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PSP SSS (Site Specific System)
Although one of the features of the PlayStation
Portable is the ability to play against other people wirelessly,
with this 'un-plugged' gaming feature you are in danger of
losing the benefits of the forced physical connectedness between
players.
We have thought about play in general, and about
the fact that, even with computer games, there is a degree
of physical competition. It's not just about the interaction
that's happening within the virtual ‘gamespace’,
it's about everything that's going on outside the screen too;
it's about distraction tactics, kicking and punching, small-scale
torture between friends...
Taking this idea of the physical interaction
to an extreme design conclusion, we have imagined specific
structures in specific places in the city for specific PSP
communities. Rather than sitting in the comfort of your home
playing against other people who are physically distant, the
Site Specific System provides a platform for the ultimate
physical-virtual gaming session. In the example we show, we
have designed a platform built above a road that is particularly
suitable for people to play racing games. Here you can come
and compete against other gamers while real traffic races
along beneath you
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The System takes on the characteristics of a
high tech factory processing machine, containing thick steel
panels that move via pneumatic pistons. The player is taken
down into the system by a one-person lift and then positioned
in their seat, the panels move in around them so that they
fit neatly around the player like a glove. There being no
room for discrepancies, a panel is then catapulted away from
under their feet, leaving their feet dangling to feel the
swirling air and amplified noise of the heavy traffic below.
Each player has an additional set of buttons attached to their
PlayStation Portable, which allow them to control the panels
of their opponents. Game play becomes a complex distraction
of extreme real space, intense virtual space and aggressive,
competitive body contact.
With thanks to Bruce Bell, Jason Iftakhar, Dominic
Robson and Noam Toran.
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