FoolishPeople

Strange Factories offers up ‘subscription of experiences’ to fan-funders (Wired UK)

 

The interview I did with Wired UK on the background and methodology to FoolishPeople's first film project is now online.

"I think this way of working with your audience puts the ownership of the experience of the story back in the rightful hands of the people who love and support your work. Working this way means we can remain 100 percent committed to the unique nature of the project."

Those who contribute will be rewarded with a "subscription of experiences" -- packs of clues, DVDs and tickets which will be sent out to contributors prior to the Strange Factories tour next year. Games are also a major influence on Strange Factories -- Harrigan says fans are "able to get special experiences, in the same way that someone who orders a copy of a game such as Arkham City early would be rewarded access to special characters, skins and maps." Similarly, the immersive storytelling Strange Factories recreates has been created with a modern gaming audience in mind, allowing them the same autonomy over the plot as found in games LA Noire and Portal.

Thank you to Alice Vincent and everyone at Wired UK.

The Providence Experiments

STILL STRUGGLING TO “MAKE IT” AS AN ACTOR, ARTIST, ASTRONAUT, WRITER OR EL PRESIDENTE?
FEELING BLOCKED?
DISILLUSIONED?
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
THE PROVIDENCE EXPERIMENTS HAVE ARRIVED.

“Providence is always on the side of the last reserve” Napoleon Bonaparte

WHAT ARE THE PROVIDENCE EXPERIMENTS?

The Providence Experiments are a unique series of workshops and events that fuse experimentation, visualisation, ritual, psychological intervention and immersive game. Test subjects will be thrust into bizarre events that offer the willing participant the opportunity to undergo a challenging yet positive artistic transformation.

Over one lunar calendar month, you will receive spontaneous transmissions, puzzles, choices and oddities that may pervade any and every part of your life. Prepare your mind for anything.

This experience will be designed specifically for YOU. Perception of self and reality will constantly be challenged. We will initiate you into in a unique journey where you are the hero or villain in your own story.

The aim of the Providence Experiments is to unleash your subconscious creative potential while offering an amazing, unprecedented experience unlike anything you’ve likely participated in before.

The Providence Experiments will consist of one set session per week in Central London over five weeks, starting Friday 5th November. Specialised directions to each venue will be transmitted 5 days before each session.

Warning: The Providence Experiments will not be confined to the five stated sessions. Active engagement and full participation is vital and absolutely necessary.

WHO CREATES THE PROVIDENCE EXPERIMENTS?

YOU and your subconscious will be the true playing ground for the game. However, this experience will be facilitated by FoolishPeople, a group that create immersive occult events using their developed practice Theatre of Manifestation. They will be aided with media and profiling consultation provided by Mythos Media, a team assembled to create modern myths.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

Prospective applicants must e-mail providence(at)weaponized.net immediately. Do it now: the number of places are extremely limited. If you receive an application form, you are lucky enough to have passed Phase I and are on your way to taking your place within Test Bed One.

DATES

Friday November 5th
Sunday November 14th
Sunday November 21st
Friday November 26th
Sunday December 5th

BOOKING PRICE:

Early booking discount: £150 (£30 per week) Available until 17th October Standard booking: £200 (£40 per week) Available from 18th October

foolishpeople.org
weaponized.net
modernmythology.net

User-generated future for gaming

Gamers today, instead of being thrown into a universe created by teams of designers, can grow their own world, inhabited by any shape of creature they can imagine.

"The future of software development is user-created content", says David Fleck, from Linden Lab, the makers of Second Life.

"First and foremost it allows them to exploit their creative energies and display all the wonderful things that they're good at doing, whether it's manufacturing clothing or architecture.

Tapping into China's online gamers

UK game makers have been urged to turn their attention to China where huge amounts of time and money are being spent on gaming.

Representatives from the games industry taking part in a conference in London this week heard that more than 20 million Chinese were playing games and the number was rising fast.

China is set for a big explosion in spending on entertainment, largely fuelled by online sales of video games, a report this week predicted. Last year, Chinese players spent almost US$500m on online games.

