Chase and Catch - simple as that?

Abstract

Fun in gaming is a difficult, however paramount, topic. Some games are fun, some are not. Some games are ancient and common to both man and animals, for instance Chase-and-Catch (C&C). These games are physically intensive, short in duration, and confined to a specific area. In our research we explore transitions from traditional playground C&C games to their digital counterparts. The rationale is simple; modest augmentations of old-fashioned gaming concepts might prove to be a rewarding avenue for designing successful location-based games. We present a straightforward C&C game, FoxHunt, where location-aware mobile phones are used for hunting virtual foxes. Based on field studies with a total of 220 players, we present and discuss evidence of a very high fun factor, independent of age, gender, playing conditions, and inclination towards sports and physical exercise. We argue that C&C games deserve to be treated as a separate genre within mobile, location-aware gaming.