Designing Sound for a Pervasive Mobile Game

1
Designing Sound for a Pervasive Mobile Game

• Inger Ekman (et al.)
• Game Research Lab
• University of Tampere
• inger.ekman_at_uta.fi

2
Pervasive Mobile Games

• Mobile games not just mobile game devices
• Mobility part of gaming
• Location-aware game device
• Pervasive gaming
• Playing in relation to physical world activities
• Game environment superimposed over physical
  world

3
The Songs of North

• Location-based multiplayer mobile game
• Players act as shamans in a mythological spirit
  world
• Playing requires moving around the spirit world,
  casting spells and communicating with spirits and
  other player-shamans
• Spellcasting by drumming a shaman drum

4
Role of Sounds in the Songs of North

• Sound information facilitates playing by moving
• Playing by listening - possible to monitor nearby
  game objects and events without looking at the
  device
• Alternative way of constructing engaging playing
  experiences
• Game world aesthetics

5
Sound Design Issues

• Technical restrictions (N-Gage/Series 60)
• Memory, frequency response, available channels,
  sound control options,
• Varying listening conditions
• General relation of environment sound to game
  world sound
• Social playability
• Narration of sound
• What is the narrative function of sound

6
Play-tests

• 2 play-tests of the game
• Version1 June 2004
• 19 players
• Version2 May 2005
• 16 players
• Qualitative and quantitative data
• Questionnaires
• Group interviews
• Game server log

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Version 1, Evaluation

• Sounds generally disliked
• Design implementation
• Problems with volume control
• Problems with speakers/headphones
• Playing by listening is a very unfamiliar
  activity
• Some players never realized the function of sound
  for playing
• Players used to non-informative sound -
  different ways of interpretation
• Distrusting sound information, reliance on
  visuals, perceived conflicts between information
  sources

8
Version 2, Iteration

• New sound implementation and modified graphics
• Tailored for game device sound properties
• Roles of sound vs. visual more clearly defined
• Sound real-time, visuals only on demand by
  drumming
• Investigating new types of information
• Multiple degrees of information (spell nearby /
  spell type / target / spell pattern)
• Multiple functions (emotive background ambience /
  social awareness)

9
Thank You!

• Questions?
• Inger Ekman
• inger.ekman_at_uta.fi