Location-based games, an offshoot of more traditional video games, provide unique opportunities for interaction in shared public spaces, experiments in social dynamics, artistic exploration, and of course fun. In order to more fully understand the uniqueness of location-based games, consider the well-known alternatives.

First consider a massively multiplayer online role-playing game such as World of Warcraft. There is social interaction between the players through avatars, but the location and real identity of each player is unknown. And they are playing in a private space such as their den or bedroom, safe from the discovery of the other players. Second, consider a person on the subway playing FreeCell on their iPhone. They are in a public space, but their location is irrelevant to the game and to anyone else playing the game. The person sitting next to them may be playing FreeCell as well, yet neither player is affected. Now consider a third alternative. You go to a local public space, such as a park or mall, phone in hand, to play a different kind of game. Other players show up simultaneously. The location of each player is shared--the information from each player’s global positioning system (GPS) is shared with the other players. The game then consists of interaction between the players in the shared public space. Perhaps you attempt to locate others or get within a certain distance of another player in order to get their resources or to shoot them (virtually of course). This third kind of game requires players to be in a shared public space, sharing their information with each other; the other players’ locations are a key element of the game. This is an example, although far from the only example, of location-based gaming.

Location-based gaming is the topic of this book, which explores the history, social implications, design possibilities, and research potential of this unique variant of video gaming. The discourse on location-based gaming focuses on the potential benefits or detriments of setting up a demarcated space where strangers can engage in playful interaction. We see a primitive variant of this in team building games, where people who may not know each other very well get to know each other better through the game’s interactions. But the potential for social experimentation in location-based games dwarfs the possibilities of what can be learned in team building games.

A second issue considers the public benefits or detriments of using public spaces for gaming, rather than having players sit anonymously at home in their dens. Yes, there are detriments. For example, friction may occur between gamers and non-gamers in the shared space. But there are amazing benefits as well. A location-based gaming version of the TV series Lost allows for a lot of interesting possibilities, both fun and research based. Still, a location-based gaming version of Lord of the flies is just scary and might be difficult to get past the research board. Thinking of the location-based game as a social simulation, such as the two preceding examples, reveals its enormous epistemological potential.

This book is primarily for those interested in research or scholarly inquiry in location-based gaming. It reads like a redesigned or polished version of a dissertation (or something that grew out of a dissertation). It is generous on facts and references while being a little lean on insights, interpretations, and speculations. In fact, it is a bit tedious at times--it is not for the idle curiosity of avid gamers. But if you are interested in doing scholarly research in location-based gaming or some similar area, it is a good book to have.