Locative Play

Ian Bogost‘s and his Persuasive Games operation have introduced an iPhone game called JetSet
— a curious little gem that situates specific locations as the enforced zone for game play.

Very interesting play mechanic — a location-based game that you can basically only play when you’re at any one of a huge list of airports in the world. And, your score (if it’s good enough..) goes up on that airport’s leader board. The only way to play, say — Madrid Barajas International Airport is to go to Madrid Barajas International Airport. You have to physically be at the airport to play and get on that airport’s leader board, get that airport’s “souvenirs” (this game’s equivalent of blue gems), and so forth.

Oh, the game — okay, you’re a security screener dude screening passengers, and the "prohibited" list changes so you’re constantly having to figure out what to remove from the traveler, from the mundane — shoes? hat? water bottles? coffee? to the obscure — bacon? rocks? snakes? robots? pudding cups? hummus? There should be a way to put leader boards up along on my Dopplr page and Dopplr personal annual report!

It’s simple and an exciting play mechanic that’s intimates at the near future of all kinds of interactive experiences as the digital continues to leak out into the real world. Nicely done.

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