2025
Koskinen, Elina
Memorable Player Experiences with Pokémon GO PhD Thesis
2025, ISSN: 2489-9860.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Location-based games, Pokémon Go, Sociability
@phdthesis{nokey,
title = {Memorable Player Experiences with Pokémon GO},
author = {Elina Koskinen},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-3763-6},
issn = {2489-9860},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-31},
journal = {Tampere University Dissertations},
volume = {1166},
publisher = {Tampere University},
abstract = {When Pokémon GO (Niantic, 2016) was published in 2016, it quickly rose to the top of the most downloaded and most profitable mobile applications. The enormous and unprecedented success of Pokémon GO offered a chance to study game experiences of a mainstream location-based game with an exceptionally wide and diverse player base. While other location-based games with famous franchises have been published after Pokémon GO, they have had less visible popularity and economic success. Even though Pokémon GO has been studied from several points of view, there has been a lack of studies that examine player experiences through players’ own descriptions. This dissertation examines memorable player experiences with location-based games through the case of Pokémon GO. The dissertation is based on Finnish qualitative survey data (n=2400) gathered seven weeks after the game’s European launch when memories of the early days of the game’s peak popularity were fresh in players’ minds. The social atmosphere and communality created by Pokémon GO in the game’s early days was a unique phenomenon, the virality of which is hard to repeat. The game lowered the threshold to interact with strangers in ways and situations that players normally might not. Pokémon GO afforded a variety of positive experiences, facilitating new, and augmenting existing family interactions between parents and children, partners and siblings, due to the playful mindset that Pokémon GO is able to facilitate. The game had an extensive impact on the experiences and accessibility of games for middle-aged players – a player group that has traditionally
played less, and for some of whom Pokémon GO was their first experience of video games. Based on the results of the study, I argue that the memorable player experiences
of location-based games are divided into four main dimensions related to gameplay, physical context of play, sociability and the investment players had in the game. Pokémon GO demonstrated a significant potential to transform physical locations through the way people populated them, as well as the social atmosphere through how people encountered each other more openly. It also made some players so invested in the game that their public behavior transformed. Hence, we should reconsider the concept of digital play experience, which has traditionally been seen as something that takes place between the player and the game screen. Accordingly, I argue that play experience also includes a wider context that features our physical surroundings, the people in it, and the interaction we have with them and our environment, stemming from gameplay that affects our behavior. This dissertation explores what Pokémon GO players experienced as being memorable about a massive phenomenon when it was at the height of its popularity, and captures the uniqueness of Pokémon GO as a social phenomenon. More broadly, this dissertation provides insights into understanding player experiences in locationbased games, and how these games are capable of engaging their players with the physical and social contexts surrounding them.},
keywords = {Location-based games, Pokémon Go, Sociability},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
When Pokémon GO (Niantic, 2016) was published in 2016, it quickly rose to the top of the most downloaded and most profitable mobile applications. The enormous and unprecedented success of Pokémon GO offered a chance to study game experiences of a mainstream location-based game with an exceptionally wide and diverse player base. While other location-based games with famous franchises have been published after Pokémon GO, they have had less visible popularity and economic success. Even though Pokémon GO has been studied from several points of view, there has been a lack of studies that examine player experiences through players’ own descriptions. This dissertation examines memorable player experiences with location-based games through the case of Pokémon GO. The dissertation is based on Finnish qualitative survey data (n=2400) gathered seven weeks after the game’s European launch when memories of the early days of the game’s peak popularity were fresh in players’ minds. The social atmosphere and communality created by Pokémon GO in the game’s early days was a unique phenomenon, the virality of which is hard to repeat. The game lowered the threshold to interact with strangers in ways and situations that players normally might not. Pokémon GO afforded a variety of positive experiences, facilitating new, and augmenting existing family interactions between parents and children, partners and siblings, due to the playful mindset that Pokémon GO is able to facilitate. The game had an extensive impact on the experiences and accessibility of games for middle-aged players – a player group that has traditionally
played less, and for some of whom Pokémon GO was their first experience of video games. Based on the results of the study, I argue that the memorable player experiences
of location-based games are divided into four main dimensions related to gameplay, physical context of play, sociability and the investment players had in the game. Pokémon GO demonstrated a significant potential to transform physical locations through the way people populated them, as well as the social atmosphere through how people encountered each other more openly. It also made some players so invested in the game that their public behavior transformed. Hence, we should reconsider the concept of digital play experience, which has traditionally been seen as something that takes place between the player and the game screen. Accordingly, I argue that play experience also includes a wider context that features our physical surroundings, the people in it, and the interaction we have with them and our environment, stemming from gameplay that affects our behavior. This dissertation explores what Pokémon GO players experienced as being memorable about a massive phenomenon when it was at the height of its popularity, and captures the uniqueness of Pokémon GO as a social phenomenon. More broadly, this dissertation provides insights into understanding player experiences in locationbased games, and how these games are capable of engaging their players with the physical and social contexts surrounding them.
played less, and for some of whom Pokémon GO was their first experience of video games. Based on the results of the study, I argue that the memorable player experiences
of location-based games are divided into four main dimensions related to gameplay, physical context of play, sociability and the investment players had in the game. Pokémon GO demonstrated a significant potential to transform physical locations through the way people populated them, as well as the social atmosphere through how people encountered each other more openly. It also made some players so invested in the game that their public behavior transformed. Hence, we should reconsider the concept of digital play experience, which has traditionally been seen as something that takes place between the player and the game screen. Accordingly, I argue that play experience also includes a wider context that features our physical surroundings, the people in it, and the interaction we have with them and our environment, stemming from gameplay that affects our behavior. This dissertation explores what Pokémon GO players experienced as being memorable about a massive phenomenon when it was at the height of its popularity, and captures the uniqueness of Pokémon GO as a social phenomenon. More broadly, this dissertation provides insights into understanding player experiences in locationbased games, and how these games are capable of engaging their players with the physical and social contexts surrounding them.
