Presentation

Games for Presentation

Line Wobbler

Robin Baumgarten

[UK]

What's your background in making games?

I have been making mobile games and small pc games for several years before starting to experiment with experimental controllers and hardware games. I've also done some academic research on Artificial Intelligence and Player Behaviour Modelling.

How much time did you spend working on the game?

Initial prototype: 48 hours. Further development: 6 months. Fine tuning: Still ongoing (2 years+)

How did you come up with the concept?

The concept was developed in a Game Jam (Exile Game Jam Denmark 2014). There were two ideas – one for the spring, the inspiration came from a cat video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aTagDSnclk), the other for the LED strip, which we found in a hardware box brought by the game jam organizers

What development tools did you use?

Arduino IDE + Sublime Text Editor, Soldering Iron, Screw Driver, Super Glue, 3D Printer, Laser Cutter

What were the significant changes between the presented games and games you developed before?

This is the first one-dimensional game I've ever worked on. It's also the first game involving an accelerometer. It is also the only hardware game that I've taken beyond prototype stage.

What is your goal as a game developer?

Surprise the player with previously thought impossible interactions and unusual gameplay mechanics. I also want to inspire other game developers to be more experimental and explore new ways of making games, especially by combining software and custom hardware.

Please write a message to future SOWN attendees regarding your expectation and feeling about being selected to be a finalist.

SOWN is a great opportunity to show your most experimental game concepts that are not necessarily commercially viable, but instead encourage fellow developers to experiment more and think outside the norm.