The Inspiration Behind Ico’s Iconic Cover Art

          Ico is a Playstation 2 game that has recently made news with its re-release and new cover art. Ico is an action-adventure game that was released in 2001 and received much attention because of its minimalist and subtracting design - where elements of gameplay where reduced to not interfere with the game's setting or story. Ico received many awards from the press and publications such as: "Excellence in Level Design," "Excellence in Visual Arts," "Game Innovation Spotlight," and also, "Art Direction" and "Character or Story Development."

          Such an artistic game should have an equally artistic cover right? Wrong. In fact, the North American cover was considered one of the worst in history and was said to contribute to poor sales.

          However, the game's re-release had a much more attractive, appropriate, and artistic cover:

          Besides cover the art, the actual game itself was inspired by the works of Giorgio de Chirico, a surrealist artist of the early 20th century who was considered the founder of the Metaphysical art movement. De Chirico's works inspired famous artists like Dali and Max Ernst, but more appropriately the creator of Ico, Fumito Ueda. Specifically, the works titled "The Nostalgia of the Infinite"

 and "Melancholy and Mystery of a Street"

         You can see in both works there is a minuscule, silhouetted and lonely figure being overshadowed, so to speak, by enormous buildings and structures. The cover is very similar to De Chirico's work; the massive structures towering over tiny people with big shadows and the color is similar in the shades and tones. Ueda says that De Chirico was one of the primary inspirations in developing Ico. The feeling of loneliness and being trapped by an overbearing building is a constant theme throughout the game, from the beginning to end.

     

          I thought this was really cool and interesting because I've learned about De Chirico in several of my classes here at the UofA and specifically remember being taught about "Melancholy and Mystery of a Street." Most people wouldn't think of this type of art and video games to converge but it is a rather common and unseen action that occurs on many instances. I never have played this game but remember hearing many great things about it when it was released. I remember people talking about how artistic it was and remember seeing screenshots of a little boy being dwarfed by a huge giant monster, relating to the overpowering structures in De Chirico's works. 

         

Skyrim Timelapse

          The video below is timelapse photography from the recently popular video game - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim by a professional photographer in Chicago, Tom Harris, who made this on a PC with ultra-high game settings. Skyrim has received a lot of attention and notoriety lately being one of the many top blockbuster games released in this last quarter of 2011. Critics and players alike praise the game for its sense of immersion, many various tasks/activities to perform, great story, and perhaps most recognized - its outstanding visuals. Video games nowadays have incredible graphics engines that can deliver impressive results. Environments in games are becoming increasingly realistic and lifelike and the amount of detail put into some games are simply amazing. As the future progresses, more of society will realize that video games and art are slowly becoming synonymous with each other...its just a matter of time.

          Harris used Skyrim's incredible graphics to create timelapse photography within the game. Timelapse photography is a cinematography technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured is much lower than that which will be used to play the sequence back. When replayed at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus lapsing (Wikipedia). Timelapse videos have been around for quite some time now and the most popular themes are usually - clouds or celestial motion, plant growth, fruit rotting, evolution of a construction project, or people in the city. Harris used timelapse photography to show the amazing environments of Skyrim and really emphasizes the landscapes and weather in the game. Plants sway in the wind, the aurora borealis lights up the night, the moon drifts slowly with the clouds and stars, fog crawls over the mountaintops....all while the player is controlling their character throughout these environments. Without seeing this video, some people may never realize and appreciate how beautiful the world in Skyrim is. Game developers are creating realms where the player really feels like they are interacting in a living, breathing world. 

          Below is another timelapse made in Red Dead Redemption, a western style GTA-like game that is also recognized for its realistic graphics and environments

          I own Red Dead Redemption for Xbox and have also noticed the wonderful landscapes and weather. Riding your horse through dusty trails hunting deer and rabbits never felt so engaging and real. Tumbleweeds constantly blow by while the warm, western sunlight shines over the mountains....it's very surreal. Being able to explore such a dense, vast landscape is very inviting and with all the living creatures running about, the possibilities of what you can/want to do are endless. Thinking back when I was a kid, I never thought I would start to appreciate video games in an artistic sense, but looking at video games in 2011, I believe they deserve all the acclamations they received. 