2023
Alha, Kati; Koskinen, Elina; Leorke, Dale; Wiik, Elisa
The Evolution of Pokémon GO: A Survey of Finnish Player Experiences Journal Article
In: Journal of Games Criticism, vol. 5, iss. 1, 2023, ISSN: 2374-202X.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Free-to-play games, Games-as-a-service, Location-based games, Player studies, Pokémon Go
@article{Alha2023c,
title = {The Evolution of Pokémon GO: A Survey of Finnish Player Experiences},
author = {Kati Alha and Elina Koskinen and Dale Leorke and Elisa Wiik},
url = {https://gamescriticism.org/2023/07/25/the-evolution-of-pokemon-go-a-survey-of-finnish-player-experiences/
https://gamescriticism.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/alha-koskinene-leorke-wiik-5-1.pdf},
issn = {2374-202X},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-04-30},
urldate = {2023-04-30},
journal = {Journal of Games Criticism},
volume = {5},
issue = {1},
abstract = {In this article we unpack responses (n = 1,741) by Finnish Pokémon GO players
to an open-ended survey question “how has your experience of the game changed
throughout the time you’ve played it?” The survey, conducted in 2019, provides
insights into players’ attitudes towards Pokémon GO’s evolution in the first three
years since its release. We analysed the data using thematic coding, producing 61
codes grouped under eight broad categories: content, way of playing, significance,
nature of the game, social aspects, perceptions, demands and context. Our
findings highlight players’ reaction to changing demands from the game as it
incorporates new content, becomes more social and its player base solidifies,
producing a complex and sometimes contested affective relationship with the game
and the wider community of players. In the era of service-based game development
where game companies struggle to keep their games engaging and profitable years
after launch, our study offers a broad and diverse view into post-launch changes
from the perspective of the players.},
keywords = {Free-to-play games, Games-as-a-service, Location-based games, Player studies, Pokémon Go},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In this article we unpack responses (n = 1,741) by Finnish Pokémon GO players
to an open-ended survey question “how has your experience of the game changed
throughout the time you’ve played it?” The survey, conducted in 2019, provides
insights into players’ attitudes towards Pokémon GO’s evolution in the first three
years since its release. We analysed the data using thematic coding, producing 61
codes grouped under eight broad categories: content, way of playing, significance,
nature of the game, social aspects, perceptions, demands and context. Our
findings highlight players’ reaction to changing demands from the game as it
incorporates new content, becomes more social and its player base solidifies,
producing a complex and sometimes contested affective relationship with the game
and the wider community of players. In the era of service-based game development
where game companies struggle to keep their games engaging and profitable years
after launch, our study offers a broad and diverse view into post-launch changes
from the perspective of the players.
to an open-ended survey question “how has your experience of the game changed
throughout the time you’ve played it?” The survey, conducted in 2019, provides
insights into players’ attitudes towards Pokémon GO’s evolution in the first three
years since its release. We analysed the data using thematic coding, producing 61
codes grouped under eight broad categories: content, way of playing, significance,
nature of the game, social aspects, perceptions, demands and context. Our
findings highlight players’ reaction to changing demands from the game as it
incorporates new content, becomes more social and its player base solidifies,
producing a complex and sometimes contested affective relationship with the game
and the wider community of players. In the era of service-based game development
where game companies struggle to keep their games engaging and profitable years
after launch, our study offers a broad and diverse view into post-launch changes
from the perspective of the players.
Alha, Kati
Pokémon Go (2016): A Location Based Game Breaks Through Book Section
In: Perron, Bernard; Boudreau, Kelly; Wolf, Mark J. P.; Arsenault, Dominic (Ed.): Fifty Key Video Games, pp. 196-202, Routledge, 2023, ISBN: 978-1-003-19920-5, (Embargoed document. Embargo ends 27/07/24.).
Abstract | Links | Tags: Location-based game, Play, Playful behavior, Pokémon Go, Video games
@incollection{Alha2023,
title = {Pokémon Go (2016): A Location Based Game Breaks Through},
author = {Kati Alha},
editor = {Bernard Perron and Kelly Boudreau and Mark J.P. Wolf and Dominic Arsenault},
url = {https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003199205/fifty-key-video-games-dominic-arsenault-kelly-boudreau-bernard-perron-mark-wolf
https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/publications/pok%C3%A9mon-go-2016-a-location-based-game-breaks-through},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003199205},
isbn = {978-1-003-19920-5},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-31},
urldate = {2023-01-31},
booktitle = {Fifty Key Video Games},
pages = {196-202},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {During the summer of 2016, Pokémon Go was everywhere. It was difficult to go outside without noticing players hunting and catching Pokémon creatures in real-world locations; location-based gaming had become a mainstream activity. Through novel gameplay and unprecedented success, Pokémon Go became one of the biggest and most impactful games of the time. While the game collected praise of its positive impacts on exercising and outdoor activity, the success also caused disruptive behavior, such as players taking over locations from their previous use, trespassing on private properties, or causing danger in traffic. Many of the game’s biggest impacts are of a social nature: it enabled random encounters between strangers, created opportunities to both build new relationships and strengthen existing ones, and increased the feeling of community and belonging. Not all audiences have been included in the same manner, though: the game is not equally accessible or safe to play in all locations or by all groups of people. Despite its shortcomings, Pokémon Go managed to bring gaming to new audiences and increased the acceptability of play and playful behavior in our society – for all ages.},
note = {Embargoed document. Embargo ends 27/07/24.},
keywords = {Location-based game, Play, Playful behavior, Pokémon Go, Video games},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
During the summer of 2016, Pokémon Go was everywhere. It was difficult to go outside without noticing players hunting and catching Pokémon creatures in real-world locations; location-based gaming had become a mainstream activity. Through novel gameplay and unprecedented success, Pokémon Go became one of the biggest and most impactful games of the time. While the game collected praise of its positive impacts on exercising and outdoor activity, the success also caused disruptive behavior, such as players taking over locations from their previous use, trespassing on private properties, or causing danger in traffic. Many of the game’s biggest impacts are of a social nature: it enabled random encounters between strangers, created opportunities to both build new relationships and strengthen existing ones, and increased the feeling of community and belonging. Not all audiences have been included in the same manner, though: the game is not equally accessible or safe to play in all locations or by all groups of people. Despite its shortcomings, Pokémon Go managed to bring gaming to new audiences and increased the acceptability of play and playful behavior in our society – for all ages.
