Flâneur - Volda games conference

FlâneurA literary walkthrough

Anders Sundnes LøvlieUniversity of Oslo

i sent the wrong paper to the proceedings

the correct paper can be found at:bit.ly/flaneur-paper

Photo: Anne M. at flickr

textopia: walking through literature(literally)

textopia.org

Mobile location-aware listenerPrimary modality: Sound

Online wiki-based text collection

mobile reader:simple java app

Annotational locative media

Proposed design principles - “GPS”:

Serendipity + Participation (+ Granularity)

controlled storyworlds...or: Art in everyday spaces, but not in MY everyday space

34N 118W (Los Angeles)

‘Scape the Hood (San Francisco)

Media Portrait of the Liberties (Dublin)

Textopia...or: covering the whole world with text

(starting with oslo and trondheim)

Facilitating participation

• Good interest and participation: 46 contributions, good media coverage

• Good creative output (texts)

• ...but: no active users after the competition was over!

• Participation needs to be facilitated - to provide social context and readership.

Take 1: Creative writing competition

Facilitating participationby help of a game

• Lower the threshold of participation: Reduce performance anxiety, cure writer’s block

• No need for expert jury (or external rewards?)

• Games can be repeated - sustained engagement

Game prototype: Be a flâneur!

1. Go to place X.

2. Find texts: Signposts, advertising, graffiti etc. Take notes and/or photos.

3. Create a poem or story by only using the pieces of text you have found.

4. You can use 3 words of your own.

First test

• Event at Oslo Poetry Festival

• 18 participants, amateurs in their 20s

• Cash prizes (2 x NOK 2500)

• They had fun!

• Creative output, but not great literature

• Need good system for voting (the competition should not be decided by the number of Facebook friends you have)

Love is a bitch

She's got a steady job I heard.glances.Surveilled area. Area under surveillance.I'm like 99% certain.lips smackingAct 3.I have never felt as clear and certain as I do tonight.glances.[...]I mean, if they get together this time, then... then...but, it remains to be seen.they leaveI have never felt as clear and certain as I do tonight.

Game concept: “Flâneur”

Same basic rules as before, but:• Slower - weekly challenge• Online - no live event• No external reward (no cash)

textopia v. 2: flâneur

Blog-based system• better usability (better suited for individual creativity)• more means of communication among users: comment fields, ratings etc• integration with social networks (facebook, twitter etc)

textopia v.2 - android

• better usability (touchscreen, maps)• easier to access and install (android market)• but, still, few people have the right devices... android market share 2009 (globally) = 0.6%installed user base probably < 0.3 %

Flâneur user test

• 7 participants, high aesthetic skills, low or moderate tech skills

• “Live event”, but no competition

• They had fun as well!

• Creative output

• Usability improved - but sound is too difficult. Must be optional (which makes the locative experience itself optional).

Discover reality

4 season of the event horizonwolf in sheep's clothingdiscover realityZiggy in the myspace sky express shows datarockdiscover realitydark city presents striptease at the shock festivaldiscover realityTrøndersk rock in jazz clothing dreams standupshowdiscover realitymass circus presents great bloody feature storydiscover reality

Heli Hannele Altonen

Thank you!

textopia.org

tekstopia.uio.no/flannor

textopiablog.wordpress.com

folk.uio.no/anderssl

a.s.lovlie@media.uio.no