life is a game

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the mixed reality lab at the national university of singapore built a new kind of video game that you play in real life: human pacman. the system works through a very ungainly wearable computer that overlays everyday paths with yellow spheres that you pick up to collect points. there are also cookies, for energy, and some of your fellow pedestrians plugged in to the system are ghosts which you must avoid. like any other wearable technology, it has a way of keeping you from seeing the real world and the people around you. on the other hand, this is a lot better than traditional video games because it encourages you to go out and interact with a new community, transforming boring spaces and everyday activities into exciting and playful adventures.

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there is a conference paper and a journal article that describe the system in detail, and a youtube video:

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