2022
Suominen, Jaakko
Pokémon Go (2016) -pelin suosion nostalgiaselittäminen Journal Article
In: Widerscreen, vol. 25, iss. 1-2, 2022, ISSN: 1795-6161.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Domestikaatio, Lisätty todellisuus, Mobiilipelit, Nostalgia, Pokémon Go
@article{Suominen2022b,
title = {Pokémon Go (2016) -pelin suosion nostalgiaselittäminen},
author = {Jaakko Suominen},
url = {http://widerscreen.fi/numerot/2022-1-2/pokemon-go-2016-pelin-suosion-nostalgiaselittaminen/},
issn = {1795-6161},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-09-15},
urldate = {2022-09-15},
journal = {Widerscreen},
volume = {25},
issue = {1-2},
abstract = {Nostalgialla tarkoitetaan katkeransuloista tunnetta, joka ilmenee kaipuuna johonkin aiemmin olleeseen tai aiemmin koettuun asiaan tai tilanteeseen. Tässä artikkelissa käsittelen, miten lisätyn todellisuuden pelin Pokémon Go:n suosiota selitettiin nostalgian avulla julkisuudessa pelin tultua markkinoille heinäkuussa 2016. Sovellan aiemmin tehtyjä nostalgian luokitteluja ja esittelen nostalgialla selittämisen jaottelun, joka sisältää yksinkertaisen ja tulkitsevan nostalgiaselityksen mediakulttuurin kontekstissa. Nostalgialla selittäminen näkyy erityisesti populaarimediassa mutta myös mediatuotteiden suosiota ja käyttöä koskevissa asiantuntijapuheenvuoroissa sekä tutkimuksessa. Tässä teemanumeron artikkelissa tarkastelen nostalgialla selittämistä keinona, jolla institutionaaliset toimijat, kuten tiedotusvälineiden edustajat ja tutkijat kesyttävät tai kotoistavat uusia kulttuurituotteita vuorovaikutuksessa käyttäjien kanssa osaksi vakiintuneita toiminnan muotoja. Artikkelin lähteinä toimivat Pokémon- ja nostalgiatutkimuksen lisäksi vuonna 2016 julkaistut Pokémon Go:ta käsittelevät uutiset.},
keywords = {Domestikaatio, Lisätty todellisuus, Mobiilipelit, Nostalgia, Pokémon Go},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Nostalgialla tarkoitetaan katkeransuloista tunnetta, joka ilmenee kaipuuna johonkin aiemmin olleeseen tai aiemmin koettuun asiaan tai tilanteeseen. Tässä artikkelissa käsittelen, miten lisätyn todellisuuden pelin Pokémon Go:n suosiota selitettiin nostalgian avulla julkisuudessa pelin tultua markkinoille heinäkuussa 2016. Sovellan aiemmin tehtyjä nostalgian luokitteluja ja esittelen nostalgialla selittämisen jaottelun, joka sisältää yksinkertaisen ja tulkitsevan nostalgiaselityksen mediakulttuurin kontekstissa. Nostalgialla selittäminen näkyy erityisesti populaarimediassa mutta myös mediatuotteiden suosiota ja käyttöä koskevissa asiantuntijapuheenvuoroissa sekä tutkimuksessa. Tässä teemanumeron artikkelissa tarkastelen nostalgialla selittämistä keinona, jolla institutionaaliset toimijat, kuten tiedotusvälineiden edustajat ja tutkijat kesyttävät tai kotoistavat uusia kulttuurituotteita vuorovaikutuksessa käyttäjien kanssa osaksi vakiintuneita toiminnan muotoja. Artikkelin lähteinä toimivat Pokémon- ja nostalgiatutkimuksen lisäksi vuonna 2016 julkaistut Pokémon Go:ta käsittelevät uutiset.
2021
Koskinen, Elina; Meriläinen, Mikko
Social Playfulness—Memorable Family Co-play Experiences with Pokémon GO Book Section
In: Spanellis, Agnessa; Harviainen, J. Tuomas (Ed.): Transforming Society and Organizations through Gamification, pp. 247-270, Springer International, 2021, ISBN: 9783030682064.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Family, Location-based game, Player experience, Playfulness, Pokémon Go
@incollection{Koskinen2021,
title = {Social Playfulness—Memorable Family Co-play Experiences with Pokémon GO},
author = {Elina Koskinen and Mikko Meriläinen},
editor = {Agnessa Spanellis and J. Tuomas Harviainen
},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-68207-1_13},
isbn = {9783030682064},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-05-08},
booktitle = {Transforming Society and Organizations through Gamification},
pages = {247-270},
publisher = {Springer International},
abstract = {Pokémon GO, a very popular location-based augmented reality game, has appealed to a wide range of age groups and encouraged entire families to play. This chapter examines family social interactions in the context of digital gaming through an exploratory qualitative survey study (n = 263) of Pokémon GO players’ memorable experiences. We studied siblings and partners in addition to children and parents to chart the many forms of family interaction around Pokémon GO. Our results suggest that playing digital games in a family context can facilitate diverse positive experiences and interactions and support family bonding, but this is contingent on a variety of gameplay features. In the case of Pokémon GO, a key element was the playful mindset elicited by the game, in turn encouraged by its location-based gameplay. Pokémon GO can augment everyday interactions by adding a playful layer to them, since it is easily embedded in and combined with other activities.
},
keywords = {Family, Location-based game, Player experience, Playfulness, Pokémon Go},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Pokémon GO, a very popular location-based augmented reality game, has appealed to a wide range of age groups and encouraged entire families to play. This chapter examines family social interactions in the context of digital gaming through an exploratory qualitative survey study (n = 263) of Pokémon GO players’ memorable experiences. We studied siblings and partners in addition to children and parents to chart the many forms of family interaction around Pokémon GO. Our results suggest that playing digital games in a family context can facilitate diverse positive experiences and interactions and support family bonding, but this is contingent on a variety of gameplay features. In the case of Pokémon GO, a key element was the playful mindset elicited by the game, in turn encouraged by its location-based gameplay. Pokémon GO can augment everyday interactions by adding a playful layer to them, since it is easily embedded in and combined with other activities.
