths with tech startups – an industry and philosophy I am all set to engage with more. I intensely enjoy balancing out my practical work with academic research, teaching, and consulting. Also, I have a PhD in Creative Industries, a M.Sc. in Business Administration, and love to kitesurf.

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