OiBox 7 – Wings of Deceit

Spybird, Avioid, Wings of Deceit.   Control a robotic spy bird. missions range from intrusion detection, payload transport, and  surveillance photography. the android bird must blend in with real birds in order to avoid detection and complete each mission. bird-like behavior must be maintained at all times under the constraints of a finite power supply and mission objectives. controls permit simultaneous behavior blending and subject targeting, view is 3rd person in a 3d environment. player should internalize bird behavior feel the thrill of successful disguise while covertly achieving mission objectives.

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OiBox 6 – SmartStorm

SkyStrider, SmartStorm – versus weather battle. using meteorology notation, a player and opponent battle each other by drawing weather systems on a map. goals include territory control, environmental control, ground conditions, flight conditions, and opponent decimation. “weather weapons” include rain, hail, snow, lightning, wind, tornadoes, and hurricanes. game should look like a futuristic satellite map, with futuristic meteorology notation. pace should be faster than normal – for fast paced action.

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OiBox 5 – Concentra

Concentra – play begins with a blank white screen. a biofeedback interface measures player heart rate variability and controls the rendering of successive circles – color and size are effected by mind focus. an adjustable timer periodically records the results of player interaction. over time the game builds a library of player designs. player should feel the correlation between their mental state and color abstraction on screen.

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OiBox 4 – Neuropainter

Neuropainter – puzzle game where a suitable brain must be built to solve each puzzle. brain physiology and tissue density directly effect the brain’s ability to solve puzzles. brain brushes are used to paint in tissues and structures. colors and textures correspond to intelligences – logic, pattern, emotion, etc. player should feel that they are nurturing a sentient intelligence. the brain should become more sophisticated over time and should require less intervention as the game progresses.

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OiBox 3 – The Implosionist

Sectionographer, Divdown, The Implosionist – play as a demolition artist responsible for felling condemned buildings. each building must be analyzed using a depth penetrating camera. only a finite number of explosive charges are available for each job. some jobs require only partial demolition. player controls the special camera and indicates charge placement within this view. visuals incorporate realtime physics and detailed views of urban decay.

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OiBox 2 – Pro Yolk

i have switched to a 3 part description format that seems useful:

- theme/goal
- control/gameplay
- presentation/experience.

Over Easy, Pro Yolk – fry eggs with an emphasis on craft and control. you choose a pan, control heat, crack the egg, control the spatula, flip the egg, and choose plate and garnish. player controls should enable a high degree of nuance and fine control in every aspect of the game. audiovisuals should be super-real – each egg should make your mouth water. there is no game save, no limit on number of eggs, no outward objective. the game should enable a sense of mastery at a simple craft and should facilitate a state of brainless execution – almost like meditation.

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OiBox 1 – Track Tracer

Dragg Racer, Ribbon Racer, Track Tracer – a group of cars are racing against each other in a top down view. the cars all drive themselves. your goal is to “fix” the race to make a certain car win. some cars are faster on straights, others are faster in corners. control: you must draw the track as the cars race – all the cars must remain on-screen at all times.

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Folding@home distributed gaming

I created this box in September 2007 – it first saw the light of day at vgboxart.com. The concept came to me after hearing about the PS3/Folding@home partnership. Folding@home is a protein sequencing research system which requires vast amounts of computational power. Prior to PS3 integration, this power came primarily from specially designed PC screensavers which contribute idle CPU cycles to the effort.

Protein formation is not unlike a physical puzzle – these puzzles are being solved (slowly) by mathematical algorithms. The first thing that came to mind when i learned of Folding@home on the PS3 was the obvious marriage of gaming and science – all the Tetris Grand Masters out there should get together to play one of the most complex puzzles known to science! See the box for more.

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