2020
Alha, Kati
The Rise of Free-to-Play: How the Revenue Model Changed Games and Playing PhD Thesis
2020, ISBN: 978-952-03-1774-4.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Attitudes, Augmented reality, Ethics, Evaluation, Experience, Facebook, Free-to-play, Freemium, Future, Game industry, Grossing, Heuristics, Literature review, Metascore, Mobile gaming, Paying, Playability, Pokémon Go, Reviews, Sales, Social games, Social networks, Virtual goods
@phdthesis{Alha2020,
title = {The Rise of Free-to-Play: How the Revenue Model Changed Games and Playing},
author = {Kati Alha},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-1774-4
},
isbn = {978-952-03-1774-4},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-12-11},
abstract = {Free-to-play games have permanently transformed the game industry. Offering a game for free and gaining income through voluntary purchases during gameplay have proven to be the most successful way to gain revenue. Due to the model, more people than ever before play games, and the economic significance of games as business has multiplied. Simultaneously, the model has received a backlash for offering inferior, imbalanced game experiences that take advantage of players, manipulating them into playing and paying.
Despite the criticism and changes in game experiences, the research on free-to-play games is still heavily focused on economic aspects, with the goal to maximize revenue and find the best practices by which to implement the model. The voices of players are measured mostly through log data or quantitative surveys, while exploratory, qualitative research has been in the minority. The significance of free-to-play games and their connection to our game culture and society are still lacking critical inspection.
This dissertation takes up the challenge by studying free-to-play games from various perspectives through multiple methods, concentrating on qualitative approaches. The work shows the broad view of how and why free-to-play games have become so successful, how they have transformed games, and what problematic aspects are connected to them. The main claims of this dissertation are connected to: 1) the undervaluation of free-to-play games; 2) the unique challenges between money and gameplay experience; 3) the different framings of fairness and equality; 4) the need for transparency and legislation; and 5) the transformative power of free-to-play games on the consumption and creation of games.
The results show that while free-to-play games are played extensively, they are less valued than other games. This is especially true with mobile or casual free-to-play games and is descriptive of how we appraise and evaluate games. The lack of appreciation is connected to the nature of many free-to-play games, which are often never-ending and slow-paced, and offer challenges that differ from other games. The experiences that these games offer are different from the traditional, meritocratic values we have come to expect from games, and especially allowing advancement with money is in direct conflict with these values. The devaluation is shown in how the games are discussed, how they are reviewed (or not reviewed at all) by game journalists, and how they are studied. The players who engage with these games can also be excluded from gaming communities and gaming identities. At the same time, the challenges of the revenue model have resulted in new, creative solutions that bring diversity into game experiences and offer flexible playing for wider audiences.
The ethical issues connected to free-to-play games do need to be taken seriously. Problems connected to a lack of transparency, problematic playing, a resemblance to gambling, marketing to under-aged players, and privacy issues raise valid concerns. While free-to-play companies need to be especially mindful in giving players enough information and to implement tools to prevent accidental purchases and problematic playing, the industry also needs regulation that comes from outside itself. Thus, to create fair and functional legislation, we need academic and industry expertise in the committees doing the legislative work.
Despite the challenges and undervaluation that free-to-play games encounter, it is an indisputable fact that their impact on the game industry and on game consumption is both formidable and irreversible. They therefore deserve our attention and a critical exploration as a legitimate part of game culture. If you do not know free-to-play games, you do not know games.},
keywords = {Attitudes, Augmented reality, Ethics, Evaluation, Experience, Facebook, Free-to-play, Freemium, Future, Game industry, Grossing, Heuristics, Literature review, Metascore, Mobile gaming, Paying, Playability, Pokémon Go, Reviews, Sales, Social games, Social networks, Virtual goods},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
Free-to-play games have permanently transformed the game industry. Offering a game for free and gaining income through voluntary purchases during gameplay have proven to be the most successful way to gain revenue. Due to the model, more people than ever before play games, and the economic significance of games as business has multiplied. Simultaneously, the model has received a backlash for offering inferior, imbalanced game experiences that take advantage of players, manipulating them into playing and paying.
Despite the criticism and changes in game experiences, the research on free-to-play games is still heavily focused on economic aspects, with the goal to maximize revenue and find the best practices by which to implement the model. The voices of players are measured mostly through log data or quantitative surveys, while exploratory, qualitative research has been in the minority. The significance of free-to-play games and their connection to our game culture and society are still lacking critical inspection.
This dissertation takes up the challenge by studying free-to-play games from various perspectives through multiple methods, concentrating on qualitative approaches. The work shows the broad view of how and why free-to-play games have become so successful, how they have transformed games, and what problematic aspects are connected to them. The main claims of this dissertation are connected to: 1) the undervaluation of free-to-play games; 2) the unique challenges between money and gameplay experience; 3) the different framings of fairness and equality; 4) the need for transparency and legislation; and 5) the transformative power of free-to-play games on the consumption and creation of games.
The results show that while free-to-play games are played extensively, they are less valued than other games. This is especially true with mobile or casual free-to-play games and is descriptive of how we appraise and evaluate games. The lack of appreciation is connected to the nature of many free-to-play games, which are often never-ending and slow-paced, and offer challenges that differ from other games. The experiences that these games offer are different from the traditional, meritocratic values we have come to expect from games, and especially allowing advancement with money is in direct conflict with these values. The devaluation is shown in how the games are discussed, how they are reviewed (or not reviewed at all) by game journalists, and how they are studied. The players who engage with these games can also be excluded from gaming communities and gaming identities. At the same time, the challenges of the revenue model have resulted in new, creative solutions that bring diversity into game experiences and offer flexible playing for wider audiences.
The ethical issues connected to free-to-play games do need to be taken seriously. Problems connected to a lack of transparency, problematic playing, a resemblance to gambling, marketing to under-aged players, and privacy issues raise valid concerns. While free-to-play companies need to be especially mindful in giving players enough information and to implement tools to prevent accidental purchases and problematic playing, the industry also needs regulation that comes from outside itself. Thus, to create fair and functional legislation, we need academic and industry expertise in the committees doing the legislative work.
