2K-Reality: Designing a Compliant Sports Augmentation for Pickup Basketball a Thesis Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements
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2K-Reality: Designing a Compliant Sports Augmentation for Pickup Basketball A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from RMIT University Timothy P. Ryan M Arts (Art in Public Space), RMIT University M Arts (Animation and Interactive Media), RMIT University GradDip (Animation and Interactive Media), Swinburne University of Technology School of Media and Communication College of Design and Social Context RMIT University September 2019 DECLARATION I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is that of the author alone; the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award; the content of the thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since the official commencement date of the approved research program; any editorial work, paid or unpaid, carried out by a third party is acknowledged; and, ethics procedures and guidelines have been followed. I acknowledge the support I have received for my research through the provision of an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Timothy P. Ryan September 2019 i ABSTRACT This dissertation details my design, evaluation and interpretation of a videogame-based sports technology called 2K-Reality that I designed to augment the experience of playing and watching pickup basketball. 2K-Reality blends a sports videogame with pickup basketball by remediating sounds appropriated from the NBA 2K12 basketball videogame. Installed next to a basketball court, 2K-Reality invites people to actuate a tablet-based digital audio sampler housed in a kiosk connected to public address (PA) speakers. Pickup basketball spectators adopt the role of a make-believe National Basketball Association (NBA) arena-deejay to perform interpretive NBA-themed soundscapes that articulate and amplify the action of pickup basketball games. The soundscapes create a make-believe NBA experience by immersing players and spectators in a mix of broadcast-style commentary, arena-style crowd sound effects and contemporary music break beats. Physical inactivity is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. International public health and sports management reports, including the recent World Health Organization Global Action Plan On Physical Activity 2018-2030, recommend utilising grassroots sports and digital innovations to encourage physical activity. My research project responds to these recommendations by designing a videogame-based digital platform that promotes fun to enhance the affective benefits of physical activity in public playspaces. Pickup basketball presents a unique opportunity for designing a sports technology innovation that responds to the physical inactivity issue. Played by millions around the world, pickup basketball is an autonomous social sports activity motivated by fun and immediate gratification. Accordingly, my practice-based research project addresses the design question: How can I design a videogame-based sports technology innovation for pickup basketball, that is compliant with the social practice and the spatiotemporal norms of the sport? My response employs a meaning- driven innovation method theorised by Donald Norman and Roberto Verganti, and a playful design approach guided by a personal design hypothesis I call compliant sports augmentation. My research project contributes to Games Studies perspectives that seek to augment everyday activities with new digital elements to afford playful and creative experiences. 2K-Reality demonstrates how a playful design can augment grassroots sports make-believe in public playspaces. Based on participant-observer interpretations, I argue that 2K-Reality changes the meaning of playing and watching pickup basketball without impeding the norms of the practice. Spectators using 2K-Reality actively participate in pickup basketball games and provide players with an opportunity to perform on the ‘big stage’—a universal and motivating sports fantasy. My original contribution to knowledge is the 2K Reality sports technology design artefact and my Compliant Sports Augmentation Framework, which offers perspectives for designing sports technology that respects and cultivates the existing norms and values of casual grassroots sport. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Contemplating, conducting and completing this PhD research project would not have been possible without the support of many people. Special thanks to Dr Jonathan Duckworth, my supervisor. I’m incredibly grateful for his support, patience, flexibility and understanding. Thanks also to my co-supervisor Dr Lisa Dethridge, who assisted me greatly during the later stages of my project. And thanks to Edward Caruso for his editorial assistance. I’m also grateful to both Jonathan and Jussi Holopainen for taking over supervision of my candidature at an awkward stage. Thanks to Steffen Walz for his interim supervision and support during my mid-candidature. And thanks to Martin Brynskov for evaluating my early milestones and for his introduction to the Ukendt Designer Research Group—Michael Strandby, Magnus Szatkowski, Jonas Petersen and Asger Storebjerg. Who I thank for their rapid production, installation and evaluation of Urban FIFA in Aarhus, and their subsequent work on the Urban FIFA paper. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to the 2014 members of the RMIT Exertion Games Lab. Creating 2K-Reality would not have been possible without the inspiration and support I received from my great friend, the late David J. Rule (1969-2019). My research project is dedicated to Dave. Developing the 2K-Reality iOS App was made possible thanks to the incredibly generous contribution made by my friend and colleague—software engineer 黃一葦 (Vincent Huang). Evaluating 2K-Reality in Taipei was greatly assisted by much-appreciated support from 朱旭 建 (Hsu-Cheng Chu) and 丑宛茹 (Wan-Ru Chou) from Shih Chien University’s Department of Industrial Design; and the fantastic Shih Chien University students who worked with me as research assistants: 林寬祐 (Edward Lin), 羅峥榮 (Ron Lo), 洪嘉懋 (James Hung), 鄭雅琦 (Nessie Zheng), 任懋君 (Alex Ren), and 楊郁謙 (Kent Yang). Furthermore, special thanks to Edward, Ron and James for collaborating to produce the 2K-Reality ISEA2015 exhibition kiosk and poster. Thanks to my colleagues at RMIT Vietnam for their moral support; especially Brian McCauley, Mario Barros, Ana Casimiro and Simon Richards. And thanks to Jacqueline McDonough and 江孟 達 (Chiang Meng-Da) for helping me with intermittent home and office accommodations. I’d also like to acknowledge the influence of John Bird, Anthony Watts and Nisha Weerimanthri; three people that contributed to the development of my design practice, who also have sadly passed away. A heartfelt thank you to my parents Noel and Denise Ryan for their support and patience. I’m also eternally indebted and extremely grateful for the care, support and understanding afforded to me by all the 劉 (Liu) family in Taipei. Finally, an extremely special thank you to my wife 劉培忠 (Liu Pei-Chung). Her love, support, charming demeanour and crucial assistance contributed significantly to the realisation of my 2K-Reality research project. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS 2K-Reality: Designing a Compliant Sports Augmentation for Pickup Basketball Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Project Description 1 1.2 Background to Research 5 1.3 Rationale 6 1.4 Methodology 8 Chapter 2: Review of Literature 11 2.1 Introduction 11 2.2 Pickup Basketball Design Situation 11 2.2.1 Basketball 11 2.2.2 Pickup Basketball 12 2.2.3 Pickup Basketball Research 13 2.2.4 Deliberate Play and Deliberate Practice 14 2.2.5 Grassroots Basketball Sports Technology 16 2.2.6 Promoting Physical Activity with Grassroots Basketball Sports Technology 18 2.3 Playful Design 19 2.3.1 Videogame Art 21 2.3.2 Prop-oriented Make-believe 22 2.3.3 Amplified Reality 23 2.4 Design Research and Innovation 25 2.4.1 Practice-based Research 25 2.4.2 Hermeneutic Design and Innovation 26 2.4.3 Design Research and Meaning-driven Innovation 27 2.5 The Design Research Quadrangle 29 2.5.1 Vision-driven Research 30 2.5.2 Bricolage 31 2.5.3 Design-driven Research 31 2.5.4 Human-centred Design Research 32 2.6 Review Conclusions 33 Chapter 3: Designing 2K-Reality 35 How can the Design Research Quadrangle framework be applied to design a sports technology innovation for pickup basketball? 3.1 Introduction 35 3.2 Practitioner Framework 37 3.2.1 Personal Design Practice 37 3.2.2 Practitioner Framework: Compliant Sports Augmentation 38 3.3 2K-Reality Vision-driven Research 41 3.3.1 Pickup Basketball Mimicry and Make-believe 42 3.3.2 Showing Off 44 3.3.3 Turn-taking 44 iv 3.3.4 Basketball Acoustic Augmentation 44 3.3.5 Basketball and Hip Hop Culture 46 3.3.6 FIBA 3x3 Basketball 47 3.3.7 NBA Entertainment 47 3.3.8 NBA Sports Videogames 49 3.3.9 NBA 2K Videogame Commentary 52 3.3.10 Computer-augmented Basketball Environments 52 3.4 2K-Reality Bricolage 55 3.4.1 Generating the 2K-Reality Idea 56 3.4.2 Testing the 2K-Reality Idea 57 3.4.3 Evaluating the 2K-Reality Idea 58 3.4.4 Examining the 2K-Reality Idea 59 3.4.5 Classifying the 2K-Reality Idea 60 3.5 2K-Reality Design-driven Research: Rapid Prototype 62 3.5.1 Identifying the 2K-Reality Form 64 3.6 2K-Reality Human-centred Design Research 67 3.6.1 Rapid Prototype Installation System 67 3.6.2 Rapid Prototype Usability 68 3.7 2K-Reality Design-driven Research: Exhibition Prototype 70 3.8 Design Conclusions 77 Chapter 4: Evaluating 2K-Reality 79 What can we learn from evaluating the 2K-Reality in