Prototyping Interactive Experiences Objects D’Interface Reaction
Reaction Research
Reaction Game
Chain Reaction
Bop It!
A number of games were researched in order to gain a proper understanding of the technologies and experiences you get when participating in them. After looking into what types of games were available, the experience between the user and the interface was considered and after research, reaction games seemed to contain the best experience and relationship with the user. The first game that I looked into in more depth was the ‘Reaction Game’. Buttons are held on a standing frame and count your reaction time after hitting each button. The buttons light up when you are to hit them. This game requires a lot of concentration and can get quite competitive if playing against an opponent. After playing this game myself I felt a sense of achievement as I had beat my opponent by 2 seconds. Chain Reaction is a game where you only have one go in your goal to remove all balls on the screen. The balls bounce around the screen and exploding when they hit each other causing a chain reaction. The bigger the reaction, the more points you receive. I had a lot of fun with this game when experiencing it for myself but got very frustrated when I reached a level I could not pass, as I always seemed to have one ball left to explode.
Reaction Research Bop It! is more of a physical reaction game as there are different inputs that require different movements in order to play. There is also sound involved in this experience, as you have to match the word or noise to the inputs. When I first played this game for myself I got very frustrated as I could not remember and match the sounds to the movements but after a few turns it became easier to play. Most of the inspiration for my game came from ‘Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training - How Old Is Your Brain?’. Just like the games previously mentioned, this game uses reactions. The faster you complete each exercise the younger your brain becomes. I want to use this idea and create a reaction game that will test your speed and help to keep your brain active.
Target Audience The main aim of my game will be to offer an alternative to games that are designed strictly for entertainment purposes, instead offering beneficial outcomes like improving brain function. This game is designed and aimed at students or professionals who spend the majority of their time working and need a break from what they are doing but instead of watching a series on Netflix or playing a computer game that will divert their attention for a long time, this game will keep their brain active.
Reaction Processing Code case 3: x = 100; y = 300; break; case 4: x = 100; y = 500; break; case 5: x = 300; y = 100; break; case 6: x = 300; y = 500; break; case 7: x = 500; y = 100; break; case 8: y = 500; x = 300; break;
color r; boolean waiting; int len, count, x, y, turn, reactionTime; void setup(){ size(600,600); background(0, 0, 0, 50); smooth(); clear(); waiting = true; turn = 0; reactionTime = 0; len = int(random(100)); } void clear(){ fill(0, 0, 0,225); rect(0, 0, 400, 400); waiting = true; turn++; reactionTime = 0; } void draw(){ if(!waiting){ reactionTime++; } if(count == len && waiting == true){ r = int(random(200)) + 55; x = int (random(9)); fill(r); switch(x) { case 0: x = 100; y = 100; break; case 1: x = 300; y = 300; break; case 2: x = 500; y = 500; break;
}
}
ellipse(x, y , 100, 100); waiting = false; count = 0; reactionTime = 0;
} count++;
void mouseClicked(){ background(0); if(abs(x - mouseX) < 25 && abs(y mouseY) < 25){ fill(0, 100, 200, 0); rect(turn * 5, 600, 5, -reactionTime); waiting = true; len = int(random(100)); count = 0; clear(); } }
Reaction Development
I made my prototype using white card, all-purpose glue and my graphics tablet. Using a cutting mat and a scalpol, I cut out nine holes into the lid of my prototype. The holes represent the buttons and direct you where to tap when the dots appear on the screen. The graphics tablet was placed into the box I made and held up using extra pieces of card.
Reaction Live Testing
During my live testing I encountered a few problems. I arranged for some friends to come over and set up my scene. The scene was created to look like someone’s workspace at home using my iMac, books and plants. The original plan was to use my iMac with the graphics tablet plugged in and after tests and checking everything worked I was ready to start filming. The first problem was that my graphics tablet had stopped working with the ‘Present’ option on Processing and so I decided to use my laptop instead but the graphics tablet wouldn’t work on that either. In order to show how the game worked, I decided to remove my prototype and use the touch screen on my laptop. There were four players competing for the quickest time to complete the circuit. Each person involved enjoyed their experience with Reaction and wanted another shot at trying to beat the highest scorer. The physchological relationship with this game was the urge to complete the game quicker than the previous user.
Reaction References http://cdn.marketplaceimages.windowsphone.com/v8/images/2ac76453-f8f4-4a9e-9ba1-f1d1bc61e3f8?imageType=ws_icon_large http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AAvC0ZSs-1k/SoHL9-U736I/AAAAAAAABmc/k0lFgjIdge8/s400/boomshine.gif http://www.activityday.co.uk/images/batak-game.jpg http://cdn02.nintendo-europe.com/media/images/05_packshots/games_13/nintendo_ds_6/PS_NDS_DrKawashimaBrainTraining_enGB.png