Despite the challenges and undervaluation that free-to-play games encounter, it is an indisputable fact that their impact on the game industry and on game consumption is both formidable and irreversible. They therefore deserve our attention and a critical exploration as a legitimate part of game culture. If you do not know free-to-play games, you do not know games.
Despite the criticism and changes in game experiences, the research on free-to-play games is still heavily focused on economic aspects, with the goal to maximize revenue and find the best practices by which to implement the model. The voices of players are measured mostly through log data or quantitative surveys, while exploratory, qualitative research has been in the minority. The significance of free-to-play games and their connection to our game culture and society are still lacking critical inspection.
This dissertation takes up the challenge by studying free-to-play games from various perspectives through multiple methods, concentrating on qualitative approaches. The work shows the broad view of how and why free-to-play games have become so successful, how they have transformed games, and what problematic aspects are connected to them. The main claims of this dissertation are connected to: 1) the undervaluation of free-to-play games; 2) the unique challenges between money and gameplay experience; 3) the different framings of fairness and equality; 4) the need for transparency and legislation; and 5) the transformative power of free-to-play games on the consumption and creation of games.
The results show that while free-to-play games are played extensively, they are less valued than other games. This is especially true with mobile or casual free-to-play games and is descriptive of how we appraise and evaluate games. The lack of appreciation is connected to the nature of many free-to-play games, which are often never-ending and slow-paced, and offer challenges that differ from other games. The experiences that these games offer are different from the traditional, meritocratic values we have come to expect from games, and especially allowing advancement with money is in direct conflict with these values. The devaluation is shown in how the games are discussed, how they are reviewed (or not reviewed at all) by game journalists, and how they are studied. The players who engage with these games can also be excluded from gaming communities and gaming identities. At the same time, the challenges of the revenue model have resulted in new, creative solutions that bring diversity into game experiences and offer flexible playing for wider audiences.
The ethical issues connected to free-to-play games do need to be taken seriously. Problems connected to a lack of transparency, problematic playing, a resemblance to gambling, marketing to under-aged players, and privacy issues raise valid concerns. While free-to-play companies need to be especially mindful in giving players enough information and to implement tools to prevent accidental purchases and problematic playing, the industry also needs regulation that comes from outside itself. Thus, to create fair and functional legislation, we need academic and industry expertise in the committees doing the legislative work.
Despite the challenges and undervaluation that free-to-play games encounter, it is an indisputable fact that their impact on the game industry and on game consumption is both formidable and irreversible. They therefore deserve our attention and a critical exploration as a legitimate part of game culture. If you do not know free-to-play games, you do not know games.
Arjoranta, Jonne; Kari, Tuomas; Salo, Markus
Exploring Features of the Pervasive Game Pokémon GO That Enable Behavior Change: Qualitative Study Journal Article
In: JMIR Serious Games, vol. 8, iss. 2, pp. e15967, 2020, ISSN: 2291-9279.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Augmented reality games, Behaviour change, Behaviour change support system, Digital games, Exergames, Location-based game, Pervasive games, Pokémon Go
@article{Arjoranta2020,
title = {Exploring Features of the Pervasive Game Pokémon GO That Enable Behavior Change: Qualitative Study},
author = {Jonne Arjoranta and Tuomas Kari and Markus Salo},
url = {https://games.jmir.org/2020/2/e15967/},
doi = {10.2196/15967},
issn = {2291-9279},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-01},
journal = {JMIR Serious Games},
volume = {8},
issue = {2},
pages = {e15967},
abstract = {Background:
Digital gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. While prior literature concluded that digital games can enable changes in players’ behaviors, there is limited knowledge about different types of behavior changes and the game features driving them. Understanding behavior changes and the game features behind them is important because digital games can motivate players to change their behavior for the better (or worse).
Objective:
This study investigates the types of behavior changes and their underlying game features within the context of the popular pervasive game Pokémon GO.
Methods:
We collected data from 262 respondents with a critical incident technique (CIT) questionnaire. We analyzed the responses with applied thematic analysis with ATLAS.ti (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH) software.
Results:
We discovered 8 types of behavior changes and 13 game features relevant to those behavior changes. The behavior changes included added activity in life, enhancing routines, exploration, increased physical activity, strengthening social bonds, lowering social barriers, increased positive emotional expression and self-treatment. The game features included reaching a higher level, catching new Pokémon, evolving new Pokémon, visiting PokéStops, exploring PokéStops, hatching eggs, fighting in gyms, collaborative fighting, exploiting special events, finding specific Pokémon, using items, Pokémon theme, and game location tied to physical location. The behavior changes were connected to specific game features, with game location tied to physical location and catching new Pokémon being the most common and connected to all behavior changes.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that the surveyed players changed their behaviors while or after playing Pokémon GO. The respondents reported being more social, expressed more positive emotions, found more meaningfulness in their routines, and had increased motivation to explore their surroundings.},
keywords = {Augmented reality games, Behaviour change, Behaviour change support system, Digital games, Exergames, Location-based game, Pervasive games, Pokémon Go},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Background:
Digital gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. While prior literature concluded that digital games can enable changes in players’ behaviors, there is limited knowledge about different types of behavior changes and the game features driving them. Understanding behavior changes and the game features behind them is important because digital games can motivate players to change their behavior for the better (or worse).
Objective:
This study investigates the types of behavior changes and their underlying game features within the context of the popular pervasive game Pokémon GO.
Methods:
We collected data from 262 respondents with a critical incident technique (CIT) questionnaire. We analyzed the responses with applied thematic analysis with ATLAS.ti (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH) software.
Results:
We discovered 8 types of behavior changes and 13 game features relevant to those behavior changes. The behavior changes included added activity in life, enhancing routines, exploration, increased physical activity, strengthening social bonds, lowering social barriers, increased positive emotional expression and self-treatment. The game features included reaching a higher level, catching new Pokémon, evolving new Pokémon, visiting PokéStops, exploring PokéStops, hatching eggs, fighting in gyms, collaborative fighting, exploiting special events, finding specific Pokémon, using items, Pokémon theme, and game location tied to physical location. The behavior changes were connected to specific game features, with game location tied to physical location and catching new Pokémon being the most common and connected to all behavior changes.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that the surveyed players changed their behaviors while or after playing Pokémon GO. The respondents reported being more social, expressed more positive emotions, found more meaningfulness in their routines, and had increased motivation to explore their surroundings.
