Exertion in networked games

Physical play familiar from sports activities is a favorite pastime across all cultures and has been attributed with many social, mental and physical health benefits. However, the players have to be in the same physical location together in order to experience these benefits. To address this issue, an approach is proposed that combines the advantages of exertion interactions, as known from traditional physical games, with the advantages of networked games, such as allowing distributed players to engage and form social bonds over a distance. "Table Tennis for Three" is a prototypal game that allows three players in three geographically distant locations to play a table tennis-like game together with a real ball, table and bat. A critical reflection on the player experience through video analysis resulted in the identification of salient themes. One theme that was identified was the heightened role of the physical, in contrast to the virtual world in which the players act, which affects the way play unfolds. Considering such themes can inform the design of future exertion games and are hoped to inspire a new way of thinking when creating digital games that utilize interaction styles beyond conventional input devices.