The 3-session seminar “Introduction to Mixed Realities” is part of the MANDATORY CORE ELECTIVE MODULE 3.2 – GAME DESIGN, BA Digital Games / Semester 6 (Tillmanns / Johann)
(open to CGL students and faculty only)
Course Description
The course will introduce students to the specific challenges when designing for mixed reality. Aside from forming definitions and terminologies, students will analyse existing games in regard to their specifics in the reality-virtuality-continuum. In two practical units the class will observe and document a predefined location in detail and investigate its opportunities for a prospective game scenario. Furthermore the sensory capabilities of a common smartphone will be laid out in detail to explore its current and future potential as “extension of men” (cf. M. Mc Luhan (1964)). For the final session students are supposed to develop game concepts based on the two pillars “location” and “technology”.
Course Objectives
The participants will acquire insights in:
- research techniques (location scouting)
- advanced theory and terminology of mixed reality experiences
- developing concepts for location-based games
SESSION 2 – Technology
A) In-class analysis of a set of existing mixed reality projects in small groups.
B) Technology analysis
• What is your phone capable of?
• Sensors and detectors.
• Which advantages can it bring in terms of narrative value?
• How can the phone become part of your narrative?