Classifying input for active games

Active games are video games that involve physical activity. Active games capture input via a variety of devices such as accelerometers, cameras, pressure sensors and exercise equipment. Although active games have become highly popular, the interaction styles they support are poorly understood, and largely driven by the capabilities of individual hardware devices. In order to allow for a standard development approach, a better understanding of the interaction found in active games is required. We have investigated existing commercial and academic games in order to classify input for active games. Our classification abstracts input from hardware, providing a better understanding of the interaction itself. Our ultimate goal is to make it easier to develop active games independently of underlying input hardware.