“The fireflies are leaving the city, looking for a new home. Let your touch guide them as they soar through the skies and dance among the trees” is the description of an experimental video game ‘Flight of the Fireflies’ by Jonathan Hise Kaldma that takes you on an atmospheric journey through places and emotions. The focus of the game is not on the challenge – but on the experience.�

Continue reading.... Flight of the Fireflies – “Atmospheric journey through places and emotions” [iPad, Games]

“Boy uncertain of his sister’s faith enters limbo” is the tag line of the absolutely wonderful game “Limbo”, now available for Mac!

The game takes on a journey of a boy that transverses through the ‘horrible world’ challenged by obstacles which gradually more difficult and more hostile (see video interview at the bottom with Mads Wibroe, the producer). Somewhat influenced by film noir, the game is a solitary, dark, black, silhouette filled journey filled with soft depth blur to describe mood. No text, no music, in “Limbo” you are in the game, alone, in the dark. - our post from may 2010

Limbo won Excellence In Visual Art and Technical Excellence award at the IGF and previously only available for the XBox. You can read the full interview with the PlayDead’s CEO Dino Patti on IFC.com.

Download from the AppStore ($9.99)

Continue reading.... Limbo [Games, Mac]

Windosill by Patrick Smith (Vectorpark.com) is now available for the iPad.  An adventure puzzle game filled with peculiar objects, it is your task to resolve abstract but yet logical puzzles to progress from room to room.

Our post from 2009: The world is populated by objects and beings but it is the square that fits right above the door on your right is the object you are after. This may be given to you by the bird or it could be the part of letter “i”. None of this may make sense but you really need to play the game to find out what is all about. I have managed to pass first 3 levels pretty easy, but I am not sure If I can make logic from level 4. Greeted by weird but wonderful five objects on plant stems, each with individual properties, I am trying to make sense of it all. From the weird characters to the little steam engine that is ‘you’, everything in this game looks great.

Continue reading.... Windosill [iPad, Games]

In collaboration with Rump-Recordings, Futura Epsis 1 (the collective behind GRID) have just released QDD, an iPhone game and music promo for Quasi Dub Development’s newest LP “Limousine to the Guillotine”.

The app combines game mechanics with unlockable tracks featuring remixes from artists like Thomas Knak aka Opiate, Jason Forrest , Kim Hiorthøy, Guido Möbius and Loopspool (Tied + Tickled Trio). Task in the game is to destroy enemy cells by firing particles from your own cells. As you fire the particles your cells reduce in size which can then be merged by applying multitouch to the screen. Each enemy cells has a lifeline and they also fire back. As you complete the level, next level and remix unlock.

Made with Objective-C and OpenCL. Effects made in After Effects.

More screenshots and demo video below.

Continue reading.... QDD [iPhone, Sound, Games]

Biophilia is an iPhone/iPad release of Björk’s latest album created in collaboration with Scott Snibbe and her longtime design collaborators M/M (Paris). Comprising a suite of musical pieces and interactive artworks, Biophilia is released as ten in-app download experiences that are accessed through a three-dimensional galaxy, the album’s theme song Cosmogony. The first single Crystalline, is now available, others soon to follow.

Continue reading.... Björk – Biophilia [iPhone, iPad, Sound]

Earlier this year we have been thinking about the concept of “curated workshops”, an opportunity to bring people together to work for a very short period of time and share their creations. These would include setting up a team, inviting few high profile individuals and opening up submissions for participation. When I was approached by Héctor Ayuso earlier this year to give a talk at OFFF, instead of talking about CAN, I thought this would be a great opportunity to do something more, a workshop, and use the workshop material as the content to drive the talk. Hector and I agreed, ‘Workshop Collaborative’ was born.

What was the aim of “Workshop Collaborative”?
1. Initiate collaborations between those that share common interests.
2. Create a playing field, both physical and virtual.
3. Allow ideas to evolve by asking questions.

When we announced the workshop back in January, we also opened to applications for participation. In total, 80 applications were submitted and 11 participants chosen by the team including Aaron Koblin, Ricardo Cabello – mr.doob, myself and Eduard Prats Molner.

The participants included:
Marek Bereza, Alba G. Corral, Andreas Nicolas Fischer, Martin Fuchs, Roger Pujol Gomez, Marcin Ignac, Rainer Kohlberger, Thomas Mann, Joshua Noble, Roger Pala and Philip Whitfield.

Programme – Single Day
09:00 – 10:00 Introductions / Teams
10:00 – 13:30 Stage 1
13:30 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 19:00 Stage 2 (Completion)

Total creation time: 6.5 hours

Few weeks before the workshop, Aaron and I decided four themes we should allow to influence the work we would be making. By allowing other participants to comment and feedback on these themes we would discover areas we all want to explore. The themes included:

1. Digital Ecosystem - Build an application, an organism of information, sound and visuals, a digital ecosystem that flows through different mediums and evolves. “living system – travelling through technology and mutates through tools.