Digital gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. While prior literature concluded that digital games can enable changes in players’ behaviors, there is limited knowledge about different types of behavior changes and the game features driving them. Understanding behavior changes and the game features behind them is important because digital games can motivate players to change their behavior for the better (or worse).
Objective:
This study investigates the types of behavior changes and their underlying game features within the context of the popular pervasive game Pokémon GO.
Methods:
We collected data from 262 respondents with a critical incident technique (CIT) questionnaire. We analyzed the responses with applied thematic analysis with ATLAS.ti (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH) software.
Results:
We discovered 8 types of behavior changes and 13 game features relevant to those behavior changes. The behavior changes included added activity in life, enhancing routines, exploration, increased physical activity, strengthening social bonds, lowering social barriers, increased positive emotional expression and self-treatment. The game features included reaching a higher level, catching new Pokémon, evolving new Pokémon, visiting PokéStops, exploring PokéStops, hatching eggs, fighting in gyms, collaborative fighting, exploiting special events, finding specific Pokémon, using items, Pokémon theme, and game location tied to physical location. The behavior changes were connected to specific game features, with game location tied to physical location and catching new Pokémon being the most common and connected to all behavior changes.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that the surveyed players changed their behaviors while or after playing Pokémon GO. The respondents reported being more social, expressed more positive emotions, found more meaningfulness in their routines, and had increased motivation to explore their surroundings.
Lammes, Sybille; Leorke, Dale (Ed.)
Games, Play and Urban Environments Collection
2020, ISSN: 1938-0399.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Location-based game, Minecraft, Pervasive games, Pokémon Go, Reviews, Urban play, Urban studies, Video games, Wayfinder Live
@collection{Lammes2020,
title = {Games, Play and Urban Environments},
editor = {Sybille Lammes and Dale Leorke},
url = {https://www.museumofplay.org/journalofplay/issues/volume-12-number-3/},
issn = {1938-0399},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-06},
urldate = {2020-01-06},
booktitle = {American Journal of Play},
volume = {12},
issue = {3},
abstract = {Welcome to The American Journal of Play’s special issue on games, play, and urban environments, another in our series of theme issues. This special issue appears as play itself, both outdoors and indoors, has been abruptly curtailed to fit the shifting regulations and safety concerns surrounding the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. To spotlight new scholarship and offer fresh perspectives on the relationship between play and space, guest editors Sybille Lammes and Dale Leorke have gathered a series of articles exploring this spatial relationship in video game play and design. Following their guest editors’ foreword, they begin with a roundtable discussion among the authors of Pervasive Games: Theory and Design—Markus Montola, Jaakko Stenros, and Annika Waern—about the evolution of pervasive games and the research it has inspired. Next, Troy Innocent and Dale Leorke take a new look at the concept of urban play, drawing on a case study of a location-based, augmented-reality game codesigned by Innocent. Hugh Davies offers an alternative cultural genealogy of Pokémon GO focused on the connections between Japan’s seasonal play and the popular augmented reality mobile game. Mia Consalvo and Andrew Phelps review the potential for game design to reveal the complex relationships between urban space, social class, and mental health through purposeful player navigation and narrative architecture. Hamza Bashandy closes the issue with an examination Minecraft’s contemporary use in community mapping and architectural design.
},
keywords = {Location-based game, Minecraft, Pervasive games, Pokémon Go, Reviews, Urban play, Urban studies, Video games, Wayfinder Live},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {collection}
}
Welcome to The American Journal of Play’s special issue on games, play, and urban environments, another in our series of theme issues. This special issue appears as play itself, both outdoors and indoors, has been abruptly curtailed to fit the shifting regulations and safety concerns surrounding the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. To spotlight new scholarship and offer fresh perspectives on the relationship between play and space, guest editors Sybille Lammes and Dale Leorke have gathered a series of articles exploring this spatial relationship in video game play and design. Following their guest editors’ foreword, they begin with a roundtable discussion among the authors of Pervasive Games: Theory and Design—Markus Montola, Jaakko Stenros, and Annika Waern—about the evolution of pervasive games and the research it has inspired. Next, Troy Innocent and Dale Leorke take a new look at the concept of urban play, drawing on a case study of a location-based, augmented-reality game codesigned by Innocent. Hugh Davies offers an alternative cultural genealogy of Pokémon GO focused on the connections between Japan’s seasonal play and the popular augmented reality mobile game. Mia Consalvo and Andrew Phelps review the potential for game design to reveal the complex relationships between urban space, social class, and mental health through purposeful player navigation and narrative architecture. Hamza Bashandy closes the issue with an examination Minecraft’s contemporary use in community mapping and architectural design.
