Where once man hunted for game in the form of mammoths, llamas and buffalo, he now hunts for a different kind of game that can deliver the illusion of a new world and a new identity. Since the first graphical computer game (a version of tic-tac-toe) was invented in 1952, gaming has advanced to encompass astounding graphics and 3D imagery that stimulates a player’s sensors as much, if not more, than real life itself. In just over 50 years, gaming has evolved to include computer games, video games and virtual reality games that immerse players more and more deeply into a convincing world of make-believe. Now, as we enter the dawn of the next gaming revolution of ‘mixed reality’, certain organisations stand out in their achievements for furthering the realm of gaming possibilities.
One such organisation is Blast Theory. Based in London, the group is highly renowned all over the world for its influential multimedia performances. As they continue their UK tour of Uncle Roy All Around You this year, Blast Theory will treat audiences to the launch of the world’s first game played both online and physically in the real world using third generation (3G) mobile phone technology, I Like Frank at the turn of the season.
As audiences that grew up with computer games in the 80s and 90s grow older, studies show that many of them continue playing games well into their 30s and 40s. But in order to keep these committed gamers interested, new challenges must be invented. Of course, as these new games are invented, younger audiences’ first computer games become more advanced than before, and so new inventions must again be created to satisfy the next older generation of players. Before we get ourselves into a head-spin, one need only think about how far we have come from the modest joystick to prove how advanced our gaming activities have become.
Mobile phones and the internet are just two examples of new mediums that have changed the way we play games. Most importantly for gaming companies, billions of dollars are made by these markets internationally each year. One of the newest and most profitable sort of games played on the internet at the moment are known as Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG). Also referred to as a ‘virtual world’ often of the medieval environment, an MMORPG is a place where players can co-habit with hundreds of thousands of other people simultaneously as they master skills and continuously develop their online persona. EverQuest is one the most popular games of this sort. With almost half a million users each paying a monthly subscription fee of $13, EverQuest has at any given moment up to 50,000 or more people from more than 120 countries playing online in the fanciful landscapes of ‘Norrath’. These dramas unfold on more than 40 dedicated Sony servers, each accommodating up to 2,000 players interacting with the program and each other. The oldest MMORPG is Ultima Online which has 225,000 players, and the largest is Lineage with 4 million subscribers, mostly in Korea. With a market for such games more than apparent, it is no wonder gaming continues to evolve at a rapid rate.
As for Blast Theory, the group identified what they consider to be inevitable conversions between games like MMORPGs and games played on mobile phones. By merging this concept with new technologies that integrate the physical and digital worlds, Blast Theory’s unique mixed reality game, I Like Frank was created.
Previous Blast Theory projects have included Can You See Me Now?, which won the 2003 Prix Ars Electronica Golden Nica for Interactive Arts, and Uncle Roy All Around You which arrives in Manchester in April. I Like Frank builds on the experience and technology of these mixed reality projects, integrating mobile phone technology for the first time.
Movies like The Matrix become much easier to get a grip on when advances in gaming technology are understood. But research groups like the Mixed Reality Laboratory (MRL) at the University of Nottingham have been studying such developments for some time. MRL and Blast Theory have been working together since 1997. The aim of the lab is to look at the boundaries between real and virtual space. Its multidisciplinary team comprises computer scientists, product designers, psychologists, sociologists and ethnographers who help Blast Theory with the technical applications required for their creative ventures. The team’s artistic and scientific successes are renowned internationally. Artistically, their projects are in demand all around the world, while their research papers are accepted by international conferences and publications in the scientific community.
I Like Frank is no less than a groundbreaking project that has once again resulted from this creative partnership. It will take place online at www.ilikefrank.com and on the streets of Adelaide using 3G mobile phones. Although the phones have received mixed performance reviews, they offer broadband services which include high-speed data transmission and internet and video links – features integral to I Like Frank. In this game, players in a real city can chat with players in the virtual city as they search for the elusive ‘Frank’. Described as a mixture of hide-and-seek, chasey and treasure hunt, I Like Frank players can build relationships, swap information and test the possibilities of a new hybrid space. When real and online players come into close proximity of each other in their respective worlds, the online players can send text messages to the phones of the real players, and the real players can record audio messages which are relayed back to the online players.
Blast Theory believes that live multi-player games using mobile phones will be a significant cultural form in the future. The group helped pioneer the use of new technologies within performance contexts in the early 90s, and has been researching the convergence of mobile and online technologies since 2000. Comprising a creative team of three, Blast Theory formed in 1991 and is made up of Matt Adams, Ju Row Farr and Nick Tandavanitj. Adams told Arts Hub that Blast Theory feels now is a very rich moment for mixed reality games.
‘Many people are bored playing games like Tombraider all the time and are looking for different things,’ says Adams. ‘And there’s tremendous interest in the arts community for creating works that deal with games.’
As for why they chose Adelaide, Australia to launch I Like Frank (which they will do during the Adelaide Fringe Festival): ‘Adelaide is one of only a few cities in the world that offers a 3G mobile network. We’ve been given the use of the networks, handsets and call time to do whatever we want to explore the technology, and this acted as a big plus in coming to Adelaide,’ says Adams.
The emergence of new technologies such as mixed reality games always raises the question of what could possibly come next. Blast Theory is already taking that next step, currently working with the BBC to develop an interactive television program that includes both real players and online players. Blast Theory can’t divulge much more information about the project, except that they are due to shoot the pilot this British summer.
The game certainly is not over yet.
I Like Frank will take place from March 1-12 as part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival. To register, go to www.ilikefrank.com.
Uncle Roy All Around You will be played from April 28 to May 8 both online and in the streets of Manchester using hand-held computer devices. To be an online player, go to www.uncleroyallaroundyou.co.uk.