Reinventing the Arcade: Computer Game Mediated Play Spaces for Physical Interaction

TL;DR

This paper explores the development of public, physical gaming spaces using tangible interfaces to foster community interaction and social gaming experiences, exemplified by the Rabble Room Arcade event.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of public play spaces with tangible interfaces and documents an experimental event demonstrating their potential for social engagement.

Findings

Public play spaces can enhance community gaming experiences.

Tangible controllers facilitate casual and social interaction.

Events like Rabble Room Arcade create engaging spectacle and social connection.

Abstract

This paper suggests that recent developments in video game technology have occurred in parallel to play being moved from public into private spaces, which has had impact on the way people interact with games. The paper also argues and that there is potentially value in the creation of public play spaces to create opportunities to utilise both technology and body for the benefit of community culture and experiences through gaming. Co-located social gaming coupled with tangible interfaces offer alternative possibilities for the local video game scene. This paper includes a descriptive account of Rabble Room Arcade, an experimental social event combining custom-built tangible interface devices and multiplayer video games. The event was designed around games that promoted a return to simplicity through the use of unique tangible controllers to allow casual gamers to connect to the game and to each other, whilst also transforming the event into a spectacle.