Two Worlds, One Gameplay: A Classification of Visual AR Games

Abstract

At the end of the last century, augmented reality (AR), i.e. the enrichment of our perception with digital information, was said to be the new striking technology. Yet, games are still one of the fewest considered application areas although researchers have frequently emphasized that the technology is destined for games (eg. Feiner et al. 1997, van Krevelen and Poelman 2010). Previous works on AR games form an inconsistent field of study. In order to advance research in this fragmented field and to offer a reference point for further research and practical applications, we develop a classification of AR games using three sources: an extensive literature review, a Delphi survey (Linstone and Turoff 1975), and the usage of AR in selected fictional works. The result classifies AR games according to four criteria: the used device, the tracking technology, the setting of both the device and the player, i.e. where and how the game is played, and the orientation alongside the left section of the reality-virtuality-continuum (Milgram et al. 1994) in relation to the goal of the game.