2. Analogue Digital - Explores the notions of physicality in code. Using made objects as assets to code. Scan 3d objects, cut paper and cut-out, traditional 2d scans, 3d objects scanned using flatback scanners, etc..

3. Projection Mapping - Address projection mapping conceptually. Moving away from technical demos, time to question what does it all mean; surface, source, angle, point projection, scale, form, interaction, animation.

4. Data re-embodied - Tell stories through the juxtaposition of data sources and their methods of representation. How can we create new meaning, understanding and value from reinterpretation of data.

By no means this ment that we would have to choose one over the other. The purpose was to get the feel where the interest lies amongst the participants and set up, so to say, a ‘playing field’ and allow first ideas to develop. We knew that working together for a single day we would not be able to produce anything of “finish” quality, rather focus on the subjects themselves and see what comes out.

Following the feedback, a number of keywords were derived, to summarise our interests:

ecosystem, data, scan, evolution, input, mutation, osc, node, rhythm, pattern, touch, physical, language, viewport and mobility.

Five projects developed during the 6.5 hours of work. These included Kinect > WebGL bridge, Kinect Image Evolved, Input Device, Data Flow and Receipt Racer.

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Kinect > WebGL

This project was the work of mr.doob, Marcin and Edu although other people were involved also. The task was to create a bridge between the Kinect and browser, allowing the real time feed over the web. Although aspirations were much higher than the time allowed, instead of utilising node.js server – which I understand was 99% complete anyhow, the team setled for feeding downscaled image data from cinder application using standard http requests to the three.js script which was reading the images at about 10f/s. Several rendering styles are presented below. First one is just simple point cloud done by Marcin for debugging while the rest was done by mr.doob using his amazing Three.js engine.

Download .js code here.

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Kinect Image Evolved

Simultaneously while Ricardo was working on the .js part, Marcin was exploring different ways of kinect image representation. In attempt to get away from standard kinect point cloud, we developed idea of trying slitscan effect with the point cloud. What this means is that the kinect point cloud was dispersed along the time lapse, different bands representing different moment in time. Likewise, Macin also was exploring what happens if the point location was reversed when particular depth was reached. What you see in the videos below are both effects.

Code available soon.

Thomas and Andreas were also testing different tools to manipulate kinect image. Meshlab, Blender were used to pull kinect point clouds and convert them into meshes which could then be render, distorted, split, etc.

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Input Device

Marcin was also working on ways to control the input, ie how one could interact with the Kinect point cloud. We were toying with the idea of being able to assign different devices over OSC to different kinect body parts. This would allow for each individual to be assigned unique element of te point cloud and to interact with it. The first step was to use simple gyroscope datam sent from an iPhone over OSC. The video below shows what is happening. Likewise, Rainer and Roger were working on the iPhone application that would send the OSC data. Rather than just utilising gyro or accelerometer, Rainer was exploring different forms of interaction with the device, seeing whether a language could be evolved, one that would somehow enhance emotional attachment the kinect body parts. The videos below show and instrument like application that also has audio feedback.

Code available soon.

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Data Flow

With all the data moving, Marek was wondering if the input and output are in same medium, you can compare them, apples for apples, what would happen. Marek looked at the process of the loop by examining the image obtained by subtracting the initial input from the output so we’re just left with the parts that change. For the loop algorithm, jpeg compression was chosen because it was easily available in oF and ubiquitous enough to warrant investigation. The boxy images are a result of feeding the jpeg “high” quality compression back into itself and subtracting it from the original. The finer images are using the “best” compression setting. Then Marek tried the same thing with sound (using logic), using first the original sound, then the encoded and seeing what is left. You can hear all the sounds below.

Original / OFFFCAN Workshop Collaborative by filipvisnjic Encoded / OFFFCAN Workshop Collaborative by filipvisnjic Difference / OFFFCAN Workshop Collaborative by filipvisnjic

Code available soon.

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Receipt Racer

The receipt racer combines different in and output devices into a complete game. It was made by Martin, Philip and Joshua utilising a receipt printer, a common device you can see at every convenient store, small projector, sony ps controller and a mac running custom openFrameworks application. Print is a static medium, that’s why, Philip, Martin and Josh explain, it was an intriguing challenge to create an interactive game with it. First the team tried to do it only with the printer as the visual representation but that seemed rather impossible. But then Joshua Noble came up with a small projector, perfect to project a car onto a preprinted road. There is no game without an input device. So they were lucky enough as at least one of them always carries a gamepad around. The cables connect back to the laptop running an openframeworks application the team wrote parts of. The app was entirely programmed during the workshop. Internally it runs something like the basic js game. Only a car driving on a randomly generated race track. Then it broadcasts its components to the external devices, prints the street and guesses where the car’s projection is supposed to be to perform the hit test. That’s the trickiest part. Everything has to be in sync and needs some calibration in the beginning. The paper also has a little bit of a mind of it’s own and tends to slide around or curl. But that’s nothing some duct tape and cardboard can’t fix.

