Addressing responsiveness in interactive, pervasive games

This paper presents a mobile, infrastructure-based game, which coordinates the networked interaction between pairs of players on mobile devices and a server-based visualization and processing component. There Is No Ball (TINB) system is a web and mobile based game system, which allows users to play a game of paddle board without a physical ball. A common instance of the game involves two players using tablets as paddles, to gather and communicate sensor information and simulate the hitting of an imaginary ball back and forth between the two devices. A third device interfaces with the server and the WebGL-based ball visualization to display the calculated location of the ball and project its moving image. The key challenge of game responsiveness in a highly-interactive game dependent on communication with a remote server and WebGL visualization is addressed. Specifically, local filtering strategies are applied to improve the responsiveness of actuation, and to deliver an enjoyable game experience.