Projectinfo:

Keywords:
Physical Computer Game Installation, Cinekid Festival, Wixels

Date:
2007

Exhibited At:

Cinekid Festival 2007, Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam (October 14 - 21, 2007). www.cinekid.nl

Quick Project Listing:

Click on one of the projects from the list below to learn more about some of our other work.

- Swarm
- Wixel Cloud
- Wixel Play
- Wixels
- TouchMe
- Robotract
- Demor: location-based 3d audiogame
- Jalaani
- MoCap Performance

Wixel Play

Wixel Play is a physical computer game-installation. Never before have children had to run so much in a computer game. 48 glowing balls (Wixels), lighting up in a range of different colours, create a playing field in which children can play games on their own, with other children or against each other.

The interactive installation was created for the 2007 Cinekid Festival, an annual film, television and new media festival for children in Amsterdam. October 2007 Wixel Play premiered in the Medialab digital playground, where it was open to the public for a full week.

In the basic game of ‘collect-them-colours’, players have to run around and point their game controllers at dots on the floor that correspond to flashing Wixels above their heads. With time being a factor in the scoring, kids have to make a real effort in the short sessions of about two minute each.

For the games interface ordinary flashlight-enclosures are outfitted with custom build wireless RFID readers, creating a ‘magical' wand that act as a game controller. Players interact with the game by moving their wand to specific points on the playing field carpet, which contain hidden RFID tags. The corresponding information is sent to a remote computer that runs the game mechanics and controls the Wixels.

Concentrate!

Wixel Play - playing field + Wixel ring @ Cinekid Festival 2007