Using Recognised Technology to Enhance Enjoyment
The Nation Western Fine Arts Musuem in Japan have made use of the popularity of the Nintendo DS portable gaming console in a location-dependent information service. Users pick up a DS on entry, and wi-fi access points compute positioning data to control the interactive experience on the handheld device. I think this system is great because it overcomes one of the hurdles that designers face in systems like this; that is, the innate fear the public have in operating such devices. By making use of a well-recognised piece of hardware, users should be less daunted by the technology, and better yet, already know how to use it. I can’t back up this assumption (yet), but it makes sense to me. Further still, using a gaming platform might make the system more enjoyable, as people may treat it as a game rather than a chore. I know that I, for one, would prefer to have a game-like interface to museum information complete with integrated animations and sound over PDAs with cumborsome and slow interfaces. Any day.
Great! Japan did it again…
Link: Japanese Museum spreads knowlege using Nintendo DS
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