Ways of Spectating

Abstract

We explore spectating on video game play as an interactional and participatory activity. Drawing on a corpus of video recordings capturing 'naturally occurring' Kinect gaming within home settings, we detail how the analytic 'work' of spectating is interactionally accomplished as a matter of collaborative action with players and engagement in the game. We examine: spectators supporting players with continuous 'scaffolding'; spectators critiquing player technique during and between moments of play; spectators recognising and complimenting competent player conduct; and spectators reflecting on prior play to build instructions for the player. From this we draw out a number of points that shift the conversation in HCI about 'the spectator' towards understanding and designing for spectating as an interactional activity; that is, sequentially ordered and temporally coordinated. We also discuss bodily conduct and the particular ways of 'seeing' involved in spectating, and conclude with remarks on conceptual and design implications for HCI.

Bridging physical and virtual ecologies of action: giving and following instructions in co-located VR-gaming sessions

“…By focusing on immersive VR-in-interaction, then, our analysis also extends previous research on co-located video gameplay, involving interaction at the 'boundaries' of in-game activities and being (with others) in the same physical space (see Baldauf-Quilliatre & Colón de Carvajal, 2021; Mondada, 2012;Tekin, 2021;Tekin & Reeves, 2017). It contributes to understanding the organization of participation involving the player's interaction with the device, actions in the virtual world as well as engagement with other co-present participants (see Schmidt & Marx, 2021).…”

Play in the smart city context: exploring interactional, bodily, social and spatial aspects of situated media interfaces

“…The ten-second timing of the water choreography gives the installation a sense of vitality while encouraging people to take quick decisions: spectators (Reeves 2011) should decide between stepping forward to join the inner rooms (and becoming players) or to keep watching the interactions from the outside (and stay as spectators). Here, spectating represents an interactional activity; which is, continuously ordered and temporally coordinated (Tekin and Reeves 2017), where spectators potentially support players with continuous 'scaffolding'; critique players techniques during and between moments of play; or recognize and praise competent players conduct; likewise, players (O'Hara et al 2008) should decide between staying in their specific position within the installation, moving to another "room" or leaving the play area. Failing to synchronising one's movements to the set pace of the watery walls often results in players being "hit" by a fair amount of cold water that will certainly soak their clothes and shoes.…”

Real-Time Dashboards to Support eSports Spectating

“…Spectating video games can happen on both co-located scenarios [55], as a family activity in the living room, an eSports match in a large stadium, or online through mobile devices, personal computers, and smartTVs. Our work focuses on the latter scenario.…”