Star Wars Minecraft Trench Scene

          Minecraft is a game that has been receiving a lot of attention lately in the gaming world. Essentially, it is a sandbox-style game where players can build anything they desire out of textured, pixelated cubes in a 3D world. Gamers have been becoming increasingly creative with their Minecraft constructions where the possibilities are really endless.
          On the other hand there is Star Wars....and does that really need an explanation? But who can forget the famous scene where Luke Skywalker flies his X-Wing through the Death Star's trenches, inevitably blowing it up? I for one, cannot, and remember watching it as a child thinking it was one of the coolest, most exciting movie scenes I've ever seen. Dodging TIE-Fighters while green and red lasers zoom across the screen couldn't be more exhilarating for a young, adolescent boy, especially with the introduction of Darth Vader and his special TIE-Fighter.
          Well, a man that goes by the alias "Paradise Decay" used Minecraft to replicate this infamous scene in the form of machinima. Machinima is using real-time computer graphics rendering engines to create cinematic productions. Basically using a video games graphics and content to create movies. This is much more creative and difficult than other ways of movie-making because the artist does not have as much control as other forms of media. Games set limitations on what can be controlled or changed within, so part of machinima is the artist's ability to work around these boundaries and find ways to produce a film using other methods.

          Paradise Decay uses the original audio from the movie and overlays it on Minecraft scenes to make a pretty good adaptation of great filmmaking back in the day. While the work isn't too visually appealing, what matters is the process behind it and the creativeness that was utilized to make this process work. Each scene consists of thousands of singular blocks that the artist had to create one-by-one to replicate each part of the scene. This can take numerous hours and days just to create a YouTube video that is less than 5 minutes long. There actually is an impressive amount of detail that isn't noticeable when looking at the grand spectrum of things but for taking this video for what it is, then you can see how much work was put into it. This is another example of the many ways computing and the arts can be combined and machinima has been growing steadily since it's birth and has many examples from all types of games.

Video games are art

          Earlier in this month we discussed whether video games are art or not. We watched a TED talk video where a woman demoed some indie games that supposedly represented art, addressing Roger Ebert who in return provided a lengthy response claiming video games are in fact not art. However, I find that the lady did not at all provide a convincing argument that video games are art and used weird examples for games that most people do not know of. I firmly believe video games can be art and even her talk did not convince me. According to Wikipedia, "Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect." And I think that all video games contain at least some of these elements. The process by which video games are even made requires art to design characters or levels, whether it's fictional or an actual representation of real life. I think of video games as interactive art because the makers use a process of purposely arranging items in a way that stimulates one or more of the senses, emotion, and intellect - whether it's a sports game, first-person shooter, or a platformer genre, its all the same.

          Today, the fourth installment, Assassins Creed: Revelations was released and is considered a great historical, visually appealing game of our time. The game takes place in real locations from the 15th century such as Rome or Constantinople, with accurate depictions of the architecture and culture of that time. The world is alive with people walking everywhere that respond accordingly to your actions while you explore the city, being able to scale and run on top of any seen building. The storyline is very rememberable and has real people like Leonardo Da Vinci who helps invents new weapons or gadgets for you.  Having played the game itself, it is very aesthetically pleasing and immersive, I feel like I am Ezio, the assassin, running through ancient Rome seeking to complete assignments and rid the Borgia influence that is condemning my people. The cutscenes are just as well produced as the gameplay, with full dialogue and virtual characters showing real emotion in their voice and actions and adds to the realism and provides a background for the upcoming mission. I think these reasons alone and my senses being affected by it proves that video games are art. And in the game there are art shops that let you buy paintings that increase revenue for your city...some works actually recognizable by artist. When I play this game I always buy the art when I have the money because I felt like the developers want the player to do this and buying enough art proves to be beneficial in the long run.

          Furthermore, an actual art book was created for this game alone to match it's fancy production values in the form of an encyclopedia. Besides just the amazing artwork contained in this book, there is character bios, historical notes, and in-depth explanations of the game's backstory. 

          This book is the clearest example that video games are in fact art. An actual "art book" that solely contains content from a video game....a video game that is widely regarded for its spectacular visuals and historical story. 

Computing and the Graffiti Arts

          The Graffiti Research Lab is a group that promotes public art, in this case - graffiti. However, graffiti in the sense of art placed on public property, not necessarily criminally vandalizing a wall, their art is much more sophisticated than that. The Graffiti Research Lab utilizes technology to create less than commonplace art that can still be seen in public, except it actually can be regarded as art instead of a teenager spray painting their alias on private property.

          One of their works came in the form of "LED Throwies." These are LED markers that can be self-made with 10mm LED's, button-size lithium battery, and a strong magnet all taped together. Then, these "throwies" can be thrown on any magnetic surface (preferably out of the reach of people who might want to spoil the fun) and stay lit for around two weeks. Also, if bought in bulk, each throwie can cost less than $1. The cool thing about these is that it doesn't deface property or cause any damage whatsoever. It is merely a light, or depending on the artist, be an actual design or picture if enough LED's are used. If I saw one of these in public, I think I would be more appreciate than apprehensive. I think the fact that it lights up would intrigue most viewers and since it's removable it really does no harm.

