Doki Doki Dash - Thesis

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Abstract

Doki Doki Dash is a conceptual mobile tness

app that uses a mystery game to get playersoutdoors, solving crime and getting t. In thegame, players become detectives in acceptingcrime cases, gathering clues and huntingcriminals. Doki Doki Dashs storyline ispropelled by the players physical movements as the players get more active in movement,the more the game rewards them bypropelling them down the mystery trail andfurther into the interactive game.

Doki Doki Dash attempts to provide a gaminginterface for personal tness that rewardsplayers for their curiosity and also takesadvantage of a players neighborhood space.As a proposed mobile application, it wouldutilize smartphones sensors to trigger eventsbased on the players physical activity andlocation status. Doki Doki Dash proposes

social play, and an imaginary world setaround a users real-world environment.

e study of persuasion technology andtness activity routines is a large eldpopulated with researchers studyingmotivational behavior and user participation.However, this paper will survey the eld ofexercise gaming, highlight the user experiencechallenges faced in current tnessapplications, and how that feedback resultedin the creation ofDoki Doki Dash.

Introduction

e eld of mobile health is exploding withnew devices and applications geared tomonitoring peoples physical activity. From atechnology standpoint, there are many devicesand programs geared toward the aspiringtness bu. But, what about other users who

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Doki Doki Dash:Gaming Your Way to a Stronger, Fitter You

www.dokidokidash.com

Cindy WongInteractive Telecommunications Program

Tisch School of the ArtsNew York [email protected]


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From that social perspective, researchers arestudying how persuasion technology mayimpact peoples attitudes and instill an activelifestyle. Health promotion programsdesigned to increase physical activities have

placed a signi

cant emphasis on techniques tomaximize a persons motivation to becomeactive1. However, the research attention hasfocused on educational concepts(informational) versus the emotionalcompulsion (enjoyability) to desire exercise. Afew researchers have argued that the majorreason for the very limited success of physicalactivity interventions is that they failed toconsider the experiential aspects2.

In other words, exercise is not viewed as anenjoyable activity for a majority of thepopulation. Despite the fact that people areinformed of the positive benets that arederived from physical activity, most peoplesee it as an unpleasant, o-putting chore.Social researcher, Steve Amiereault, noted abehavioral gap between what people oenstated versus what they did in regards toexercise.e health statistics show thequandary in that intentions do not merit

behavior3

. Approximately 25% to 35% of

American adults lead inactive lifestyles. eAmerican Heart Association recommendsthat people do 20 minutes of moderate cardioexercise, three days a week to maintain healthand reduce the risk of chronic disease.

However, most people fall short; 34% of adultsare obese. ey lead sedentary jobs, do nothave regular physical activity programs, andare generally inactive around the house4.

One solution to enrich the exercise experienceis gaming. People like to game. Games followus everywhere from our laptops to ourcommutes to our work and back. Accordingto a study by the Pew Trust Center, one in fourAmericans have downloaded a mobile app5.

Out of those

gures, 60% of themdownloaded games. Games are compellingbecause they are goal-oriented andentertaining in a way that exercise is not.According to game designer Jane MacGonigal,games relieve a gamers craving for challengesthat can be overcome, battles that can be won,and dangers that can vanquished.6Exertion game researcher, Floyd Mueller, hasprovided a framework to discuss the -physicalchallenges posed on these exercise games.

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1 Amireault, S., Godin, G., Vohl, M.C., Perusse, L.: Moderators of the intention-behaviour and perceived behaviouralcontrol-behaviour relationships for leisure-time physical activity. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 5, 7 (2008). http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/5/1/7

2 Dishman, R.K., Motl, R.W., Saunders, R., Felton, G., Ward, D.S., Dowda, M., Pate, R.R.: Enjoyment mediates eectsof a school-based physical-activity intervention. Med. Sci.Sports Exerc. 37, 478487 (2005).