2019
Koskinen, Elina; Alha, Kati; Leorke, Dale; Paavilainen, Janne
Middle-aged Players’ Memorable Experiences with Pokémon GO Proceedings Article
In: DiGRA '19 - Proceedings of the 2019 DiGRA International Conference: Game, Play and the Emerging Ludo-Mix, DiGRA, 2019, ISSN: 2342-9666.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Augmented reality, Location-based game, Middle-aged players, Older gamers, Player experience, Pokémon Go
@inproceedings{Koskinen2019b,
title = {Middle-aged Players’ Memorable Experiences with Pokémon GO},
author = {Elina Koskinen and Kati Alha and Dale Leorke and Janne Paavilainen},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202009016828},
issn = {2342-9666},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-08-06},
booktitle = {DiGRA '19 - Proceedings of the 2019 DiGRA International Conference: Game, Play and the Emerging Ludo-Mix},
publisher = {DiGRA},
abstract = {As the first location-based augmented reality game to gain mainstream popularity, Pokémon GO also reached an older demographic of players that have traditionally played less and whose play experiences are under-researched. In this article, we present the findings of a qualitative survey study (n=349) focusing on the middle-aged (40–65-year-old) Pokémon GO players’ memorable experiences from the time when the game’s popularity was at its peak and its player base likely most diverse. We analyzed the open-ended survey responses with thematic analysis, resulting in 7 categories and 88 thematic codes. The categories constructed were Game Play & Game Content, People & Sociability, Location, Circumstances & Context, Negative Events, Feelings and Other Codes. Through our analysis and findings, we provide insights to understand the play experiences of middle-aged players through Pokémon GO. These findings also capture the memorable moments of a massive, unique social phenomenon at its peak from the perspective of a traditionally overlooked demographic.},
keywords = {Augmented reality, Location-based game, Middle-aged players, Older gamers, Player experience, Pokémon Go},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
As the first location-based augmented reality game to gain mainstream popularity, Pokémon GO also reached an older demographic of players that have traditionally played less and whose play experiences are under-researched. In this article, we present the findings of a qualitative survey study (n=349) focusing on the middle-aged (40–65-year-old) Pokémon GO players’ memorable experiences from the time when the game’s popularity was at its peak and its player base likely most diverse. We analyzed the open-ended survey responses with thematic analysis, resulting in 7 categories and 88 thematic codes. The categories constructed were Game Play & Game Content, People & Sociability, Location, Circumstances & Context, Negative Events, Feelings and Other Codes. Through our analysis and findings, we provide insights to understand the play experiences of middle-aged players through Pokémon GO. These findings also capture the memorable moments of a massive, unique social phenomenon at its peak from the perspective of a traditionally overlooked demographic.
Koskinen, Elina; Leorke, Dale; Alha, Kati; Paavilainen, Janne
Player Experiences in Location-based Games: Memorable Moments with Pokemon GO Book Section
In: Geroimenko, Vladimir (Ed.): Augmented Reality Games I: Understanding the Pokémon GO Phenomenon, pp. 95-116, Springer Nature, 2019, ISBN: 978-3-030-15615-2.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Location-based game, Player experience, Pokémon Go
@incollection{Koskinen2019,
title = {Player Experiences in Location-based Games: Memorable Moments with Pokemon GO},
author = {Elina Koskinen and Dale Leorke and Kati Alha and Janne Paavilainen},
editor = {Vladimir Geroimenko},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202101151332},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-15616-9_7},
isbn = {978-3-030-15615-2},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-05-22},
urldate = {2019-05-22},
booktitle = {Augmented Reality Games I: Understanding the Pokémon GO Phenomenon},
pages = {95-116},
publisher = {Springer Nature},
abstract = {Pokémon GO was the first location-based augmented reality game to reach mainstream popularity. We present a qualitative survey study (n = 2611) focusing on the Pokémon GO players’ memorable experiences from the time when the game’s popularity was at its peak and the experiences were fresh in players’ minds. We analyzed the open-ended written responses with thematic analysis, resulting in seven categories with a total of 82 thematic codes. The categories we constructed were Game Play and Game Content, People and Sociability, Location, Circumstances and Context, Negative Events, Feelings and Other Codes. Through our analysis and findings, we provide insights to understand Pokémon GO as a unique social phenomenon as well as a location-based augmented reality game more broadly. In addition to shedding more light on the Pokémon GO experiences and considering the potential for location-based games to engage players within the physical and social context around them, the findings capture what players found memorable about the massive phenomenon at its peak.},
keywords = {Location-based game, Player experience, Pokémon Go},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Pokémon GO was the first location-based augmented reality game to reach mainstream popularity. We present a qualitative survey study (n = 2611) focusing on the Pokémon GO players’ memorable experiences from the time when the game’s popularity was at its peak and the experiences were fresh in players’ minds. We analyzed the open-ended written responses with thematic analysis, resulting in seven categories with a total of 82 thematic codes. The categories we constructed were Game Play and Game Content, People and Sociability, Location, Circumstances and Context, Negative Events, Feelings and Other Codes. Through our analysis and findings, we provide insights to understand Pokémon GO as a unique social phenomenon as well as a location-based augmented reality game more broadly. In addition to shedding more light on the Pokémon GO experiences and considering the potential for location-based games to engage players within the physical and social context around them, the findings capture what players found memorable about the massive phenomenon at its peak.
Alha, Kati; Koskinen, Elina; Paavilainen, Janne; Hamari, Juho
Why Do People Play Location-Based Augmented Reality Games: A Study on Pokémon GO Journal Article
In: Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 93, pp. 114-122, 2019, ISBN: 0747-5632.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Augmented reality games, Free-to-play, Location-based game, Mobile gaming, Pokémon Go
@article{Alha2019,
title = {Why Do People Play Location-Based Augmented Reality Games: A Study on Pokémon GO},
author = {Kati Alha and Elina Koskinen and Janne Paavilainen and Juho Hamari},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-201903221408},
doi = {10.1016/j.chb.2018.12.008},
isbn = {0747-5632},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-04-01},
journal = {Computers in Human Behavior},
volume = {93},
pages = {114-122},
abstract = {Pokémon GO brought the location-based augmented reality games into the mainstream. To understand why people play these games, we created an online survey (n = 2612) with open questions about the reasons to start, continue, and quit playing Pokémon GO, and composed categories of the answers through a thematic analysis. Earlier experiences especially with the same franchise, social influence, and popularity were the most common reasons to adopt the game, while progressing in the game was the most frequently reported reason to continue playing. The player's personal situation outside the game and playability problems were the most significant reasons to quit the game. In addition to shedding more light on the Pokémon GO phenomenon, the findings are useful for both further studying and designing location-based augmented reality game experiences.},
keywords = {Augmented reality games, Free-to-play, Location-based game, Mobile gaming, Pokémon Go},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Pokémon GO brought the location-based augmented reality games into the mainstream. To understand why people play these games, we created an online survey (n = 2612) with open questions about the reasons to start, continue, and quit playing Pokémon GO, and composed categories of the answers through a thematic analysis. Earlier experiences especially with the same franchise, social influence, and popularity were the most common reasons to adopt the game, while progressing in the game was the most frequently reported reason to continue playing. The player's personal situation outside the game and playability problems were the most significant reasons to quit the game. In addition to shedding more light on the Pokémon GO phenomenon, the findings are useful for both further studying and designing location-based augmented reality game experiences.