Matrix online game hires real actors to play in-game characters

The Matrix Online has finally hit store shelves.

The Matrix online boasts a fully interactive, evolving storyline. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced that it has employed a troupe of 20-odd people whose job it will be to enact narrative scenarios in The Matrix Online live. These people will assume the roles of popular characters, interact with players, and generally move the stories in ways that only live "actors" can. And though it appears that the story hasn't officially commenced, a few players on the Method server were treated to a pretty slick sample of it this afternoon: an extended pep-talk by none other than Morpheus himself.

Link via BoingBoing

Game given pre-watershed ad ban

Adverts for a violent computer game have been banned from being shown on television before the watershed in the wake of complaints from viewers.

The 18-rated game, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, has been criticised in the past for its violent content. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) was asked to investigate after receiving eight complaints about two adverts featuring game extracts.

They were shown before 2100 GMT when children could have been watching.

One advert was described by the ASA as showing "general scenes of violence and the use of guns" while the other showed the spraying of graffiti and "use of guns in drive-by shootings"

Grrr...It's Headhunter: Redemption

Yup. That Jack Wade is still a man’s man, alright. In a World Gone Bad™, you can be sure our square-jawed anti-hero will still be moodily supping warm Nukey Brown with his microwaved lasagne, not giving a damn about the cheese caught in his grizzly beard, or anything else for that matter.

Dreamcast and PS2 owners first admired Jack’s gruff antiauthoritarianism three years ago. However, barely two minutes after saving the city from the Bloody Mary virus, everything he fought for was razed to the ground by angry mobs, a cataclysmic earthquake and the lure of a sequel in an ironic two-fingered salute from the gods. (Or rather, the game designers at Amuze.)

Twenty years on and the city has gone bad again. Split into two distinct halves, the haves live in shiny, consumerist metropolis Above, while the have-nots, rotten apples and social outcasts are banished to, uh, Below. It’s Jack’s job to keep things that way, but this time he has the assistance of Leeza X, a feisty young thing with a nice line in tribal tattoos and spinny cartwheels.

Presumably, Jack’s getting a bit past all this ass-kicking malarkey, so he delegates much of the work to Leeza while he gets steaming drunk in his man-pad. As a result Redemption is a more well-rounded experience than before, with our protagonist proving more manoeuvrable than not-so-spring heeled Jack. However, 3D shooters have come on a bit since Headhunter, and Redemption’s twitchy aiming system feels antiquated when compared with that of Splinter Cell, for example. If the right trigger is released during gunplay at the wrong moment when turning a corner, Leeza will be left facing thin air as lock-on is lost whilst receiving much hot lead in the back. Luckily, enemies are blessed with Storm Trooper-like aiming ability, so the penalties are not too severe.

More pad-cracking frustration comes courtesy of walls being hugged too readily when attempting to sneak up on enemies; these problems aside, Redemption is a reasonably solid adventure.

Once Leeza has laid down the groundwork, Wade – ha! – wades into the later levels guns a-blazin’ and Brut a-waftin’ to conclude Redemption’s gripping plot. Amuze have created a game rich in futuristic atmosphere, with corporate corruption rife. Think Robocop meets Minority Report (lazy comparisons, I know) and you’ll have some idea of what to expect. Throw in a rousing musical score and some blackly humorous in-game adverts and immersion is achieved nicely.

Then there are those gorgeous, glowing visuals that make you think you’ve just woken up and are looking through sleep-fogged eyes. There are only so many sparsely placed metal crates that can be can be smeared in digital Vaseline, though, before you realise that level design is about as creative as Redemption’s Above/Below naming ethic…

…And indeed its puzzles. Game progression is strictly Resident Evil-style linearity. Fetch a keycard to open the door to the warehouse which contains the energy cell to power up the sub-station which will open the hatch to the room with the computer in it which has the code for the big otherwise-impassable gate in the yard and you’ll see what I mean. Having said that, the problem-solving on offer is enjoyable enough.

