Original Description:
Staying in to play is an online 3D game environment that was developed over a period of 90 days until 28th June 2003.
The work,a commision by variablemedia and was part of the VM01 exhibition at the Hoxton Distillery London.
You can launch the game space by clicking here or on the main image.
Slower machines - resize your browser window (smaller) until the movie runs smoothly (click and drag bottom right hand corner).
Update
Sky box added - print out and make your own skybox from the pdf file
Some optimisation - I'm starting to find other things creeping into the work - as WIlliam Carlos Williams wrote - (for the poet) there are no ideas but in things - perhaps the work is changing to a thing space.
The red room - lots of optimisation needed - this is what happens when you listen to the White Stripes for too long.
been developing a *real*3d skybox for you to print out and costruct - that will be posted soon
More assets taking shape - there will be bi-weekly updates for the next 2 weeks while i model some of the other areas of the environment - and the matter/anti-matter beam has gone for the time being
Sunrise and overall better lighting - plus the edge of the world bug is fixed. Toadstool died, but others should sprout.
Landscape general improvements and a fabulous matter/anti-matter beam - just point at the ground with the red dot and press Y or U (SFX to follow)
Two day break (now over) in preparation for a rebuild over Easter weekend - the frame rates are dropping as the sea gets bigger and the coastline starts taking shape
Added morning light and a toadstool
Added teleport ( T key then look to where you want to jump, then SPACE bar to jump) also added revolving stripey blocks which are climbable.
Technical
The game environment requires the Shockwave plug-in to be installed on your computer - for this and any other technical issues - click here.
1.1 Artificial Sacrifice
The first person (shooter) video game is an environment seen 'through the eyes' of the player. This projection of the players presence onto/into the game space allows the player to construct and develop an extension of their ego as a negotiator between their physical self and the fantasy space implied by the games constructs.
The resultant character is rarely if ever seen. This 'seer' in some ways acting as a sacrificial other to the player in their journey through the rules and behaviours of the synthesised space.
1.2 Effector Focus Target
"I am interested in exploring the zone where consciousness is blurred and beliefs and values are suspended or subverted. The First Person digital game is particularly relevant in that it positions the player as prime effector, prime focus and target, eroding the distance between the real and fantasy.
Key to this is the means by which players are empowered and develop influence through the uncovering of patterns and narratives, through encountering multiple 'death' or transformation experiences and how this affects implied identity and consequence within the game space."
Controls
Forward - W
Run - SHIFT and W
Back - S
Strafe Left - A
Strafe Right - D
Jump - SPACE bar
Restart - P
Zoom+/- - R/F
Teleport drone - Press T to send drone out to where you are looking then SPACE to telejump to the drone
Matter / Anti-matter beam - look at the ground and press either Y or U
Look around - move the mouse
Shockwave
plug-in from Macromedia can be downloaded by clicking here
Your machine
Ideal specs -
2Ghz CPU - or Mac equivalent
64 MB 3D Graphics card ram)
1280x1024 screen resolution at 32 bit colour
Internet Explorer 5
Minimum specs -
500 Mhz CPU or higher
32 MB 3D Graphics card
1024x768 screen resolution at 16 bit colour
Internet Explorer 5
Skybox created in Terragen
http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/
Blue tunnel texture courtesy of Paul Bourke: http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/~pbourke/texture/
Much credit to all the dirgames community:
especially Toxi, Den Ivanov, Barry Swan and Robotduck whose code is in some evolved form somewhere in the concoction i have managed to pull together.