Apperley, Thomas H.; Moore, Kyle
Haptic Ambience: Ambient Play, the Haptic Effect and Co-Presence in Pokémon GO Journal Article
In: Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, vol. 25, iss. 1, pp. 6-17, 2019, ISSN: 1354-8565.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Affective resonance, Ambient play, Digital photography, Gesture, Haptic interface, Ingress, Location-based game, Mobile gaming, Pokémon, Pokémon Go
@article{Apperley2019,
title = {Haptic Ambience: Ambient Play, the Haptic Effect and Co-Presence in Pokémon GO},
author = {Thomas H. Apperley and Kyle Moore},
url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1354856518811017},
doi = {10.1177/1354856518811017},
issn = {1354-8565},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-02-01},
urldate = {2019-02-01},
journal = {Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies},
volume = {25},
issue = {1},
pages = {6-17},
abstract = {Haptic media studies emphasize the centrality of touch in the experience of digital media. This article considers how the haptic effect created by relationship between touch, gesture and spatial practice in Pokémon GO cements new possibilities for ambient play and co-presence. The app effectively draws on the genealogies of Nintendo’s handheld Pokémon games, but through the shift to smartphone devices the app creates new forms of ambient play, co-presence and communication that are realized through the publicness of the touch, gesture and comportment which make up the haptic effect of the app. By making the smartphones camera an integral part the game, Pokémon GO suggests the wider relevance of the communicability of feeling and gesture by extending ambient play and co-presence into social media, allowing players to (re)-experience the feeling and touch of Pokémon GO through affective resonance. This suggests that the tactility and touch of the haptic affect are embedded in a matrix of embodied experiences that are revealed through how photography and social media become sites for extending and ambient play.},
keywords = {Affective resonance, Ambient play, Digital photography, Gesture, Haptic interface, Ingress, Location-based game, Mobile gaming, Pokémon, Pokémon Go},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Haptic media studies emphasize the centrality of touch in the experience of digital media. This article considers how the haptic effect created by relationship between touch, gesture and spatial practice in Pokémon GO cements new possibilities for ambient play and co-presence. The app effectively draws on the genealogies of Nintendo’s handheld Pokémon games, but through the shift to smartphone devices the app creates new forms of ambient play, co-presence and communication that are realized through the publicness of the touch, gesture and comportment which make up the haptic effect of the app. By making the smartphones camera an integral part the game, Pokémon GO suggests the wider relevance of the communicability of feeling and gesture by extending ambient play and co-presence into social media, allowing players to (re)-experience the feeling and touch of Pokémon GO through affective resonance. This suggests that the tactility and touch of the haptic affect are embedded in a matrix of embodied experiences that are revealed through how photography and social media become sites for extending and ambient play.
2018
Leorke, Dale
Location-Based Gaming : Play in Public Space Book
Palgrave Macmillan, 2018, ISBN: 978-981-13-0682-2.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Gaming interaction, Location-based game, Play and public space, Pokémon Go, Urban planning
@book{Leorke2018,
title = {Location-Based Gaming : Play in Public Space},
author = {Dale Leorke},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0683-9},
isbn = {978-981-13-0682-2},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-06-29},
urldate = {2018-06-29},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
abstract = {Location-based games emerged in the early 2000s following the commercialisation of GPS and artistic experimentation with ‘locative media’ technologies. Location-based games are played in everyday public spaces using GPS and networked, mobile technologies to track their players’ location. This book traces the evolution of location-based gaming, from its emergence as a marginal practice to its recent popularisation through smartphone apps like Pokémon Go and its incorporation into ‘smart city’ strategies.
Drawing on this history and an analysis of the scholarly and mainstream literature on location-based games, Leorke unpacks the key claims made about them. These claims position location-based games as alternately enriching or diminishing their players’ engagement with the people and places they encounter through the game. Through rich case studies and interviews with location-based game designers and players, Leorke tests out and challenges these celebratory and pessimistic discourses. He argues for a more grounded approach to researching location-based games and their impact on public space that reflects the ideologies, lived experiences, and institutional imperatives that circulate around their design and performance.
By situating location-based games within broader debates about the role of play and digitisation in public life, Location-Based Gaming offers an original and timely account of location-based gaming and its growing prominence.},
keywords = {Gaming interaction, Location-based game, Play and public space, Pokémon Go, Urban planning},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {book}
}
Location-based games emerged in the early 2000s following the commercialisation of GPS and artistic experimentation with ‘locative media’ technologies. Location-based games are played in everyday public spaces using GPS and networked, mobile technologies to track their players’ location. This book traces the evolution of location-based gaming, from its emergence as a marginal practice to its recent popularisation through smartphone apps like Pokémon Go and its incorporation into ‘smart city’ strategies.
Drawing on this history and an analysis of the scholarly and mainstream literature on location-based games, Leorke unpacks the key claims made about them. These claims position location-based games as alternately enriching or diminishing their players’ engagement with the people and places they encounter through the game. Through rich case studies and interviews with location-based game designers and players, Leorke tests out and challenges these celebratory and pessimistic discourses. He argues for a more grounded approach to researching location-based games and their impact on public space that reflects the ideologies, lived experiences, and institutional imperatives that circulate around their design and performance.
By situating location-based games within broader debates about the role of play and digitisation in public life, Location-Based Gaming offers an original and timely account of location-based gaming and its growing prominence.
Drawing on this history and an analysis of the scholarly and mainstream literature on location-based games, Leorke unpacks the key claims made about them. These claims position location-based games as alternately enriching or diminishing their players’ engagement with the people and places they encounter through the game. Through rich case studies and interviews with location-based game designers and players, Leorke tests out and challenges these celebratory and pessimistic discourses. He argues for a more grounded approach to researching location-based games and their impact on public space that reflects the ideologies, lived experiences, and institutional imperatives that circulate around their design and performance.
By situating location-based games within broader debates about the role of play and digitisation in public life, Location-Based Gaming offers an original and timely account of location-based gaming and its growing prominence.