The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Wired Campus

February 20, 2008

Play This Video Game, Achieve Inner Peace

It seems an oxymoron: video games and contemplative thought. But Tracy Fullerton, director of the Electronic Arts Game Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California, is developing an online game that she says promotes “spiritual enlightenment.” An early video version of the game, called the Night Journey, features a hazy, black-and-white environment that includes flying birds, barren landscapes, half-formed buildings, trees, and human forms. The soundtrack to the 10-minute video seems to be pure and distorted sounds from nature. Ms. Fullerton said the game is designed to facilitate feelings of exploration, reflection, loss, and birth. She is considering having a museum host the interactive video, which she presented Monday at a game developers conference in San Francisco.

The game is being developed in partnership with Bill Viola, a renowned photographer and video artist. Some of his photos, from all over the world, are being incorporated into the game. —Andrea L. Foster

Posted on Wednesday February 20, 2008 | Permalink |

Comments

  1. Very trippy and far out, man.

    I didn’t see where one collects the magic coins, though.

    I think I heard some subliminal messages (“number 9, number 9, number9”).

    — Jaye    Feb 21, 03:17 PM    #

  2. Please link to this site.
    http://japan-game-brog.blogspot.com/

    — shima    Feb 27, 11:17 PM    #

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