Brent Watanabe’s videogame inspired art piece not only has the looks, but also the gameplay to match.
I’ve seen many paintings based on videogames before – some of them truly masterpieces that deserve all the attention they get – but none of them to my memory added the obvious addition of interactivity, namely being playable via a NES controller.
That right there is the key fascination behind this art installation – entitled For(){}; – by Brent Watanabe, currently on display at the Kittredge Gallery in Tacoma, Washington. And even though the input method behind this piece is simple, its theme is quite the opposite.
I’ll let Brent describe the premise to this better than I can:
In for( ){ };, there is no beginning or end to the game, just collecting and wandering, birthing and consuming, an arbitrary point system rising until your inevitable death and the birth of another generation. It is a game mechanism without the game. An addictive but essentially aimless experience.
All controllable by a NES gamepad, I’ll add, with the majority of the programming using Flash and the Box2D physics engine to create the game. For all Brent’s effort, it looks mighty pretty in action, and something you should definitely see for yourselves.
I liked how none of that made a lick of sense, but still managed to keep me entertained. Too bad I won’t be able to make the trek to Washington state to check Brent’s piece in real life, but if you’re around the Tacoma area, why not drop by and pay a visit.
That is, of course, you’re a busy guy like me with important things to do. That I can respect, so long as you still have the time to indulge in some geekiness, like Star Wars fan-made posters or what future apps will be available for Google Glass, right here on Walyou.
