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CollecTicCollecTic is a game by Jonas Hansen (*Hielscher)The game CollecTic is developed as a part of my graduation project for the Masters program Media Technology at Leiden University in 2006. The game is developed for the Sony PSP and uses the standard features of the console, especially scanning for wireless access points to the Internet. --------------------------------------------------------------------The game conceptCollecTic can be played anywhere, where WLAN access points can be found by a PSP. The objective of the game is to search for different access points, to collect them and to combine them in a puzzle in order to get points. In the game, the player has to move around in her/his local surrounding, using her/his PSP as a sensor device in order to find access points. By doing this, the player is able to discover the hidden infrastructure of wireless network coverage through auditive and visual feedback.The game is designed as a single player game, but it can be easily played competitive after each other or at the same time with two PSPs. 
Finding and collecting access points If the PSP receives a signal of a wireless access point, the point will be visualized as a geometric figure (square, triangle or circle) with a specific color and size. The form and color are defined by the unique Media Access Control address (MAC address) of the access point. The size of the form is determined by the signal strength of the access point. If a player wants to collect a bigger form s/he has to come closer to a spotted access point. All visible figures are starting to blink and to play a sound after each other. The length of time a figure blinks, depends on the strength of the signal. The kind of sound depends on the form and color: the form determines the waveform of the sound (sine, triangle or square wave); the color determines the note (frequency) of the sound. If the player presses the button corresponding to the figure that lightens up, s/he collects the figure, meaning the access point. The collected shapes will be placed in the big black square on the screen. During the game, an access point can only be collected once. So, in order to find new access points the player has to move around. 
The puzzle in the black square The collected figures in the black square can be arranged in a grid of three by three. If a maximum amount of nine shapes is collected, or if the player presses the x button, the grid will be checked for three equals in a row. The rows will be checked for same shapes and same color. Combinations of same shape, color and size give extra points. Several equal rows at the same time will also give extra points (Combo bonus). 
Unsecured wireless access points – the black/white star A special form in the game is the black and white star, every unsecured wireless network is visualized as a star. The star can have either a positive or negative effect, unknown for the player before selecting it. Only if a player selects a star, it turns out if it is a black or white one. The black star has the negative effect, that it will throw all selected figures out of the puzzle and they have to be selected again. The white star on the other hand works as a joker. It helps to complete a row. Metaphorically speaking, the stars create an awareness of the amount of wireless networks in our surrounding and makes a link to the advantages and disadvantages of unsecured wireless networks. Game modes - temporal and spatial parameters CollecTic can be played almost everywhere at any time. The player is free to choose where s/he wants to play and thus is able to define her/his own game space. The only parameter a player can change in the program, is the time period the game should last. The player can choose between an unlimited time and a limited time mode between 5 minutes and an hour. Through the possibility of changing the temporal and spatial parameters, players are able to define their own game modes and develop new strategies. Technology The game is developed for a Sony PSP with firmware version 1.5. The game is written in the programming language C and is developed with the PSP Software Development Kit2 (PSPSDK), a collection of open source tools and libraries written for Sony's PSP gaming console, distributed under a BSD-compatible license.
--------------------------------------------------------------------for more information read the paper:
"CollecTic – Discovering The World Around Us" (pdf) | up | |
