Introduction

"We Are Nearer" is an locative media project developed by Iván Fuciños Calle, and it was first launched in May 2015. It capitalizes on the agility of mobile devices and the playfulness of gamified experiences. By integrating digital elements with physical spaces, the game weaves virtual narratives into urban geographies, allowing players to actively experience the urban environment instead of being passive participants. The game provokes the debate between surveillance, play, urban navigation, and reinterpretation of space (“We Are Nearer,” 2023).

The core of "We Are Nearer" lies in its convergence of real and digital environments. The game mechanism challenges the participants' perceptions of spatiality, making the game more intriguing with elements of teamwork and competition. Two teams compete to approach a virtual object that roams the city's roads, shown as a green dot on players' devices. Each team's progress toward the object is updated in real-time. A team claims victory by having the combined distance of all its players come within 50 meters of the object. Players navigate both the urban cityscape and the digital interface, while also managing strategic interpersonal interactions on WhatsApp (“We Are Nearer,” 2023).

Literature Analysis

Amy D. Propen’s "Critical GPS: Toward a New Politics of Location" resonates deeply with this game. Propen investigates the social implications of the always-locatable subject, whether through consent or without it. "We Are Nearer" navigates this tension by requiring players to actively share their location with others. The dichotomy presented in Propen’s paper—between Acme-Rent-a-Car's surveillance and the Amsterdam Real-Time Project's aesthetic mapping—is paralleled in the game. Players are simultaneously engaged in a surveilled chase and a creative, aesthetic play of mapping their movements (Propen, 2005). It reminds me of a class discussion where we looked at applications that access our locations constantly, often without our awareness. Which of those enhance our user experience with location sharing, and which might potentially violate our privacy? The number of locative data leaks and unintentional tracking offers an interesting juxtaposition to the game. When playing, one might consider the ways in which the act of chasing a virtual object parallels real-world tracking. The game raises the pressing question of what it means to be "always already locatable" and the associated social and ethical ramifications, echoing Propen's call for a critical engagement with GPS technology (Propen, 2005).

On a similar note, “Creative Misuse as Resistance: Surveillance, Mobile Technologies, and Locative Games” by Jason Farman investigates locative mobile games that employ GPS tracking in innovative ways. Farman underscores two pivotal themes at the crossroads of surveillance and gaming. Firstly, he argues that games have the potential to “creatively misuse” surveillance tools as an act of resistance. Secondly, this subversion establishes a unique embodied connection to surveillance, which he labels the "sensory-inscribed body." Farman concludes by suggesting that surveillance spaces aren't predefined with fixed meanings; instead, they are dynamically shaped through activity and interaction (Farman, 2014). The game “We Are Nearer” can also be perceived as an act of resistance against surveillance. In this context, play redefines potential interpretations, positioning the gamer not merely as a passive subject under surveillance but as an active, creative participant who reshapes the spatial dynamics between individuals and surveillance technologies. Michel de Certeau's seminal work "The Practice of Everyday Life," particularly the chapter "Walking in the City," resonates with a similar concept. He argues that pedestrian movements are acts of resistance and appropriation, everyday tactics to reclaim and reshape urban spaces (De Certeau, 1984). In his analysis, de Certeau emphasizes the distinction between the conceptualized, planned city – as seen from a bird's-eye view – and the lived city experienced by the walker at ground level. In the context of "We Are Nearer," the game's mechanics deeply resonate with de Certeau's notions. The perceived landscape is ever-evolving as players leave more GPS traces as they move. The city transforms from a fixed, mapped entity to a dynamic, ever-changing game board where players are actively shaping their surroundings (De Certeau, 1984).

The dynamic interplay of locative media, urban spaces, and pedestrian navigation gains an additional layer of nuance with Anne-Marie Schleiner's observations in "Transnational Play: Piracy, Urban Art, and Mobile Games." In the chapter “The Geopolitics of Pokémon Go,” Schleiner illuminates the global craze and implications of the mobile game Pokémon Go (Schleiner, 2020). While Michel de Certeau's "Walking in the City" emphasizes the tactical maneuvers of the urban pedestrian, Schleiner's exploration builds on this by showcasing how digital games – especially locative media games like Pokémon Go – can push these maneuvers into a new dimension. Players aren't simply resisting urban strategies; they're also challenging and reshaping the digital infrastructures that map and define socio-politically urban terrains. The personal gameplay experience shared by Schleiner and a resident of Mexico offers a compelling perspective on how locative media can redefine a space as politically and socially charged as the U.S.-Mexico border. Their experiences demonstrate how a game can bring forth intricate, lived narratives (Schleiner, 2020).

Conclusion

In conclusion, "We Are Nearer" stands as a testament to the innovative potential of locative media, intertwining digital narratives with tangible urban landscapes. Through the lens of various scholarly works, we recognize the relationship and balance between surveillance, play, urban navigation, and the reinterpretation of spaces. The game serves as a starting point for deeper reflections on our relationship with technology, especially in an era where our digital footprints become increasingly significant to everyday living. Although the game “We Are Nearer” was created eight years ago, today in 2023, the concept remains relevant to our relationship and perception of locative media and urban environment gameplay. Technological shifts over the past eight years have emphasized the need for its evolution, underscoring the importance of adaptability in game design. As locative media continues to grow, games like "We Are Nearer" provide both a roadmap and a mirror, urging us to question, engage, and imagine the myriad possibilities of a digital reality (“We Are Nearer,” 2023).

References

De Certeau, Michel. (1984). The Practice of Everyday Life. Trans. Steven Rendall. 

Berkeley: University of California Press.

https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520271456/the-practice-of-everyday-life

Farman, Jason. (2014). Creative Misuse as Resistance: Surveillance, Mobile 

Technologies, and Locative Games. Surveillance & society, 12.3, 377–388. https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v12i3.4981

Propen, Amy D. (2005). Critical GPS: Toward a New Politics of Location. ACME an 

international e-journal for critical geographies, 4.1, 131–144. 

https://acme-journal.org/index.php/acme/article/view/731

Schleiner, Anne-Marie. (2020). Transnational Play: Piracy, Urban Art, and Mobile 

Games. 1st ed. Netherlands: Amsterdam University Press.

https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789048543946

“We Are Nearer” (2023). DIGITAL PERFORMATIVE MAPPING. Accessed 29 Sept. 

2023. http://performativemapping.com/we-are-near/.