Gaming Tourism: Lessons from Evaluating REXplorer, a Pervasive Game for Tourists

  • Authors:
  • Rafael Ballagas;André Kuntze;Steffen P. Walz

  • Affiliations:
  • Nokia Research Center, Palo Alto, USA;Media Computing Group, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany;Computer Aided Architechtural Design Group, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

  • Venue:
  • Pervasive '08 Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Pervasive Computing
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

REXploreris a mobile, pervasive spell-casting game designed for tourists of Regensburg, Germany. The game creates player encounters with spirits (historical figures) that are associated with significant buildings in an urban setting. A novel mobile interaction mechanism of "casting a spell" (making a gesture by waving a mobile phone through the air) allows the player to awaken and communicate with a spirit to continue playing the game. The game is designed to inform visitors about history in a fun manner. The results of a formative evaluation are explored to inform the design of future serious pervasive games.