3 Amireault, S., Godin, G., Vohl, M.C., Perusse, L.: Moderators of the intention-behaviour and perceived behaviouralcontrol-behaviour relationships for leisure-time physical activity. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 5, 7 (2008). http://

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e premise of my thesis centers around theidea that in order to promote tness, you haveto make it fun. So, why not turn tness into agame that rewards real-world physicalactivity? ink, Where in the World is Carmen

San Diego but instead of hunting criminalsvirtually, your detective skills pay obypounding the pavement, literally.Doki Doki Dash will draw on facets of socialpersuasion technology, heuristic play, andscale to a players ability.

Motivation

e purpose of my thesis is to make exercisemore enjoyable for the non-t by bringing

gaming outdoors. In order to make

tnesseective, make it fun for players. So, why notturn tness into a game that rewards real-world physical activity? e explicit goal ofDoki Doki Dash is to get players to nabcriminals.e implicit goal is to get players tobe physically active. e storyline directscharacters to hunt around their neighborhoodon their running/jogging/walking routes. Itimbues a solitary activity, like running, with asocial component to connect others within

the circle of friends or neighborhood.roughout the players journey, the game ishelping them build behaviors and routinesthat slowly increase their physical tness. Bycombining familiar elements like mysteries(Where in the World is Carmen San Diego) totness apps (Nike+ GPS) to geo-location(FourSquare), Doki Doki Dash could

Doki Doki Dash

Research

e eld of mobile tness apps and exercisegames has risen dramatically in the last fouryears. To better understand the mechanicsbehind these popular tools, I studied what is

currently on the market. Fitness apps arehighly eective for the informational datathey provide but dont provide a fun,experiential environment for added usermotivation. Exercise games are limited totheir indoor environments or are oenmarketed to young children which limits theirscope. By outlining these various projectssuccesses and drawbacks, this will helpdemonstrate the niche that Doki Doki Dashmakes for itself.

Case Example: Mobile Fitness Apps

For mobile apps, the most popular tnessapps I studied were the Nike+ GPS, RunKeeper Pro, and Couch to 5k. ey all sharesimilar features but for the best userexperience, Ill cover the Nike+ GPS. It is oneof the best known iPhone running apps7. Itmaps a users runs, tracks their progress, andupdates the users performance status on their

social network of choice (Facebook, Twitter).For social encouragement, users can hear in-game cheer sound eects every time theirfriend likes or comments on their Nike+ runstatus on Facebook. e app provides metrics(average pace, total time, total distance,caloric burn) and oers a data visualization ofa users run history (a map that details the run

Nike+ GPS

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While Nike+ GPS succeeds on many userexperience levels, it is clearly geared towardrunners. e app works as an elegant way totrack users information but does not oermuch motivation to stick to it aside from data

logging and the occasional encouragementfrom an in-audio message. For socialentertainment, it does allow friends to cheerusers on via Facebook. However, it is, for themost part, a solitary exercise.

Case Example: Geo-Location Apps

FourSquare and SCVGR are the latest geo-location apps that inuence user behavior toexplore establishments in their cities. Both

apps foster ambient awareness of the peoplearound an urban environment and passivelymonitoring it. FourSquare is recognized ascreating the environment that established theuser behavior of checking into location,notifying users of friends in the vicinity, andrewarding badges for regulars who frequentlyreturned to check in8 . SCVGR builds on theFourSquare model by encouraging users to doscavenger hunts around a list of locations toearn game badges and unlock prizes9.

Motivation-wise, FourSquares design(leaderboard scoring, friend progress) tethersusers to keep playing with its built-in game-like features. Motivation-wise, SCVGR was aninteresting case study to examine whetherplayer-submitted scavenger hunts andchallenges inspire action for other players toparticipate.

Case Example: Console Games

Wii and the Kinect. Both companies havecreated popular, casual games that arecategorized as exer-gaming (Nintendo Wii Fit,MicrosoKinect Sports). ese games rely onsimple exercise routines that people can work

out to within a short time frame.

eyprimarily focus on a solitary exercise mode.Some exercises do have a multiplayerenvironment so you can play with friends,however, that is not necessarily convenient formost peoples workout schedules. e gamedesigners have succeeded in creating anentertaining way to get physical tnesswithout feeling a sense of burdensomeobligation to do so. However, there aredrawbacks in the exercise games since they

are limited to an in-door environment, thegame world is limited and doesnt scale innetwork size.

