Interaction Design

The booth is an enclosed space shaped like a box; built to isolate the user from the surroundings and make them feel secluded. We want the user to be away from other distractions and sounds that could ruin our aim of making the project a suspenseful psychological game for the user.

We decided on an enclosed space as part of our project because from what we have researched from playing horror games and watching thriller films is that when a person feels alone, the suspense has a stronger effect on the person. People tend to suppress fear when other people are watching therefore if we make them feel that nobody is watching, they would fully immerse themselves in the game. We think that this is a very important element of our project.

Description of the Booth (Using the Side View)

A - This is a flat screen TV. It will display our game and video footage to the user. We feel that a TV screen is a good way to display the footage, as it is a comfortable display unit for most users. It is also ideal as it would be easily mounted to the wooden frame of the booth.

B -   This is the stand for the controller. It will be fixed to the floor of the booth and placed at a designated area where the user can reach comfortably. We decided that it would be fixed to the floor to make it look tidy so there will be no wires hanging out to trip or confuse the user. Also, there would be no chance of it being dropped and damaged by the users if they get frightened. The controller will be a Magic Track Pad (see below); the top will be tilted towards the user for the easier use from a seated position.

C - This is the stool for the user to sit on when using the game. We decided on a simple backless round stool because it is small and it has no sharp edges for safety. But more importantly, the user won’t be comfortable on it and we think that this will add to the unsettling feeling we are trying to create for the users.

D - These are the earphones we are using for our audio. We think earphones would be the best to use, as it will drown out any unwanted sounds around the booth and therefore engulf the user with the surround sounds we plan to use in the game.

E - This is the actual walled booth. We plan to use wood material and hinges. We will build a frame first and then mount the four sheets of plywood to the frame, corner to corner. We will then cover the inside of it with heavy black cloth to help make the inside of it black. We will have a door cut out of the back wall, a small one the user has to crouch into. This may make the experience more intense if the user isn’t sure where they are crouching to go in. So when the user’s head comes up to the inside of the booth, they will be met with complete darkness. When they sit down, the game will start.

The booth is important to our game as it intensifies the atmosphere of our game. Isolating the user will play on their fear and cause them to feel uneasy. The booth is needed to create a dark space away from everything else; we want the user to feel alone as they are supposed to be alone in the game. We feel that the booth is going to enhance the experience we want to achieve.