In fact that’s the story of the game overall: it’s enjoyable enough. Redemption carries on where Headhunter left off and feels both familiar and a little dated as a result. Yes, there are some unrefined areas of the game, and yes, it offers nothing too special compared with other genre stalwarts, but it’s got lead characters with real, if hackneyed, charisma and a genuinely enthralling plot which will grip you from start to end. If you’ve got a few quid spare give it a bash; just don’t expect too much and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

We all need a holiday

I’m in a pickle, and no mistake. As I slouch picking bits of Jaffa Cake out of my beard, I ponder the huge pile of unfinished games before me – where to start? More to the point, which one to finish first?

Deciding to catch up with my games-buying I trundled down to Gamestation after work a few days ago. Unfortunately for weak saps like me the damn place is open till 11 at night, which makes it impossible for me to walk home without dropping in. Bearing in mind I have the same grip on my wallet as I do my deadlines, a-quick-look-to-see-what’s-out-that’s-all-I-promise swiftly turns into Shit!-XIII-and-Beyond Good And Evil-both-down-to-a-pissing-tenner?-Hold-these-for-me-sales-assistant-while-I-hotfoot-it-to-the-ATM. Consequently a ten minute stroll home becomes a 45 minute marathon of mind-changing, cash-withdrawal and instant guilt.

Once home, the new arrivals are briefly introduced to their mother consoles, and, just as things start to get emotional, they are cruelly ripped from the loving embrace of the disc tray and flung into The Unit For Games I Can’t Be Arsed To Get Into Yet. A typical thought chain, such as it is, goes something like this:

Mmm. (Indicates thinking.) Can’t wait until my next day off. Think I’ll get up really early, when Hannah goes to work, and move the TV so that it’s right in front of the sofa. Then I’ll turn off the phone, and spend the whole day pushing Jaffa Cakes into my face and playing a whole bunch of those videogames I bought. Mm-hmm. (Indicates satisfaction at happy conclusion of cogitation.)

What generally happens is I roll out of bed around two, walk into the living room and decide there are far too many wires to untangle in order to move the telly and instead flake out on the sofa playing one of two games: Old Faithful, or Pro Evolution Soccer 3 as Konami insisted on calling it; and an ongoing saga like Dark Chronicle. Other games don’t even get a look in. Before I know it it’s time for work again and the dust already gathered on my newest software remains unsmudged.

But I now know what is needed. In fact, I don’t know why it hasn’t already been thought of. What I propose is a day of SquareEyes’ Lazy-Arsed Computer-gamers’ Kompletion of Incomplete New Games.

Or SLACKING.

Of course, the acronym could do with a little work, but I feel the principle is sound. A new holiday could be created, perhaps in the life force-draining period between Christmas and Easter, during which gamers across the country could have paid time off to polish off any unfinished Ocarina Of Times or whatever. All the major industry forces - Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, EA etc - would sponsor it and each game completed would mean gamers would be free to pay for a new challenge.

In short, game turnover would be increased, gamers’ fuddled minds would be eased and employers would be rid of thunder-faced workers who felt their jobs hindered their game playing. Or at least one thunder-faced bugger – me.

Now don’t start picking holes in it. I can dream, can’t I?

So, after washing my face of dried chocolate, I’m going to go right back to that unfinished save slot in Jet Force Gemini and give it my damndest – it’s for the good of the industry, you know.

Just me, myself and I

After crawling out of bed and staggering into the kitchen, I make myself a strong coffee – milk, two sugars – and sink into the sofa in the living room. Spread before me on the floor is the detritus from last night’s Live session, which ended only a couple of hours ago. Time to clear up: first the Pringles tube, then the sour cream dip I spilt into the carpet when my Modified Coupe was rammed into a bus by SeriousSam342 from Tunbridge Wells. This online gaming malarkey gets a little messy.

An hour later I’m walking to work, daydreaming of ten hours hence when I’ll be back home in front of a warm and loving console. But it’s not the thought of further online shenanigans that blots out the miserable morning I’m traipsing through. No. It is the prospect of discovering new digiscapes all by myself.