          Similarly, the same group created a pixelated graffiti printer that allows you to tag an entire wall (or car) using a customized dot matrix message. This rig costs $280 and uses 7 cans of spray paint that's controlled by Arduino and solenoid valves to print a message when dragged across a surface. Using this device you can create large written messages in sort of a "propaganda" sense, very efficient and cleanly.  

          Not necessarily more artistic than normal graffiti; it provides a new medium and application of creating art, and shows how technology is used to simplify - and totally reinvent - the process of creating street art or graffiti. A video of the rig being demonstrated can be seen here

Laser Carved Pumpkin Produces Impressive Results and Terrible Smells

Happy Halloween!

          Today we live in a world of instant gratification and where we try to find the easiest and least time-consuming ways to get things done. When it comes to Halloween and decorations, pumpkin carving is usually most associated with this event. There are two types of people: those who can't wait to show their artistic side when creating a unique pumpkin, and those who could care less whether they even have a pumpkin or not. Luckily, Jake Chalkley has made this process perhaps more appealing to both parties.

          Chalkley decided that the design he chose for his pumpkin was too intricate to design for his limited carving skills. So he converted his design into vector art in the program Illustrator, then translated the results to his laser cutting machine which he placed his pumpkin in front of. When looking at the picture above, the results are definitely impressive. There is a lot of detail in the design and he even created multiple depths in the carving so that there is varying levels of glow in his design. Unfortunately, the machine is very loud and made the pumpkin smell terribly so Chalkley decided to traditionally carve his pumpkin the following year.

          This piece is a perfect example of how people use computers to generate art, in this case - a Jack-O-Lantern. However, this does not mean that using a computer is preferred, as Chalkley decided to revert back to normal by-hand carving for the following year. In a piece like a pumpkin, not using something as advanced as a laser cutting machine is valued more; if he did the same design using his own hand, I'm sure people would appreciate the art more, including himself. Like a lot of other things in life, computers can simplify the process of many actions and make it easier for the user to execute his/her work. But, sometimes the process of creating something is just as important, if not more, than the end result. We can't always rely on technology because it's not always perfect, it can make mistakes too just like humans and sometimes it's better to not just use it. 

Ultimate Battlefield 3 Simulator (Virtual Reality)

          Recently, a UK television show - The Gadget Show, built an amazing Battlefield 3 simulator that is a perfect example of virtual reality. This simulator has all seven aspects of virtual reality discussed in class:   simulation, interaction, artificiality, immersion, telepresence, full-body immersion, and network communication. Human-computer interaction is utilized in the form of a gun and motion tracking. This simulator is situated in a dome-like tent where the game can be projected in 360 degrees around the tent and follows where the gun is pointed. To move, an omni-directional treadmill lets you physically walk around and translates that movement to the game. Ambient lighting surrounds the top of the tent and reacts to elements in the game such as lighting, gunfire, explosions, etc. What makes this rig over-the-top are the paintball gun turrents that shoot at you in accordance with enemy fire in the game; full-body immersion at its finest. This simulator takes gaming to the next level and creates an experience like no other, putting emphasis into the word "virtual reality." This rig simulates being a soldier in battle, lets you interact by using your movements and a gun to control the player, is artificial in reality despite it's lifelike representation, the tent along with the huge moving screen, treadmill, lighting, and paintball guns give a sense of immersion, we see telepresence in the sense of the person controlling the player in battle, our body is fully immersed in the experience, and network communication brings the whole process together.

          Below is the video of the build and test of the simulator, a really cool and awe-inspring process.

          EDIT (12/7/11): Now that I own this game, this video makes more sense and seems more intriguing than before. Even without ever trying this simulation, I can imagine how intense it really it is. Battlefield 3 is credited for great sound effects and I cannot agree more with this statement. Explosions sound almost weirdly real and snipers trying to pick you off couldn't be more nerve-racking with bullets sounding like they're whizzing pass your head. When a tank fires a shell at you, you don't only just hear the noise of the explosion, but the noise of a deafening boom where the sound is so loud that it becomes distorted and your vision is affected....that is Battlefield 3. Playing this already exciting game in a fully-immersed dome could be the closest thing we can get to fighting in a real war. Actually being physically shot by a gun would spark intense adrenaline when playing a first-person shooter war simulator and being able to aim with a gun as you would in real life takes it to the next level.