Analyzing Space Dimensions in Video Games

The objective of this work is to analyze the role of space in video games, in order to understand how game space affects the player in achieving game goals. Game spaces have evolved from a single two-dimensional screen to huge, detailed and complex three-dimensional environments. Those changes transformed the player’s experience and have encouraged the exploration and manipulation of the space. Our studies review the functions that space plays, describe the possibilities that it offers to the player and explore its characteristics. We also analyze location-based games where the player’s position in game space is relative to his position in physical world. We saw in previous studies that there are more than one way to discuss space in games. Our understanding goes further and analyzes the game space in four aspects: gameworld, gameplay, player perspective and game view. Finally, we also propose an ontology to define the space characteristics Keywords-game space, gameworld, gameplay, game dimensions, location-based games;