Case Example: Spatial Games

For large-scale, outdoor games that encouragephysical exercise, I looked at Nikes e Gridand Jane McGonigals game, CryptoZoo. Bothgames existed only in a set time range (with astart and end date) and had an appealing

public spectacle element. However, the level ofplayer engagement and collaboration diered.While Nikese Gridwas geared towardcompetition and tness-lovers, JaneMcGonigals CryptoZoo was not. In October2010, Nike debuted its large-scale runninggame, e Grid10. e game took place overseveral days included hundreds of registered

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neighborhood.e more runs they made, themore points a player earned that would bedisplayed on a website leader board. Gamebadges were also awarded to players whodemonstrated speed, stamina, and insider

knowledge of their neighborhood streets.

Jane McGonigals CryptoZoo game was acollaboration with the American HeartAssociation and the Future Institute of Playthat debuted in June 200911. e gameencouraged players, solo or in teams, toresearch the games story creatures, read theirbehavioral patterns, and follow a trail of gamecreatures footprints in 1-mile journeys overurban environments. rough this scavenger-

like game, players would be obliged to treattheir urban environments as an obstaclescourse, getting physical active.Both games relied on tremendous game setup,a large scale of players to feel a sense ofsolidarity, and organization.

CryptoZoo failed to capture playersimagination because of its multiple rules toplay the game and demands on users with itsin-game tasks. e gaming mechanism wasnt

compelling to keep players playing beyond aday.

Project Methodology

User Research

user tester was in regards to tness aptitudeand gaming interests. Questions included:How oen do you play games? to Whatwould you consider your exercise routine? toIf you want to improve your tness level,

what would help?.

For the two rounds of game testing, I didsome initial brainstorming about essentialgame metrics: Are there tasks that feel fun,spark your interest, and make you want tokeep playing to see the game progress? Do thegoals change per challenge? What are themeasurements of success?

For the initial game test, I wanted to see

whether audio feedback in

uence playersactions. Did assigning mid-run audiocommands or comments incite players to keepup with the run? e audio test included anin-game character who introduced themselvesto the player nad made announcementsthroughout the run from positiveencouragements to issuing speed commandsto the player. e audio test used an MP3 lethat had a musical soundtrack layered withaudio sound eects triggered by time intervals

(30 seconds, 1-minute mark, 2-minute mark).e audio sound eects also included gamesound eects to indicate speed intensity andperformance achievement.e three participants in the practice run werethree guys in their mid 20s to early 30s. Allthree were in t shape, into casual gaming,and did use mobile tness apps like the Nike+GPS

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For the second game test, I wanted to presenta visual mock-up of a mobile game interface.If given a choice of exercise decisions (say, towalk or run) , which would a player chooseand how would that impact their in-game

progress? Would seeing how their decisionsinuence their game progress make them actdierently? If seeing an in-game characterthat was asking for help, would a playervoluntarily choose to aid them by performingbonus tasks? For the game mockup, I createdan interactive Keynote presentation that usedan iPhone interface. I interviewed four people;the participants were in mid 20s to early 30s,two guys and two girls. Some regularlyexercised, whereas some did not. Some were

casual gamers whereas others were hardcoregamers.

From there, I draed initial game design goalsthat were inspired aer game testing andreading Greg Trefrys book12 .

Rules and goals must be clear.

Players need to be able to quickly reachprociency.

Casual game play adapts to a players life

and schedule. Game concepts borrow familiar content and

themes from life.

A pattern emerged from this game test thathelped me hone my user personas. Distinctgamer personalities emerged with the mobileapp mockup. Players who recognized an in-

Target Users

arcade games to mobile games. ey aremotivated by game mechanics to have fun.ey want the freedom to be social in theirgaming or to work out solo.ey are the types who either:

A) Dont regularly exercise because theyconsider it boring and dont like the socialatmosphere of gyms and tness classes.

B) Exercise regularly but want somethingdierent from usual workout and desire achange of pace.