It was a lucky day. Somehow everything was just lying around, waiting to be used. Even the stand and this plastic thing you would normally use to put in your name on a conference. Even the timing was perfect. Right at the end of the workshop we finished adding the details like a little score and the YOU CRASHED TEXTS.

Project Page (code available)

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On Saturday we presented the creations. Regardless of the fact that Erik Spiekermann was presenting in the other OFFF room, we had a full theatre (500 ppl estimate) including another room where our talk could be watched on a large screen.

Photo above by Arseny Vesnin

CAN would like to thank all the participants at the workshop as well as Aaron and Ricardo for taking time off their busy schedules to take part of the workshop. For more information on the workshop and all future information/code/links see creativeapplications.net/offf2011

Photos by Jason Vancleave

We leave you with OFFF Barcelona 2011 Main Titles made for OFFF by PostPanic (full screen recommended).

The MotionBeam is a project by Disney Research that explores the use of handheld projectors to interact and control projected characters. Similarly to the project by AirCord ‘Mobile Runner’ the project explores physical movement of the projection device, much like a motion controller, how it may be used to guide and interact with the virtual/projected characters and interact with physical environment.

Our character and racing game applications show how MotionBeam can be applied and used with mobile games. It can also be utilized for augmented reality interaction, by linking projected content to physical objects in the environment. We envision MotionBeam as a key component in a new ‘game projector’ platform where the real world becomes a playground and users interact directly with each other and the environment.

The prototype shown is implemented using an iPod Touch 2G, a Microvision ShowWX laser projector, and a microcontroller-sensor unit. The attached sensors include a 9DOF accelerometer/gyroscope/magnetometer board, an ultrasonic distance sensor (MaxSonar), and an infrared receiver. Applications run in real-time on the device and are written in a combination of C++, OpenGL, and Objective-C.

The team will present a full paper on the MotionBeam project at CHI 2011: ‘Non-Flat Displays’ session, Tuesday 10th, 11am. You can download the paper here (pdf).

Project Page

The MotionBeam project is being developed at Disney Research Pittsburgh and the Computational Design Lab,Carnegie Mellon University by Karl D.D. Willis, Ivan Poupyrev and Takaaki Shiratori.

Inspired by Brandon Boyer’s recent IndieCade talk, Anthony Grajirena together with his brother Rob made this quite wonderful little iPad game/poem. To look around : swipe the screen, To interact : tap, To shoot : touch, drag and release. Enjoy.

Under the full Hunters’ Moon
of a late October night
a young Joseph Sound
collects the spirits
of the beasts
he has come to know
in order to seek
council in the dark.

Hunters’ moon is an interactive illustration and a drawing that shares an idea through game mechanics. It is best heard with
headphones and played patiently.

Anthony Grajirena : Art, Sound, Design and Code
Rob Grajirena : Design and Code
Anton Legoo : Support

/via @brandonnn

Platform: iPad
Version: 1.0
Cost: $1.99
Developer: Internal Landscapes Preservation Society

Carbon is a piece of software for Mac and PC created by Tabor Robak that looks at the transition between the real and the virtual.

While some true qualities of physicality are lost in digitization this is made up for by creating new ways to communicate and new opportunities to use material and scale expressively. The digital landscape shares the same potential for abstraction as a dream while remaining more tangible. As we spend more time online and digital content increases in value the line between fantasy and reality becomes increasingly blurred. This is heightened by the use of smart phones, natural interfaces, and mixed reality technologies that we eagerly and easily incorporate into everyday life. With this piece I am considering the conflict and collaboration between the real and the virtual as well as the brief moment when consciousness travels between them. (source: STATE)

STATE is an online exhibition platform that features new projects and statements by artists who use the internet as a primary element in their work. The goal of STATE is to engage a more substantial online viewership and initiate critical dialog.

Download

Selected as a finalist at this years IGF (Independent Games Festival), Today I Die, a poem game by Daniel Benmergui is now available for the iPhone. Today I Die takes you on a journey with words to uncover to generate new meanings and resolve puzzles you find along the way. The game is not about winning but a narrative in the poem you uncover.

It’s about the daily choice of waking up in the morning.
No skill playing videogames is necessary! Playing this game can be a significant experience.

The music is by Hernán Rozenwasser (Night Raveler).

Platform: iPhone
Version: 1.01
Cost: $0.99
Developer: Atakama Labs Inc