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The Theory of Parallel Game Universes:  A Paradigm Shift in Multiplayer Gaming and Game Accessibility

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The only limit to what can be achieved through PGUs is the design of the transition functions used. A rather challenging example is presented in Figure 5, where two sample transition functions (fT and gT) are presented for making a match of chess accessible to people with different mental skills. In this case, the transition functions use AI to transform the complex problem of selecting the best possible move from the chessboard to a much simpler one. Of course, since the simplified versions of the game may take less moves to finish, a single match in one universe (e.g., the full chessboard) may correspond to several matches in another one (e.g., tic-tac-toe).

It is obvious that in this example, the mapping between the two universes is not straightforward, due to the significant differences among them. Some readers may even think that it is not possible to find an adequate transition function, since in the case of chess the possible moves’ space is subject to combinatorial explosion, while in the case of tic-tac-toe it is restricted and manageable. Still, according to the theory of PGUs, the designer’s goal is not to find a computationally equivalent model among the two universes, but to devise a creative solution so that two players with highly diverse skills can compete on an equal basis.

 
Figure 5: Example of two potential transition functions for making a match of chess accessible to people with different mental skills.

An interesting real-life example of Parallel Game Universes took place in August 18, 2000 on the Pelican Hill golf course in Newport Beach, California, where people with quadriplegia and paraplegia played golf side-by-side with able-bodied players⁹. The only difference was that the people with disabilities made their shots virtually, using a wheelchair-mounted computer equipped with Madentec’s assistive technology and Microsoft's Links golf software with a detailed model of the course, and then they were following the path of their virtual ball on the actual course.

At this point it should have become clear that PGUs are not just different game “skins” or views, since it is not only the game appearance and viewpoint that changes but also its content, or even the game logic.

Key Properties of Parallel Game Universes

PGUs are characterised by two key properties: individualization (Figure 6) and balance (Figure 7).

 
Figure 6: PGUs support individualization by extracting the pure essence of games, which is game experience, and offering it to the individual players according to their needs and preferences.

 
Figure 7: PGUs strive for balance by compensating for individual player weaknesses and challenging player strengths, ensuring that opposing forces (player vs. player, or player vs. computer) are matched.

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