PIN BALL WALL
PIN BALL WALL uses projection mapping and video game interactivity to transform any suitable building into a giant playable arcade game. Members of the public can take it in turns to play the game via stomp pads on the floor in order to achieve the highest score and become a PIN BALL WALL champion.
1. Please watch the Video Pitch below to find out about us and the idea:
2. Aesthetics
For Pinball Wall want to hark back to the retro aesthetics of 8O’s video game arcade machines as well as the retro neon look of old pinball machines. We will also take our influences from graffiti and street art to create an animated street art backdrop that makes the game seamlessly blend with the building it is projected onto.
3. The Gaming Experience
One contestant at a time will join an MC on a podium in order to have a go at beating the recorded-high score. The contestant will use a stomp pad to control the pinball flippers. A giant projected scoreboard will reveal the player's names and their scores. Each game will last 1 minute and during player changeovers, a screensaver animation will keep animating the building.
Points are scored by hitting bumpers, firing the pinball into a hole in the wall, collecting tokens with one's pinball, firing the pinball up a ramp and by placing the pinball into the corners of the board.
Each one of these events will also trigger their own individual projection-mapped animations. For example, part of the wall might crumble away through hitting bumpers, or a street art character might come to life when the ball is fired up the ramp. These add an element of visual interest and spontaneity as well as offering the player extra incentives within the game.
4. Participants vs Audience
Holding this all together will be an MC who is there to introduce players, commentate on their performance, get the crowd going and award the trophy at the end of the evening. The MC and the players will be on a podium/stage so that audiences can simultaneously watch the projections and the players playing the game at the same time.
There is a growing and hugely popular trend in E-Sports where enormous international crowds are enthralled by the tension of watching other people play video games against each other. We therefore believe that non-players will enjoy the experience as much as active contestants.
The format of the project was initially inspired by the World Tetris Championships. Below is an example of some of the most popular E-Sports experiences:
5. Participant Recruitment:
At this stage we are looking at different approaches to recruiting contestants. Options include a live queuing system supervised by front of house staff or a simple advance booking system online or at a dedicated local desk.
6. And Beyond
Pinball Wall is part of Street Arcade - a collection of various projection-mapped video games that we intend to develop and tour to various international projection mapping festivals. Below is an example of 'Shelf Life' - The prototype of a platformer game that we intend to scale up to monumental proportions