Pervasive games are games that extend in time, space or social effects. They might last days, weeks or months and therefore occupy a different place in the lives of players than traditional games. They might be played across whole cities or countries: the rise of mobile devices and location technologies such as GPS has driven this development. And they might extend socially so that, for example, non-players are inadvertently part of the game.

Blast Theory has pioneered games like this. Uncle Roy All Around You invites players to explore the streets of the city and culminates in a contract between two players picked at random in which they undertake to offer advice or support to one another if either player has a personal crisis in the next twelve months. In this way the game shows spatial, temporal and social expansion.

IPerG aimed to create entirely new game experiences, which were tightly interwoven with our everyday lives through the objects, devices and people that surround us and the places we inhabit. The approach was to create several showcase pervasive games, develop new tools and demonstrate new markets.

Blast Theory’s contribution grew over the course of the project as it emerged that we had expertise not just in designing games but also in production, development, localisation, translation and implementation that was widely applicable. Our perspective on artistic and theatrical precedents for pervasive games was also part of a lively discussion with some of the most distinguished theorists of pervasive games in Europe.

The group’s main work packages led to the development of Day Of The Figurines and Rider Spoke and were highly praise by the EU reviewers: “… only some of the work is considered outstanding with good use of resources, good management, flexible problem solving, adoption of new technologies, involvement of larger and relevant target audiences, resulting in good quality deliverables. [Blast Theory’s work package] is considered as exemplary on how this type of work package could be run.”

The IPerG web site documents the main findings of the project and its public documentation – publications, deliverables and dissemination materials.