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The Prix Ars Electronica Archive is a collection enabling search and viewing of all the submissions since 1987. The award-winning projects are documented with catalogue texts and audio-visual media. All other submissions can be searched by title/artist and displayed with year, category in list form. Please cite the credits (artwork name, artist and photographer) and only use the materials if your article is related to Ars Electronica.
Energized Gaming Culture
Mark von Rahden
Original: PR_1997_energizedgaming_001_o.jpg | 1650 * 1230px | 774.0 KB
"Energized Gaming Culture" is an interactive essay and an encyclopedia for computer gamers. The work involves game structures and game innovations.
The Web site includes articles on how computer games started ("From the Pentagon to the Pocket", the history of computer games since 1961), descriptions of the devices used for playing, and articles on games that are already in existence. Finally, it also addresses the question of whether Thomas Gottschalk's live TV show with "Telephone Pong" already marks the end of development.
In the introduction, I have written:
"Computer games went through several genera-j tions in the last 25 years. Museums show pong consoles. Classic games are redesigned as cyber hype giga re-releases. Beginning with Atari, home consoles, arcade games and games on PC's mutated from low-level applications to complex games." And I quote Youichi Miyaji, president of ESP and GameArts: "No matter how much or how little you know about the video game industry, I'm sure we can all agree on two things: The industry produces way too much junk, and the industry can never realize its true potential as long as its products are regarded by the mainstream media as children's toys." I use the medium of the Internet to visualize my subject, in order to make use of the most extensive references and technical possibilities. Games are shown and explained, additional sources are listed. In order to provide the worldwide community of gamers with a platform for exchanging experiences and suggestions, "Energized Gaming Culture" includes a PHP-chat and an interactive magazine generated from a mSQL database (Programming by Ralf Röber, isb). A sensuous experience of the games described is supported by dynamic buttons (Java applets) and the use of QuickTimeVR.
Links: http://www.farm.de/x/
The Web site includes articles on how computer games started ("From the Pentagon to the Pocket", the history of computer games since 1961), descriptions of the devices used for playing, and articles on games that are already in existence. Finally, it also addresses the question of whether Thomas Gottschalk's live TV show with "Telephone Pong" already marks the end of development.
In the introduction, I have written:
"Computer games went through several genera-j tions in the last 25 years. Museums show pong consoles. Classic games are redesigned as cyber hype giga re-releases. Beginning with Atari, home consoles, arcade games and games on PC's mutated from low-level applications to complex games." And I quote Youichi Miyaji, president of ESP and GameArts: "No matter how much or how little you know about the video game industry, I'm sure we can all agree on two things: The industry produces way too much junk, and the industry can never realize its true potential as long as its products are regarded by the mainstream media as children's toys." I use the medium of the Internet to visualize my subject, in order to make use of the most extensive references and technical possibilities. Games are shown and explained, additional sources are listed. In order to provide the worldwide community of gamers with a platform for exchanging experiences and suggestions, "Energized Gaming Culture" includes a PHP-chat and an interactive magazine generated from a mSQL database (Programming by Ralf Röber, isb). A sensuous experience of the games described is supported by dynamic buttons (Java applets) and the use of QuickTimeVR.
Links: http://www.farm.de/x/
Mark von Rahden (D), trained and worked as a sign painter, studied graphics design at the Hochschule für Kunst Bremen; 1992-94 "coinn" development project at the HfK Bremen; since 1996, "The Farm", advertising and project agency together with David Bartusch and Rainer Krause.