2K-Reality is an Amplified Reality—or acoustic-augmented reality—system that blends the NBA 2K videogame series with real pickup basketball. Installed next to a pickup basketball court, 2K-Reality invites people to actuate an iPad-based digital-audio-sampler connected to public address (PA) speakers. Pickup basketball spectators adopt the role of a make-believe NBA-arena-DJ to perform interpretive NBA-themed soundscapes; which articulate and amplify the aesthetics of pickup basketball. The soundscapes immerse players and spectators in a mix of broadcast-style commentary and arena-style crowd sound effects—appropriated from the NBA 2K12 videogame—and contemporary music break beats. The make-believe NBA experience provides players with an opportunity to perform on the ‘big stage’—a universal and motivating sports fantasy.

2K-Reality Urban Basketball Playspace Scenario

Sonar+D 2017 MarketLab Poster

ISEA2015 Exhibition Installation

Woodward’s Atrium, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver

Soundscape Orchestration

Simultaneous Orchestration describes synchronised interpretive soundscapes that articulate and celebrate the players’ performances, in a style that simulates the sound of NBA television broadcasts and NBA videogames.

Paradoxical Orchestration characterises synchronised interpretive soundscape performances that are incompatible with observed gameplay or contradict cultural norms. For example, the intentional denigration of an impressive play event, such as a successful three-point shot coupled with a synchronised commentary sample such as ‘oh no you hate to see that’, followed with booing crowd sounds.

Directive Orchestration distinguishes an orchestrator’s attempt to direct player movements and influence play with commentary samples, somewhat akin to a coach on the sidelines calling out instructions to players.

Rhythmic Orchestration describes expressive hip hop-like musical soundscape performances that occur when orchestrators deliberately use 2K-Reality as a digital musical instrument.

Multi-user Orchestration is a functional sub-category that refers to soundscape performances orchestrated by multiple people operating the 2K-Reality interface at the same time.

Mastering Orchestration is the second functional sub-category that describes the laboured soundscapes performed by new orchestrators attempting to master the operation of the 2K-Reality interface.

Exploratory Orchestration is the third functional sub-category, used to describe an experimental form of random toying with the 2K-Reality interface that generates a chaotic cacophony of noise.

Orchestration Demonstration Video

Simulated Performance

Presentation Video

Simulated Audio

iPad iOS App

Graphic User Interface

iPad iOS App

Audio Sample Content

Design Rationale

Physical inactivity is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Accordingly, international public health and sports management reports, including the recent World Health Organization Global Action Plan On Physical Activity 2018-2030, recommend policies that prioritise investments in grassroots sports, improve urban spaces for recreation, and encourage the adoption of innovative technology to increase physical activity.

Design Methodology

Research Methodology

Rapid Prototype

Exhibition Prototype

Design Dimensions

Primary Research Finding

By remediating NBA 2K12 videogame sounds to amplify the aesthetics of pickup basketball, 2K-Reality creates an immersive NBA-themed make-believe experience that, following cinematic theorist Michel Chion, can be described as NBA-themed plaisir de l’ergo-audition—the joy of hearing oneself in the NBA.

Urban Probe Research Feedback

Comments Book and Interview Screen Capture Samples

The Compliant Sports Augmentation Framework (CSAF)

The CSAF promotes a socio-cultural approach to the design abduction of grassroots sports technology that achieves the following outcomes: i) maintains the structures and virtues of deliberate play and unstructured sports activities; ii) promotes social interaction, creativity and fun; iii) encourages participation and increases physical activity; and, iv) attracts sustainable public or private investment.

The CSAF design categories and dimensions are primarily influenced by the thick theory technology in sport ethic articulated by sports philosopher Sigmund Loland; the deliberate play concept proposed by sports psychologist Jean Côté; the notion of designing for eudaimonia—the good life—in sports raised by play and games scholar Miguel Sicart, and grassroots sports development policy recommendations—published in international public health and sports management reports.

Urban FIFA

Urban FIFA—the footabll version of 2K-Reality—replicated the 2K-Reality design-driven innovation process. Urban FIFA appropriates commentary and crowd sounds from the EA Sports FIFA 15 football videogame, and the App design reflects the play patterns and formal temporal structure of indoor 4-on-4 football. Urban FIFA reserach was conducted in collaboration with Information Science students from Aarhus University in Denmark.

Urban FIFA research findings correlated with the ethnographic evaluation of 2K-Reality. Urban FIFA operators developed similar soundscape performance styles; football players exhibited mimicry and make-believe behaviour and responded cognitively, emotionally and physically; the enjoyment of playing 4-on-4 football appeared to be enhanced, and researchers observed an increase in social interaction.

Urban FIFA research installation at the Fodboldfabrikken (Football Factory) in Aarhus, Denmark.

Urban FIFA iOS App

Actions Graphic User Interface

Events Graphic User Interface

Design Research Project Academic Output

Thesis Title
2K-Reality: Designing a Compliant Sports Augmentation for Pickup Basketball.

Lead-author Peer-reviewed Papers
Ryan, T. P. & Duckworth, J. (2020). 2K-Reality and the Compliant Sports Augmentation Framework for Grassroots Sports. In Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute Proceedings (Vol. 49, No. 1, Art. 83). [The Proceedings of the 13th conference of the International Sports Engineering Association, Online, 22-25 June 2020.]

Ryan, T. P., & Duckworth, J. (2017). 2K-Reality: An Acoustic Sports Entertainment Augmentation for Pickup Basketball Play Spaces. In Proceedings of AM ’17, London, United Kingdom, August 23–26, 2017.
*Nominated for Best Paper and Awarded Best Conference Presentation*

Co-authored Peer-reviewed Paper (Urban FIFA Derivative Football Application)
Strandby, M. W., Szatkowski, M. K., Petersen, J. L., Storebjerg, A., Dindler, C. & Ryan, T. P. (2016). URBAN FIFA: Augmenting social sports with video game elements. In Proceedings of the 9th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, ACM.

Exhibitions
Demonstration Exhibit at Sonar+D 2017 MarketLab, Barcelona Spain.
Peer-reviewed Public Artwork Exhibit at ISEA2015, the 21st International Symposium on Electronic Art, Vancouver Canada.

Open Access Thesis

2K-Reality: Designing a Compliant Sports Augmentation for Pickup Basketball.

ISEA 2020 Conference Paper

Audio Mostly 2017 Conference Paper

Nominated for Best Paper
Awarded Best Conference Presentation

NordiChi’16 Conference Paper

Acknowledgments

The 2K-Reality and Urban FIFA iOS Apps were programmed by Vincent Huang (黃一葦).

Ethnographic research installations conducted in Taipei were assisted by: Edward Lin (林寬祐), Ron Lo (羅崢榮), James Hung (洪嘉懋), Nessie Zheng (鄭雅琦), Alex Ren (任懋君), and Kent Yang (楊郁謙); and financially supported by the Shih-Chien University (實踐大學) Department of Industrial Design.

The Urban FIFA research project was conducted in collaboration with Information Systems students from Aarhus University—Michael Strandby, Magnus Szatkowski, Jonas Petersen, and Asger Storebjerg.