Let’s say you believe that virtual reality is the future of artistic expression. Don’t laugh; this belief is sincerely held by plenty of people. So, let’s say so you believe that VR is the future, how on Earth do you start to build towards that future? This was the evening’s main question when the t
With the invention of the internet and smartphones, many people now have the ability to pull a knowledge box out of their pocket and look at almost any great work of art at a moment’s notice. Remarkably convenient as this is, there’s still something to be said for going to a museum in person. When
Watching traditional media outlets like Time scramble to try and wrap their minds around something like virtual reality is, well, kinda adorable. Don’t get me wrong: for all the patronizing smugness we feel about knowing a bit more about emerging technologies (since we’re, you know, a videogame arts
Virtual reality, today, means Oculus Rift. Project Morpheus. Samsung Gear VR or HTC Vive. But say “virtual reality” just a decade ago, and the first thing that likely would’ve popped into people’s heads is Second Life. Second Life seems ahead of its time To those not active in its virtual world, Se
I went to college in a rolling campus up on a forested hill, where the woods served as a playground on bored Sunday evenings, and frequent late-night power outages meant sneaking into empty administrative buildings, or finally searching for that deserted amphitheater tucked away in the forest, resig
Stage Presence is karaoke with less musicality and more social anxiety, and really, what’s not to like about that? You play as the frontman of a band. You’re on stage at a large festival—think Glastonbury, but without the ambient fug—when something goes wrong. Who knows what went wrong. This is the
We drive into the future using only our rearview mirror. — Marshall McLuhan Ian MacLarty’s Reflections inspired one of those “whoa the future is here” moments in me. I remember years ago, I felt like I was in the goddamn Jetsons the first time I ever Skyped with a person half way across the world. I
Designers at Lucid Trips have announced Whateverland, a game world that is also a virtual reality art gallery, allowing players to explore on personal VR devices. Players will be able to propel themselves as a pair of dissociated arms through a colorful “Dreamplanet” and interact with pieces that ca
The only safe thing to say about walking a tightrope between two skyscrapers is that it’s a remarkably stupid idea. One wrong move, and splat! A very stupid idea indeed. But therein lies the appeal of such stunts. You might not think it wise to actually walk between buildings on a rope that bears an
Very few games are telekinesis-friendly. Sure, you use your mind to move objects, but there is always a visible intermediary. Even the illusion of psychic ability cannot survive in most games. SUPERHYPERCUBE, which has been in development since 2008, offers the promise of telekinetic Tetris. Since
Harmonix reckons it’s time for the music visualizer to go about a big change. That’s probably about right. For an electronic art that’s almost as old as videogames it’s a wonder how it’s managed to remain so close to its roots in abstract shape-making. Did you know that the first commercial electron
The simple joy of poop humor meets state of the art virtual reality technology Sploot is a beautiful marriage between virtual reality and poop humor Who knew a virtual reality game about pooping seagulls was al you needed to relax. This Oculus Rift seagull simulator turns shitty days into bright