Exertion Game Framework

For guiding the design development ofDokiDoki Dash, I was heavily inuenced by theworks of Floyd Mueller and his framework ofuser experiences when it comes to building anexercise game13.

ree key indicators, as described by Muellerand prescribed below, were what I kept inmind as I developed the game.

Awareness of Exertion: Masking the

exertion goals with the game interaction tobetter pace the user in the exercises. iswill help prevent burnout and overuse.

Exertion indicators: Oen provoked when auser thinks, How long can I keep up?.Howexplicit should exercise commands be tokeep players acting accordingly (jog for 5miles/per hour vs jog) versus leaving the

Game Overview

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Doki Doki Dash is designed to accomplish twomain user experiences for players.

more advanced as the player progresses intness and game levels. Occasionally, playerscan set their action pace [Figure 1] or make

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Figure 1. Player exercise level choice. Figure 2. Motion activity screen.


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Doki Doki Dash utilizes several tools to helpplayers around the game:

opportunities to tackle a case together[Figure 7].

Basic Walkthrough & Game Mechanics

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Figure 3. Training case mode. Figure 4. Pulse rate scan.


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Fitness Calibration

e rst step in the game is to see how t a

Doki Doki Dash

e ngerprint scan is really just a clever,subversive way to check a players heart rate.e iPhones camera ash can be pulsed to

Doki Doki Dash

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Figure 5. Player in-game decisions:interviewing in-game characters.

Figure 6. Player Prole.


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be imaginary (rooted only in the game) or realvenues in your neighborhood. Along thegame trail, the player maynd clues to thecrime, interview witnesses at crime scenes[Figure 5], and hunt down the criminal if

nearby.

ese in-game events are also built-inmethods to get players to take a breath andrest for a bit, preventing workout burnout andgiving the game a rhythm and pace. Aer aplayer has apprehended their rst criminal,they are then allowed to see their in-gameaccomplishments, ranking, and progress[Figure 6]. As one case is closed, another isopened and players can advance from being arookie detective to the top rank of chiefinspector.

Social Play

Doki Doki Dash gives players opportunities tocollaborate to ght crime. Occasionally, thereare cases that require multiplayer support soplayers can add friends to join them on cases.Heres where geo-location is key formultiplayer play. Players can live in the sameneighborhood. If the game can judge theirhome location, it can judge a midway location

for multiple players to assemble for gametasks in the area.

Game Reward (e Payo)

Doki Doki Dash rewards players by providingthem 3 intrinsic rewards as inuenced byMcGonigals work:

Meaning: Chance to be part of a largerexperience and contribute to the playercommunity.

User Interface & Visual Design

Doki Doki Dash

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Figure 7. Multiplayer case.


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e visual design played a critical part in thecreation ofDoki Doki Dash. e game isintended to look friendly, inviting, andwhimsical. Game characters were built to havedistinctive, colorful looks paired with silly,

nonsensical names that gave them amemorable personality.

Technical

Initially, Doki Doki Dash was to be built inCorona, a mobile app-building program.However, technical limitations and timeconstraints prevented me from being able tobuild a fully realized version of the game.Instead, I chose to focus more building Doki

Doki Dashs game experience and prototypingit in Keynote to give users a simple proof-of-concept. If my eorts succeed early, I will thanfocus on producing a simple version inCorona as an early working concept.

Conclusions

My primary goal for Doki Doki Dash was tocreate a compelling reason to go workoutfrom a gamers perspective. By utilizing a

crime game, role-playing as a detective, andgeo-location triggers, Doki Doki Dash is amashup of familiar genres to make the gameplay feel more familiar to new players. Ifplayers can get in shape while enjoying DokiDoki Dash, Id consider my thesis a win-win.Its a game that oers a compelling reason toget someone otheir couch and explore their

Acknowledgements

testing, Id like to give specialacknowledgements to David Phillips,Sebastian Buys, Dave Miller, Keng-Fu Chu,and Floyd Mueller for their helpful feedbackduring the thesis game testing process.

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Doki Doki Dash - Thesis

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