An hour later, I’m waiting for the milk to hit 160 whilst running through my virtual holiday snaps. If only I could print these out, I’d fold them up and keep them in my wallet. Just behind the picture of Hannah. Then, whenever the monotony got too much, I could take a minute to flick through them and remind myself of what I had to look forward to.

Gaming for me will always remain a predominantly singular pursuit. As joyful as thrashing a mate’s Spurs side 4 –1 is, and as satisfying as flash-banging then clearing with a complete stranger from Minnesota is, there is nothing quite like settling down late at night to five or six hours of completely solitary playing. That is where all the best memories are.

A couple of hours later there’s a post-lunchtime lull. As I sip another coffee, I imagine being in different climes. In the rainy, neon-lit streets of Perfect Dark’s Chicago, twenty or thirty years from now, nervously crouching behind a bright yellow hover-cab as a sociopathic droid hovers across the way. Or in the green fields of Halo for the first time – looking up, I see the awesome sight of the other side of the ring world arcing through the sky above. I remember Flashback’s lush foliage and menacing city bars. And then the lull’s over, a decaf macchiato dragging me back into reality.

A few hours later. At last the day is done. The journey home is considerably faster than the one to work. No need for quite so much daydreaming; I can indulge in real-life fantasy in a few minutes. Maybe I’ll take a drive through Vice City, listening to Twisted Sister as the sun goes down, or maybe I’ll go to Metropolis Street Racer’s Tokyo in the early hours.

Escapism. That’s why we do it, I suppose. To get away. But I like going by myself. Discovering for myself. I just hope that as multiplayer gaming explodes all around us developers don’t forget the loners amongst us. We read great novels for the same reasons: imagine having someone reading over your shoulder the whole time, or only being able to unlock the latter chapters with two pairs of eyes.

Don’t get me wrong – I love company from time to time. It’s good to whip ass, or whatever those redneck opponents scream through my earpiece. But we all need time to ourselves, to get away from everybody. Games are the perfect medium through which to do so.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Right now, autumn is my favourite season. The leaves are just starting to crispen, and as the temperature cools, I get to invest in all manner of new jackets (these are the only items of clothing I enjoy buying). And, after a long and barren summer, we find ourselves rushing headlong into the Fourth Quarter ’04.

At long last, I can gaze at release schedules comfortable in the knowledge that my anticipation and patience will be rewarded within mere weeks. Halo 2, GTA: San Andreas, Half-life 2, Pro Evo 4 and Resident Evil 4 are all due in the long run-up to Christmas. If I go to bed early every night, it’ll soon be tomorrow. It’ll soon be next month. It’ll soon be time to bid a fond ‘see you next year’ to friends and family as I prepare to lock myself away with nought but a stash of Fudge Central and said games.

But there’s one thing that bothers me a little. You’ll notice that most of these titles (and a whole host more) have numbers after them. Because you’re sharp like that. Now, this isn’t going to be a second-hand rant about how creativity in games is going down the pan – Lord no. Rather, a confession – I’m a bit of a lazy gamer.

The thing is, these sequels are bearing down on me and I still haven’t got all of their forebears out of the way. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not as if I don’t finish games. I’m just a slacker when it comes to buying the damn things. I’ve only just bought GTA III, Vice City and the remake of Resident Evil for the Gamecube - I thought they’ll be around for a while, so what’s the rush?

Well, the rush is that the new and improved versions are just around the corner and I can’t wait to play them. Only I can’t play them until their precursors have been completed; once I’ve played San Andreas, I can’t go back to its less shiny, smaller and technically inferior brethren. It’s a sad and sorry state of affairs, but that’s how it is. I’m a sucker for new stuff.

Unfortunately, it’s mighty hard staying focused on the job in hand when I having the wonders of Xbox Live to distract me, and indeed those of my good lady. My PS2 and Gamecube both have thick layers of dust on the joypads (shows up murder on black plastic, you know) – best get polishing, eh?