Using Bluetooth to enable multi-user communications in TaleBlazer

Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2017.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (page 61).TaleBlazer is educational mobile game platform designed to build location based learning games for children. One aspect of learning games that TaleBlazer has been unable to fully take advantage so far is the integration of player-to-player collaboration into gameplay. Although TaleBlazer has attempted to make its multiplayer mode work, it has not succeeded despite several years of production. Instead of attempting to make headway in multiplayer mode again, this thesis focuses on building a new feature in TaleBlazer to allow players to interact with each other without requiring major changes to the current TaleBlazer design. This describes the creation of a new Bluetooth communication feature that will allow game designers to add player-to-player exchanges of agents or messages to their games. Although these interactions are simple, they provide game designers with a new mechanic to work with and provide a basis for future work on Bluetooth communications to improve on.by William Spitzer.M. Eng