It's about that time...
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February 17, 2006
February 7, 2006
I Am More Than My Thumb
I Am More The My Thumb: A Gestural Body Interface
aka my Thesis Project
This thesis proposes an investigation into game interface and play possibilities when natural human gesture is the guide. By assuming that technology is going to develop to a point where we will no longer need a physical device to interface with gaming consoles and computers, I have developed an experience that examines how body-based interfaces will expand the experience of play, as well as increase the communicative possibilities of the game medium. The current controller/keyboard interface options for digital games often restrict players from fully engaging in the interactive experience because they are physically awkward for many body types, can be damaging to the physical well-being of the player, often require previous knowledge of the controller in order to engage in the game, or are so complicated that it detracts the player from being immersed in the world of the game.
The game, "Cloud," developed by students at USC, is a game designed for newers players, with easier to understand controls. The game utilizes an intuitive keyboard and mouse control schema, making it a good candidate for my own experimentation, because of the stark contrast and comparison between a popular game interface and a gestural body-based one. By using the natural movements of the human body, I experimented with interface for "Cloud" that explores what it means to use the body to interface into virtual gaming worlds.
Great Interactive Media Resource
Whilst googling for papers in research for my thesis project ["I Am More Than My Thumb"], I stumbled upon the site, ArtMuseum.net.
Many of you are probably already familiar with the book, Multimedia: From Wagner to Virtual Reality (if you aren't, it should be mandatory reading for the dept), and the site covers many of the same topics, artists, and projects covered in the book.
As a resource, this site is an excellent introduction to the varying and ever-changing genres of new and interactive medias. If you are embarking on a project in a new field, I would highly reccommend beginning your journey here, as you will find most of the Big Names, as well as important works prior to the digital age that have influenced major artists in the field.
The layout of the website is simple and easy-to-use, although with all the cross referencing I was doing, I felt like I got a little lost occasionally. Never fear - although the site appears to be inexhaustible initially, soon you will find yourself discovering the links between artists, works, and our own department, just like the good MFA student you are.
February 3, 2006
Physical Interface/AR for Mobile Phone Games
via engadget.com via picturephoning.com
Siemens launches "Kick Real" cameraphone game
"With World Cup fever sweeping Germany (or at least sweeping the tournament's sponsors), Siemens has come up with a novel way for cellphone users to practice their kicks (which we think is at least a little ironic, given that Siemens doesn't even make cellphones anymore). The company's "Kick Real" game provides cameraphone users with a virtual soccer field; point the camera at your foot, and you can kick a virtual ball that you view on the phone's LCD. We can't wait for this to catch on, so we can get our own kicks watching gamers staring into their phones and kicking the air."
February 2, 2006
A Psycheographic Documentary: Review
Whilst googling for a hip-hop group, I happened upon the site One Block Radius, a "Psycheographic Documentary." The introduction read:
"One Block Radius, a project of Brooklyn artists Christina Ray and Dave Mandl [known collaboratively as Glowlab], is an extensive psychogeographic survey of the block where New York's New Museum of Contemporary Art will build a new facility in late 2004. Engaging a variety of tools and media such as blogs, video documentation, maps, field recordings & interviews, Glowlab creates a multi-layered portrait of the block as it has never been seen before [and will never be seen again]. This website is an interactive archive for the project, which will continue to grow over time as we build a dense data-map of the block. The information collected is organized into three categories: observation, interaction & response. Click on each category to begin exploring the block."
Having lived in Brooklyn, this site immediately struck nostalgic and familar chords, as I was able to see video and photos in this particular neighborhood of my favorite bourough of NYC. While the site did cause my 2-year-old G4 to cough just a bit, the navigation was smooth and easy to undertand: at any colored point on the block, I could see the name of someone who contributed, and what category(ies) their contribution fit into.
What I really enjoyed is the way the site allowed for many froms of representations - I could watch a video pan of graffitti, hear the sounds of the street on a sunny saturday, or see a pencil sketch from inside the warehouse.
I don't know if those not already familiar with the neighborhood would be so touched by the media on this site (why don't you let me know?), but for this former Brooklynite, it was a wonderful taste of Home.