For the third participation in Mark Divo’s Dadafestival, I programmed a computer game. It’s a remake of “Summer Games,” a title that premiered in 1984. In “Summer Flames 2008,” the player starts in a discipline called “400m Torch Relay of Harmony.” Which relates to the original “400m Relay.” In the original game, wiggling the joystick made the character run. What ultimately was the death of many joysticks.
As input device serves a stepper, known from tv commercials and specialised retailers. That superb device allows its user to watch tv and get rid of extra kilos at the same time. According to the stepping speed, the game character runs faster or slower. Besides stepping, the player has to hold a torch upright. In case of vibration or horizontal position, the game is lost.
The goal is to carry the torch safely in order to light the olympic fire. Though there are protesters along the way who are trying to interfere. Luckily there is an escort around the runner. If contact is made between the escort and the protesters, they get into a brawl, what decimates the escort and makes life more difficult for the runner. Contact between runner and protester results also in a fight, the torch goes out and the game is lost. If the game happens to take too long, it is lost as well.
1. – 21. June 2008
Exhibited at the 5th Dadafestival in Kolin, Czech Republic
See some screen shots ->