Pervasive Games : Theory and Design

Quickly emerging from the fast-paced growth of mobile communications and wireless technologies, pervasive games take gaming away from the computer screen and back to the three-dimensional world.

Now games can be designed to be played in public spaces like shopping malls, conferences, museums and other non-traditional game venues.

Game designers need to understand how to use the world as a gamespace-and both the challenges and advantages of doing so.

This book shows how to change the face of play-who plays, when and where they play and what that play means to all involved.

The authors explore aspects of pervasive games that concern game designers: what makes these games compelling, what makes them possible today and how they are made.

For game researchers, it provides a solid theoretical, philosophical and aesthetic understanding of the genre.

Pervasive Games covers everything from theory and design to history and marketing.