The Concept of the Magic Circle and the Pokémon GO Phenomenon

Lasse Juel Larsen; Gunver Majgaard

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-15616-9_3

The Concept of the Magic Circle and the Pokémon GO Phenomenon

Lasse Juel Larsen, Gunver Majgaard

Publikation: Kapitel i bog/rapport/konference-proceeding › Kapitel i bog › Forskning › peer review

221 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The article explores the augmented and pervasive game Pokémon GO. A pervasive game is here understood as a game that has salient features expanding the circle of the play in three dimensions: spatial, temporal and social. Inside the circle of the game the laws and customs of the ordinary life no longer counts and the player is in a playful magic mode. Normally, game communities are centered on a specific game, associated real-world events, and online communities, but Pokémon is different since the digital game world runs parallel with game activities in physical reality. This mobile and pervasive structure changes communities from previous binary modes of being either in or out of community to a heterogeneous possibility space of being engaged in all kinds of places all the time while interacting with friends, acquaintances, and strangers thereby reshaping and expanding the dimensions of communities.
We explore Pokémon GO in the perspective of the expanding dimensions: (1) spatial expansion: Pokémon GO gamers inhabit a gameworld that is present within the ordinary world, taking the circle of play wherever they go. (2) Temporal expansion: A play session in Pokémon GO merges play sessions with everyday life, e.g. walking the dog. (3) Social expansion: As a direct consequence of temporal and spatial configurations used in Pokémon GO outsiders can become involved raging from spectators to full participants.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Titel	Augmented Reality Games I : Understanding the Pokémon GO Phenomenon
Redaktører	Vladimir Geroimenko
Forlag	Springer
Publikationsdato	10. maj 2019
Sider	33-50
Kapitel	3
ISBN (Trykt)	978-3-030-15615-2
ISBN (Elektronisk)	978-3-030-15616-9
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15616-9_3
Status	Udgivet - 10. maj 2019

Dokumenter og links

10.1007/978-3-030-15616-9_3

The magic circle and Pokemon r2 pdfAccepteret manuskript, 917 KB

SDU link

Tjek adgangen til materialet i Syddansk Universitetsbiblioteks søgemaskine

Citationsformater

@inbook{134072012970478ca6bd034cde5ecb08,

title = "The Concept of the Magic Circle and the Pok{\'e}mon GO Phenomenon",

abstract = "When Johan Huizinga in 1938 published Homo Ludens, he had no idea the book would father a future research field: ludology or game studies. In that respect, inspirations from Huizinga run deep in game studies and many researchers have since tackled questions like: what is play? what is a game? And perhaps most notoriously how should we understand Huizinga{\textquoteright}s description of the magic circle. This chapter revisit Huizinga{\textquoteright}s thinking on play, games, and his concept of the magic circle. Subsequently we investigate how the magic circle perform in relation to {\textquoteleft}traditional{\textquoteright} computer games, is challenged by {\textquoteleft}meta-referential{\textquoteright} games and is expanded by Augmented Reality games such as Pok{\'e}mon GO. We present three understandings of the magic circle: (1) expression of a specific physical place, (2) metaphor for player experience, and finally (3) as a mix between the two. We regard and equate the magic in the magic circle with play. Juxtaposing magic as play and the magic circle as relating to physical space, player experience and its mixed combinations to Pok{\'e}mon GO result in a multilayered expansion consisting of player experiences, social interactions with other players in a playing field that is close to engulf the entire planet.",

author = "Larsen, {Lasse Juel} and Gunver Majgaard",

year = "2019",

month = may,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-030-15616-9_3",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-3-030-15615-2",

pages = "33--50",

editor = "Geroimenko, {Vladimir }",

booktitle = "Augmented Reality Games I",

publisher = "Springer",

address = "Germany",

}

TY - CHAP

T1 - The Concept of the Magic Circle and the Pokémon GO Phenomenon

AU - Larsen, Lasse Juel

AU - Majgaard, Gunver

PY - 2019/5/10

Y1 - 2019/5/10

N2 - When Johan Huizinga in 1938 published Homo Ludens, he had no idea the book would father a future research field: ludology or game studies. In that respect, inspirations from Huizinga run deep in game studies and many researchers have since tackled questions like: what is play? what is a game? And perhaps most notoriously how should we understand Huizinga’s description of the magic circle. This chapter revisit Huizinga’s thinking on play, games, and his concept of the magic circle. Subsequently we investigate how the magic circle perform in relation to ‘traditional’ computer games, is challenged by ‘meta-referential’ games and is expanded by Augmented Reality games such as Pokémon GO. We present three understandings of the magic circle: (1) expression of a specific physical place, (2) metaphor for player experience, and finally (3) as a mix between the two. We regard and equate the magic in the magic circle with play. Juxtaposing magic as play and the magic circle as relating to physical space, player experience and its mixed combinations to Pokémon GO result in a multilayered expansion consisting of player experiences, social interactions with other players in a playing field that is close to engulf the entire planet.

AB - When Johan Huizinga in 1938 published Homo Ludens, he had no idea the book would father a future research field: ludology or game studies. In that respect, inspirations from Huizinga run deep in game studies and many researchers have since tackled questions like: what is play? what is a game? And perhaps most notoriously how should we understand Huizinga’s description of the magic circle. This chapter revisit Huizinga’s thinking on play, games, and his concept of the magic circle. Subsequently we investigate how the magic circle perform in relation to ‘traditional’ computer games, is challenged by ‘meta-referential’ games and is expanded by Augmented Reality games such as Pokémon GO. We present three understandings of the magic circle: (1) expression of a specific physical place, (2) metaphor for player experience, and finally (3) as a mix between the two. We regard and equate the magic in the magic circle with play. Juxtaposing magic as play and the magic circle as relating to physical space, player experience and its mixed combinations to Pokémon GO result in a multilayered expansion consisting of player experiences, social interactions with other players in a playing field that is close to engulf the entire planet.

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-030-15616-9_3

DO - 10.1007/978-3-030-15616-9_3

M3 - Book chapter

SN - 978-3-030-15615-2

SP - 33

EP - 50

BT - Augmented Reality Games I

A2 - Geroimenko, Vladimir

PB - Springer

ER -

The Concept of the Magic Circle and the Pokémon GO Phenomenon

Abstract

Dokumenter og links

SDU link

Fingeraftryk

Citationsformater