This project started from a simple personal observation: playing with a pet can be more surprising in the long-run than playing a computer game. But is it possible to merge the unpredictable behaviour of an animal with a computer game by replacing parts of the computer code with real-time animal behaviour? And how will it affect the game?
Playing PacMan Against Real Crickets
To study these questions, a variant of the PacMan computer game was created in which the virtual ghost characters on the computer monitor are controlled by real crickets that run around in an actual maze. Using vibration in the physical maze, the location of the PacMan virtual character (controlled by a human player) is made available to the crickets.
This project combines to important methods that are central to the Media Technology MSc programme: using personal interest and observation to initiate scientific research, and studying things that you actually create (research by doing). Also it concludes that animal behaviour can effectively create surprising situations within computer games that stretch beyond possible pre-programmed game situations.
Presented at the Fifth International Conference on Entertainment Computing, September 2006, Cambridge (UK). Also featured on national television and in many international popular scientific magazines. Read more on the project website.
This project started from a simple personal observation: playing with a pet can be more surprising in the long-run than playing a computer game. But is it possible to merge the unpredictable behaviour of an animal with a computer game by replacing parts of the computer code with real-time animal behaviour? And how will it affect the game?